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Re: Flag Fish and Reef Tanks

Dwight wrote:

>>I'm glad to hear that great inroads are being made in captive
breeding of
>>saltwater species.  From your post, I assume the halophiles are not
"there"
>>yet, but that they are coming along.

Since halophiles live in extreme hyposalinity in the margins of the
Dead Sea and the Great Salt Lake, I hope that I will not be able to
cultivate them in my aquaria, but yes there are inroads being made in
several areas.

>>As for the aesthetic side of things.. educate me!  Are there online
sites
>>that have pics of saltwater tanks that rival the aesthetic "blast"
we get
>>when we see classic European and Japanese planted aquaria styles?


Well let me preface by saying that beauty is most certainly in the eye
of the beholder. I would notice a trend in Euro and Japanese plant
aquaria that seeks to control the shape of the plants and the extent
to which they grow. Weekly, even daily, pruning and trimming of plants
to maintain such control is mandatory. In reef tanks we try to create
a more natural appearance to the tank. Since coral growth is more
regulated by water currents and the aggressive nature of its neighbor
growth is pretty much uncontrollable, that is something we live with.
OF course there are those who will never "get it" no matter what side
of the fin your on. I have seen plenty of pictures of freshwater tanks
with plants in them on the web as well. I also recently sat in on a
club lecture where the "expert" said the "best way to grow crytocoryne
or swords was in a pot"

I would consider my tank to be very pleasing aesthetically and natural
looking.
http://www.net-link.net/~kandl/fullshots.htm

And Sylvia wrote

>I think Dwight was talking about the environmental impact of
capturing some
>of the creatures that are kept in saltwater aquaria. Keeping
saltwater tank
>owners supplied with live specimens who aren't as caring and
successful as
>you are is environmentally destructive because of the methods used
for
>capturing them. And it's an endless cycle, for many people.

Slyvia,
I thought that I had spoken to the points you and Dwight brought out.
I would remind you that the freshwater hobby hasn't a much better
history
or track record either. It is just that time has been kind and
forgetful.  I am willing to bet that there ten times more people who
have freshwater tanks who will flush a fish today and buy a new one
tommorow becuase that mean chiclid ate the fins on their angel fish.

The destructive blasting methods that you speak of are mainly employed
as a method to obtain fish for the food industry and sadly we get the
by catch. Cyanide employed at one time for catching aquarium fish now
is used mainly for the Japanese live food trade, sadly we also get the
by catch. Cyanide has been outlawed but little can be done to enforce
it in sparsley populated areas. I could point to far more destructive
things than the collection of animals for the aquariium trade that
destroy reefs, that you probably dont even realize or think about.

I try to buy fish that are net caught.  In my opinion there is no
reason not to, who wants to pay 50.00 for a fish that could live 10yrs
that will die in 3 months. As far as corals are concerned one estimate
puts it that one square mile of reefs can sustainably supply coral for
the trade. Kind of like neon tetras from the Amazon?  I try to buy or
trade captive propagations like plants in your tank.
As far as LFS owners who are "experts" they are like water in the
desert in my area.

I certainly didn't come here to argue about reef tanks, I am on two
other lists to do that.  :)
I am here to gain more insight and knowledge in freshwater planted
aquaria.
Sign me off this thread

Peace out
Have a nice weekend!

Keith in muggy Kalamazoo
www.leafandpaws.com
Natural products for the life of your pet.

Aquariums
www.net-link.net/kandl/
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