Where Do Your Aquarium Fish Come From?

Learn about where Aquarium Fish come from, and if it's sustainable.
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alexwenchel
Visit my website:
LEARN MORE ABOUT MY FISHING FOR CARDINALS FILM:
www.fishingforcardinals.com
Learn more about Project Piaba:
projectpiaba.org/
Follow my friend Chelsea Greene's incredible film, One Forest:
/ oneforest.world
The Rio Negro in Brazil, one of largest tributaries in the world.
It pumps a million cubic feet of water into the Amazon River every second. During each wet season, the water rise, flooding the forest floor. In these flooded forests, live million upon millions of tiny tropical fish. Many of which are common in home aquariums around the world. Chief amongst them is the Cardinal Tetra, a tiny iridescent fish whose population explodes during the wet season.
Today, we’re following Maracéli and her daughter Josellem, a pair of piabaros, or local fishers, as they collect Cardinal Tetras for the aquarium trade. In this flooded forest, there are likely millions of Cardinals-but that doesn’t mean catching them is easy.
These waterways may look inviting, but the river is filled with branches, roots and stumps that would snag a large cast or seine net. Here, the only way to catch small fish is by hand.
That’s where Maracéli’s hapishay comes into play. This long net can be operated with just one hand, leaving her second hand free so she can use a paddle to herd the fish.
With each dip, Maracéli captures a few dozen fish which she collects with a bowl.
Tossing the fish in a waiting basket may seem unsympathetic. But this technique minimizes the average time fish are exposed to air, dramatically increasing their long-term survival.
These fish will end up in home aquariums.
But many more fish will continue their lives in the waters below. Years of studying these collection sites haven’t shown a measurable impact on the ecosystem-so it appears that hand-catching fish is sustainable in these waterways.
This is Darequah, a small fishing village on the rio negro. They don’t depend on logging, mining or farming, all of which can threaten the rainforest. They rely on fishing. The cardinals that piaberos like Maracéli catch are stored here, in holding pens. These fish will be sold for a few pennies a piece, so Darequah tries to collect as many as they can before they are transferred to a motorboat and sold to exporters in the capital city of Manaus.
This is the story of the people who live and work on the rio negro. It’s the story of a vast and beautiful rainforest under threat from the outside world. And it’s the story of a tiny fish that’s surprisingly important.

[@TankTested]

If you speak Portuguese and would like to help me translate interviews, message me here: www.fishingforcardinals.com/contact

[@Flyingdutchy33]

Forgive me for asking, but did you go over there, ask them some things and are just now translating it?

[@TankTested]

No need for forgiveness for asking. It's a valid question! I spoke with people through folks who are bilingual. I'd love to speak with them directly, but I cannot speak Portuguese. Now I need to have the interviews we did translated so I can edit. It's never ideal to tell a story across languages, but it's common to rely on translations in international films. I would normally have gotten these translated right away, but COVID hit weeks after I returned home and it put some major delays on the film production.

[@lucasmelo9545]

I'll be more than happy to help. This project is extremely important for our community and especially important for the preservation of the environment in which these fish live.

[@1Venger]

I live in Brazil now in Minas Gerais around 700 km north west of São Paulo...I'd love to help but as a "Gringo" living here I'm still getting to grasp with the Portuguese language, not easy to learn at all. As a second note I've been to the Rio Negro and spent a few days visting a Famous "now derelict" eco hotel called Ariau Amazon Towers in 2008 and before it closed down. Amazing place, I have fond memories of catching piranhas there and in 2015 I created a massive fully planted mega 600L aquarium full of 14 red and yellow piranhas and other fish here in Brazil. Cheers, great short film, well done...Alex.

[@chang_md]

Let me help, just sent you an email

[@TheTravellingDuck]

How are you not a full time nature documentary narrator? Your voice is so soothing and mesmerising.

