Going to the Keyes for the 3rd time.

55semireef · #1 06/13/2006, 02:24 PM

I really regret having gone to the Keyes twice without knowing anything about saltwater. But after that second time, I get into the hobby. Thats like the worst timing.

But now I am going again this summer.

So is there anyone out there that is really familiar and can tell me what cool things are there. Has anyone ever seen Florida Green Recordia there? I know its illegal but still people do it.

what about shrimp and all that too?

bluerug · #2 06/13/2006, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 55semireef
I really regret having gone to the Keyes twice without knowing anything about saltwater. But after that second time, I get into the hobby. Thats like the worst timing.

But now I am going again this summer.
So is there anyone out there that is really familiar and can tell me what cool things are there. Has anyone ever seen Florida Green Recordia there? I know its illegal but still people do it.

what about shrimp and all that too?

Dude dont even think about taking corals down there, dude call me up i used to live down there and know the ins and outs, but if your going to penny camp cant help you much, go down to marathon and go to looe key reef it is the best reef on the east coast of the united states by far. Just give me a call if you want to talk about it.

Rossini · #3 06/14/2006, 05:58 AM

thats low

asphaltpilot · #4 06/14/2006, 10:32 AM

I always like diving the Islamorada area. If it's not too crowded, Diving Christ of the Abyss is nice too. Marathon is nice.....Sombrero Reef is cool.

www.Aqua-Nuts.com - Kelly's has always been good to us, and has some good dives out of Key Largo.

55semireef · #5 06/14/2006, 07:26 PM

Yeah I can't wait. And by all means I am not taking anything thats going to get me in jail.

But I think taking a pistol shrimp will not hurt anything.

bluerug · #6 06/14/2006, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by asphaltpilot
I always like diving the Islamorada area. If it's not too crowded, Diving Christ of the Abyss is nice too. Marathon is nice.....Sombrero Reef is cool.

www.Aqua-Nuts.com - Kelly's has always been good to us, and has some good dives out of Key Largo.

Looe key is by far the nicest imo, what do you think? Strike zone do some really good dives and snorkeling trips.

55semireef · #7 06/14/2006, 08:16 PM

I htink you mis-spelled it but that is a nice one. IMO, I like reefs that are more shallow. Kind of like lagoons. Those are nice.

bluerug · #8 06/14/2006, 08:25 PM

http://www.diveflakeys.com/
http://www.lowerkeysdivesites.com/z_....cfm?siteID=44
Take a read, i lived down there so i know how to spell it, its kind of like second nature,lol.

55semireef · #9 06/14/2006, 08:34 PM

I have been down there twice before. Looe is a good reef but ther are others. I am going when lobster season is up with another family that I have known for a while. Its going to be pretty cool.

salttess · #10 06/14/2006, 08:37 PM

We are going diving in the lower keys July 15 and 16. Looe key is one of the places I want to go. We are using the charter Wreckreations. They came highly recommended by the dive forum I visit. http://www.wreckreationcharters.com Tina

bluerug · #11 06/14/2006, 08:41 PM

It should be really fun. Have a great trip.

55semireef · #12 06/14/2006, 08:56 PM

It will be fun. But this will happen in August. So I have so more time to wait.

thor32766 · #13 06/15/2006, 11:49 AM

if you are going during lobster season, be careful. It gets crazy down there. People are all over the place. Just be cautious. People get insane and the traffic on the water gets out of control.

asphaltpilot · #14 06/15/2006, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bluecarpet
Looe key is by far the nicest imo, what do you think? Strike zone do some really good dives and snorkeling trips.

yeah, it's so nice in that area. I love it. I can't wait to get my busy butt back down there.

55semireef · #15 06/15/2006, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by thor32766
if you are going during lobster season, be careful. It gets crazy down there. People are all over the place. Just be cautious. People get insane and the traffic on the water gets out of control.

Well I am going with friends that I have known forever and they go to the Keyes twice a year so they know what they are doing. I can't wait.

hockeyjimm · #16 06/17/2006, 04:24 PM

Unfortunately the reef at Looe Key is dying fast. So many bleached out corals over the last 10 years. It's still nice but the cycle is on the quick down side I think. We're renting a house on Islamorada over the July 4th holiday and I am return for the mini season to Big Pine. I have been told there's a young reef just beyond the 7 mile bridge rubble pile that is growing fast and is loaded with fish and coral.

