reefstar22
Member
What are corals I can look out for? - Fish? - Inverts?
Can I bring any home?
What about live rock?
Can I bring any home?
What about live rock?
Going to Jamaica - What can I expect to see?
- Thread starter reefstar22
- Start date
miaheatlvr
Active Member
You might get it by Jamaican customs, but US customs will get you! and They might have some kind of Jamaican laws prohibiting that kind of behaviour.
reefstar22
Member
Doh! - Maybe I can bring a couple rocks home. - No one will care about that. - However I can bring it back to life when I'm home! 
maybe a couple 25lb rocks. - I'll just have to cure it
maybe a couple 25lb rocks. - I'll just have to cure it
seamandrew
Member
Carribean live rock is not the ideal rock for your aquarium. It's very heavy, not very porous, and displaces a whole lot of water because it's much denser than most of the Pacific varieties found in the hobby. Ever notice the premium rocks are from Fiji, Tonga, Kadavu and the like? All in the Pacific.
Also, it is illegal to bring any animals or vegetation into the country. I wouldn't risk getting caught. If you do manage to smuggle them in, don't just cure the rock, boil it, then cure it. There are some strange isopods/copepods out there that are flesh eating (fish flesh) and you do not want to introduce them into your tank! You never know what else may be in there! Aiptasia for one come from the Caribbean.
Have fun in Jamaica, enjoy what you see and leave it there for others to see, that's my advice!
Also, it is illegal to bring any animals or vegetation into the country. I wouldn't risk getting caught. If you do manage to smuggle them in, don't just cure the rock, boil it, then cure it. There are some strange isopods/copepods out there that are flesh eating (fish flesh) and you do not want to introduce them into your tank! You never know what else may be in there! Aiptasia for one come from the Caribbean.
Have fun in Jamaica, enjoy what you see and leave it there for others to see, that's my advice!
lesleybird
Active Member
Originally Posted by Reefstar22
Doh! - Maybe I can bring a couple rocks home. - No one will care about that. - However I can bring it back to life when I'm home!
maybe a couple 25lb rocks. - I'll just have to cure it
Yea....like try to get that through customs. It isn't worth risking sneaking something so large because if caught you could end up in big trouble.
Doh! - Maybe I can bring a couple rocks home. - No one will care about that. - However I can bring it back to life when I'm home!
maybe a couple 25lb rocks. - I'll just have to cure it
Yea....like try to get that through customs. It isn't worth risking sneaking something so large because if caught you could end up in big trouble.
nigerbang
Active Member
Funny story..
I was coming home from Mon. Bay and had about 12lbs of beach sand in my luggage.(Just something I do) when it hit the x-ray it looked like Coke! THey started asking me what it was and when I saw it I knew what they thought it looked like..I told them it was just sand from the beach and that I would open my bag for them if they wanted me to..They told me not to worry about it! This was at Sangster(SP) inter.
When I got home (Hartsfield-Jackson) Same thing, X-ray a few questions..Offer to open the bag, All I got from them was "Welcome Home"
Customs is slack as can be sometimes..It was only sand but it looked like a lot more than sand..
I was coming home from Mon. Bay and had about 12lbs of beach sand in my luggage.(Just something I do) when it hit the x-ray it looked like Coke! THey started asking me what it was and when I saw it I knew what they thought it looked like..I told them it was just sand from the beach and that I would open my bag for them if they wanted me to..They told me not to worry about it! This was at Sangster(SP) inter.
When I got home (Hartsfield-Jackson) Same thing, X-ray a few questions..Offer to open the bag, All I got from them was "Welcome Home"
Customs is slack as can be sometimes..It was only sand but it looked like a lot more than sand..
renogaw
Active Member
Originally Posted by seamandrew
Carribean live rock is not the ideal rock for your aquarium. It's very heavy, not very porous, and displaces a whole lot of water because it's much denser than most of the Pacific varieties found in the hobby. Ever notice the premium rocks are from Fiji, Tonga, Kadavu and the like? All in the Pacific.
i dont know... 95% of my live rock came from the caribbean and i think it's pretty nice rock
Carribean live rock is not the ideal rock for your aquarium. It's very heavy, not very porous, and displaces a whole lot of water because it's much denser than most of the Pacific varieties found in the hobby. Ever notice the premium rocks are from Fiji, Tonga, Kadavu and the like? All in the Pacific.
i dont know... 95% of my live rock came from the caribbean and i think it's pretty nice rock
ameno
Active Member
don't know about Jamacia but when we were at caymans I brought home some dead rock off the beach and a few other things,that wasn't a problem. but all that area probably Jamacia included is now considered as some type of park and is protected, we had to pay a park fee to dive and was told by know means could we take anything, and not even suppose to touch anything.
