CaysE
Aquarium Advice Freak
I received this in my email today from Practical Fishkeeping, and felt it important to spread the word. I've loved these little fish since I first saw them last year, but never got around to purchasing any.
"Dear Reader,
When I saw the first photographs of the Galaxy rasbora back in September last year, I was astounded. It was clear that the species had massive commercial potential. And since its introduction the global response to the fish, and the demand for it, has been unprecedented. Fishkeepers around the world have been after this species and each has been buying them by the dozen.
Sadly, when this fish was first introduced, we didn't know what we do now. New details emerged last week which revealed that the species is from a tiny high-altitude wetland microhabitat. The initial supplier tried to keep the location under wraps, but a number of other collectors found it and have flattened the vegetation in which the fish lives. The catch has decreased to just a few dozen fish per day.
Given that the species has now been successfully bred by a number of fishkeepers, I feel that the hobby now has a resposibility to stop importing this species and to concentrate on its captive-breeding. Hopefully, if demand declines, the habitat and populations will recover and the species will live on. Fingers crossed.
Matt Clarke
Website Editor"
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1197
franksaquarium.com has already stopped carrying them in hopes of obtaining captive bred specimens. liveaquaria.com has not carried them I believe, or is no longer. Hopefully other online providers will follow suit, and those of you reading this can help spread the word to your LFS. Ask them at the very least to stop offering them for sale and hand them a printout of the above article, and if possible, breed whatever remaining fish they have.
They are beautiful fish that I hope to own one day, but as far as I'm concerned, that will only happen if their species continues to thrive and breed in captivity. The before and after pictures of their habitat in the above news article are disheartening, to say the very least.
"Dear Reader,
When I saw the first photographs of the Galaxy rasbora back in September last year, I was astounded. It was clear that the species had massive commercial potential. And since its introduction the global response to the fish, and the demand for it, has been unprecedented. Fishkeepers around the world have been after this species and each has been buying them by the dozen.
Sadly, when this fish was first introduced, we didn't know what we do now. New details emerged last week which revealed that the species is from a tiny high-altitude wetland microhabitat. The initial supplier tried to keep the location under wraps, but a number of other collectors found it and have flattened the vegetation in which the fish lives. The catch has decreased to just a few dozen fish per day.
Given that the species has now been successfully bred by a number of fishkeepers, I feel that the hobby now has a resposibility to stop importing this species and to concentrate on its captive-breeding. Hopefully, if demand declines, the habitat and populations will recover and the species will live on. Fingers crossed.
Matt Clarke
Website Editor"
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1197
franksaquarium.com has already stopped carrying them in hopes of obtaining captive bred specimens. liveaquaria.com has not carried them I believe, or is no longer. Hopefully other online providers will follow suit, and those of you reading this can help spread the word to your LFS. Ask them at the very least to stop offering them for sale and hand them a printout of the above article, and if possible, breed whatever remaining fish they have.
They are beautiful fish that I hope to own one day, but as far as I'm concerned, that will only happen if their species continues to thrive and breed in captivity. The before and after pictures of their habitat in the above news article are disheartening, to say the very least.