RE: NANFA-L-- Photograph and Release

Crail, Todd (tcrail-in-UTNet.UToledo.Edu)
Wed, 29 Mar 2006 22:39:33 -0500

Sorry about that last post to Fritz... I intended that to be off list.

Derek is on the track here... Those rectangles are great for suckers and big
cyprinids like full sized stonerollers and Nocomis chubs. However, I think
they loose a lot of flexibility with smaller fishes, and I figure I might as
well just use a 2.5 gallon, like Dennis and Bill mentioned, and get the depth
with rocks and such, which can make it look like you shot it in the stream.

However... There is another. I call it the "Dave Neely Flying V". It's
basically two panes angled away from each other with supports on both ends.
Probably not hard to build if you're handy with that kind of stuff. Maybe we
can even talk the good Dr. Neely into donating a couple to the auction-in-the
convention this year <wink wink nudge nudge> Anyway.

http://www.nanfa.org/members/crail/neely/ (of course, if you'd like your own
directory Dave, just holler)

I've seen similar things in stores for little planters. Wasn't thinking right
when I just walked past them :)

As for taking stuff home... And then putting it back. I dunno. I'd rather
euthenize a single specimen than potentially compromise a whole wild
population (if I didn't want to keep it, which has yet to occurr ;). The fish
is biologically dead regardless of what you do with it-in-home, so putting it
down isn't any different. And clove oil treatments are so gentle, it doesn't
have to be a horrible experience.

If that still doesn't sit right with you... :)

There's also the option of photographing on the bank, which isn't as
convenient than-in-home, but it works, and may be your only ethical or
semi-lawful option on species in peril. I would caution you to pay strict
attention to contamination issues and bleach out your photo tank if you've had
home fish in it before you put fish to be released into it. I always put my
old substrate somewhere that's "tainted material" and start with fresh sand or
stream substrates when doing wild shots as well, instead of trying to bleach
it.

Todd
The Bleach Madness, Toledo, OH
It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
http://www.farmertodd.com

________________________________

From: owner-nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org on behalf of Derek Parr
Sent: Wed 3/29/2006 10:24 AM
To: nanfa-l-in-nanfa.org
Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- Photograph and Release

Some people will make a small rectangular tank that is skinny enough so
that most fish won't be able to turn around, but wide enough that
anything they'd be interested in putting into it, will fit. Using
either plexiglass or acrylic.

I vaguely plan on making one for myself one of these days, but have yet
to do it. Along with a countless number of other DIY projects. ;]

Does anyone know of anything out there that could be easily converted to
be used as such?

Also, check out the "activity reports" in NANFA's regional outreach
section (http://nanfa.org/regional.shtml)
Some of the photos in those were taken using such a device, and in some
you see pretty well what I'm talking about.

-derek parr
chapel hill, nc

Dennis Burnette wrote:
> NANFA Folks,
>
> I am seeking advice on photographing fish in the field before releasing
> them.
>
> I am a native fish newbie. I have a good bit of experience with other
> wildlife, but have only recently gotten hooked on native fish. What I plan
> to do is collect local fish (and invertebrates), hold them briefly in some
> type of enclosure on site, photograph them, and then release them back into
> the place where I collected them.
>
> The photographic enclosure that I am visualizing is some sort of small
> glass/plastic container or aquarium that will allow me to isolate a fish
and
> keep it relatively still while I photograph it. (I prefer not to shoot
> photos of a fish out of water in a net or someone's hands.) I haven't been
> successful in finding anything about this kind of photography on the
> Internet.
>
> I would be grateful for any advice I can get from you folks who have
> successfully photographed fish in the field.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Dennis
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/ visit http://www.nanfa.org Please make sure all posts to nanfa-l are
/ consistent with the guidelines as per
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