Anyone Keeping Elkhorn Coral???

WDLV · 11/25/2009, 10:10 AM

I'm wondering if any of you are keeping Carribean elkhorn corals (*legally obtained before the 2006 endangered species listing.)

If you have pictures, I'd like to see them.

As a side note; I'd love a frag of this species. If you're willing to share please PM me.

acurro · 11/25/2009, 10:21 AM

I think there used to be a live rock farmer in Florida that would have some Caribbean species that would settle on his live rock (and be legally for sale).

WDLV · 11/25/2009, 10:31 AM

Yeah, I was at the seminar too. Ken stopped doing that when the species declined. He now only donates it to public aquariums. Public aquariums are forbidden from trading or otherwise distributing it to hobbyists.

The mentality being flawed IMO because the more people who have a species, the more likely it is to survive in captivity. Their (governing body) excuse is that due to the mix of species from around the globe that hobbyists keep, it will contain zooxanthellae and pathogens not native to Carribean waters. Well I've got news for you. The zooxanthellae and "pathogens" they're worried about wiping out the remaining 10% of Carribean reefs have already been exposed to these zooxanthellae and "pathogens" through floods and hurricanes that affect tanks in the region.
So, without going too far out on a tangient.... We as hobbyists are given far too much credit in our ability to destroy a reef. The funny thing about it is that we can't even collect so much as a shell from those waters. So, basically that leaves me with the impression that the real and present dangers are from overfishing (green turtles, surgeonfish, manatees) and disease (long spine urchin) of algae eating species, global warming, overdevelopment, unfiltered runoff and (coming soon) acidification of the oceans that will dissolve all things with a calcium carbonate skeleton or shell. My view is that we should be trying to collect frags and fish of every remaining Carribean species and Noah's Arc-ing them for the future. Public aquarists should be telling us how best to do this without cross contamination. Otherwise, the reefs of the Carribean are basically FUBAR with no hope of return. The government agencies can blame themselves for picking on the one target without lobbying power (hobbyists) and letting the major offenders go.

nanojg · 11/25/2009, 11:22 AM

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...76&pcatid=2576

I have some it looks about like this, but more of a brown/green

WDLV · 11/25/2009, 11:31 AM

Sorry. I should have been more specific.... I meant Acropora palmata.

11/25/2009, 10:10 AM	#1
WDLV Skunk Hybrid Freak Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Pasadena, MD. USA Posts: 3,003	Anyone Keeping Elkhorn Coral??? I'm wondering if any of you are keeping Carribean elkhorn corals (*legally obtained before the 2006 endangered species listing.) If you have pictures, I'd like to see them. As a side note; I'd love a frag of this species. If you're willing to share please PM me. __________________ - Walter D. LaRoque V "The tanks go or I go." - Ex Wife

11/25/2009, 10:31 AM	#3
WDLV Skunk Hybrid Freak Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Pasadena, MD. USA Posts: 3,003	Yeah, I was at the seminar too. Ken stopped doing that when the species declined. He now only donates it to public aquariums. Public aquariums are forbidden from trading or otherwise distributing it to hobbyists. The mentality being flawed IMO because the more people who have a species, the more likely it is to survive in captivity. Their (governing body) excuse is that due to the mix of species from around the globe that hobbyists keep, it will contain zooxanthellae and pathogens not native to Carribean waters. Well I've got news for you. The zooxanthellae and "pathogens" they're worried about wiping out the remaining 10% of Carribean reefs have already been exposed to these zooxanthellae and "pathogens" through floods and hurricanes that affect tanks in the region. So, without going too far out on a tangient.... We as hobbyists are given far too much credit in our ability to destroy a reef. The funny thing about it is that we can't even collect so much as a shell from those waters. So, basically that leaves me with the impression that the real and present dangers are from overfishing (green turtles, surgeonfish, manatees) and disease (long spine urchin) of algae eating species, global warming, overdevelopment, unfiltered runoff and (coming soon) acidification of the oceans that will dissolve all things with a calcium carbonate skeleton or shell. My view is that we should be trying to collect frags and fish of every remaining Carribean species and Noah's Arc-ing them for the future. Public aquarists should be telling us how best to do this without cross contamination. Otherwise, the reefs of the Carribean are basically FUBAR with no hope of return. The government agencies can blame themselves for picking on the one target without lobbying power (hobbyists) and letting the major offenders go. __________________ - Walter D. LaRoque V "The tanks go or I go." - Ex Wife Last edited by WDLV; 11/25/2009 at 10:57 AM.

11/25/2009, 11:31 AM	#5
WDLV Skunk Hybrid Freak Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Pasadena, MD. USA Posts: 3,003	Sorry. I should have been more specific.... I meant Acropora palmata. __________________ - Walter D. LaRoque V "The tanks go or I go." - Ex Wife

11/25/2009, 10:21 AM	#2
acurro Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Colts Neck, New Jersey Posts: 112	I think there used to be a live rock farmer in Florida that would have some Caribbean species that would settle on his live rock (and be legally for sale).

11/25/2009, 11:22 AM	#4
nanojg Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Lubbock, Texas Posts: 2,174	http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...76&pcatid=2576 I have some it looks about like this, but more of a brown/green