This is my first post. Congratulations to me! I'm a relative newbie. I have loved this hobby since I was a kid w/my first freshwater tank. Back then (which was a few (or more) decades ago) I would have loved to try saltwater but it was unheard of for a dumb kid. Now I have a three year old sea "garden" and I love it very much.
I took the day off today and have spent the whole of it reading through this thread. I find myself tired, but more educated and enlightened. I feel like I've been watching America in action (or J Springer). You know, free speech and all.
It's been difficult wading through some of the emotions that are obviously felt by both sides but its also inspiring. This is how growth happens. My tank will freak out on me but I hang in there and most of the time the inhabitants have hung in there; there is growth.
I'm very glad that experts are willing to experiment and learn and question each other so that I may learn and enjoy without giving up my job. This hobby of mine is not yet an exact science but I haven't lost anything in a long, long time thanks to the pioneers before me who have made it almost idiot proof. Thank you all. I think there are lots of you looking at this thread.
I would like to think that I received the email invitation to this thread so I could learn. And I have - about the surface aspects of regulations, collection, transportation, acclimation, reintroduction. I'm dealing with some of these issues myself, I can never be sure where my livestock comes from exactly. Diver friends give me "the look" which questions me about my commitment to the environment by having such things. Yet I think because of these things advances have been made in many areas of our daily lives; because of these pioneers who have learned the rules as they went along.
My hope is that the questions that need to be asked (and they do need to be asked) help insure that the industry can keep making strides forward without "overkill". The tax dollars involved could not have been totally wasted. Mr Borneman may have been imperfect in this, but I have yet to see any venture (our government not excluded) run perfectly.
Thank you again to the scientists doing research and the watchdogs making sure the rules are followed.
p.s. Please keep this in perspective. Man was created to be the keeper of the garden, but we also have children dying on school campus and soldiers fighting for our rights to freedom. It is up to us to restrain ourselves.
Location: Mt. Vernon, Ohio - Hey they have a LFS with SW Fish
Posts: 3,016
Very Good Post
And Welcome to RAG
__________________ Shane
Hobby Experience - Jun 2005
Tanks - 10 Gallon Semi-Reef
A Little Info On The Tank - 10 gallon; Filtration - Aquaclear 30, 10lbs of LR, 5-10lbs of LS; Lighting - 50W PC; Flow - 150 GPH from Aquaclear Filter (for now); No Protein Skimmer System Bioload ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ 115% Donate To RAG --> Donate Here Search RAG --> RAG Search Visit our Sponsors They Help Support the Site --> Sponsors Visit the Classifieds for Great Sales From Our Members--> Classifieds
I unbanned Chuck, mainly because I want to see just how far he is going to go to defend Eric.
I have to say, after re-reading Eric's emails, reading this thread. My opinion has changed to:
It appears Eric seeks the god like worship of the lemmings that comprise this hobby, the ones that cannot think for themselves and say, wow, since Eric said it, it must be true, now I have to go out and try the latest fad!
Eric is an ego maniac who is basically mad because someone pissed in his wheaties and is daily losing both respect and integrity in this hobby as more of this comes to light.
So now that Eric has egg on his face, he is using some psuedo lawyer to try and intimidate those who try to show exactly what he is.
How long has he been working on a doctorate?
Really, it all boils down to he wants to feel important and respected and now it appears the majority of those on the internet he appeals to are turning their back on him, and he is pouting about it.
I know this topic has popped up on a few other boards and has thus been closed. In true RAG fashion, I would like to open flame free discussion on this topic.
It appears that in Feb 2004 Eric Borneman an "Aqua Guru" submitted an application to house and grow colonial lines of protected stony corals from the florida reefs.
It appears that Eric had intentions of growing them and propagating them for financial gain.
It appears that Eric housed the corals and such in his home and in Reef Savers a commerical coral business.
It appears Eric took corals that were slated for transplantation by the Navy and went out side of his collecting permit.
It appears that Eric did not care properly for the corals and instead went on many trips while he knew the corals were in jeopardy.
It appears that the US government had to DEMAND that Eric return the corals and did not give them back after several requests.
It appears that Eric may have mixed the Atlantic corals with Pacific corals thus dooming them to a life of captivity and making them unsuitable for eventual transplantation into the wild.
I believe it is time for answers. These are the property of the USA. Thus it directly affects you and our future hobby.
It is time for answers. Did these things really happen? Where is Eric to tell us what truly happened? Is this the travesty that it really seems?
Yes, that was my first post, how things have changed in a week or so! Nothing like the man himself to answer the questions for me and prove, that he just wants others to worship at his podium like he is a reef god . . . .
Larry, Shemp, and Moe, Larry-proven to not even care for the animals, Shemp-riding the coat tails of Larry no real education, merely the "fish guy" who comes in and takes care of your tank and does a water change, no scientific method there. Then there is Moe, a literature major who failed at the greenhouse endeavor.
What's that old saying? Those who can't . . . .teach. But how can they teach when they cannot even set up solid scientific research methods.
Research is hard and rigorous to get meaningful results, these three stooges just throw it together to put their lemmings in awe of what they have done. Kinda like giving a new paint job to a yugo, it sure looks nice with those flames, but it is still a yugo.
Again to defend Steven... though his research (dude to obvious limitations) may not be "rigorous," I've always respected his frankness with that fact. He never claims his work is more than what it is and presents it as "isn't this curious..." and on a "take it or leave it" basis. I have a great deal of respect for him for that and do often find his small-scale experiment very interesting.
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