[@reichertwoodworks9095]

Agree

[@zatlan5445]

Sammee

[@mukeshdewangan6630]

Yes

[@RoberttSmithh]

Exactly!

[@abishektamang2777]

Agreeed

[@DylanRenke]

It's also worth mentioning that after the wet season, many fish would die if they weren't collected. It's a wonderfully sustainable system.

[@pinheadlarry2506]

He’ll probably mention it in the full documentary. Looking forward to all this information.

[@audigex]

It’s sustainable for some species - for others not so much. Eg Zebra Plecos have become very rare in the wild

[@Acemoddz]

So the alternative is to transport them around the world, causing stress, and then putting them in 5 gallon bowls, there are worse things than death, its a wonderfully unethical system

[@mikefarina9743]

This should be an entire series. The idea is amazing, and could help everyone understand their aquariums better

[@alexp7016]

This video is proof that there’s no such thing as unskilled labor

[@waterboi4846]

There are many unskilled labor jobs

[@Maozeydong]

@@waterboi4846 yes

[@manjovlog]

I am from Indonesia, I have been from this place, MANAUS is beautiful place and beautiful pink dolphins.

[@chrisb.4114]

I'm glad you mentioned the pink dolphins. Lots of people never heard about them, I'm Brazilian, very aware of their existence.

[@averyvanderlouw1193]

There’s so many places on earth that just seem so alien

[@volvos70t51]

I disagree, it's Cities that are alien, we're just used to them so they seem normal, maybe we've lost our way?

[@NRooster]

There is only one thing alien to this planet. And that is us, homo-sapiens is the only animal specie that made itself completely alien to the rest of the planet..

[@hormborey8233]

Uh we talking about fish not alien

[@L0_V]

That’s why I think the city is a slow me down...

[@lukasseoane-scheitermaier7456]

Did a large part of my senior thesis on Project Piaba and talked about the industry around the harvesting in this region wish this was done when I did the project, keep up the good work!

[@frankvee]

I've been watching your channel for a while now, and love what you're doing with it, diving into the background of the fishkeeping hobby is an interesting topic. I really like the topic and thoroughly enjoy the production value you put into your videos. Thank you for all you do.

[@forgetmilk2818]

This was beautiful. I hope you never stop making videos, I enjoy them so much!

[@FOIL011]

this is really helpful for people like me who's planning to build an Amazon Rainforest tank that would closely resemble the natural habitat of the fish. thanks Alex! :)

[@ritamghosh5118]

Now,after watching this video I think that the neon tetras look better in their natural habitat than in my tank.

[@fritzsalhay7657]

Just do your best in keeping them alive and healthy they'll appreciate you for that. 👍

[@condorX2]

It is. I learnt that our live plants obstruct and take up their swimming space.

[@westernevils]

Just means that you need to make them a better tank

[@ritamghosh5118]

@@westernevils this is a mith you can never copy the exact habitat. They are always better in their natural habitat.

[@westernevils]

@@ritamghosh5118 you cannot copy it entirely, i only said they can look better in your tank. besides, they will survive much longer in a well made setup getting guaranteed food, shelter, and protection compared to in the wild.

[@thefishylife6823]

Yes Finally film making about our wonderful aquarium fish;!!! I've been waiting for this all my life Alex .lol seriously though this is going to be a hit!!!!! Great job as always

[@hansmueller1831]

Such a cool video! I think there should be much more videos about the places where our beloved plants and animals come from, for us to be better able in replicating their habitats as well as making better decisions as consumers. Very much looking forward to the full video / movie!

[@AquariumShed]

AMAZING!! Can't wait for this to be released, good luck getting back there to do more filming. Such a great project!

[@jamiebaker6516]

Dude. That's so cool. I can't wait to see this. Project Piaba does such great work. Thanks for doing this

[@victorelderton3158]

Can’t wait Alex for the full film ... great to see you bringing attention to PIABA and the lives of these fishers in it’s full context.