There are several collection houses stationed thru out the "keys". The coral and animals that have been harvested are better suited for you to take home. They've been safely removed and re-aclimated to a smaller enviroiment. If you take something directly from the water to your home be prepaired for battle. Small things that are docile but have had to fight to survive in the wild will naturally become very agressive in a tank and can wipe everything out. I did buy some cleaner shrimp($3) from one of the houses (farms really) in Marathon and they chased my fish around until they submitted to their inspection.

The Marine Patrol has eyes and ears! They can watch you from a very long distance with high powered binocs. We were boarded a fe years ago because they thought we had an undesized fish on the boat. It was just over the min. They were over a mile away and saw us land the fish. Beware! They have no mercy and will take whatever you have.
A couple families were camping on Big Pine a few years back and decided to go out to Looe to do some fishing. When they got back the Monroe Co. Sherriff and Marine Patrol were waiting and took both of the dads away in a cruiser and took possession of their camper, boat and van. They left the two women and their kids standing on the dock.
Ruthless! (I loved it!)

The tallest answer is.... Mauna Kea (33,474 feet)
Been There....Done That

55semireef · #17 06/18/2006, 04:47 PM

Mauna Kea is the correct answer. Yeah I was not planning on taking any corals nor fish. I just like some of the cool critters that are there. Should be pretty exciting.

bluerug · #18 06/18/2006, 09:30 PM

Here is a good guy, a personel friend of mine just let me know when you are going down and i will tell him to look after you, buy the stuff on your last day, i am sure you know that though. He has some really nice angels in year round.
http://members.aol.com/tscaturro/Main.html

55semireef · #19 06/18/2006, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bluecarpet
Here is a good guy, a personel friend of mine just let me know when you are going down and i will tell him to look after you, buy the stuff on your last day, i am sure you know that though. He has some really nice angels in year round.
http://members.aol.com/tscaturro/Main.html

Like I said, I am going with a family that I know really well. I don't need anyone to look after me.

bluerug · #20 06/18/2006, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 55semireef
Like I said, I am going with a family that I know really well. I don't need anyone to look after me.

Wow sorry dude, just trying to help, i am sure that family does not know tom, but just trying to help. And when i mean look after you i mean he can work on you with the prices. Not like take care of you like a baby,lol.

55semireef · #21 06/18/2006, 09:42 PM

I am not looking forward to buy fish nor any livestock there.

bluerug · #22 06/18/2006, 09:46 PM

Oh you just want to take it from the ocean, you do have to have a license for that, if you want to go to the reefs and take livestock, but you could also go to places not near the reef and take some pretty cool stuff but then again you also run the risk of adding parasites into your tank when you do that, but i guess you could start off with a clean slat since you only have the niger and they are pretty hardy of a fish, and he should be ok, so i say go for it.

bluerug · #23 06/18/2006, 09:49 PM

Tom also sells florida ricordia, which his are really nice. And i noticed you stated that in your first post.

55semireef · #24 06/18/2006, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bluecarpet
Dude dont even think about taking corals down there, dude call me up i used to live down there and know the ins and outs, but if your going to penny camp cant help you much, go down to marathon and go to looe key reef it is the best reef on the east coast of the united states by far. Just give me a call if you want to talk about it.

Quote:

Oh you just want to take it from the ocean, you do have to have a license for that, if you want to go to the reefs and take livestock, but you could also go to places not near the reef and take some pretty cool stuff but then again you also run the risk of adding parasites into your tank when you do that, but i guess you could start off with a clean slat since you only have the niger and they are pretty hardy of a fish, and he should be ok, so i say go for it.

hmmm...so have you made up your mind yet? Like I said, i don't plan on taking anything except for like crabs or shrimp which is not that big of a deal but now that I think about it, its not worth it.

bluerug · #25 06/18/2006, 09:56 PM

You can take things that are not on the reef like i said, "not near the reef" but you can go to tom and take stuff that has been used to an aquarium and have a much better chance of survival, but like you said it is not worth taking anything, directly from the ocean. And i was talking about snorkleing looe key not stealing stuff from there.