philippines and indonesia fish

[anthony27]

I do not know if this has been covered, but I have noticed that reef and fish keeping on the island is big. I would like to know this I have been told by alot of ppl that fish from the philippines and indonesia are not so good fish they are kept at low levels of salt and can last longer. Essenitally you are sticking a sick fish in the tank that is going to die. Kinda like my hawlk fish (which later I found out from the store that he imports the fish from these places and keeps the salt at a very low level, around 1.075. :irked:

 

[Bob 1000]

Misprint on the salinity level probably and most of those places keep the fish in natural sea water... Which is in the range most people keep their tanks at... Don't know where you heard this from but stop listening to those people ,,,lol...

 

[e.muehlbauer]

The Philipines got a bad reputation for using cyanide to capture fish. I do not know if this practice still goes on, at least in the pet trade...nothing wrong with Indonesia, to the best of my knowledge. I have found that many LFS keep their fish tank salinity very low...I've seen sg as low as 1.017...partly to save money on salt, but also to reduce the risk of parasites...but I generally don't go back to places that keep their salinity that low.

 

[prattreef]

There are a lot of partial truths ands misstatements in your post.
1) many if not most fish from Indo and Philippines are not caught or held responsibly BUT
2) Some are. This depends on a lot of factors and it is virtually impossible for hobbyists to tell one way or another---most shops can't tell either-- there are very complicated chains of supply.
3) many shops do keep their salinity levels low in an attempt to combat parasites--this is only a problem if you don't know it and don't acclimate them slowly to the proper salinity. This fact has nothing to do with where the fish comes from.

 

[prattreef]

The Philipines got a bad reputation for using cyanide to capture fish. I do not know if this practice still goes on, at least in the pet trade...nothing wrong with Indonesia, to the best of my knowledge. I have found that many LFS keep their fish tank salinity very low...I've seen sg as low as 1.017...partly to save money on salt, but also to reduce the risk of parasites...but I generally don't go back to places that keep their salinity that low.

Cyanide use is still widespread in the PI and even more so in much of Indonesia. But there is net collecting that goes on in both places too. Sorting it out is currently nearly impossible for the hobbyist.

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Low level of salinity has nothing to do with the healthy of the fish. Since you are in this REEF site, so most members like to increase the salinity above natural sea water to make their corals happier.

I second what Pratt said

 

[anthony27]

I have heard alot of guff if you would say aobut this issue. The man who I bought my 6 line wrass from was talking to me aobut this and he has been in the business for over 18 years. I did not know about this until now and when I joined this fourm. I know alot of ppl have very bad reviews of where the fish come from but if you are going to say this store has hawlk fish for 11 bucks and yes granted it is a small fish but I found that wierd.

 

[junglebase]

I have heard alot of guff if you would say aobut this issue. The man who I bought my 6 line wrass from was talking to me aobut this and he has been in the business for over 18 years. I did not know about this until now and when I joined this fourm. I know alot of ppl have very bad reviews of where the fish come from but if you are going to say this store has hawlk fish for 11 bucks and yes granted it is a small fish but I found that wierd.

All i can say is "huh"......

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Let me explain a little from the perpective of a vendor.

Fish imported are under tremendous stress. They are collected in a very tight space which they are not used to; they scared and water holding become polluted as their own waste cannot get detoxified.
The first stop they get to is a collection center, good healthy fish or bad sick fish. Water in the center may get better again but not for long, these fish are on route to the wholesaler.
At this time, fish will be in water that are mostly copper added, of course lightly.
Fish get ship in a cargo cabin where it is not pressurized.
Fish get in the tanks of whoelsalers. Most wholesalers, if not all, use copper in their water.
So far, if the fish has infectious dieases, it will not infect other fish. But light copper does not cure their illness. It just prevent most of the diease to spread.
Fish fly again unpressurized to the vendors' tank.
If it's a retail, most likely the volume of the fish does not warrant them enough space to QT.
So, most, not all, LFS would just let the fish in their system.
Since they are LFS, they cannot put copper in their water or the whole filter part will die and they have a hell of time to contiuously do water change.
Well, if a fish is infected before, and that after all the stress, its illness will manifest, ten times , zillion times more severely.
So if a LFS has a good record of keeping their tank free of diease, the fish come from there is a lot safer and live longer. However, if the fish come from a LFS which has a low record of healthy tank, the fish has a big chance of getting infected and die soon.

For one very common store PETXX we visit at Union Square, their clown fish come from ORA and many vendors here get their clowns from ORA too. But the survival rate of the same sourced fish are VERY different.

 

[NYreefNoob]

well lets put it this way, after all the fish ive had i finally got one that stumped me then i got to thinking and asked a few people, and this is presumption of what it was, i got a manderine { i know i know } but my tank is loaded with pods as well as i put a bottle a month in also. fish started to develope blisters which ive never seen on any fish before, so got to thinking hmmm cyanide, quickly caught the fish and disposed of it, was afraid it would effect the rest of my fish or corals if it died and released anything into my tank, going to ask where i bought it if he can find out where it came from for me

 

[anthony27]

i have heard aot of stuff about fis that come from that area and I was wondering could it be that they sell the fish cheeply cause of the quality of the fish. I know that the chromisthat com in from those places come in with very little water and like over 15 in one bag. It is a sad way to travel esp for chromis.

 

[Bob 1000]

That's probably a not so good exporter... I have never seen chromis 15 in one bag only one in a bag and thousands of bags,,,lol.. That I don't have fun opening,,lol... That LFS is probably using one of they not so educated exporters...

 

[Lenny718]

That's probably a not so good exporter... I have never seen chromis 15 in one bag only one in a bag and thousands of bags,,,lol.. That I don't have fun opening,,lol... That LFS is probably using one of they not so educated exporters...

Yea that exporter sucks!lol When we get a shipment no matter what size the fish is they come in separate bags and like Tobin said if your order 50 damsels that's 50 little bags to open, not fun at all:givebeer:

 

[anthony27]

I know it does suck. I was told by a longisland fish sote owner, that he sold 4 hippo tangs cause the kids wanted the dorry fish :irked: and 3 out of the 4 died, he went to the air port and picked them up him self. I have a order comming in from flordia off the keys. Now how are the fish around that area. I am buying a tiny blue hamlet and yes yes i know he is going to out grow the tank and eat everything he can fit in his mouth, and why would ppl sell fish for very cheep.