Cynide Poisoning

[Norvin Ng]

Was at Marine Life and mentioned to Patrick that my flame angel is very skinny at the upper part of his body and he suspected that its cynide poisioning (some goons catch the fishes with this, with small enough quantities just to knock them out). He mentioned that another tell-tale sign is a whitish mouth.

Are the above signs reliable? Any others? Any additional infor will help others at this forum when they are buying live stock.

I have him for more than a month now and he is eating (but not alot) but his mouth isn't white. Will be sad if it goes one of these days (seems that they will definitely die once they have cynide in them, its a matter of time).

[Achilles Tang]

Actually in reality.... most of the fishes are caught with cyanide. Especially the smaller ones like damsels, gobies, clownfishes and those which can speed away or instantly hide away in coral heads and rocks or substrate. Just a squirt of cyanide into the coral heads and rocks... and out float those fishes, stunned.

The more indiscriminate collector (understatement) would break apart the corals or rocks to get at those stunned fishes which have locked themselves in with their fins or spikes.

The corals themselves would be bleached white by the cyanide. Completely destroyed.

If we actually got net-caught fishes in our LFS/farms.... we would have to pay a premium for them! Our hobby would far more expensive than we have so comfortably taken granted for.

So far, only Coralfarm is willing to pay that premium for net-caught fishes as their US wholesale customers are more conscientious or knowledgeable that our LFS.

I think it's commercialism vs conservationist practices... and commercialism always wins. Unless we do something about it.

Already the enforcement of CITES laws has affected the importation of liverock and certain livestock like clams and hard corals. If our LFS gets livestock from CITES certified sources... we would be paying 3 or 4 times the prices we are used to.

I read somewhere in another forum where someone said: If you don't have the money, don't go into the marine aquarium hobby. He got some flak for that but that is the truth. One which I agree for many many reasons...

Newbies are going in with eyes blind, pockets tight and killing livestock as a result because they lack knowledge or they don't have the optimum equipment to create the right environment for marine life.

I have known hobbyists who just want the colour and variety of marine life in their old converted FW tanks and who spend more money on replacing dead livestock than getting it right the first time.

It is disgusting and saddening. Maybe disgusting is too strong a word. Saddening for the marine life is more appropriate.

Till the day we can aquaculture most of the marine life and hard corals, this hobby is spolit by irresponsible people, from the collectors, to the wholesalers, to the import/exporters, to the farms and LFS, and US!!!!!

I am coming on a bit strong here... but this is maybe just me.

[Norvin Ng]

Strong words but accurately stated. I had learned the hard way in quite a few things along the way. In fact I am discouraging people whom are keen but I know they don't have the time and patience (and money) to do a good job out of it.

Was surprised to learn about the wide spread cynide usage though. BTW, my flamy was bought at Coral Farm so I am hoping he is just not having a good appetite and not poisoned!

[Achilles Tang]

Norwin, it's not eating anything you put in the tank?

What are you feeding it btw?

If the fish is thin behind the head it's not a good sign... that means that it was already in starvation.

Did you try feeding it before buying it?

When I was at Coralfarm, they took pride in how eager their q-tined fishes were eating pellets with gusto.

[bawater]

well said AT, i think u should put it as an opening statement on the site's front page.

well put.

i've seen those net caught fishes.....roughly it would cost abt $150 for a yellow tang-lowest bargain.

had to put down a few ppl before.......ppl who can't even keep bettas alive/ppl who think marine is just like LH keeping........that sorts.

norvin...sad but true. can't really judge on cost of the fish cause there are places who mark up in hundreds percent- can try to ask for if its cynide caught.mostly all can't guarantee it- if in doubt, dun buy.

[Tanzy]

Yellow tangs found in the aquarium trade are all from Hawaii where there is no cyanide fishing. Most fishes from Hawaii and Fiji are safe. I won't trust anything from Indonesia and Philipines, chances are that the faster fishes are drug caught. Cyanide is not in vogue now, the unscrupulous fishmen have switched to bleach or tranquilizers which are equally damaging.

[Norvin Ng]

Norwin, it's not eating anything you put in the tank?

What are you feeding it btw?

If the fish is thin behind the head it's not a good sign... that means that it was already in starvation.

Did you try feeding it before buying it?

When I was at Coralfarm, they took pride in how eager their q-tined fishes were eating pellets with gusto.

AT

My flamy is eating - brimp shrimps, vege flakes, vege pellets etc, though not as much as my piggy yellow tang, who is always winning in speeding towards the food.

It is swimming normally (no out of the ordinary movements) etc.... keeping my fingers crossed that it will make it. Its been a month since I bought it.

Oh yes, does ick cause this condition? It was hit with it a few weeks back but its been a pals to my two cleaner shrimps and he looks clear from ick in the last two weeks.

With reference to bawater, maybe you might want to establish a charter for this forum and its members. Something that our national pledge, "we , members of SG ReefClub, pledge that ....." . So often we are tempted to add in that just one more fish or coral etc (though we know the tank is overcrowded already!) etc. Maybe this might put us back in perspective...

[Adrianli]

Hi

Recently bought 3 red garoupa and they were eating small pieces of prawns that I threw in for abt 2 weeks then they all 3 msyteriously died. And all died at the same time. My other fishes and polka dot garoupa got nothing wrong at all. They are also eating the same food.

I got the 3 red garoupa from the same LFS.

Can I suspect that they die due to cyniade poisoning???

[hongqixian]

Could be from cyanide esp since their death took 2 weeks.

I have known hobbyists who just want the colour and variety of marine life in their old converted FW tanks and who spend more money on replacing dead livestock than getting it right the first time.

Hear hear! (heheheheheh, I seem to recall that tanzy dislikes this)

[Tanzy]

Are you quoting me? I said that?

[Achilles Tang]

I thought I did!

[B|uEc@rpEt]

I agree with Tanzy...hawaii & fiji r pretty safe! And not all fishes caught via net is expensive or sold at a premium price....

I bought my flame angel (net caught from hawaii) for only $50....and that was during d time period where such r sold for $45. Its only $5 diff....not even 20% extra of the mkt price.

[hongqixian]

AT said 'hear hear' and you said that you hated that on another thread. Somewhere that you both were discussing Britain?

This is getting silly. Back to the topic!

[Tanzy]

Oh yes, 'Hear hear!'