Originally Posted by Dmitry
Tank bred fish are those that have been bred in captivity (aquariums).
Wild caught are those fish that have been captured from the ocean.
Tank raised fish are those that have been captured from the ocean while still young and raised in captivity (aquariums.)
The more responsible hobbyists would buy the tank-bred animals whenever possible because these fish are not depleting oceans of its livestock. They also tend be more hardy because they have not been exposed to the same parasites as the ocean fish, and because all they know are aquariums - so it's a lot easier to acclimate them to our own systems.
There's never a guarantee that any clownfish will accept an anemone. Some just won't. Others will make their homes inside corals (I used to have a pair that lived inside a Colt Coral.)
To label hobbiests who prefer wild fish to aqualtured as less responsible is absurd. Why not carry this label farther and say that all hobbiests are not being respobsible if they buy any lionfish, tang, puffer, trigger etc., etc, etc,. Why deplete the ocean when aquacultured clowns, dottybacks a few dwarf angels, and a few gobies are available?
The half bar and, and other morphs available now were probably discarded as "freaks"--before breeders found a market for them. FW angelfish and discus are now almost unrecognizable ,next to wild ones ,because of the generations bred in captivity. Fish bred in captivity also lose color and many traits that the wild form still has. Such as FW discus refusing raising their fry. If someone can show me that catching wild clownfish has reduced their numbers in the wild; I'll change my tune. Nature abhors a vacuum is a common principle. A reef will support "X" number of a species; and when one is removed, by net or predator, the same reef will replace them. Aquacultured fish are great, especially for beginners; but I sure think a wild caught yellowstripe maroon clownfish from Sumatra (where they're used as bait) is prettier and has more personality than the aquacultured type and I'm sure not going to feel "irresponsible" when I buy one.