jonthefishguy
Active Member
Okay for those of you that wonder....it is ILLEGAL for you to remove any fish, coral, or plant from the waters that are protected. It is a federal crime to transfer livestock(including plants) from one country to another without the plant being stamped by the govt saying that it is safe to transfer into the US. USDA stamped. The customs dept will allow you to keep less than 5 pounds as a souvinor in your lugggage or carry-on. All live rock and live animal that is not authorized to cross country borders without CITES permits that is removed will be confiscated and disgarded. Depending on the country you are in and the species that you attempt to smuggle, you could face as little as a misdimeanor or as much as a federal offense since more areas of countries waters are protected from collecting. Keep in mind that if you are arrested on their side, the laws differ and you could spend a long time attempting to resolve this issue. It is better to just leave it where you saw it and admire it there.
rudedog40
Member
While in Jamaica, go to Hedonism. Believe me, you'll see more than you want on the beach there.
I was in the Caymans several years ago, and we took the Sting Ray snorkel tour. While out, we were able to gather conch's for lunch. The guide on the boat would knock the tip off the end of the shell, and cut the conch out. He used the conch meat for our lunch. Tasted pretty good. I had a medium sized conch I didn't want the end knocked off. The guide told me to take it back to my condo and put it in a bucket of bleach. That would kill the conch. I tried everything and couldn't get the conch out. I ended up getting a couple of plastic bags and dousing the shell with my wife's perfume. I stuck it in my luggage, and preyed Customs wouldn't smell it. Luckily, I got it across with no problems. When I got home, my luggae had the worst smell you could imagine. My dad told me of a trick he used in the Phillipines during WWII to get conchs out of their shells. He told me to set the shell on top of a fire ant bed for a week or so, and they'd pick it clean. Sure enough, that sucker was clean as a whistle after two weeks.
I was in the Caymans several years ago, and we took the Sting Ray snorkel tour. While out, we were able to gather conch's for lunch. The guide on the boat would knock the tip off the end of the shell, and cut the conch out. He used the conch meat for our lunch. Tasted pretty good. I had a medium sized conch I didn't want the end knocked off. The guide told me to take it back to my condo and put it in a bucket of bleach. That would kill the conch. I tried everything and couldn't get the conch out. I ended up getting a couple of plastic bags and dousing the shell with my wife's perfume. I stuck it in my luggage, and preyed Customs wouldn't smell it. Luckily, I got it across with no problems. When I got home, my luggae had the worst smell you could imagine. My dad told me of a trick he used in the Phillipines during WWII to get conchs out of their shells. He told me to set the shell on top of a fire ant bed for a week or so, and they'd pick it clean. Sure enough, that sucker was clean as a whistle after two weeks.
reefstar22
Member
I'll just grab a couple fist sized rocks, and a bottle of sand. - Both will be boiled before being placed in my tank. - Hopefully I can get that.
I'm so excited to go snorkeling.
I had ACL surgery october 11th. - I'm up to a VERY light jog now. - Hopefully by then I'll be able to swim.
I'm so excited to go snorkeling.
I had ACL surgery october 11th. - I'm up to a VERY light jog now. - Hopefully by then I'll be able to swim.
rara12
Member
I have actually read that carribrean rock is less dense. And the main reason most LR comes from the phillopeans is because they are less strict with conservation laws the the carribean. Its just easier to get large amounts from fiji and tonga then from the carribean. And just like any other form of un-cured LR there is a risk of unwanted pest and aptasia. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH LR FROM THE CARRIBEAN.
That being said. When i went to jamaica i brought back coral skeletons that i found just off shore. Those were ok to bring back. I kept them moist on the trip home (to keep any bacteria that might be on it alive, it was in the ocean and had algea on it). When i got it home i just plopped it in my tank and i had no problems at all. The pieces i brought home ranged from 4" to 16", and they really look great in the aquarium.
That being said. When i went to jamaica i brought back coral skeletons that i found just off shore. Those were ok to bring back. I kept them moist on the trip home (to keep any bacteria that might be on it alive, it was in the ocean and had algea on it). When i got it home i just plopped it in my tank and i had no problems at all. The pieces i brought home ranged from 4" to 16", and they really look great in the aquarium.
earlybird
Active Member
Originally Posted by cubsfan
my advice is to bring back some cuban cigars
just take off the cuban ring and put on a dominican ring. you can keep the cuban ring in another suitcase and when you get home just switch the rings!
That's what they do already and sell it as a Cuban. All the Dominicans are Cubans
Actually, IMO Dominicans taste better anyhow.
my advice is to bring back some cuban cigars
That's what they do already and sell it as a Cuban. All the Dominicans are Cubans
Actually, IMO Dominicans taste better anyhow.
reefstar22
Member
So what kinds of fish will i expect to see?
What kinds of corals? Inverts?
What kinds of corals? Inverts?