[@wjhdrew]

Amazing work Alex. Probably one of your best if not the best I've seen yet. Keep on that grind!

[@BentleyPascoe]

This is one of your best videos to date Alex! Excellent work and looking forward to seeing the rest.

[@alasdairaquatics]

Wonderful video! I'm looking forward to the full video! Such an amazing topic, something that I'm sure a lot of hobbyists have questioned. I'm excited to see more 👍🐟. Keep up the great work! 👏

[@clementchim4672]

I absolutely love this. Will definitely support this project whatever way I can

[@davidallen8862]

I really enjoy your material. Thank you for developing it. Its beautifully produced and informative.

[@aquariumplantman]

Hey Alex, this sounds like a wonderful project. Looking forward on all the footage. 🌱

[@tomahawk1556]

Love & Thank You for many Tank Raised Endangered Fish Species are thriving in many Aquarists' Home Sweet Home! Thank You So Much too for Preserving the many Beautiful & Delicate Freshwater Flora & Fauna through the Aquarium Trades! Stay Safe & Stay Humble! 🕯🌷🌿🌏

[@dmdaquascapes]

Yes please sir. Thanks so much for putting this content out and showing the good the hobby is doing. Can’t wait to show this to my family.

[@MacPNW]

Amazing to see the places these fish come from and the stories of the people who make it possible for us to keep them. Looking forward to this.

[@L0_V]

This type of video makes my life better....gotta donate.... wait I got Brazilian friends....

[@toddratson7526]

I am REALLY looking forward to this project Alex. I don't speak Portuguese but I will be following along!

[@soumodipgupta3071]

Your presentation is so professional, your voice, the photography, everything is soo perfect !

[@carlapappalardo1901]

Wow, I really enjoyed that segment from your new film or based on it. I will have to check it out as it progresses, it sounds like a really fabulous project. The best of luck with it!

[@joshszooofanimals5416]

Great video like always 😊 it’s incredible where different fish come from 😃

[@colmkirk8657]

Awesome job! Can't wait to see the finished project.

[@zafishguy5166]

Honestly either someone collects them or someone farms them. Then we don't pay the collectors what they deserve in most cases but this is changing so fingers crossed things are improving.

[@zafishguy5166]

The amazon is in a better situation than most indonesian fish collectors.

[@DanTheFireman]

Speaking to a guide down there this year they get $8.00 US/1000 for Cardinals.

[@NinaKlos]

Amazing story! Cardinals are so amazing. Looking forward to the full thing

[@IMaqua]

It shows people with barf gravel and artificial plants what the nature really looks like. If we keep fish as prisoners we need to do whatever is possible to imitate natural habitat. Edit: My betta fish is thankful for top comment and all the likes.

[@annalee7403]

Those flooded forests are not planted with plants sold for the aquarium trade. So you are not imitating a natural habitat with a planted aquarium. But you are providing a good alternative.

[@IMaqua]

@@annalee7403 fully agree, good alternative is all we can provide for whoever decides to keep fish.

[@kasperkjrsgaard1447]

As long as the water is according to the needs of the fish i’m sure that they don’t care the least whether the aquarium-plants are Asian or Southamerican. Or if the scape is closer to an English garden than the big wild.

[@chrisjones6165]

My haitienses will eat plants.

[@condorX2]

Prisoners for life with no fault of their own lol.

[@Sigurjon543]

Incredible work. Cannot wait for the film.

[@zeezee9653]

Thanks for sharing this. Great project!

[@app5099]

Thank you for helping the people of Brasil and south america , and also for talking about conservation, there is a lot of videos of fishkeeping and no one seems to care about draining these resourses

[@kylereynhart]

This production quality is Cinematic! Such an amazing video, you're such an underrated channel!

[@Talis1717]

Before we even got into the video I was already like “This planet is too beautiful for us to be worthy here”, knowing that the amazon and Brazilian jungles may become extinct because of humans.

