Greetings from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania!
I was in this hobby for a while in SA, but could never get it off the ground like I wanted due to the costs involved. I moved to Tz about 19 months ago and this was a dream come true for me cause now I have the whole Indian Ocean as my backyard tank
Started diving and obviously snorkeled at every chance I got, but soon realized what damage are being done to the coral reefs around here. Local fishermen has discovered the potential of how many fish they can catch in a short period, with the least amount of effort by practicing illegal dynamiting
The Coral reefs are being blown to
here, every month I go back to the reefs I can see how things are taking a turn for the worst and its becoming pretty serious now!
Over the first year seeing corals blown apart and little pieces lying unattached on the ocean floor (some from storms as well), I thought I ought to get a tank up here and try and save some of those little follows! There is absolutely no support for the marine hobby here so I had to buy the tank and equipment in SA and brought it up with us on a Helicopter fairy we did in January.
hahaha the customs police on both Mozambique and Tanzanian borders never believed me when I said "Fish Tank", but quickly learned if I said "Printer" they just went "Yes Yes Yes" and nodded their heads
And so the Nano started bit by bit, all of the rocks and coral where taken from blown off coral and coral-rock! Only captured live specimens are the critters that came with the rocks and a little Banded Damsel......
The tank is still in infancy stage and there is a lot I still want to do with it, but think its coming nicely together now and soon I'll have to start taking some corals back to the reef and attach them in the wild, they're growing like mad!! The only reason for them I can think off doing so well (and the best advice I can give anyone) is, water changes, water changes, water changes!!!! I never learned this lesson in SA, but have really seen now the absolute necessity of it!!!!! I'm lucky in this way now, cause now its free
I will attach some pics below....
I was in this hobby for a while in SA, but could never get it off the ground like I wanted due to the costs involved. I moved to Tz about 19 months ago and this was a dream come true for me cause now I have the whole Indian Ocean as my backyard tank
Started diving and obviously snorkeled at every chance I got, but soon realized what damage are being done to the coral reefs around here. Local fishermen has discovered the potential of how many fish they can catch in a short period, with the least amount of effort by practicing illegal dynamiting
The Coral reefs are being blown to
here, every month I go back to the reefs I can see how things are taking a turn for the worst and its becoming pretty serious now!Over the first year seeing corals blown apart and little pieces lying unattached on the ocean floor (some from storms as well), I thought I ought to get a tank up here and try and save some of those little follows! There is absolutely no support for the marine hobby here so I had to buy the tank and equipment in SA and brought it up with us on a Helicopter fairy we did in January.
hahaha the customs police on both Mozambique and Tanzanian borders never believed me when I said "Fish Tank", but quickly learned if I said "Printer" they just went "Yes Yes Yes" and nodded their heads And so the Nano started bit by bit, all of the rocks and coral where taken from blown off coral and coral-rock! Only captured live specimens are the critters that came with the rocks and a little Banded Damsel......
The tank is still in infancy stage and there is a lot I still want to do with it, but think its coming nicely together now and soon I'll have to start taking some corals back to the reef and attach them in the wild, they're growing like mad!! The only reason for them I can think off doing so well (and the best advice I can give anyone) is, water changes, water changes, water changes!!!! I never learned this lesson in SA, but have really seen now the absolute necessity of it!!!!! I'm lucky in this way now, cause now its free
I will attach some pics below....
