local temperate species surving in heated tanks

[justinl]

bad idea. even tidepool species should be kept in a cooled tank. If you can't afford to set up a coldwater tank or just don't have the time, then you can't keep them. You wouldn't keep a tang in a fishbowl would you?

[hillegom]

Originally Posted by Funky_Fish14

Your not really supposed to 'collect' (read steal) anything from the wild anywhere... Its kind of like poaching... (but just cause you dont kill it, doesnt mean its ok)...

I am not going into the "wild" to collect cold water species and put them into my tank.

But I don't get it. People hunt, fish, collect flowers, etc.
I go sea kayaking and we always collect and eat from the sea. At work, we sometimes throw a crab trap out. I take the crabs home alive, in a bucket.
Its only one more step, into a cold water tank.

I can understand if the animal or fish is endangered, but if I wanted to establish a cold water tank, then I would just go get what was available.
I would have a salt water fishing license first mind you.
I do not understand why this would be illegal.

[midgetwaiter]

Originally Posted by o.c.d.

If fresh water puffers can be converted to salt I don't see why a hardy species couldn't adapt to higher temp, after all we all keep animals in synthetic salt mixes and trade coral from different conditions.

FW puffers can't be adapted to live in SW. CAN NOT BE DONE.

There are some species of puffer and many other fish families that are native to estuary areas and can adapt to different conditions. What you are thinking of as a FW puffer (Figure 8, Green Spot) is native to these estuaries. These fish have a specially adapted kidney that allows them to handle the transition and thrive.

There may be some temperate species that has the ability to adapt to tropical temperature, through some facility or another. However the vast majority of ocean species are cold blooded and as such the temperature of the environment determines their metabolic rate so it seems unlikely. You can see the issues this causes if you consider the case of the livestock that is collected off of California and provided to the trade. Things like Catalina Gobies, doesn't work well.