Should we take things more seriously?

[Purpletang92]

How much are individual hammer heads going for today? I got about 100....too bad the stalks have vermetid snails, most people don't want those.

It's a hobby/pretty fish tank for me. I rarely buy fish for my 29 gallon, my pair of clowns are 17 years old, maybe cultured, only one other wild fish, sixline wrasse, not planning on any more in the short term. Corals vary, likely mostly aquaculture Pacific East or Cultivated Reef. I have three"local" reefers I could get SPS frags from if I wanted.

We always want the latest and greatest, you ever think we will all have the same corals ?

 

[Purpletang92]

I aquaculture a lot of coral, and enjoy them all. I can’t even give away things like birdsnest, pocillopora, pavona, monti cap, or monti digitata. I sell very cheap just to share, but most Reefers in my area value high dollar items. Coral are often seen like baseball cards, and just another collectable.

You ever think why things can’t be affordable? Is there really a supply and demand problem? In most cases I don’t think so and some unfortunately are doing it for profit…..

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

You ever think why things can’t be affordable? Is there really a supply and demand problem? In most cases I don’t think so and some unfortunately are doing it for profit…..

Some of it is because coral are perishable, the hobby is seasonal (about three months of buying), and it is generally more expensive to run the life support as opposed to other aquarium choices. If a vendor ships, they may have to account for shipping delays or scams.

 

[fish farmer]

We always want the latest and greatest, you ever think we will all have the same corals ?

I remember when acans were a new thing, tried a couple frags, they died, haven't tried again, I stick with varieties that do well with my tank and husbandry.

I'm not setting the hobby on fire with some difficult to care for coral.

 

[danreef55]

Approximately 15 years ago a specific species of green frilly singularia went extinct in Palau. A few professionals were given cuttings from a large colony that had been in captivity for years. The intent was to propagate as many of these leathers as possible. None of them were offered for sale. The goal was to repopulate the reef in Palau. Once enough cuttings matured the Palau government was advised of the effort. Unfortunately, the government would not allow the seeding of the colonies back to their initial habitat because it was impossible to 'prove' these were indigenous to their reefs. The colonies were given to avid hobbyist that were known for their ability to propagate. There was one catch they had to give away 10 frags to other accomplished hobbyists who gave their commitment to keep the chain going.

Another topic.... the damage done by a handful of commercial trawlers FAR exceeds the collection for the hobby.

IMO someone with passion for the reefs and their inhabitants share their enthusiasm to preserve the reefs.
How many people that have seen your tanks and dove into the hobby? In short it is difficult to stand by and watch something you love being destroyed.

Spread the word and happy reefing

 

[Purpletang92]

Some of it is because coral are perishable, the hobby is seasonal (about three months of buying), and it is generally more expensive to run the life support as opposed to other aquarium choices. If a vendor ships, they may have to account for shipping delays or scams.

A lot of equipment we have we don’t necessarily need on our systems, skimmers, expensive pumps and expensive lights, a lot of times we over complicate things unfortunately.

 

[Oldreefer44]

Keeping coral tanks is a hobby for me. I don't sell anything and I am sure I am not going to replenish the ocean with any of my corals. Reef tanks can put a spotlight on the problems with natural reefs, but is not going to change the balance of the issues with global warming or habitat destruction has on reefs. Nature really does not care what people think. There will be life on this planet long after we try to destroy Earth (with or without our species). I actually do have some corals that came in on live rock that is off limits to regular collection. I do not know of any corals that are kept in tanks that are endangered species. I find that science is misdirected when we know more about Mars than we do about the oceans on Earth. Coral reefs are only a sliver of ecosystems in the oceans, but like pretty animals, they get more attention than stuff that "grows in the mud". We need a holistic view of Earth, then we can actually live "with" nature instead of worrying about how we are going to kill the Earth. So, after all this rambling, I don't believe we are helping the environment by keeping corals in tanks. I do think that if all wild corals are off limits, there is enough corals in existing aquariums to supply the need. I love my pretty corals, but they are for my enjoyment, nothing more.

Agree with most of what you said other than "reefs are a sliver of ecosystems in the ocean" quote. As I understand it, coral reefs are the base source of around 30% of the base of the food chain. Since around 380 million people on earth rely on the seas fort their food, if the reefs disappear their will likely be major migration issues.

