Shu Tin, your tank is absolutely stunning, and a demonstration of what a hobbyist can do with a lot of time and money, and some serious dedication. Congradulations indeed on this stunning tank!
I have one serious reservation about your collecting of Ritteri's(not on IUCN list yet) I have read quite of number or articles where Ritteri's are frowned upon for collecting for this hobby. Quite a few state that their extremly difficult to keep and shouldnt be attempted by hobbyists within the confines of a home aquairum. Obviously your home aquairum rivals most public aquairums not just in size, but livestock, and having a dedicated reefkeeper to maintain the huge responsibility in lifeforms you have taken on, but my question gets back to something I read in a few articles pertaining to Riteri's.
I read that Ritteri's in the wild do not reproduce sexually frequently, and that often an outcroping of a Riteri's in the wild is a collective colony of clones and not sexually reproduced offspring. So while your out scoring the seas for new colorful Riteri's do you think your robbing the ocean's of future outcroppings and homes to clowns? I'm directly quoting a document I have listed in reference below"In the wild this fish will die if it does not have a host anemone.
I see on your website that your opening page that you post all the benefits of coral reefs, but more importantly the importance of preserving them. I have to ask what role do you think your playing in all of this? I know all of us play a role, but your tank being of such a large size and containing some very rare anenmones is in someway an example, but what example is it?
My meaning is this; I know public aquairums contain large volumes of water and tremendous livestock, but they also offer this to the public, so that people can be aw inspired and educated to help protect these places. Your tank being at home in your residence, what role is this large display playing in this education and protection? or is it just the exaggeration of what we all do on a small basis which is keeping a small piece of ocean to either enjoy looking at, watching it grow, perform husbandry, or just noodle around with DIY projects ( I tend to fall into all these categories)
I also would be curious if you've though of contingency plans, what if your not around to care for these precious creatures? Most aquariums have a trust or an ongoing source of revenue to maintain their creatures as well as mutual benefit programs with other aquairums. I read in one of your posts you were thinking of moving and leaving the tank. What of the livestock? What of the responsibility to the livestock?
I know we all take these risks, I have myself lost fish and corals through impulse purchases or just natural predation in my home aquairum and I feel the loss whenever I buy new items. I think to myself what impact on the worlds oceans does my end play? I have to ask on such a large scale, how much greater is the impact we play?
I don't want you to think I don't love your tank or admire your dedication to your creatures, but these questions I am asking keep comming to mind, every time I see bigger and bigger home aquairums. I wonder what benefit they play for that same aw inspiring effect that public aquairums play with regards to what they consume and take away from our oceans and the natural habbitat of these creatures.
Cheers
D:eek1:
here are some links
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/inverts/cnidaria/anthozoa/hetmagnifica.htm
http://www.ci.manhattan.ks.us/DocumentView.asp?DID=1557