Rape of the natural environment?

[Erik2003]

As I start to explore this hobbie, an I like it, I wonder if there is an indirect causal destruction of the reef environment...

I hear almost nothing about purchasing tank raised fish. Is this question moot? or is the wild environment raped of the animals needed so some can place the thing in a tank?

The United Nation has placed restrictions of seahorses. While not the bane of aquariumists, it should be noted by those who have an appreciation of what they have in their tank.

I have seen octopus for sale, but these animals are far too inteligent for capture, and very short lived...

Last, where is all this live rock coral coming from? Are the suppliers we buy from, ethically conducting their business in a manner that does not destoy the reefs around us?

Just pondering...

[AquariumPro]

All excellent questions Eric, and glad to see that someone finally raise that topic. You should read our articles (http://www.aquariumpros.com/articles/) on the subject of aquariums and the ecology, being a responsible hobbyist, as well as those on marine livestock that should not be kept in captivity.

I am not going to write an article here, but I find it amazing that THIS VERY TOPIC is the number one reason that The Aquarium Professionals Group started this web site back in 1998. Yet in more than four years, no one has ever asked these types of questions until now. Kinda makes you go Hmmmm, doesn't it? We will soon be up-loading our latest series of articles, with a few more dedicated to this subject.

There is no question that the marine aquarium hobby has had a negative effect on coral reefs, especially up until about eight years ago. Any saltwater hobbyist who cannot accept this is sticking their head in the sand. Things have improved dramatically however, thanks to the efforts of organizations like The American Marinelife Dealers Association, The International Marinelife Alliance, ReefCheck and others.

As I said, you will have to wait till the new articles are released to read more in detail, but I'll touch on some of the questions you've asked.

Many countries have passed new tough laws governing live collection of marinelife from their coral reefs. The US is no exception, with many fish and inverts being banned for collection in coastal waters, even in Hawaii. More and more countries are joining CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species), which is a good thing, because these countries do not allow the collection or exportation of any animal placed on the CITES lists.

A great deal of the live rock sold nowadays is now seeded by dumping coral-based rock into the ocean, then harvesting it several months later when it is encrusted with coralline algae, polyps, etc. All other live rock collection anywhere in the world is very strictly-monitored. To be legal to collect, LR cannot bebroken off a reef by man. It must be blown off during hurricanes or earthquakes. That is easy to determine by the way, as legally collected live rock will never show nice clean surfaces on any side.

Many marine fish and many more corals and invertebrates ARE being bred in captivity, mostly due to new collection laws all over the world. New species are being bred every day, and if the trend continues, soon that will be all that is available.

There is a lot more to be said on this subject, but I won't hog the thread. This happens to be one of my favorite topics, so let's see who else posts and what they have to say on the subject. I will close by saying that I am old enough (and have been in the hobby 35 years) to remember when the same thing was going on with freshwater fish and lake and river ecosystems. Nowadays, the majority of freshwater fish are bred in captivity.

Marine fish present some major challenges however, as these fish have much larger territories and require large tanks for breeding. However, progress is being made and what we all can do to help is to never buy species that are known not to survive in aquaria, such as Octopus and other Cephalopods. The list is much larger, and anyone who wants a more complete list should browse our articles.

[Zack]

to add to the livrock, there are 2 different types, out in the fiji and other islands they are (most of them) are destroying reefs and not resedding the rock, where as in the gulf and the keys rock is reseeded to grow so it is not. GOOD ?

[Erik2003]

You raise many good points in your reply. However, I think that the many organizations that protect the environment should be identified.

As a hobbiest, it should be mine, and our responsibility to support those groups that enforce and protect the treasures of the ocean.

I know Greenpeace is fighting to ensure the oceans remain safe, but I do not know of any others more directly related to this hobby.

Heck, I really do not know which organizations are associated with marine aquariums. Maybe people should mention them, so others may help provide support.