Marine aquarium fish and invert collecting.

This is the link button to the clubs water sports forum section where the most recent aquarium species collecting trips are.

Firstly when you intend on collecting some marine aquarium specimens you need to have the correct gear to carry this out.

Snorkelling gear for the fish and invert collecting

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Mask-For chasing fish and focusing on small inverts you are best to use a soft silicon large glass mask and also of a high volume to get a wide view and clear vision from the glass being as far away from the skin on your face to avoid fogging.

Snorkel-The snorkel should have a vent at its base and a medium snorkel tube diameter for easy water purging and allowing large fast breaths when needed, the narrower the tube the harder it is to get an easy breath before a decent. Also the larger the tube the harder it is to get the water out.

Anti fogging-A tiny container of dishwashing liquid should be carried on you in case of mask fogging after the initial few droplets of detergent are put into the mask and moved around on the inside of the glass before a short rinse, just in case of future fogging.

Wetsuit-A full length wetsuit (steamer) should be worn at all times, thick or thin depending on water temp, for safety and comfort when in a marine habitat. Try to get a knife scabbard sown on to the leg of your wetsuit for ease of knife use and a couple of pockets on either hip area for a glove, detergent, etc.Wear a hood, suitable to water temp,for head protection when hunting in cracks and cave entrances as you may hit your head!

Weight belt-An average of one standard lead weight per one mil of full length wetsuit is ideal for snorkelling on your weight belt. The weights are essential for chasing aquarium fish and approaching inverts with care.

Fins and booties-Do not use built in shoe style fins for collecting, use booties and fin combos; the booties are very handy for feet protection when getting in or out on rocks or coral reefs. Try to find the most efficient fins for as much thrust as possible.

Nets-These should be made of monophiliment(fishing line) netting for the best results as the fish find it very hard to see it and can be captured much easier than by coloured mesh nets.

Making the nets your self is the best way to get the size and style that suits you.

Containing your catch-As you go along it is essential that all caught species are safe from each other and are able to survive this time with no harm and no lack of oxygen.

We use a fishing scaler bag for its strength and mobility.

In the bag you can use altered plastic drink bottles with holes in the plastic made by a soldering iron to allow freshwater to pas through the holes keeping your collected species oxygenated and separated from each other as you swim along, also on each part of your containers silicon on a small lead weight to avoid containers floating off. Do not drill the holes; it will make sharp edges that may injure your catch.

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Fish and invert transporting

Try to use as large a bucket (container) as possible for transporting collected fish and inverts.

Buckets-To aerate your collected specimens use a soldering iron to put two holes near centre of the lid of your bucket to fit an air hose in one hole and the other becomes a breather hole.

Air-Use a small battery operated air pump you can purchase from the aquarium shop or a bait and tackle shop.

Air hose-Have the air hose from the aquarium shop go three quarters of the way to the bottom of the bucket and tie a very small lead weight to the end of the hose sealed in silicon as the lead can become toxic to keep it from floating upwards, plus use a plastic (large hole) small sized air stone on the end of the air line or similar.

Ammonia neutralizer-Always use some ammo lock liquid styled product on the ammonia that will develop in the buckets in transit, this will prevent the ammonia from becoming toxic and ruining the available oxygen and killing your fish and inverts.

PH- When transporting your catch, also use a little PH buffer in the bucket water as well, but be very careful to not put in to much to quick as it will raise PH to fast and upset the fish.

Mixing species-You need to keep certain species away from others that may be harmed by either their presence through stress and or by released toxins.

Predators-Lion fish will release a small amount of toxins and create a great deal of stress to small varieties that may be considered food for the lion fish as with any other predator fish, like cod,jawfish, large wrasse, tusk fish and off course eels.

Toxic varieties of fish-There are quite a few toxic fish that will kill others with there toxins in a container under the water, let alone in a bucket on the way home. The ones to never put with others until in a system with a biological filter are, all puffers, all box fish, all soap fish, toadfish and to some degree all triggerfish and lionfish.

Stationary inverts-These consist of mainly corals. If where you live, you are allowed to collect corals, than they should always be wrapped in a soft material (bath towel pieces are good or fleecy lined sleeve sections of a winter top) both when collected in the bag as you go and on the way home to hold your inverts in complete safety. On the trip home they should also be in wet material but not under the water in a box or bucket or they will be come starved of oxygen. If the weather on the day is quite warm on the way home, than use something frozen(a bag of ice separated into small lots in plastic bags and than wrapped in paper or material) in the box or bucket with t5he corals, not touching and not very near to the corals!

Mobile inverts-These are more or less all inverts other than corals. The ones to watch out for here are nudibranchs, sea squirts and anemones in particular, plus to some degree worms as well. All these should not be with fish or shrimps and if possible keep them away from each other while in transit to your home

Feather stars-These will release their own coloured die that once in the bucket will kill not only the feather star it self but much earlier on this will all other life in the bucket as well. A 50 to 80 percent water change at 30 mins from placement in the bucket will reduce this stress released colouring and one more an hour later and the release from than on will be of no great concern.

This page is a work in progress.