Captive bred fish: Does it matter? Does it matter to you?
- QUESTION OF THE DAY
- Thread starter Peace River
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Lionfish hunter
Valuable Member
I don’t feel good about taking a fish from his ocean reef, shipping it across the world through horrible conditions and multiple vendors, and likely contacting debilitating parasites along the way. If I can avoid that, I will.Captive bred fish: Does it matter? Does it matter to you?
Many saltwater fish retailers offer both wild-caught and captive-bred fish. Sometimes there is a price difference – does the pricing impact your decision? It has been said that nearly 90% of saltwater fish in the aquarium trade are wild but it appears that more and more fish are being captive-bred each year. Tell us in the thread below if you think that the tension between captive-bred fish and wild-caught fish? Let us know if you think it matters and if it matters to you. We believe this is an important and encourage everyone to be respectful as you share your perspectives!
Photo of captive bred yellow tang by @PacificEastAquaculture
We realize that over time perspectives may change. Whether this is due to a change in culture, availability, information or other reasons, sometimes thoughts and ideas on topics morph and shift. Here is an R2R article about captive-bred vs wild-caught fish from 2017. Have opinions changed since then?
Are Captive Bred Fishes The Only Way?
Nowadays it’s not uncommon to see a hobbyist say, ‘I’m only stocking my tank with captive bred fish.’ Of course, their heart is in the right place, and it’s understandable why most people would think this is the best route forward for wild reefs...www.reef2reef.com
AydenLincoln
Pufferfish lover!
Just discovered this website for those of you wanting to learn more. It’s no surprise a majority of prized fish and inverts are wild. Personally I don’t mind either but if I can get it captive I will. I’ve mentioned this before as well the seafood and other industries are more destructive to the oceans than your tank is. So if you can provide a good home which most of us do and they are well taken care of I personally see no problem with wild fish/livestock. https://forthefishes.org/
Geo007
Community Member
I may be late to the party, but I wholeheartedly agree with Slocke. In addition, I would hate to see something like the Great Barrier Reef be stricken with less fish because we just want more for our aquariums. I realize that the world is a great big place with many, many habitats for fishes. But wouldn't it be better if we could buy our fishes from a Captive Breeder than having gone out to catch them instead? It seems a waste of time, energy, and money to do so.
...edit...
If the need to have a specific breed of fish is so important, wouldn't you want to wait to see if your LFS can get it from a CB? I would rather not have that specific fish if it can only be caught in the wild. But that's just me.
What's your opinion?
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Miami. Where I get all my captive bred too.
DSEKULA
Well-Known Member
I try to buy captive when I can and will pay extra. If I know the lfs keeps them separate from their wild fish so that bacteria, parasites etc aren't passed along I am much more inclined to buy. There are fish where I feel like it's much more of a priority to buy cb, such as ones that are harder to ween onto prepared foods or are known to have health issues that can be spread to the tank from in the wild.
If I can't find the fish captive I will consider a wild caught but it's also a consideration of how much time it will take to qt and the likelihood of getting a healthy fish.
If I can't find the fish captive I will consider a wild caught but it's also a consideration of how much time it will take to qt and the likelihood of getting a healthy fish.
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