Any Divers out there that are fish collectors?

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Beckmola24

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Columbus, OH
Hi! I am new to the boards and relatively new to diving. I am big time into saltwater reef tanks and was wondering if anyone out there is a fish collector. The people at my local fish stores always talk about "their divers" and I was just curious if anyone here did that?? Thanks in advance! :D
 
I used to. But then after you get the fishing license and the live well to keep the fish, and an air supply (a battery operated air hose), and actually caught a fish and made it back without killing it, I was told you need a hospital tank to keep the fish for 30 days, making sure it was "clean." So, my one tank became 2, then 3, and the mortality rate was pretty high. I gave it up after I killed a butterfly fish. Figured I would rather take pictures.
 
Scuba_Jenny:
the mortality rate was pretty high. I gave it up after I killed a butterfly fish. Figured I would rather take pictures.
I suspect the mortality rate is pretty high for the professionals too. They just don't care. Which is why I scrapped my aquaria.
 
vladimir:
I suspect the mortality rate is pretty high for the professionals too. They just don't care. Which is why I scrapped my aquaria.


I am a marine life collector. The mortality rate of fish caught in the us is low. The same thing cannot be said for fish caught overseas. There are only 96 marine life lic in the state of florida, and it can be a profitable business......btw- the wholesalers I deal with don't require me to hold them in any hospital tanks, from the water to the wholesaler, every day.

I specialize in deepwater Atlantic species....pigmy angels, wrasse bass, yellow gorgo's, spiny oysters.....ect.
 
This may sound funny, but how do you go about catching the fish? (without using cianide) I guess I just have this cartoonish image in my mind of seeing divers chasing around fish with a little net. :) I know some of the fish in my tank can be a pita to catch, so in such a large scale I would imagine it would be difficult. Also, how many dives do you do daily and what is your average # of catches per day??
 
Beckmola24:
This may sound funny, but how do you go about catching the fish? (without using cianide) I guess I just have this cartoonish image in my mind of seeing divers chasing around fish with a little net. :) I know some of the fish in my tank can be a pita to catch, so in such a large scale I would imagine it would be difficult. Also, how many dives do you do daily and what is your average # of catches per day??

normally i get my live marine fishes at a local area where alot of shops sell them. for an average of php 10 a piece that roughly US$ 0.20

but when i do cath live ones from the sea, i make it a point to get juveniles. i collect only for my own 75 Gal. tank. but now i don't have any operational tanks at home. we do have three freshwater tanks in the office though.

it's easy to catch juveniles i just bring a used plastic water bottle as i catch just a few at a time for the tank at home.

got a couple of juvenile crabs and boy they do mess up the tank setup. also managed to have an anemone and a couple of clown fish at one point for over a year.
 
I had a reef for several years when I first came here, stocked all with self caught. Most I got from shore with nets. One eel was just a scoop em up (he looked terribly embarrassed to be caught so easily, honest!) but most of the fish were extraordinary feats of accomplishment. I had no idea fish were sooooo smart. Had to take the whole tank apart (beach coral) to catch anybody. A Sargent Major that was the size of a fish scale lying in a dried up tide pool I picked up with my fingers. I was stunned he lived long enough to get home but he was one tough bugger and eventually I had to put him back in the ocean at 6”, what a bully. Invertebrates were easy, had a lot of those. Lots of critters came in unseen from the limu I’d get every couple of days too.

Thought about selling some things of value but I was too attached to them. It was fascinating to see them interact and thrive. (Sure wish I could have sold the glass anemones *grumble*.) But I felt guilty and went to fresh (not sure why that seems less guilt ridden).
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Your cartoonish image isn't that far off. I use a hand net and chase 'em all over the place. I do 2 dives a day between 90ft and 200ft. AVerage fish per day.....probably about 30 for me and 50-60 for the other two guys I work with.

It all averages to about $150-200 a day after expenses. That's good enough for me.....
Hope this helped...
 

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