Lobsters

Hi All,

Quick question. I've been arround to quite a few local pet stores already now. No one seems to be carrying any Shrimps, or Lobsters (fresh water). Are they permitted in the country, and if so, where can one possibly look? Lobsters specifically, would be a very nice addon to my community if I can find them

Arround here by me, I am actually a bit dissapointed. It seems pretty much everyone is always carrying the same fish. Perhaps I'm just going at bad times when the stock levels are low.

 

All freshwater crustaceans are on the black list. Not allowed to sell or keep

 

I think Amano shrimp might be legal after the new blacklist has been approved

 

Lobsters will eat all your fish

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Not sure what status is on new blacklist / whitelist, etc. Have been talk about a "new" one since I started fishkeeping and I am not aware of anything new yet.

Lobsters may sound cool - but they really do belong on the blacklist. I've seen how a marble cray can clone and become an army of over 200 cray in a couple of moths. (You only need 1 to breed since they clone themselves).
Imagine the devastation this could cause in an eco system.

The lobsters hunt at night and you will lose fish. They also don't only go after fish, but also shred your plants.

If they become legal ever (doubtful) the only place I would consider keeping them is in a sump where they can clean what comes through there and not mess with your fish and plants in the display tank.

Shrimps also sound cool - but unless you keep them with really small fish they mainly become a tasty snack for the fish in your tank.
In theory they clean algae - in practice they get snacked on unless you give them such good hiding spots that you will never see them in any case.

 

Shrimp will also eat fish if they're too small/sleeping/injured.

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New NEMBA regulations published

 

@DewaldC

I cannot find RCS or Amano on the list - does that now mean that it's legal to have?

 

The short answer to that is 'no'.

 

The way it has been explained to me.
All the shrimp currently in the country were illegally imported.

 

but once it becomes legal to import there will be no way of determining which were legally imported and which were illegally imported thus making all legal.

 

The easiest way to legally keep shrimp,would be to apply for a permit to keep one of the indigenous shrimp species.:idea:

 

I have spoken to someone just now, and apparently they can now legally import shrimps?

Do we have indigenous freshwater shrimp and lobster?

 

Well maybe then it's just a matter of some time and a bit of demand untill we will start seeing imports hitting the local shops? I presume the same can be said about lobster as well?

I don't think marine shrimp or lobster is a problem - I see lots of those...

 

Who did you speak to ?.:suspicious:

 

Jip we do have shrimps. Caridina nilotica is one of them.

Don't think we have crayfish or lobster that is native

 

Yes.

 

everytime a thread about freshwater inverts comes up...someone posts that they "spoke to someone and its now ok"

if you do a search on the forums.... its been "now ok to import" because someone said so many times over .... each time its "now ok"

who did you talk to? and if its legal, surely they would be doing it already?


"great, please import me x20 Black King Kong Shrimp and 20x Golden Bee Shrimp...oh you cant get them through customs? funny that seeing as ive been told its now ok"




yes there are local freshwater inverts...but no one can tell you with 100% accuracy whether its legal or not to keep in an aquarium environment. Likewise no one can tell you with 100% accuracy if its legal or not to import....fact is...if its legal. why are there not exotic breeds of shrimp already in the shops?

Because its a frikkin money making machine if you can import legally and are able to sell so something must be slightly off here...

if you own shrimp, you own shrimp...if you dont, you dont - legal or illegal is open to dispute from both parties

 

When I started with tanks I was looking around for everything cool and weird - lobster, frogs, shrimp, freshwater stingrays, etc. Guess its natural.
I have had some experience with freshwater crays and honestly I would be worried if e.g. marble crays are legally allowed.

It takes one person to decide to put them in his pond from where they travel on a rainy day and end up in a stream or nearby dam and take over and destroy the local ecosystem.

The reasons why I would advise against lobsters (even though they sound terribly cool):
- they hide - totally out of sight if they can and only come out at night.
- the devastate your plants - they walk around and cut of every stem they get their claws on.
- they will catch and kill your fish

 

totally agree with you there - its an educated understanding of the hobby - what im finding is the key issue is the lack of real information and guidance for someone who may not have experience like you to understand what is going on.

Ive seen with my own eyes in cape town one specific LPS that have Mexican Dwarf Crayfish, Cambarellus patzcuarensis for sale R100 a go - peaceful dwarf breed that i would love to keep again (had some in the UK) - Totally on the blacklist but deemed non-invasive in many countries similar ecosystems to SA.

if i was a normal average aquarium hobbiest who didnt interact with people on the forums or had limited exposure to blacklists/whitelists etc, i would have brought them because they are darn cute.... and whilst ignorance is no excuse...with something in such dispute as freshwater inverts with many people wanting them as who are opposed to them...its easy to see why a lot of people dont know as there is no 100% fact or guidance.

the more the authorities stay silent, the more the hobbiest will either through ignorance or through sheer desire to keep these interesting creatures; bend the lack of information to suit what they want.

surely making a statement and just confirming Yay or Nay will stop the interpretation. everything is currently opinion...regardless of if someone states it as fact.

Education is necessary - people need to know whats going on and why something is the way it is.