I love black market smugglers!

[cichlaguapote]

lol thats not something i would be particularly proud of, bur apparently the OP thinks otherwise.

That was really my point and reason for the sarcastic response. In the way it was worded in the begginning. The impression it gives is: "That guy couldn't have them because he forgot a some paperwork, but since you're my bud we'll give all this $$$$$ coral to you. It's still illegal coral, but screw it."

I'm a little more ok with it belonging to a public aquarium though I still think it's the wrong way for USFW to work it's policys and it's a poor allotment of federal funding. Though most everything run by the goverment is run poorly.

So in the end to each his own. And zoodiver is always ok in my book. Just voicing an opinion of the other side of the coin.

He works for a zoo, so everything that was given to him was by USFW and is for public display and education.

OMFG. No way.

Seriously though yeah I knew where he worked and that had crossed my mind. I did however expect an aquarium/zoo to have a larger reef though.

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

^ Perhaps its only in qarnt. hence the smaller tank?

 

[josear1286]

mann lucky guy lol

 

[Austin]

thread has gotten spicy!

 

[Zoodiver]

I didn't mean for this thread to be such a hot topic! Wow.

As for the size of this reef set up, we are an Atlantic focused aquarium. Having a 500 gallon Pacific display is a side exhibit we did to offer the best care for this collection. It's the only place we have Pacific life. The other 15 jewel displays feature native aquatic life from different areas of local waters. Our 'big' reef is one of the largest living reef (no fake or reproduction rock/coral) displays in the world at 250,000 gallons. It's showcasing a South FL / Western Atlantic shallow water reef.

 

[FishNCash]

Do not judge, or you too will be judged”He was telling us not to judge hypocritically. Matthew 7:2-5 declares, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Amen!

 

[abortedsoul]

Do not judge, or you too will be judged”He was telling us not to judge hypocritically. Matthew 7:2-5 declares, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Amen!

And the The little Engine that Could decares, "As it neared the top of the grade, which had so discouraged the larger engines, it went more slowly. However, it still kept saying, "I--think--I--can, I--think--I--can." It reached the top by drawing on bravery and then went on down the grade, congratulating itself by saying, "I thought I could, I thought I could." AMEN.

(If you don't get the humor, see proofs. Not a fan? I'm sorry to hear that, but I posted it to prevent something like this from going unquestioned. MFK isn't a religious website- it is a fishkeeping website. Feel like sharing your beliefs? That's cool, but don't be bugged when someone else does, too. )

I didn't mean for this thread to be such a hot topic! Wow.

As for the size of this reef set up, we are an Atlantic focused aquarium. Having a 500 gallon Pacific display is a side exhibit we did to offer the best care for this collection. It's the only place we have Pacific life. The other 15 jewel displays feature native aquatic life from different areas of local waters. Our 'big' reef is one of the largest living reef (no fake or reproduction rock/coral) displays in the world at 250,000 gallons. It's showcasing a South FL / Western Atlantic shallow water reef.

250,000 gallon all live reef? That would just spin my head to see. Got a link? (I'm searching for one now.)

 

[A jar]

wow...


i hope they let you keep and make good use of them. a zoo/aquarium can be a great way to share some good knowledge- and we need more educated folks in the hobby.

 

[Zoodiver]

250,000 gallon Atlantic Reef: Open system, so the exhibit sees exactly the water conditions the fish would see in the wild. Temps swings seasonally, pH increases/drops, salinity changes after heavy rains etc...

 

[RedDevilDon2005]

When you move coral in the amounts this came in on for a living, you KNOW the law.
No way in the world someone could think otherwise. It's like driving a car and not knowing there's a speed limit.

Exactly.

I think they did the right thing. Why not give it to an aquarium? It made a nice display. Hopefully Matt and the rest of the aquarium get to keep it.