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

[KMyers18]

Oh i agree that tank raised fish and man made rock IS the future of this hobby. But at the present moment there are a LOT of tanks around that dont have tank raised or man made products in them. But then there the first to bash me for picking up some rock! I dont get it! Just because i didnt pay someone for it? Who knows but to me there is no difference!
So I say dont bash me unless your perfect yourself!

 

[Zer0]

First off, i wasn't bashing. I even said i don't want to start a fight. Second, if you play such a larger part in helping the florida reefs grow... or whatever it is you do, then why are you telling people to just RAPE AND PILLAGE the beaches and take whatever they want. That doesn't seem very smart, especially coming from someone such as yourself, who claims to help out the reefs.

And actually.. aside from the livestock i buy online for my tank.. i'm only 18.. so i haven't been alive long enough to actually screw anything up. I've never collected shells/rocks/sand etc.. from the beach because.. that just sounds stupid. And shells are just shells. I step on them and crush them(sorry if there are any shell activists here.. LOL). I don't collect them for my tank so it can look even more artificial than it already is.. being inside a glass box and all.

 

[cmor1701d]

Joining MADD (Mothers Againstg Drunk Driving) does not excuse DUI (driving Under then Influence). What you are saying is everything is fine as long you don't get caught! "Raping" the Keys will in fact lead to the end of this hobby. There is already an act moving forward that would outlaw the trade in corals. The way it is written it would include trading corals between friends.. So this hobby is already under attack, let's not prove the real "goody goodies" correct.

I've already stated that you may want to restrict what you say in an open forum. Giving out personal information such as your email address or phone number is not a good idea in a public forum. Neither is admitting to breaking a federal law twice a year.

 

[thincat]

Well said, cmor, as a moderator you might do well to lock this thread before it gets out of hand.

 

[Zer0]

+1 to the last two posts. I think cmor just explained what i was trying to say a little better..

 

[HN1]

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.

I just want to ask one question that I don't really need an answer to.

KMyers- what would the biologists and other volunteers think if they read your posts?

It seems slightly counter-productive to me to work for organizations that try to educate against some of the very actions you take. I guess our aquarium educates its volunteers a little better.

 

[capj64]

ok...ok, I'm just going to go to St. Augustine and enjoy myself and take lots of pictures. Thanks for all the advise

Sorry

 

[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.

I still stick with my statement as with the shellrock, this is what Florida is built on as floridas dry land is built on a dead coral reef. It is like taking a rock from your back yard. I also dont see anything wrong with taking some shells if you want for your tank. I DO NOT think taking life from the ocean is right. It is the 1 reason that is stopping me form doing sw but that is another topic. I see no problem with a rock from Florida as like i said they are everywere, and you can find some really interesting peices.

 

[capj64]

Thanks. I've never been to St. Augustine and I'll only have one free day to "roam", but we'll see. I'll just keep in mind what everyone has said.

 

[HN1]

Enjoy Florida! Have a wonderful and safe trip!

 

[FLFishFanatic]

Thanks. I've never been to St. Augustine and I'll only have one free day to "roam", but we'll see. I'll just keep in mind what everyone has said.

Make sure to go to the Castillo de san Marcos. Incredible structure, awesome history, and a National US Monument.

 

[SHARPiE]

Take only photos and leave only footprints!

 

[mrg02d]

Oh St. Augustine is very nice!
I love that place! So peaceful...
Matt

 

[KMyers18]

Well first off the original post was meant really to just raz people on here a little.
Im pretty sure no one is going to really rape and pillage.

As for admitting a crime on an open forum not real scared that there going to come lock me up over it. And as for twice a year...Im not going down there filling up a truck with rock and fish and coral etc. I might pick up a rock if looks cool. Or a shell or something like that. As for the live rock i got years ago I just happen to find a place along the side of the road where i stopped to take a couple pictures that had rock about 3 feet out in the water I had a cooler so I got about 60lbs... Big deal. Your not really going to get anything good unless you have a boat and some dive gear. And there are Faaaaaar more things going on that are ruining our reef systems than me picking up five rocks from Pine Key.
How about the Chinese ship that just crashed into the great barrier reef or the ships that come over here that dump there ballast with all there polluted water right on top of our reef systems. Or the snorkeling tour guides that take people to see reefs and the people just tear it to (Moderator edit) with there fins and touching it.

And the law that one of you spoke about... not being able to trade coral etc. That has been around for at least 15 years. They keep renewing it and it never goes through. They want to keep people from harvesting it from the wild. I agree with that 100%
Anyway This is the reason why I have been a member on here since 2004 and only have less than 300 post. The people and mods on here just go way over board with there advice and rules of fish keeping. Dont get me started on cycling a tank.

Well Capj64 have fun in St. Augustine... There are alot of stores there that sell dead coral pieces for cheap. And lots of shops that sell shells and stuff. Sorry AA people scared you from picking up a shell. But thats how they seem to do on here! Not everyone... but in 6 years, there have been a ton that do that sort of thing! They try to act like environmentalist in one breath but in the next they take a fish that should be in the wild or coral etc and stick in a glass box for there own amusement. Seems a little hypocrytical to me but hey thats just me.

Oh and i don't justify my taking a rock by supporting reef conservation. But I also don't sit on here and try to act like im some type of want to be environmentalist. I like the aquarium hobby for what it is.

 

[austinsdad]

Good discussion. Really. Some good stuff to think about and learn in this thread. I think we all have opinions and should be heard. But in the way AA does things. Sorry if that's too pristine for some.

I think that if we all think about it hard enuf, we could agree that "rape" and "pillage" are very harsh words. Being this is a family forum which we pride ourselves on keeping that way, I'd hope folks that don't like it that way would move on. And I am NOT singling anyone out with that statement. Just thought I'd take the opportunity for anyone following this post to understand that.

Heck, I saw a fish forum the other day that has all kinds of harsh, abusive, and foul language throughout it. Some like that, and I think folks have a right to and participate. We just don't like it here. That simple.

 

[cabezon]

Go ahead and throw a florida rock in your tank, the phosporus content should be enough to teach you a lesson.

I did take home some little shell creature things, clams I suppose. they became hermit food very quickly I think.

 

[KMyers18]

Well if you took it home and just threw it in the tank then it serves you right! lol

But as educated as everyone is on AA they would never do that!

 

[cmor1701d]

+1 for Enjoy your time in FLA. St. Augustine is a beautiful town and worth a visit if you can spare the time.

 

[cmor1701d]

Thread closed!