Ways Aquarium Fish are Captured and How Each Way Affects the Reef and the Fish

When it comes to selecting the fish for your saltwater aquarium it is essential that you know how your fish was caught. There are different ways fish are caught such as netting, blasting, cyanide or captive breeding. While knowing how they are caught isn’t always easy, but your local aquarium store should know where there fish come from and how they are caught. Of course blasting and cyanide are extremely devastating to the reef and the fish. A fish caught with cyanide might look health but a few weeks to months in your home aquarium and it dies for no reason at all.

The hand netting method is one of the most common ways of capturing fish and this is a perfect option for catching fishes which roam freely among the reef and tend to travel for quite a long distance. This is what is commonly referred to as seek and find method. It is done better when you are a team rather than when alone as it can be a little difficult. Capturing fish with a hand net is less destructive to the reef and the fish than the other methods.

Just as you would expect there is another option instead of purchasing a fish that was taken directly from their natural habitats. After packaging, they are then shipped to different areas which cause a lot of stress and many die during transit. On the other hand, captive bred fish are bred in captivity.

Captive breeding is an excellent way of saving endangered species because they are not taken from the reef. This way, you will be helping a lot to ensure that they don’t become extinct and also help in preserving their genetic diversity as well. You will also get the advantage that the fish is already accustom to aquarium life and prepared food.

Whichever aquarium fish you purchase, it is essential the fish are not stressed. The most important thing is to know the characteristic of the fish you intend to purchase, know how it acts as well as how and what it eats.  Just like everything else you do, you will need to plan ahead by observing the fish at your local aquarium store to make sure you get healthy specie.