Wild Caught Vs. Captive Bred

[Jungle Girl]

Does anyone have a list of freshwater aquarium fish species that are commonly CAPTIVE BRED? Sometimes it really bothers me knowing that I am purchasing fish that have been most likely pulled out of their natural habitat and previously wonderful life. (I've heard rumours that they chop the heads off mouth-brooding arowanas to get their babies from them. True?)

Sometimes I convince myself that taking fish from tropical lakes and rivers will protect that area, so that it can be maintained as a resource for generations to come. Oceans are a more difficult enterprise. (Unprotected local divers use cyanide to capture reef fish, right?!!)

I often think I would like to keep ONLY captive bred fish, but then I ending up wanting a black ghost knife fish and my good intentions go right out the window.

And when fish are captive-bred, is it in a mangrove swamp that was destroyed for a fish hatchery? Is it in huge over-crowed outdoor tanks with miserable conditions? If breeding is impossible in captivity, then maybe we shouldn't be keeping those fish? Am I thinking too much about this?

[Melody]

Am I thinking too much about this?


Yes...lol...just kidding, it is great that you're aware of the issues. There is being a responsible, concerned and aware hobbyists, and then there is driving yourself nuts, however. I can appreciate your dilema though, and it says a lot about you as a person.

Its not that I don't agree that we should be concerned about everything you've mentioned, its just impossible to know a lot of it for sure. Our fish can change hands several times before we see them in stores. One thing we can do in that respect is to select ethical store owners. You can encourage local fish stores to purchase fish from private breeders and reputable suppliers.

There is no list of captive bred fish that I'm aware of. About the best you could do is dig up information regarding whether or not the fish has been bred in captivity, but that's no guarantee. Going with private breeders is one option, but hardly a practical solution in the big picture.

You can support groups that use the power of numbers to bring attention to the problems, selecting those which favour a proactive approach as they usually make a more lasting difference. For example, the Marine Aquarium Council (http://www.aquariumcouncil.org/) has implemented a certification process for collectors and traders. They have a list of those certified on their website. You can ask retailers for these certifications and if they aren't aware of them, fill them in.

The hobby has many positive effects on the fish world, including knowledge of individual species, awareness of habitat destruction, conservation of species, the support of world-wide economies, etc. We also bring attention to causes and problems that might otherwise be ignored, such as habitat destruction.

We do need to be diligent and we do have to vote with our wallet. We also have to be the voice of these creatures and work towards changes.:yes:

Great post! It is important that hobbyists be aware of the issues and how they can make a difference.

[Soggybottom]

It would be neat to know how fish from the big suppliers are obtained. I often noticed when doing a tour of shops in Vancouver that everyone has the same fish at the same time. I assume this means there are big big suppliers out there churning out massive numbers of fish. Anyone know what these outfits are like? what they are called?

[fever]

Buy from local breeders through forums such as this or club auctions
Your from Ontario maybe your close enough to come to our club auction this sunday in KW
Check it out www.kwas (http://www.kwas) .ca

[CACAdmin]

That I don't know Mr. SB but I would think that the stores (particularly the larger stores) probably buy from wholesalers who import on a large scale from breeders who breed on a massive scale. Hence one shipment comes in and gets distributed to all the stores depending upon what they might check off on their order list of what is made available by the wholesaler. If this is the case, it would be difficult for even the LFS owner to know whom the breeder actually is or if the fish is wild caught unless the wholesaler willingly shared that info.:Dunno:

[Soggybottom]

True, the wholesalers are probably not the breeders...

[ChrissyFishy]

You could find a species that is popular but wild caught and try to get them to breed in your tanks so they don't have to collect them in the wild anymore. Then you would help many many many fish from future captures instead of saving a few fish that you don't buy.:thumbup: