hermit crabs

[Chiefmcfuz]

Eddie please remember it is better to remain silent and have people think then to open ones mouth and remove all doubt. This is not a fight, if you can't be constructive and non confrontational then please don't post in this thread.

 

[EDDIE MTI]

chief........you are 100% right...i should not post on this any more....eddie...

 

[KEVIN MTI]

EDDIE MTI ,, there is no one who has more knowlege about saltwater fish in this country or probably any other he owned the one of first salt water import company in this country he has been involved in the business for 50 years ,the man set up city aqauriums , anyway great guy to learn from

 

[meschaefer]

its been done. I'll let you know when I make my next trip down to breezy point. I plan on collecting some stuff and tossing it in (mostly sand fleas I want). I'll keep ya'll posted.

Ok. How many local species do you have in your tank and how long have they been there?

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

:meow:

 

[rgun2515]

OK, gone for a while and this is what it turns into...

Let me first say that I don't think releasing a few crabs back would in ANY WAY hurt the Long island sound. No matter how much caulerpa they poop. After living and boating on the sound nearly all my life and seeing what is in it, and is dumped into it when no one is looking, there are other things we should concern ourselves with. If we need to fight, this is the fight we should (together) undertake…

Here is a good place to start
http://www.lisfoundation.org/

But I agree. If there is even a slim chance that returning these creatures could harm local waters, it should not be done, and I (and everyone else) should not/will not. Though, I will not kill them. Anyone that has a local tank is welcome to them. Otherwise, I will either start one or let them live out their lives right where they are. I can afford to keep them as fat and as happy as they can possibly be in a tank…

This brings me to my final point. I don't feel (IMO) that it is at all wrong to "harvest" 5 or 6 crabs and bring them home to clean out my sump. Or by that matter anything ONE person could use or wants to study. After all, is this not how we learn? The mass commercial harvesting of wildlife in the world is far worse then any thing a member (or all members combined) of this site could ever do. If it were harmful, there would be regulations set forth by governments, as there are on sport game fish and our beloved tropical species of fish and coral.

Personally, I will again bring my son to the beach, allow him to collect items from the water, and learn about them. After all, that is how we all became interested in this hobby. Watching, catching, touching, (and honestly now everyone) reading up after it was at times "too late" for the creature...

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Do you feel it is wrong to harvest living things from nature and bring them home and then ask how to care for them? Or should you research the proper environment and care of that living thing before you bring it home?

 

[rgun2515]

Everyone makes choices. Are they always right? If they do die and early death, I can live with it on my conscience, as long as something is learned.

And from the length of this thread, I am sure someone has learned something...

And if no one takes them for a local setup, and I do not build one, we will have all learned just how long they will live in a reef setup. Any worse than the person that buys a beta and puts him in that plant-fish vase thing and expects him to live off eating the roots of the plant? I think not...


There would be no research if there were no trials

 

[Domboski]

Being a local collector myself for many years, I have to agree that re-releasing is probably not worth the risk. There are many people on the site who have local tanks and would take the hermits from you (eh hem ) so why not try that first? Many people dump things where they shouldn't but that doesn't make it right.

I guess my point is sure, there may not be any problems releasing the hermits back into the wild but when there is people willing to take them from you (eh hem again ) to put them in a local tank, why take the risk?

 

[rgun2515]

Being a local collector myself for many years, I have to agree that re-releasing is probably not worth the risk. There are many people on the site who have local tanks and would take the hermits from you (eh hem ) so why not try that first? Many people dump things where they shouldn't but that doesn't make it right.

I guess my point is sure, there may not be any problems releasing the hermits back into the wild but when there is people willing to take them from you (eh hem again ) to put them in a local tank, why take the risk?

And that's why i aked the question. And anyone is welcome to them...

 

[Domboski]

Everyone makes choices. Are they always right? If they do die and early death, I can live with it on my conscience, as long as something is learned.

And from the length of this thread, I am sure someone has learned something...

And if no one takes them for a local setup, and I do not build one, we will have all learned just how long they will live in a reef setup. Any worse than the person that buys a beta and puts him in that plant-fish vase thing and expects him to live off eating the roots of the plant? I think not...


There would be no research if there were no trials

I agree BIG TIME about learning but at the same time, who should be the one to try? Probably a qualified researcher versus the average Joe in most cases.

I agree with Chief that collecting and then asking questions is a bad practice. Not only is it bad practice for collecting local wildlife it is a bad practice in general for any activity or purchase. There is plenty of folks on this site who have collected and kept many local species for years and can answer the many questions about the care and specifications necessary for local species to be be kept in captivity and whether it is appropriate or not so there is no real excuse for not asking first. I think that is a fair expectation.

BTW, I wish you had a before and after pic too!

 

[Domboski]

One more thing, I'm not talking about you Rudy. Just speaking in generalities since the thread went that route

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

You are very correct I have learned that at least 2 people behind the scenes have been offended by comments made in or about this thread. Therefore, I am closing it for now, and as an FYI comments made in the visitor message section of profiles are visible by the public so watch what you say.