Larval raised fish

[MandarinFish]

True Aviator, there is a biological predisposition to flavor. To a dung beetle, a hunk of duke tastes like a gourmet meal.

To a nudibranch, a sponge or coral will be candy and everything else will taste like limestone.

But animals will eat what they can, and if all they can eat is a specific cultured food, then they will most likely learn to eat it.

Fish do learn to eat things. A buddy of mine has a half-black Angel that has "taught" another angel to eat soft corals, to his infinite chagrin.

Since I am mostly looking at only clams or mushrooms, I'm not so worried about corals. For a FOWLR tank I am mostly concerned about having a fish that will accept prepared foods.

Does anyone have links to other captive raised sites? I'd be stoked to check them out and get others' feedback, as I want to stock my tanks soon. But only environmentally responsibly. And I don't want to be limited to mean dottybacks and tiny gobies who will reduce the sacred pod population I'm developing for Mandarins.

Tangs? Triggers? Angels?

 

[Kalkbreath]

Originally posted by MandarinFish:
[QB]Kalkbreath - wtf?!?! Your point is bizarre and convoluted, and you don't write in complete sentences, much less with proper grammar.

Yes ,but Im almost always correct! And proper grammer is pointless if your wrong? I am FOR this type of fish collection! Yet I find it odd that you think Im poking fun at the idea and fail to see, that this" catch and release" would equally benefit the Sea turtles? Can you explain why?
_________________
Honda Sonic

 

[Tim Tessier]

I remember a couple of years ago seeing a French company that was working with larval fish out of Moorea? and the name Dufour(ICLARM ref) sounds familiar. I will see if I can dig up some info. Anyone want to go halfers on 10,000 fish??

Just Kidding

Cheers,
Tim

 

[SPC]

Posted by Mandarin:
But animals will eat what they can, and if all they can eat is a specific cultured food, then they will most likely learn to eat it.

I am not sure if I follow your logic here. Eating something does not necessarily equate to nutrition nor do many animals "learn" to eat food that is not part of their natural diet.
Steve

 

[Bill2]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Kalkbreath:
<strong>How bout we permit baby Seaturtles? Sea turtles have such a high mortality rate during the first year, that to my knowledge there has never been a photo taken of a five month old in the wild? </strong><hr></blockquote>

Actually there was a cool documentary following a baby (probably more than one) sea turtle through the first couple months of it's life.

 

[Bill2]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Tim Tessier:
<strong>I remember a couple of years ago seeing a French company that was working with larval fish out of Moorea? and the name Dufour(ICLARM ref) sounds familiar. I will see if I can dig up some info. Anyone want to go halfers on 10,000 fish??

Just Kidding

Cheers,
Tim</strong><hr></blockquote>

I believe this is the same company. Moorea is in French Polynesia (actually right next to the island of Tahiti) ICLARM is "The World Fish Center is a food and environment research organization that joins forces with farmers, scientists, and policy makers around the world to help the rural poor increase their income, preserve their environment, and improve their lives. "

check em out at www.iclarm.org

On a side note they provide the world with www.fishbase.org. A great ID site but painfully slow at times.

 

[Bill2]

http://www.iclarm.org/resprg_2d.htm

 

[Bill2]

Various Stuff produced by Johann Bell the head researcher in Tahiti.

http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/bdoc99-6.pdf

I found his email address. I hope it's current and asked him to speak in #reefs and join the discussion here.

 

[ReefMon]

Talking with a LFS today, asking about larval raised Chromis it seems there is someone in Hawaii either raising or wholesaling them and a bunch of other fish, including several species of angel. The manager was concerned that due to the smaller size and higher price no one will buy them. I told him to get them and start educating his customers and then they will demand them!

I'll try to find out more about who is selling them from the owner when he get back to town.

BTW, there is a really cool picture in this months National Geographic of a tang larva! Cute little bugger :&gt

 

[Anonymous]

I have a few comments...

