Aquarium fish collecting

[DennisS]

A friend of mine used to use a slurp gun. He would gently push out and the fish would turn into the outgoing slurp gun current, then he would reverse and suck them in. I could never get the knack.

The clear plastic nets work well.

There's always ms222

 

[perdidochas]

A friend of mine used to use a slurp gun. He would gently push out and the fish would turn into the outgoing slurp gun current, then he would reverse and suck them in. I could never get the knack.

The clear plastic nets work well.

There's always ms222

Quinaldine is legal for harvesting aquarium fish, with the proper license.
(quinaldine is a fish anesthetic like MS-222, however, I'm not sure about the legality of MS-222_

 

[MrsBottomfeederBrodie]

I kinda like the baited jar idea, thanks. The store owner who encouraged me to try this really poo-pooed the anesthetic when I asked her about it, but she did say that the clear nets were pretty useful. They just look to me like they would drag in the water.

 

[perdidochas]

I kinda like the baited jar idea, thanks. The store owner who encouraged me to try this really poo-pooed the anesthetic when I asked her about it, but she did say that the clear nets were pretty useful. They just look to me like they would drag in the water.

Quinaldine in legal concentrations doesn't harm the fish much. I doubt if it's any more harmful than chasing them around with nets (which can also be stressful).

 

[MrsBottomfeederBrodie]

I actually wondered about the stress of netting, hence the query on SB. Thank you

 

[perdidochas]

I actually wondered about the stress of netting, hence the query on SB. Thank you

Of course it will be stressful, as will all stages of fish collecting. That said, most will survive. I've collected blennies on the Gulf coast, and found them to be fairly tough and fun to watch. When I was a Marine Bio. student in Miami, I had all sorts of fish that I caught on the reefs (quinaldine). My favorite being a harlequin bass, followed by a sargassum fish that I caught using a push net.

 

[F'in Mike]

It's good to see people discussing the collection of ornamentals. I can't get the speargun out of my hand long enough to try collecting, but I will be trying here real soon. A buddy of mine uses a slurp gun, and he has had no luck. Personally, I am against to use of drugs for collecting, but I must admit, I am not familiar with the anesthetic you guys are referring to.

My buddy has had luck with a net with a fine mesh and a clear handle. He has caught small angels, but has never been able to decompress them properly ( we dive 100+ feet most of the time).

 

[perdidochas]

It's good to see people discussing the collection of ornamentals. I can't get the speargun out of my hand long enough to try collecting, but I will be trying here real soon. A buddy of mine uses a slurp gun, and he has had no luck. Personally, I am against to use of drugs for collecting, but I must admit, I am not familiar with the anesthetic you guys are referring to.

My buddy has had luck with a net with a fine mesh and a clear handle. He has caught small angels, but has never been able to decompress them properly ( we dive 100+ feet most of the time).

With small fish, your best bet of decompression is to use a floating minnow bucket (flow-troll), with about a 5 lb weight in it. Attach a line, and carry the line up. SLowly decompress the fish a foot at a time. Take about an hour or two to decompress. For bigger fish, buy a venting tool that snapper fishermen are supposed to use.

 

[DennisS]

Quinaldine is legal for harvesting aquarium fish, with the proper license.
(quinaldine is a fish anesthetic like MS-222, however, I'm not sure about the legality of MS-222_

I've been told (marine biologist) fish collected with MS222 seem to do better in the long run than ones collected with quinaldine.

 

[mrlipis]

I believe that you can only collect from certain collecting sights, otherwise it i illegal to collect any living thing in florida. make sure you check with fish and wildlife first, fines from them are heafty from what I hear

While this statement is not accurate, there is a petition to stop the taking of fish from the Blue Heron bridge. This is one of the most diverse dive sites I have been on. It is just too easy to be picking off fish life in this area, as it is a shore dive. While you do need a permit, it is not illegal, but should be.

Petition to Protect the Blue Heron Bridge Diving Area, Riviera Beach, Florida Petition


Bruce