Why Are Tank-Raised Saltwater Fish a Great Choice?
August 28th, 2012 
Posted in 
Entrepreneurial saltwater fish hobbyists have spent years developing techniques, testing and perfecting the science of growing beautiful, hardy, colorful fish on fish farms right here in the United States! Captive-raised or tank-raised saltwater fish often cost a few dollars more than their wild-caught counterparts do, but they are worth every penny; these fish have avoided the stress of capture, rough handling and long shipping routes. With the same vivid colors as fish found on a reef, tank-raised fish are significantly healthier and hardier – and they readily eat a variety of prepared fish foods!
One of the largest farms is Oceans, Reefs & Aquariums (ORA) is located in Florida. At ORA, they breed over 85 different species of marine fish. The most popular are clownfish available in many different designer styles.
One of ORA’s recent breeding successes is the Mandarin goby also called Mandarin Dragonets. Mandarins are a highly sought after fish in the aquarium trade. Their vibrant colors and relatively low price ensures many sales. Wild-caught mandarins are difficult to keep alive long-term in an aquarium because it is difficult to find a non-living food they will eat. Sadly, most wild-caught mandarins have starved to death over time. ORA eliminated this difficulty with its tank-raised Mandarins. These colorful beauties will devour a variety of frozen and dry foods.
Tank-raised Mandarins are hardy, fun to watch and will live with a variety of nonaggressive saltwater Fish. They stay small, grow to 3 1/2″ to 4″ long, and are available in three colors, each with unique patterns: blue (Synchiropus splendidus) , spotted (Synchiropus picturatus) and red (Synchiropus splendidus) . You can see photos of these and many other varieties of ORA fish at this link:
http://www.orafarm.com/products/fish/
ORA only sells their fish to retail pet and aquarium stores, distributors and wholesalers. Check with your local fish store and ask if they stock ORA fish. If not encourage them to place an order.
We should all support farm-raised fish.