Wednesday, August 13, 2003

The cute and colorful fish portrayed in the wildly popular movie "Finding Nemo" seem to be on the verge of suffering the same fate as the Dalmatians and pugs depicted in other movies viewed by millions of children.

Kids who loved the movie now want to get their very own Nemo, Marlin and Dory. Pet stores and aquatic dealers are being swamped with requests for clown fish and tangs, the fish that star in the Disney/Pixar film.

When the same thing happened after other hit animal movies, less-than-reputable breeders produced droves of Dalmatian and pug puppies. Shelters and rescue organizations are still feeling the fallout, as once-loved puppies grow up and get dumped into the rescue network after parents discover that real live dogs are more work than expected.

Fish won't be dumped at shelters, but many will die due to improper care.

This was brought to my attention by Steven Pro, owner and operator of Pro Aquatic Services in Baldwin. He sets up and maintains aquariums for individuals and businesses.

He sent me a four-page tip sheet on how to care for your very own Nemo. I can't get into all of it here, but the bottom line is, you need to do your homework before buying any animal.

Saltwater tanks are complicated, and Nemo is much harder to care for than the goldfish children win at carnivals.

Pro suggests starting with nothing smaller than a 20-gallon tank.

"If your only goal is to keep two clown fishes, you are in luck, as the initial investment will not be too great," Pro writes. "For this setup you are probably looking at just several hundred dollars."

Pro then lists more than 20 things needed for the start-up tank, including 20 pounds of live sand, 30 pounds of live rock, a 100-watt submersible heater, dechlorinator, gravel siphon and algae pad/scraper.

And here, perhaps, is the most important tip of all: You cannot buy the fish, the tank and the equipment all on the same day. The tank must be set up for one to four weeks before adding fish.

"You have to allow the live rock and sand time to fully cure and the tank time to cycle," Pro said. "This means giving the system time to develop the bacteria that will help to support the tank's inhabitants."

You might want to get a good book. Pro recommends "The New Marine Aquarium: Step-by-Step Setup and Stocking Guide" by Michael S. Paletta et al, published by T. F. H. Publications.

New and used copies are available on Amazon.com, where customers gave it a five-star rating.

Marlin and Nemo are clown fish, which Pro says are "relatively easy" to care for. Dory, however, is a tang, and that's more complicated. For one, tangs grow to be up to a foot long. For another, they have a tendency to contract parasitic infections.

I ran this movie thing by Randy Goodlett, of Upper St. Clair, the northeast director of American Marine Life Dealers Association and operator of Aquatic Systems Consultants.

Goodlett agrees that clown fish are relatively easy keepers and says they are bred in captivity. Tangs are difficult to keep and have to be caught in the wild.

One of the things that bugged Goodlett was the portrayal of the loving fish father in search of his fish son.

"Fish don't do any parenting at all," Goodlett said. "They lay eggs and they leave. They eat their young if they can."

The Marine Life Dealers have a Web site -- www.amdareef.com -- as well as a list of knowledgeable dealers who are members.

The group supports conservation of reefs and other marine habitat and promotes "environmentally responsible marine aquarium keeping."

The president of the group has written a letter to Pixar expressing concerns about the effect the movie has had on the pet fish.

I looked at the Disney/Pixar site, and saw no information about the proper care of pet fish. I did see plush Nemo toys and other movie-related clothes, games and toys. For most people, those items would be a better buy than the live fish.

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