[@sheilabilyeu5689]

That is why we NEED TO LEARN TO KEEP THEM in captivity, because the day WILL come, WHEN THE LAST TREE FALLS, AND THE ONLY PLACE FOR THE ANIMALS, INSECTS, AND PLANTS WILL BE IN ZOOS OR PRIVATE OWNERS. WE NEED TO KEEP LEARNING HOW TO CARE AND BREED ALL THE CREATURES THAT ARE NOT PETS.

[@NiX_aKi]

Mesmerizing.. Just beautiful!

[@AquaSplendor]

I was surprised with the footage you showed, now I understand, awesome stuff :)

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

I have missed you! And WOW this was simply lovely and beautifully done!! Such an important story and I'm excited to hear you tell it! I will check out the links!! And I know in my heart you will find the help you need translating! I'm also excited to see what you've done with your aquariums! Stay well my friend until next time...🤗🌱🐟🌿🙏

[@BahamaLlamaCoral]

Fascinating!! Can't wait to see the whole thing!

[@KGcichlids]

Great video and well put together!

[@irenicrose]

this is gonna be so cool, I've always been interested in knowing where aquarium trade fish come from and I'm glad to see that these people are being sustainable about their fish collecting

[@jeffriddell9836]

Thanks for the info.very educational.great job.

[@micheshawn]

Your voice is amazing ! Can’t wait for the documentary to come out !

[@loganbohanan1948]

You are a great KZbinr and I love all your videos!

[@ralphnino1193]

This is a great project. Thank you for sharing where my fish come from. Totally interesting.

[@unso.fish.ticated1490]

Fantastic! I look forward to seeing more!

[@damionmarkham9835]

Thank you Alex, this is wonderful

[@andysusanto7468]

Love your video and good luck for your project

[@synchrochick95]

YESS Project Piaba! I was just apart of an aquarium e-conference hosted by the founder of Project Piaba and it was an amazing presentation. I work for a wholesaler where these fish come in from the exporters and my company only gets their cardinals through the communities and people that are managed by project piaba. I hope to see more programs like this for saltwater fish (as that is the area in which I work).

[@samharlen8912]

Can’t wait for the full documentary 😊

[@e.g.no25andrew62]

this was dope. cant wait. big ups.

[@dayatmrc9623]

I really support youtube channels like this. I am an Indonesian 🇮🇩 who really likes the world of water, especially the freshwater biotope. It's very easy for me when I want to make a cardinal tetra biotope.

[@jayedahamedjayed6355]

Thank you very much. I really love this video. This made my day. Keep it on

[@miltonwalters4617]

I came across your video and watched it I found it very interesting someone finally had the idea to research and show actually how aquarium fish come from and where they end up seems like a very interesting documentary not to mention good information I hope you show more would love to watch it

[@jappecoco]

Great info, thx for sharing

[@jericholagrana7011]

i thought i was watching a national geographic docu. your voice is so clean like sa crystal clear lake in the philippines

[@cwright1971]

Great stuff - look forward to the film

[@HeRo-qd6tk]

Very interesting. Shared it with my local fish club.

[@kinglyzard]

Depleting the Amazon is no longer necessary. Most Tetras are farm raised today.

[@TitoTitoTitoTito]

Not cardinals Theycare healthier WC

[@kioy102]

I see your point. But have you even watched the full video? Also you'd rather have these locals turn to logging and clearing trees for farm land than do this job? Cardinal tetras is probably one of the least harm done to them as once the wet season dries up majority of cardinal tetras will end up dying anyway. So what harm can be done if the fishers harvest fish that are essentialy fated to die?

[@kinglyzard]

@@kioy102 I think they can find a way to farm them. I'm glad they are watching what they take so they don't take too many in the mean time. It should be illegal to farm them in the US. for a number of reasons. As for logging and clear cutting, there needs to be an effort to replant what is taken. The Amazon is one big renewable resource, if people do it correctly and don't pollute in the process.

