Nearly every day, I ponder how to better communicate with you, the reader, about this great hobby. Not just HOW to best communicate but also WHAT to communicate.
This blog is a hobby for me, just like my fish keeping, but it’s also a communication vehicle. I am firm believer in “paying it forward,” meaning, in this case, giving back to the community that helped me. As such, I believe I have an obligation to communicate my fish keeping knowledge to other aspiring aquarists, those less experienced, etc. Many people helped me get started in the hobby. They listened to me. They answered my questions or pointed me to someone who could. They also pointed me to resources that I didn’t know existed. In short, I wouldn’t be where I am in the hobby and this blog wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for others.
I want to be a resource for other hobbyists, just like many were to me when I first started. In fact, I think everyone involved in cichlid keeping – hobbyists, scientists, business owners – should feel an obligation to share information about these wonderful fish and help the hobby continue to thrive and grow. How do you do that? Share your knowledge and wisdom via formal writing (e.g., books, journals, magazines), via less formal writing (e.g., blogs, websites), via presentations, via podcasts/social media (e.g., YouTube), and other methods. All of these are great vehicles for keeping the hobby informed and alive.
If you are contributor to the hobby in any way, please consider sharing your knowledge in some form.