Any marine people in Hawaii

[Electrokate]

I just found out my boyfriend got a job in Hawaii and is going there for a one month trial, if it works out then we will both move there. I know I can keep my parrot and killifish (which can be transported in egg form and are legal) but am sad, this will mean losing a lot. Not just friends, guess I am attached to earthly things as well. Is anyone in the marine hobby over there on this list who could tell me rules and all? I understand from other things I have read that I can probably have a fish only tank. Is this true? I'd be ok with that. Will not know for a while if we are staying a year or more so will probably store everything I really truly value like the purple people eaters and other cool coral I finally got my hands on. I have a lot of unsold artwork, musical instruments, 38 aquariums, books and a complete garden. Well, don't need to worry about finding plants in Hawaii, that's for sure, and the orchid collection can bite me!
Don't know if I would even miss a reef tank if I could just go look at it in nature or volunteer at the public aquarium and work with the big tanks.
This is going to be interesting. Going to be doing a lot of ebay sales I believe...
Kate

 

[burning2nd]

god speed.... HEy my best friend mikes going there for a honeymoon soon, tell him i said hi.....

 

[Krish]

Have fun with the move Kate if you go! I guess that means the Bahamas is out of the question for next year now huh I think a member "Porkfat" (I think that's it) is from Hawaii and maybe he can give you some info. I haven't seen him post here lately, but if you shoot him a pm, he should get an email notification. I'll double check I've got it all right first...BRB

 

[Krish]

I was right!

http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/member.php?u=5876

 

[My2heartboys]

I just found out my boyfriend got a job in Hawaii and is going there for a one month trial, if it works out then we will both move there. I know I can keep my parrot and killifish (which can be transported in egg form and are legal) but am sad, this will mean losing a lot. Not just friends, guess I am attached to earthly things as well. Is anyone in the marine hobby over there on this list who could tell me rules and all? I understand from other things I have read that I can probably have a fish only tank. Is this true? I'd be ok with that. Will not know for a while if we are staying a year or more so will probably store everything I really truly value like the purple people eaters and other cool coral I finally got my hands on. I have a lot of unsold artwork, musical instruments, 38 aquariums, books and a complete garden. Well, don't need to worry about finding plants in Hawaii, that's for sure, and the orchid collection can bite me!
Don't know if I would even miss a reef tank if I could just go look at it in nature or volunteer at the public aquarium and work with the big tanks.
This is going to be interesting. Going to be doing a lot of ebay sales I believe...
Kate

Kate, if you currently don't have a degree, what you may want to do is go to college and major in marine science and specialize in aquarium science. You can do this through the internet (obviously you could not do the internships through the internet). In a place that is so beautiful and water oriented, this might give you guys a back up. If you would like more information...let me know.

Anne

 

[Electrokate]

Hi,
Thanks Krish! Yeah, this might take the wind out of our sales for the trip your way though of course they are not the same. Hey, you can visit us!

I am thinking of going to the U there for marine science or botany, will check both out. Back in 89 I dropped out of the U of MN because everyone told me I was crazy to try farming without pesticides/fertilizers Guess "organic" wasn't a known word in their ag dept yet. If we stay there it would be a hard choice between marine science and raising orchids. I will try and volunteer at the aquarium.

I really am going to miss so much though! The more I think about it and look around, the harder this seems.

Thanks,
Kate

 

[Maxx]

Kate,
Congrats on getting the oportunity to go to Hawaii. I used to live there as kid and thats where the Marine bug bit me bad.

You arent going to be able to bring in any inverts. Period. Its also most likely you wont be able to bring any of your fish as well. Hawaii has STRICT importation laws due to a large number of native animals (marine and terrestrial) going extinct or fighting for survival after importation of non native species. Hawaii tends to err on the side of caution.

There are some great places to go though.

I used to work at Coral Fish Hawaii, which IMO is the best saltwater place in Hawaii. Check em out.

