fish from the ocean?

[hc8719]

im not a saltie yet, but i am curious, is there a way to use wild sw fish in a tank with store bought fish.

i figure that they'll need some kind of treatment, but most sw fish you buy are wild caught, so why not?

again im not a saltie yet, so dont hammer me if this is a really stuipd idea

or what about just crabs and starfish you find?

 

[roka64]

You will have to check and see what the law says in your area. This is not really a recommended method. It's not a stupid idea, in fact it comes up quite often. Carbs and starfish generally live near the shore, where there are probably tons of pollutants, I think it is bet to leave them there and go with a more controlled animal.

 

[gillmychromis]

well take this into account, where do u live? bc anywhere in the united states is a coldwater setup, so u would have to have a chiller not a heater and that really limits to what u can get, also starfish u will find ARE NOT REEF SAFE so if u got one u could not start a reef and lastly any fish u caught you would have to qt him for at leats 2 months. i mean not stupid but something to look into

 

[flamingonhot]

It's possible, i've heard of people doing it all the time, but it needs to be quarantined and treated before anything.

I've collected sea pens, hermits, and macro from the ocean in florida on vacation and placed them in my seahorse tank, but they were quarantined for at least 2 months before hand.

 

[boardsurfer]

where do u live? bc anywhere in the united states is a coldwater setup

Basically true, but not entirely true. South FL, FL Keys, and Southwest coast of FL wouldn't be a coldwater setup. Yeah, I know -->

 

[hc8719]

right under my name, before every message, it says peoples location. Toledo, Ohio...

but i go to florida often enough... three times so far this year

and i jut went to south carolina the other month, thats kinda warm...

 

[ntswift]

I would say sure you can do it. Just make sure you do the proper research on the fish that you are getting to make sure that they aren't going to grow 10ft long or something crazy like that. Also like everyone is saying, make sure you QT whatever you get for at least 2 months. Where in FL do you go? I know if you go into the pan handle by Alabama that you should be cautious of the animals you get there. Lots of pollutants.

 

[hc8719]

Where in FL do you go? I know if you go into the pan handle by Alabama that you should be cautious of the animals you get there. Lots of pollutants.

usually just ft. myers, but i did also go to cape canaveral. i know, not that much healthier, pollution wise, but really i could go to any beach i suppose

 

[Devilishturtles]

Wouldn't you come to a major problem when you consider transporting animals from Florida to Ohio. The cost it'd take for shipping/transporting alone would make me just want to buy them locally.

My opinion, of course.

 

[Guest]

when you consider transporting animals from Florida to Ohio

That is what I was thinking. Isn't there also more laws that come with this? I would think this is not a good idea unless you lived very close. I know F/W wild caught fish are sometimes harder to take care and I am sure this is similar with S/W. Being new to this side of the hobby I would think it is double trouble. Just MO

 

[divemasterjim]

Just a reminder, there are no laws until you get caught and big fish eat little fish

 

[Fluff]

Just a reminder, there are no laws until you get caught and big fish eat little fish

I hope that was a joke. Laws are laws rather your caught or not. We wouldn't want to promote illegal collecting.
If it isn't legal, and in addition to what everyone else has said, with so many fish available to you to choose from at a lfs, is it really worth saving ten bucks or so to remove fish or inverts from the wild? What about impact on the species you are taking? The removal of fish and inverts for the hobby is regulated for a reason. Yes, you are one person and removing one fish/invert may not cause a decline in that species or have a negative impact on that area of the ocean but, what if everyone felt the same way? I'll just take one for my tank....
But, if it is legal, I think it sounds like more trouble than it's worth. With added cost of transport, extended QT'ing and the potential pollutants etc. that could be involved is it worth it just to say you caught that one yourself? Just some thoughts. Good luck either way.

 

[hc8719]

illegal? then that would make salt water fishing illegal, after all you can catch most any fish out there. im aware some species may be endangered though

eventually im planning on moving to the carolinas, and georgia is the only state between them

i know it would be a stretch, but i was wondering more, if it can be done.

i do disagree however it would be more expensive to ship, considering some saltwater fish cost hundreds...

 

[Fluff]

illegal? then that would make salt water fishing illegal, after all you can catch most any fish out there. im aware some species may be endangered though...

Not the same thing. Catching game fish and collecting ornamental reef fish are to me, two different things. Example: If I'm out marlin fishing and hook a butterflyfish (not gonna happen but still), unless your using the small fish for bait, your not gonna keep it. Kinda like catching a minnow when your bass fishing. Not really a fair comparison. And I'm thinking the licenses/permits are probably different. I'm not a resident of FL so I don't know for sure. It's something you need to look into if you are serious about it.

i know it would be a stretch, but i was wondering more, if it can be done.

Can it be done? Probably. You should first talk to the Florida DNR or whoever regulates collection of reef fishes there to find out the laws and what licenses are required. If you are lucky enough to find a good, strong, hardy, healthy fish, it will probably do fine with proper QT and acclimation. Should it be done? That's all opinion and everyone is gonna have one. Safe bet not everyone is gonna agree. It wouldn't be worth it for me.

i do disagree however it would be more expensive to ship, considering some saltwater fish cost hundreds.

I'm curious, what high dollar fish are you going to find along the beaches of Florida? Any hermits you find will be semi terrestrial and as mentioned already, the stars are most likely not gonna be reef safe.

 

[roka64]

I'm curious, what high dollar fish are you going to find along the beaches of Florida?

LOL! Fluff, I was just going to ask that myself. It seems the high dollar fish are either rare or not from/very close to our waters.

 

[hc8719]

haha... i meant scuba diving for them, i know that they have trips for fw people, were they take them to the amazon, catch the fish, and then pay for shipping back to the states, im sure they have sw trips too, and let me retract "fish that cost hundreds" to fish $100+

i think you exagerate how much overnight shipping is though

 

[Fluff]

Perhaps they do.

I wasn't referring to just shipping.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

[angelscrx]

Don't do it. If you think about it the fish that are caught in the wild and sold at the LFS are regulated. These folks have licenses to catch these fish and have to report in most cases what they catch live or dead. So the governments or regulatory organizations would tell them when to start and stop fishing for certain animals. If everyone took just a little something for their tank without the regulation requirements, man I don't even want to go there. Also when you factor in the cost to go to a reef, diving gear, time spent fishing for the animal, shipping it home (plus stress to the animal that has never been in such a confinced space), shipping cost, and extended quarantine time, you might as well have gone to the LFS and bought it. Why bother? If you live next to a reef then go diving or snorkeling and enjoy it there and don't bring it home. Your tank would be the ocean and it would never be the same tank twice! Just my opinion.

 

[hc8719]

ya i think your right, this post i meant to be a "is it possible" more than "reality"

although it would be cool to collect your fish, just the same, thanks guys

 

[ntswift]

Is it possible? Yes. Should it be done? Probably not.