I think the idea that you could turn a corallivore into a Vibragro-ivore and ONLY a Vibragro-ivore is pure fantasy and probably marketing. Diet has got to be heavily genetic. Remember we are talking about fish that spawn and then become plankton before settling out. Momma Fish doesn't take Junior by the fin and lead him around the reef pointing out the tasty Acropora but to avoid the gross hair algae... It just smells like the total BS about captive raised clowns not being interested in anemones. While you may be able to get the Mr Acropora-eater to just love PE's Mysis, he's still gonna be drawn to Acropora like Ted Kennedy to a bottle of Jamesons.

It's just like ORA's Pomacanthus maculosus angels - they were pricey but they would sell if I could only guarentee they wouldn't go through someone's corals like the Tasmanian Devil after Bugs Bunny. No way in hell I can say that....at least no evidence yet to say that is indeed true.

 

[MandarinFish]

Exactly Josh.

It isn't about raising animals then releasing them to their deaths because they cannot forage and hunt. That's what happens to many, many captive raised then wild released animals.

It is about reducing the demand on the reefs that are dying worldwide daily.

"Environmental wacko" is unendearing. If you don't like ecology or natural conservation, move to Hong Kong where the streams run black with pollution.

Or, better yet, the moon.

Glad you like captive-raising, kalk. Didn't seem like it at all with your post.

Anyone have other links to captive bred wholesalers or retailers? Mary? Bueller?

 

[Jeff B]

Fascinating topic. See if this link provides more info. www.aqua-fish.com

 

[MandarinFish]

Jeff - I am emailing them to see if they can send me info or will ship fish.

The pic of the handfuls of baby butterfly fish was strange but re-assuring.

 

[MaryHM]

Mandarin,

As far as links to captive raised wholesale/retail facilities, I don't think you'll find any that are offering that solely, except for ORA and C-quest. But most wholesalers/retailers offer some kind of captive bred animals.

 

[Anemone]

Well, the good news is, maybe we won't have to even drag the reefs for larval fish shortly....

http://www.reefs.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=033286

Kevin

 

[JoshF]

Kalk: I would wager that you got the response you did because your reply seemed to disparage the idea of captive larval rearing and seemed to miss the point entirely. The plan isn't to rear coral reef fish in our tanks and then release "buddy" the chromi into the reefs. The plan is to wildly reduce the mortality rates, thus allowing us to release some immediately and raise the others in our tanks.

As for the environmental-wacko part; I'd consider myself to be something of the sort. I mean, I actually prefer that the reefs not be dredged and polluted to extinction. However, captive rear-out programs are fairly widely endorsed in the environmentalist sector.....

Josh

 

[MandarinFish]

It's fantastic they bred rare, expensive fish at Waikiki. Also, Ocean Institute finally got the fry to eat.

I want to be the first in line to buy their fish. Flame angels are magnificent.

Vincent Dufour at Aqua-fish.com emailed me back and said they are now shipping to the US. He will send me a list of wholesalers and species hopefully, and I invited him to our discussion.

I'll post the next response I get from him.

Mary - thanks for the info; I'm looking for any place that carries any captive raised or bred. Most places carry some, but I'm trying to compile a list. I'd be totally stoked to buy captive reared from you if you sell them.

I will start stocking my tank when it finishes cycling.

 

[SPC]

Mandarin, the link does not work for me.
Steve

 

[MandarinFish]

Space it SPC. It's erifish.com

You know where the trail ends, for collectors looking to buy fish captive raised?

Flying Fish Express

I got this from ERI;
<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Jake,

There are a few others out there. We supply livestock for www.thepetstop.com too. However, for quality and variety I would strongly recommend that you stick with Flying Fish.

Regards,

Rob. <hr></blockquote>

 

[JeremyR]

That's because ERI owns flying fish, but I thought we weren't sposed to get specific in here. Like,I won't post my opinion on ERI because it will probably generate a lawsuit.