Traveling to FL, what can I bring home...

[capj64]

I'm going to FL at the end of this month for a wedding. We'll be by the beach so I was wondering if I can pick up interesting "stuff" off the beach and bring it home to put in my tank. It would have to be able to travel in wet newspaper in a plastic tub.
What do you think?

 

[HN1]

Don't risk it. Legally or tank-wise. Just what I think.

 

[FLFishFanatic]

Don't risk it. Legally or tank-wise. Just what I think.

+1 - You can get into trouble by taking things from the ocean ecosystem here. Most people do get away with it, but I wouldn't try.

 

[capj64]

ok, good to know. Thanks

 

[KMyers18]

I say rape and pillage for what you want. lol I went to Key West and got about 60lbs of cool looking live rock! It traveled back to Orlando in foam coolers!

Been in there ever since! There is no one watching to see if you pick up a rock!

 

[FLFishFanatic]

Then you are one of the lucky ones who got away with the expensive stuff.

 

[cmor1701d]

Pretty sure the Keys are considered PROTECTED WATERS and removing anything is a crime.
Anything on the beach is subject to pollutants (yea I know, even the Jersey shore is clean now -- Right!)

FLORIDA KEYS NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY
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North America’s only coral barrier reef and the third longest barrier reef in the world lies about six miles seaward of the Florida Keys, a 220-mile long string of islands extending
south and west of the Florida mainland. In recognition of the significance of the coral reef ecosystem, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary was created in 1990, extending 2,800 square nautical miles on both sides of the Florida Keys. In 2001, the boundary was increased to 2,900 square nautical miles with the addition of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve. Management in these state and federal waters is achieved through a cooperative agreement with the State of Florida.
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With certain exceptions, the following activities are
prohibited Sanctuary-Wide:​

• Removing, injuring, or possessing coral or live rock.
• Discharging or depositing trash or other pollutants.
• Dredging, drilling, prop dredging or otherwise altering the seabed, or placing or abandoning any structure on the seabed.
• Operating a vessel in such a manner as to strike or otherwise injure coral, seagrass, or other immobile organisms attached to the seabed, or cause prop scarring.
• Having a vessel anchored on living coral in water less than 40 feet deep when the bottom can be seen. Anchoring on hardbottom is allowed.
• Except in officially marked channels, operating a vessel at more than 4 knots/no wake within 100 yards of residential shorelines, stationary vessels, or navigational aids marking reefs.
• Operating a vessel at more than 4 knots/no wake within 100 feet of a “divers down” flag.
• Diving or snorkeling without a dive flag.
• Operating a vessel in such a manner which endangers life, limb, marine resources, or property.
• Releasing exotic species.
• Damaging or removing markers, mooring buoys, scientific equipment, boundary buoys, and trap buoys.
• Moving, removing, injuring, or possessing historical resources.
• Taking or possessing protected wildlife.
• Using or possessing explosives or electrical charges.
• Harvesting, possessing or landing any marine life species except as allowed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Rule (68B-46 F.A.C.).​

 

[SnowZz]

I say rape and pillage for what you want

go ahead and add breathing the air and staring to long to cmors list. I wouldnt do it, sounds like you could get round house kicked in the head for that.

 

[Zer0]

Not trying to start a fight or anything, but KMyers18, it's people like you that destroy the worlds ecosystems. You think that since no one is watching, and that since IT'S ONLY A FEW ROCKS, nothing bad will come of it. But your not the only one with the mindset, "its only a few rocks, what harm can come of it.." There's tons of people like that, either for ignorance, lack of knowledge, or just straight up disregard for anything other than themselves. The more people like you, the more destruction will fall upon nature. I'm no tree huger by any means.. but the law is put in place for a reason. Not so the state can hoard all the coral, rocks, and fish for themselves, but so they can preserve that natural wonders of this world.

Please everyone reading this thread, BUY CAPTIVE RAISED/AQUACULTURED WHEN POSSIBLE. SAVE THE REEFS.

 

[mrg02d]

Yea, Chuck Noris is coming for you for taking that live rock.
MAtt

 

[FLFishFanatic]

(yea I know, even the Jersey shore is clean now -- Right!)

 

[Zer0]

The jersey shore is disgusting. The water is like practically black now.. And its cold.

 

[FLFishFanatic]

Sometimes we take advantage of the environment around us. It is safe to say today that we abuse it so much that we are practically killing ourselves, much of it as part of the campaign to force Earth on her knees before us. But we don't realize that in our attempts to understand her waters, we are demolishing them. Coral Reefs and the wonderful species that inhabit them may be here for this generation and the next, but when the day comes that keeping fish in boxes for our amusement is more important then their existance itself, Timmy's little percula could be the last on the planet.

What I'm trying to say is that we don't know our oceans well enough to be taking large chunks of them into study.


...And when he said that the Jersey Shore was even clean, I thought he was talking about the kind on MTV.

 

[capj64]

Thanks everyone, I think I'll just visit some LFS while I'm down there and see what they have. I didn't plan on diving or anything like that to get things to bring home. I just figured that if I saw some cool shells or critters on the beach, I'd see what could travel back to WV with me, but guess I'll be leaving it all alone. That will make my travel buddy happy, more room for his golf clubs

 

[FLFishFanatic]

And Florida is the place to golf.

 

[cmor1701d]

Never saw the MTV "jersey shore" Lived it too much to want to see people like that anymore than I have to. (Yea, I lived in Seaside for a bit and in Toms River on the bay for years).

Admitting to a fedral crime on a public forum is not something I would want to do. Forget Chuck Norris. A po'd fed looking to make an example of someone is all it takes.

 

[FLFishFanatic]

Then you know what I'm talking about and why it can be a different kind of 'dirty.'

 

[Etunes]

Actully, i see no reason for you to take some dry base rock. Dont take it off the shore line though, take it from inland. It is just laying around, it is all the rock thats up here.

 

[KMyers18]

Well I knew I could get a few goody goodies fired up with that post!

I support a couple different reef/sea life conservation societies. I have even done volunteer work at the Florida aquarium.

So Zero before you start bashing "people like me" Its people like me that help fund these organizations to do the good work they do.
And I also go to Key West area twice a year and I always take a little something back with me. Come throw me in the slammer!!
Dont try to scare the guy from getting a rock or a shell or whatever. Thats stupid. And dont try to act all goody goody on me when everyone on here probably has things in there tank that are not helping the environment.
You cant have fish and coral in a tank in your house and think your helping the situation much. You want to help? Stop this hobby all together! Thats the best thing you can do.
Im not going too. But i do feel i do my part to counter act the damage i do.
And volunteer work at the aquarium is awesome! You will learn more in a week than you could learn in 2 years of doing it yourself.

 

[thincat]

Just look around the forums and Fish advertisements and see how many "Tank raised" fish you can now purchase. When I started the hobby no fish were tank raised. Now clowns, pseudochomis, dotty backs and Mandarins are added to the list. These tank raise fish are the future of our hobby.
All except one piece of LR in my tank was made DIY in my yard. Try and look at the coin from two sides and you can see the whole picture.IMO