I was searching RC for "chrysopterus" when I came across this thread.. SDguy is implying impropriety or ethics issues, where there isn't any.
What has happened in the past is that when ReefHotSpot (RHS) gets in a fish, they photograph it and put it on their website for sale. That way, there is no one claiming that RHS is lifting photos from other sources AND he is selling what you actually see. This is just the beginning of the owner's true ethical behavior.
After RHS sells the fish, they don't take the photo off the site. If new fishes come in, they either photograph them or use the previous photo they have.
I specifically requested that RHS order me:
Rainford's Butterfly
Meyer's Butterfly
Triangle Butterfly
Banded Butterfly
I not only collect exotic Butterflyfishes, but I get them eating and sell them to other exotic butterflyfish aquarists.
The owner of RHS would not sell me those fishes until we met face to face. He understood that, not only did I have 35+ years in the hobby, but that I had many tricks to manage, maintain and get eating those kinds of fishes. I am successful at that.
However, as I mentioned above, his practice was to photograph the fishes and put them on his website for me to see. I ordered them from his website and drove to his store (a 2-hour drive) to pick up these beauties. I've been to his store and made that drive several times for special order items, which he still photographs and puts on his site. (BTW, I'm not talking about one or two fishes --- I've order
several of each of those on the above list).
I see
many marine fishes coming through the system to LFSs and Wholesalers that frankly don't belong selling to the usual aquarist. But there are issues involved with that process. I am not referring to RHS here, since they are just looking for the fishes I want from Wholesalers. Wholesalers place orders for 'proper' aquarist fishes with their exporters (I have met many of these exporters), the exporter places orders for 'proper' aquarist fishes with the collectors, and then things start going wrong.
The collector gets what he can find on the 'wanted list' and even those not on the 'wanted list,' including those inappropriate for the home aquarist. But the collector doesn't care. If the exporter refuses to take his fish, even the inappropriate ones, the collector finds another exporter to deal with. So the exporter caves in and accepts the inappropriate fishes too, along with the ones ordered. What does he do with them? He sends those inappropriate fishes (like on that list above) to Wholesalers here in the USA.
The Wholesalers doesn't refuse the shipment for the same reasons the exporter didn't refuse the shipment from the collector. Now, the Wholesalers is stuck with fishes he knows shouldn't be sold to aquarists. Does he throw them away? Does he kill them? No.
Now the LFSs and RHS kind of store reps come to the Wholesalers and finds these unusual and 'impossible' fishes in their tanks. Smart LFSs know what to avoid. On the other hand, I've asked RHS to specifically find them for me and buy them for me. I make it a point NOT to create a demand for them, so I never request that a Wholesaler special order them for me. I just have RHS keep an eye out for them.
BTW, RHS can sometimes do a good turn for me, by reminding the Wholesaler that the fish they have are essentially dead because no home aquarist can keep them alive, and get a better price for me, for them.
This is how the system works. It was me who caused RHS to get those fishes that they posted photos of on their website. But I believe that if someone wanted to buy those very same fishes, RHS would challenge the buyer's ability to properly maintain and care for them.
It would be a nicer world if everyone bothered to get the facts first, but that isn't the human way. I just thought it was necessary for me to speak up on this matter, since it was apparently I who has put RHS in this position.
I am sorry Max that our relationship has caused you this undeserving grief.
