[Michael Hoaster]

I knooooow, JZinCO.

I think biotopes are awesome and kind of a higher calling, and a great way to really learn about the species of a region. So, it is kind of a bummer to break biotope rules, but in hindsight, I never was super serious about following them. I made numerous infractions, starting with the mini strombus snails, which I still don't know their origin. I just assumed that if they weren't Caribbean, that there was probably a Caribbean equivalent. So I let it slide. I had the barnacle blennies for years before I realized they came from the Pacific side of Panama. D'oh! I brought the aiptasia-eating file fish in as a temp. I'd love to get a small school of those! And I would, but they go after worms, which is a big no-no.

I guess at this point in the project (three years!), my priorities are on the success of the ecosystem, and what characters are available to me to fill all the roles in the show. It's very important to me to 'prove the concept' of my low-tech, Mother Nature methods, I yammer on and on about. I'm still looking for some performers at the bottom of the trophic pyramid. For instance, I'd like to get some mini brittle stars, and I'd take some from any ocean, as long as they're reasonably priced. Indo-Pacific Sea Farms has them, but the price is too steep! I may have a Florida source for them soon.

Buying fish outside of the biotope is the most flagrant foul, I guess because it's more obvious. "I noticed your pods are not biotope-specific", said nobody ever. The Vanderbilt Chromis are just my non-caribbean equivalent of Blue Chromis, which may need to be moved to the no-buy zone, or expert only. I wanted a sturdy, pretty, chromis to fill that upper water column niche. The Vanderbilts should do nicely.