I'm flattered to say the least that folks consider me a "resident expert" on the topic of marine fish breeding, and humbly have accepted Steve Allen's invitation to volunteer to head up my own "expert" forum.

I'd argue that I'm probably no more an expert than anyone else, as this is truly one of the final frontiers of the marine aquarium hobby.  Yes, I have been an aquarist for 27+ years, marine for 22+, and have spawned 17 species of marine fish, reared 5, including one worldwide first, all with less than 100 gallons to work with.  That may be more than your average Joe, but  my own personal experience is a mear drop in the bucket of potential knowledge - collectively we may only know 10% of all the information we'd need to cultivate all marine ornamental fish in captivity .  Thus, ANYONE can make the next big discovery that changes and reshapes our hobby.  And perhaps more importantly, given the dire long term outlook for wild reefs, our hobby may someday soon only exist due to captive breeding.  We have a lot of innovation that needs to happen in precious little time.  As the resident expert heading up this forum, I'd like to think of my role as one of fostering and supporting such growth through collaboration.

As the 'expert', I'd suggest it's always wise to do your homework and research.  15 posted questions in this forum about the fundamentals of clownfish breeding might be irrelevant if the answers can be found simply by reading Joyce Wilkerson's book "Clownfishes" or Matt Wittenrich's "Complete Illustrated Breeders Guide to Marine Aquairum Fishes".  Authors such as these have spent months or years putting pen to paper to divulge their knowledge to you - they deserve your support and readership!  Google can be an excellent tool in your research as well - there are multiple good resources online for marine breeders (and as you may notice, MASNA is trying to cultivate such a resource and community here).

Beyond that, I'd say that marine fish breeding at this point in time is all about tinkering and experimentation.  I'm not saying that the rules no longer apply, but that sometimes we may have to disregard convential wisdom and attack problems from a new perspective.   This doesn't mean haphazard or chaotic concontions with no basis in reality though - careful planning, critical thinking, thorough research, meticulous record keeping and an ability identify mistakes and learn from failures are what sets the marine fish breeder apart from the casual hobbyist.  Sharing your findings in whatever format you chose, is a necessity, as other people will build on your successes just as you built on those before you.

I'd argue that being a marine fish breeder also brings a certain ethical requirement to the table.  Nothing can destroy the tenuous reputation of captive bred marine fish faster than poor quality fish, hybrids, or mislabeled specimens being fed into the industry simply in the name of making a buck.  Lying to fellow breeders in an attempt to purposely mislead them (soas to create a competive advantage) is short-sighted and selfish.  As a marine fish breeder, you need to hold yourself to the highest possible standards.  If you can't be helpful, better to say nothing at all.

One other consideration - unlike the casual hobbyist fragger, a successful marine fish breeder may find himself with dozens or even hundreds of fish to find new homes for.  Thus, like it or not, every fish breeder may find himself dealing with business-related issues.  Here too, planning ahead and holding yourself to a high standard will serve you well.  Do not be afraid to ask the business-related questions, and again, if you cannot provide a truthful answer, it is best to simply sit silently.

And finally, I welcome any and all questions on the topic of marine fish breeding (compared to fish, I know relatively little about invertebrate breeding, maybe we can get a resident expert on that too?).

FWIW,

Matt (aka. mpedersen / mwp / mp / mwpmpw etc...)