Improve your fishing skills


Collecting Fish For Your Aquarium

In the eyes of the non-diving public, theAnywhere there's water there's life, and much
underwater hunter is a guy who walks out ofof it can be transplanted to the aquarium
the water with a spear, a mask, a big wideenvironment with great success. Actually, the
grin, and a big dead fish. To a degree, thelimitations are more often set by
picture is an accurate one: certainlypreconceptions than by nature. To the average
big-game hunting has always been andaquarist, the only fish that seem appropriate
continues to be an important aspect of thefor life in a glass tank are fresh-water
sport.topicals.  Period.
But in recent months there has been anThe skin-diver is just as likely to think in
enormous upsurge of interest in small-gameterms of a few marine species only. Both
hunting for specimens that are caught andframes of reference are unnecessarily narrow.
kept, and not killed. Not too long ago only aGood aquarium fish can be found in most of
few of the hundreds of aquarists' clubs inthe coastal areas of the U. S., and even the
the U. S. had one or two divers as members.inland waters contain interesting and
Today there are several societies composedbeautiful  candidates  for  the  home set-up.
entirely of diver-aquarists, and several
thousand unaffiliated collectors who haveThere are a few factors to consider before
found that the aquarium hobby opens up a bigyou start bagging tenants for a tank. Most
and practically virgin territory in thespecies that swim out in the open do
underwater  world.relatively poorly in restricted aquarium
surroundings, and should generally be
No one has a better opportunity to see andavoided. Choose varieties that swim close to
collect exceptional specimens than the skinthe bottom, in the protective cover of kelp
or scuba diver. In fact divers whose contactor coral, or in and around submerged objects.
with underwater life has sharpened their
interest and observation sometimes know moreConsider also the fish's size. Really big or
about the subject than land-locked marineeven fairly big species are unsuitable, of
biologists; more than one diver has come upcourse, but young examples of medium-sized
with a new species that's totally unknown tospecies are sometimes more appropriate than
the professionals. Anyone who spends his timethey may seem: aquarium life has the effect
exploring down under gets an intimateof stunting growth, because fish tend not to
knowledge of submarine life that translatesoutgrow  their  environment.
into a head start in learning the arts of the
aquarist.The equipment used to collect fish can be as
simple as a wide-necked glass jar or a small
Divers discover through direct observationhand net. Best of the latter is a
what environment various species require,long-handled butterfly net made of nylon
what they eat, how they nest and spawn, whatmarquisette or mosquito netting, and held
kind of cover they like to live in, and sostill in the water so that it flows out with
on.the  current.
Still, the diver who wants to maintain hisWhen fish swim into it (which they're more
underwater acquisitions in an aquarium has alikely to do if there's some
number of new skills to learn. Killing fishcrushed-shellfish bait nearby), the trap is
is usually easier than collecting them; andlocked by turning the handle 90 degrees.
collecting them is often easier than keepingAnother tool is the slurp gun, which consists
them alive. But the result is worth someof a piece of metal or plastic tubing about
effort. As trophies go, a well-kept aquariumtwo feet long and with a 1 1/2-inch bore,
stocked with beautiful, thriving fish can'twith a tire-pump rod and plunger added to
begin  to  be  matched  by  taxidermy's best.provide  vacuum  and  suction.
Where,  What  and  How  to  CollectMany beautiful species of fish can be caught
and kept alive using this equipment.



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