98-810 Moanalua road
Ph 808-488-8801

Nick

 

[nano_reeflover]

You can catch your own fish straight from the ocean for free! I recently sent an email to Hawaii DLNR and this is what I recieved:
"If you are using a small meshed (less than 2 inches mesh) hand net of less than three feet, including the handle, to collect the aquarium fish, and the fish are not collected for sale, no permit is required. A hand net larger than three feet, will require an aquarium permit. 1) what will you be using to collect the animals (what kind of gear)? 2) Are the animals to be collected for sale?

You should check with the equivalent of the Division of Aquatic Resources in your home state to see if they have restrictions on importing animals. There may be an alien species concern. You should also check with the airlines for their shipping requirements. Live animals for export are usually not a problem as long as they are not illegal.

You may not collect or transport any animals that are unlawful to take in Hawaii. Transporting illegal animals across state lines is a federal and state offense. The regulations can be found at www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/dar. Click the regulations button. Let me know if you have any questions.

Alton Miyasaka
Biologist
Division of Aquatic Resources
Department of Land and Natural Resources
State of Hawaii"

 

[Electrokate]

Thanks, that is awesome! I was going to take my amazon parrot which is listed as legal as long as she tests free of west nile and undergoes 7 days quarantine at a vet office. Didn't figure on taking fish. I was already mostly buying CB or net caught fish from Hawaii so there is no point in bringing them. Far as freshwater goes, they are species that are mostly already there and legal so I don't have to worry about them. That is nice to know about the legality of hand netting, I will have to try that. Sounds fun! I used to do that in Minnesota, we would keep things for a week and let them go. Raised some pretty bizarre stuff too. Suppose I will likely try to bring my trio of Crossocheilus denisonii in, a freshwater fish costing about 40 bucks a fish.
Nobody has answered one question though, do you legally keep reef tanks there/Can you buy coral at a fish store? I know you can't take it from the sea. I have a great deal of aquacultured coral here. If necessary I will have a friend take a tank for a year in case Hawaii doesn't work out, which is possible.
Kate

 

[nano_reeflover]

I think you may be able to take softies out of the ocean as well. I'm not positive, so dont quote me on that I know hard corals are definately a no-no.

 

[Tangee]

NOOOOOOOO!!!! DON'T GO KATE!!!!!



Susie

 

[Al G.]

Reef tanks are illegal in Hawaii. However, you could easily do a FOWLR setup.

When I was last home in Hawaii in '04, you could buy Molokai'i aquacultured live rock(lava rock) from Coral Fish Hawaii for something like $5/lb.

It's $10.79/lb shipped.
http://www.hawaiiliverock.com/

Some of the rocks in my current tank, were collected 10years ago at the beach around Diamond head. Of course they were rocks that were dried up on the beach.

You can catch coral banded shrimps at night, at the boat ramp in Haleiwa. I have one in my tank that I caught back in '02. There's also green and orange button polyps there. I wish I could have brought some back to Seattle, but there was no way I gonna sneak that on the airplane.

If you really want a reef tank, ask around, mainly fish store employees, they'll tell you where to get stuff. I've heard that there is a store that is selling corals(probably softies) from "the back." I haven't been back home to confirm this story, but a couple of people have told me about this mystery store.

If you have a reef tank, just don't get caught. It's a $25,000 fine and a year in jail - if you're caught harboring illegal animals. There's also an annual amnesty week, where you can turn in any illegal animals without any fines/criminal charges.

As far as your trio of Crossocheilus denisonii, even if they're fish that are allowed in the aquarium trade in Hawaii, you'd still need a permit to bring it in. In the past I've gotten permits to bring in fw angelfish.

 

[northstaraquatics]

Charles Delbeek works at the Waikiki Aquarium and could answer questions on another board perhaps. Dana Riddle also has his research facility down there. I have heard it requires a complicated license to own a reef tank. Gerald Heslinger also operates a facility that ships out algea control packages and such. Of course who needs a glass box in the house with such a large tank in the back yard!