 

[william Lutman]

Learn, educate, and vote

 

[Jimbo327]

Yes things are being aqua cultured but let’s be real are they affordable for most?

I think that is the price of sustainability. A total permanent ban on import/export would pretty much kill any industry. However, like Covid, if there was a ban for 1 year, I think the hobby will be fine. People will just trade more, get used to less variety, and the aquacultured stuff will sustain the hobby at a much higher price point. It's just supply/demand.

I would hope seasoned reefers will gravitate towards more aquacultured corals because they are actually more sustainable.

 

[Purpletang92]

I find it hard to bring people into the hobby with the price of equipment alone, not to mention aqua culture fish, I just can’t justify it but I understand there is a market for everyone. If the government were to step in I would only see things being more expensive.

 

[rtparty]

I talked to a very big name in the hobby about this recently. You know why we won’t see saltwater stuff banned in the US? Too many politicians and their donors have tanks

 

[Purpletang92]

I talked to a very big name in the hobby about this recently. You know why we won’t see saltwater stuff banned in the US? Too many politicians and their donors have tanks

People with the big bucks that can afford more expensive corals/fish. But what about the little guys that are the backbone of this hobby ? And this could be true but we can’t dictate what Mother Nature will and is currently doing with the global warming alone. A lot of corals we take from the wild are not the same color from when we first collect them and it defeats the purpose of taking it in the first place.

 

[rtparty]

People with the big bucks that can afford more expensive corals/fish. But what about the little guys that are the backbone of this hobby ? And this could be true but we can’t dictate what Mother Nature will and is currently doing with the global warming alone. A lot of corals we take from the wild are not the same color from when we first collect them and it defeats the purpose of taking it in the first place.

What? What does the color of the coral have to do with anything?

Global warming? Really?

The US government isn’t banning anything. It’s all fear mongering

 

[Purpletang92]

What? What does the color of the coral have to do with anything?

Global warming? Really?

The US government isn’t banning anything. It’s all fear mongering

Corals are collected/priced based on color.

Yes global warming, do you see what’s happening in Florida and the reefs there?

I would hope not but you never know.

 

[mtfish]

Agree with most of what you said other than "reefs are a sliver of ecosystems in the ocean" quote. As I understand it, coral reefs are the base source of around 30% of the base of the food chain. Since around 380 million people on earth rely on the seas fort their food, if the reefs disappear their will likely be major migration issues.

Trying not to go too deep, and I did not mean to downplay coral reefs. We also have rainforest (both tropical and temperate) that contribute to the ecosystem. My point was, since we do not anything about MOST of the oceans (except maybe surface contributions), how do we really know what is fueling the "entire ecosystem"? My thinking is once we figure out how the ocean regulates this place we call Earth, we can fix a lot of things us humans have screwed up. I am old, but I am still an optimist at heart. Like when Ray Willie Hubbard asking if the rabbit is going to make it, the rabbit said, yes, I have to!

 

[fish farmer]

I talked to a very big name in the hobby about this recently. You know why we won’t see saltwater stuff banned in the US? Too many politicians and their donors have tanks

I'd like to add that IMO if government was to ban imports of X it would likely be to the potential of it becoming established in local ecosystems.

I don't see the vendors in Florida closing up shop anytime soon, it is literally too big of a fish to fry...

 

[UMALUM]

Corals are collected/priced based on color.

Yes global warming, do you see what’s happening in Florida and the reefs there?

I would hope not but you never know.

Kinda funny how 80% of bleached coral along Florida test positive for exposure to fuel, sunscreen, and other harmful pollutants. I guess all that jazz is easy to leave out when it doesn't fit ones narrative or line the pockets of people who talk for a living.

 

[Purpletang92]

Kinda funny how 80% of bleached coral along Florida test positive for exposure to fuel, sunscreen, and other harmful pollutants. I guess all that jazz is easy to leave out when it doesn't fit ones narrative or line the pockets of people who talk for a living.

This is also a very strong argument

 

[UMALUM]

This is also a very strong argument

It's not really an argument. Do you ever wonder why other regions such as Indonesia aren't suffering under this warming phenomenon? It's pretty simple..... They don't S H I T where they eat. I'd blame the cruise ships before climate but then who would pay for the mansion on Martha's Vinyard?

 

[TBSB2019]

We dove Alligator Reef last year and was heartbroke compared to what it was just a few years ago. There were still lots of fish and nurse sharks, but everything else was mostly gone.