Going to West Palm, thinking about maybe collecting some stuff...

[Clownfish29]

I'm going to West Palm Beach, FLorida this november. I go every year, and always go diving at the breakers reef. I forget most of the stuff ive seen, but last year I do remember quite chaos when a herd of 6 lobsters came into our path. they became dinner for the dive master!:lol:

anyway. I have been checking some things out, and I want to bring some stuff to collect some species to take back to my tank. That being said, what excatly would i neeD? Does anyone know what you can collect there, what you cant, etc? Im new to this and i am not sure at all how to do it, what to bring, but i would love to bring home some fishies! Thanks!

 

[coraljunky]

I know you need a FL saltwater fishing license. Not sure if you can collect without being a resident either.

 

[DaveG99]

Go to penut island. Its a great place and there are lots of hermits, snails, fish, etc there. I have collected there many times.

http://www.geocities.com/palmbeachboating/peanut_island.html

here is a pic of the area that I took....

 

[philter4]

It is easy, you do need a saltwater license, and you don't have to be a resident, but the license costs more if you are not. Follow the laws, you can't take any stony coral or rock, there is a 20 animal limit, and there are some size limits. When you buy the license get ask for a copy of the regulation booklet, in the center there is a quick quide to bag and size limits. At the bottom of that page it lists the tropical fish regulations and size limits.

Just remember that while collecting even though you are not collecting corals doesn't mean you can abuse the coral to get a fish out. Don't collect where you have to break the coral to get a fish and if you lift coral heads or rocks to see what is under them, turn them back so they are in the same spot as when you found them.

One other thing to remember is adult fish do not come to the surface as well as juviniles do. The breakers (if you are scuba diving) is about 60 ft on the front, 80 ft on the back, you have to bring the fish up very slowly to avoid killing the fish with it's air bladder. They can go to 10 or 20 feet well, but that last few feet can quickly kill a fish by expanding it's bladder and putting pressure on the heart. Hang the fish at 15 feet for as long as you can and come up from there very slowly to avoid this. Other wise you need to needle the fish which isn't something you should do without practice.

 

[Elan L.]

The website for peanut island says all marine life is protected.