Have loads of fun,
Jon

 

[Electrokate]

I am not going to go illegal here, I already have all the coral I want right here in my living room and don't want new stuff... Palau green nephthya, zoanthids and purple people eaters and plating orange montis make me happy enough, am planning on signing up as a volunteer at the Waikiki Aquarium too so if I made friends with anyone I'd be busted when they came to my house. Also am slightly burned out on all the reef tank work. I just wanted to find out if a friend could mail me some frags of my favorites stuff when I get set up. FOWLR sounds good, then I can keep cool wrasses and puffers.
Unfortunately the reef will not be "in our backyard", we will be in the hills on the other side of town. Where it rains every day. This should allow us to acclimate gently from the pacific nw. I love tropical plants, so will be collecting them galore if we rent a house. We will be poor poor poor too! That's gonna hurt This is not a money making venture as it now stands, more of an adventure kind of venture. If it makes money we stay, if not then we scrape ourselves out of there.
My other fish hobby is breeding killifish and I found out there are a lot of killi nuts there so I should have enough fish in my life to make me absolutely sick of them. Apparently there you don't keep a fishroom like I have here, you just put the tanks out on the deck!
Sounds like the denisonii might be a pain but I can probably have a friend here hold for me. I have had a lot of people say "my niece/neighbor/son/friend lived in Hawaii for a year" and only one said the person stayed. Apparently it's a place you visit. So I am going to put stuff in storage and assume this is a very very long vacation. Come visit while you can!
Kate

 

[northstaraquatics]

Any coral is going to require a license. I don't know any more than that, so you'll have to ask the experts. Also you'll have to ask about shipping in or out for cites permits. I could check with Charles if you'ld like?

Jon

 

[Electrokate]

Thanks, if you could check with Charles Delbeek that would be great, if the license is not too much I will get it but otherwise... FOWLR. The site with the local farmed liverock is great, so I think it will work out either way. If legal reef tanks are rare there and I can't sell online then I would have no way to part with the coral I don't have room for, and that does happen with softies. I'd want to take your fabulous RBTA's too, and then I'd definitely have to share. Isn't Charles Delbeek at the Waikiki Aquarium? I would be happy to donate to them and deliver on my first visit in a month if he got the permits together. I hope to volunteer there and that way I could still see my work living on and being enjoyed by the world. I am a stickler for legal behavior, it just seems to be the way to go... especially since I might some day get a degree in marine bio or tropical botany and want collections permits. Can't get them with a bad record.

I don't believe anything I have is CITES listed. I have a friend here who is on the WA side of the federal inspections system, maybe I should have him over to peruse the collection. He's the guy who confiscates coral at Seatac. I have been told the palau green nephthya is not actually rare at all, it just doesn't make it to the states much. Japan and Europe are getting the best livestock first. The other stuff is commonly imported so is passing inspections. I will miss my fish though, that is going to bite.

Boy am I going to feel dumb if this falls through!

Thanks,
Kate

 

[northstaraquatics]

Kate,
I have bought mangroves from Hawaii through ebay. Dana Riddle says electric is .35/kwh and inverts are illegal to import(I suppose export or even own too) About a 2 years ago someone stole some clams from Waikiki Aq. They are illegal to keep and turned up a week later in the auditorium in good condition (returned and left). Rules in and out of Hawaii make me glad I live here, but I'ld be diving every chance if I lived there.

I'll let you know if I here more,
Jon

 

[Electrokate]

I read about those clams too, am glad to hear they were returned. That was just so sad.
Things are looking a bit more dodgy now about the whole deal, I am going to visit anyways and check it out but am leery of it being an unstable situation that will just leave us dead broke and isolated... Might be we end up in Portland after all.
I would still have loved to donate an RBTA to the aquarium but if they can't get it then no biggie. Those things are just so great. Mine have gotten huge lately, think they are about to split. Did you take yours to MACNA?
It's probably for the best they make reef tanks illegal given peoples' tendency to do stupid things like let their unwanted pets go. Look at the state of Florida... snakes, parrots, monkeys and who knows what get dumped all over the place. You can't trust people. I might do a FOWLR even if we end up in Portland, think a 180 with a coris wrasse would be pretty darn cool.
Kate

 

[Little Luey]

Congrats!! that is a great oportunity. I undestand about missing your family and friends but it is Hawai!! once you are scuba diving thru the beautifull sandy reefs and just around the cool places in the island you will get over it!!
I will be very happy to have a FOWLR set up out there, if you miss the reef, just go for a dive at the ocean.