Collecting for Aquariums

[Rocketbobb]

Hello,

My dad and I are both scuba divers and we have a new fish tank and we were looking to see about collection a few things from the ocean. Does anyone do this them self or know how to do it. Were looking for a few places that are good to collect at and also how to collect. Sorry if their has already been a post about this.

 

[Saltliquid]

collecting

collecting

I used to do this a lot in the recent past.

Check on local laws as to where you are planning to collect at,about where you can take,how you can take and what you can take.

I have made my own nets in the past and can show you what i used to use if you want.

Try to find a net retailer or wholesaler near by or on the net and get some three eighth monophiliment netting or similar and go from there.

Pm me if you want more info on making the nets and how to use them collecting.

 

[philter4]

What he said, ^^^since I moved to FL 13 years ago I havent bought more then a handful of fish. I also make my own nets, but there are some good ones the dive shops sell. Here in FL you have to have a fishing license and follow the rules for tropicals. Not sure what the laws are in your area, for instance I lived in CA most of my life and they have a no transport of live fin fish law, so legally you can't take a fin fish from the ocean and drive home with it alive either for food or your fish tank without a special permit. I go to HI often and collect tropicals there as well, they have an aquarium permit that I get every year and it is great for what I do, which is just fish for me and sometimes friends.

 

[baldomero]

i do the same thing here in puerto rico when i want a fish i go to any beach snorkel around and try to catch what i want

 

[Saltliquid]

cool!

cool!

What sought of creatures do you get and see baldomero?

We as a club do a lot of this on snorkel these days.

We used to be allowed to on scuba but that changed about 15 years back so it is on snorkel now.

we still do heaps of scuba diving though.

Do you have any pics of wher you go and what you get.

I would love to see what you do over there.

We have a ball over here.

The club has a BBQ boat collecting trip very soon and we will be sitting on the duck board eating steak having a drink and than swim off to catch a few things for our tanks.

It should be a lot of fun.

If ever oyu have something interesting to say about it or are interested in what we do you can email (aandtsociety@gmail.com) if you like.

It is a great sport and hobby combo!

 

[nchin3]

I'm not gonna lie I'm pretty jealous that I have to buy all my fish and coral.

 

[scottallert]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14759537#post14759537 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nchin3
I'm not gonna lie I'm pretty jealous that I have to buy all my fish and coral.

o yeah it rocks ricordias, sps, zoas brain corals try moving to south florida.

 

[Saltliquid]

cool

cool

sounds nice down there.

It sonds like our bayside,very nice!

Hey scottalert what is hookah in your sports and i long board to,well its 8 foot 6,not real long,the old one i used to use was over nine foot,to heavy,thruster fins,you cant beat them.

Here is a link to our photobucket site if you want to go further into it is up to you.

This link is a rock pool 50 mins from home out to sea that we go to,it is parradise,for sure.

I love this spot,i found it by accident in the early eighties when i was sea sick while working with a mate that was commercial collector and i needed to be on stable land and not that many that arent locals know about it.

http://s272.photobucket.com/albums/jj198/aandtsociety/?action=tags&current=pool-

 

[ctenophors rule]

yeah florida is pretty nice for wild collecting.

i've found some amaving ricordeas before, as well as some nice transparent carribean corralimorphs.

just today i went snorkeling, and found a margarite snail as big as my fist, completely coated with a small polyped stony coral, i suspect was a montipora. the coral was a brownish blue, and the few polyps that were out (surprising) were a nice pinkish breen color.

if only i was n't at a state park.

also saw some cowries, and some sharks and cool fish.

so as long as you dont take too much,and the law is against you, you should be ok, just be mindful of your environment and dont take more than the environment can sustain loosing.

 

[SouthFloridian]

I've done it here in Florida. Just need to be aware of the local laws.

 

[produceb]

I do it in Florida and Bahamas. You can take fish check regs. But you can not take corals or live rock.

 

[Saltliquid]

Aus NSW and Queensland regs

Aus NSW and Queensland regs

Here in Queensland we have regs and no coral collection as well, but in the state of NSW they have a reasonable system.

Your permit is $55 per year and a fishing license as well for $12.

You have to report to patrol officers no less than 48 hours ahead as to the spots you may be collecting at and you can use scuba as well.

It is a pain sometimes, but it is sort of fair, a little better than Queensland.

 

[philter4]

Fl law is pretty fair for hobbyiests, they limit the numbers you can take in a day, but if you are like me and have a few small tanks how much can you use if you dive a lot.

Ctenophor, it would not have made a difference if you were not in a park, the law is clear, no stony coral of any type, that includes if it is on a shell or a piece of trash, if it has stony corals on it you can not take it. I've argued with them about collecting old bottles that have things like fire coral growing on it and they told me if I get caught it is a $500 fine and possible confiscation of my gear if I take it, even though I am removing trash from the ocean.

 

[Saltliquid]

collecting

collecting

What sought of vis do you guys get on average on shore dives,close boat dives and if you go an hour out wide by boat?

Just to compare the vis to here.

How do you carry your fish and inverts around with you?

I wonder how similar we all are?

Around brisbane at the moment we have very strong on shore winds,big seas and dirty water,this is the second week of it.

Cant cross a bar of late!

 

[scottallert]

Re: cool

Re: cool

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14762755#post14762755 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by liquidg
sounds nice down there.

It sonds like our bayside,very nice!

Hey scottalert what is hookah in your sports and i long board to,well its 8 foot 6,not real long,the old one i used to use was over nine foot,to heavy,thruster fins,you cant beat them.

Here is a link to our photobucket site if you want to go further into it is up to you.

This link is a rock pool 50 mins from home out to sea that we go to,it is parradise,for sure.

I love this spot,i found it by accident in the early eighties when i was sea sick while working with a mate that was commercial collector and i needed to be on stable land and not that many that arent locals know about it.

http://s272.photobucket.com/albums/jj198/aandtsociety/?action=tags&current=pool-

you say it sounds nice here and you live in australia!! thats as good as it gets.
you said what is hookah in sports what does that mean
i dont like long boards they dont work well waves are to mushy here.

 

[ctenophors rule]

wow, good to know.

though i thought with the saltwater fishing liscence you could take sps.

guess i was wrong.



anyway the softies are legal right? as long as you follow regulations?

i need to consult my liscence but if i remember correct, you can take up to 6 ricordea polyps, but they have to be on a clam shell.

 

[philter4]

They are changing the rules, the new ones come out every july, but the rule for last year was you could take 20 individual ricordia polyps as long as there was no rock attached. the bag limit for recreational collecting has always been 20 total animals, no more then 6 octocoral colonies (soft corals) and no more then 5 angelfish. The new regs say no more then 5 of any one species per day, still 20 animals per day. They also have lowered some of the commercial quantities.