[@tristan6509]

farm raising fish requires food, filtration, and aeration while these fish costs pennies so it doesn't make sense unless you live far away and the shipping is expensive, even if you try to culture these fish in nets on the river, you would still need food which again is expensive for such a cheap fish.

[@DLC-music]

Great job man!❤️🙌

[@axemamusa9744]

This is amazing! Can’t wait

[@mitemluh]

Wow cool, im all in on this! Ive got a huge school of Cardinals, always thought they were captive bred, glad to see that the fishing is sustainable!

[@dyland5847]

Many are indeed captive bred. Yours might be.

[@blackmamba3427]

Awesome video and commentary 👌

[@johnlumb1078]

Looks a beautiful place esp. From a cold grey London ravaged with COVID-19 I will always look of the wild caught Cardinal in a different light and remember them all

[@ZokomoTV]

Great video Alex!

[@gbj6581]

Will be awsome to watch the full film.

[@swedishrainbow_garden7672]

Looking forward to this film of yours. I just found your channel and subscribed.

[@EdgarHernandez-xz6eq]

just subscribed to your show cant wait for your finish project

[@robertforrest7956]

Really enjoy vids on home areas of tropical fish we keep in our tanks, history and collecting styles safe for environment... The big tank looks good even blurred out, hope update on it is coming soon...👍😂

[@AquascapingAndStuff]

So happy you managed to take these amazing videos before to covid 😮 would love to see how otos are catched

[@izhur81]

Here in my village in Indonesia we have so many kind of beautiful tropical fish to,lets we are support each other to conservate them in wild 🙏

[@nurazisofficial6918]

hello I'm from Indonesia🇮🇩, very lucky to meet you, even though we are from different countries🌏. your video work is very beautiful, I always see it from every message that comes in, I really appreciate your work, hopefully we can meet again in the latest video,❤😍👍

[@alexandreeciabrasil]

We captured ornamental fish in Brazil, congratulations on the video

[@ichristosable]

Amazing and also amazing. Thank you!

[@i77top]

Beautiful wish rhis was longer

[@kmaguire7161]

Nice! One of my favorite fish. I always get wild collected ones to support the folks collecting them. I'm actually wondering with everything going on in the world now if there has been a problem lately though because in the past few months prices of cardinals (which were already sort of expensive) have almost doubled.

[@cyberdyn1]

Nice and lovely presentation

[@MonMon-sv2tm]

Great video I can't wait to see the movie documentary

[@persian9259]

Lovely voice, good luck with your channel. Subscribed! 👍🏻

[@debrishiroy5939]

Hats off to them, that is why we get these for our hobby👍

[@faiq_000]

I would love to see more of this type of videos

[@Richardrald]

This is soooo cool! Never look at tetra the same ever again

[@latostime9849]

Damnn, if only i can teleport there and here at my home.

[@barbarawalker8957]

Thanks for the video, I love you're fish shirt.

[@DanielSjohn-xt7mp]

Sir i love to hear your voice. So nice to listen..

[@MajesticAquariumsTV]

Great work!

[@Tayturs]

This seems sooooo cool Im very excited

[@drinkingwater4039]

nice video !!! i enjoy it

[@giobelkoicenter]

awesome! I love cardinal tetra since I was in gradeschool

[@blentvideo2009]

Your presentation & content level goes head to head with NatGeo, Discovery & Animal Planet's show...I am totally amazed!!!👍🙏👌

[@reisklaus]

Aquário com Biotopo Amazônico é lindo!!!! 🐠

[@egoranonymous3223]

This is frickin' awesome!!!! it would be amazing for everyone if the people who collected the fish for our hobby became a known part of the hobby. I think that most of us would pay a little more for our fish if the money went to the people who collected them. Also, you make the best content. So thank you.

[@dervindoronila6733]

nice one....informative...

[@Follyful]

Wow this channel is underrated

[@ThePeacePlant]

Looking forward to the film.