Safe buying

[CandyCane]

I did my own research on where to buy from dealers who are reef concience. Here's two very helpful websites that show some of what I found.

www.reefprotect.org (This organization has produced the Reef Fish Guide)

www.amdareef.com (American Marinelife Dealers Association)

Also learned a lot more in some books like this one: "Saltwater Aquarium Models: Recipes for Creating Beautiful Aquariums That Thrive"

[naesco]

Originally Posted by CandyCane

I did my own research on where to buy from dealers who are reef concience. Here's two very helpful websites that show some of what I found.

www.reefprotect.org (This organization has produced the Reef Fish Guide)

www.amdareef.com (American Marinelife Dealers Association)

Also learned a lot more in some books like this one: "Saltwater Aquarium Models: Recipes for Creating Beautiful Aquariums That Thrive"

Unfortuneately AMDA is effectively defunct and I suspect the same for the other.

Best book imo is The Concientious Reef Aquarist by Robert Fenner

[CandyCane]

Oh okay had no idea, I love reading so i'll have to give it a go thanks

[intarsiabox]

Organizations like AMDA are good enough ideas but all that's really to them is a retailer claims they will follow their practices and mails AMDA a cheque to be on the list. The other problem is that there are plenty of good retailers who will exceed the practices set forth because it is just simply very good for business but because they didn't pay somebody to get recognized they are to be shunned for not being on the list. I'm all for education on reef husbandry but not for mafia style retailing were companies have to pay "protection" money to remain in business. I do however like sites such as GARF that advocate renewable reefing and promoting as much eduction as possible without having to sell places on their website to retailers. Instead they make and propogate their own products and sell them to make money. It's a good site to check out.