Captive Aquatics: An Aquarium and Ecology Blog

Should Anemones Be Illegal to Import for our Hobby?

P. yucatanicus engaged in a commensal relationship with C. gigantae on the Drowned Cayes, Belize.  Mike Maddox

How do you think the public would react if they were told that cats and dogs, rather than being bred, were taken from the wild (and often injured in the process) before being placed in an oft-inappropriate home?  How about if the public were told that 90% of the cats and dogs they bought would die in the first year?  Do you suppose it would still be legal to own them? 

While this scenario is just an example, anemones in the home aquarium have a dismal survival rate ("more than 90% die within a year " - WetWebMedia)! 

 

The Garden Reef: A Detrimental Trend?

Coral in shallow water, Belize barrier reef.  Notice the lack of species variety; all coral present is scleractinian in origin and requires intense lighting.  An aquarium simulating these conditions would be a poor environment for 'LPS' or 'soft' corals.  Mike Maddox

A current trend in the hobby as of late seems to be the 'conglomerate' or 'garden' reef aquarium, with many coral speces being crammed (for lack of a better word) into a reef aquarium with little to no consideration for the individual coral species' requirements.  This tendency towards an "all-in-one" approach detracts from the health of the animals within, beacuse the aquarium conditions cannot possibly replicate the ideal habitat for such a variety of animals.