If you’re not a member of the American Cichlid Association (ACA), you should consider joining. Among the many benefits is a subscription to the Buntbarsche Bulletin, the official journal of the organization. If you’re a true cichlid lover, the journal is a must. In my opinion, it is worth the $35 annual ACA membership all by itself. What does the journal have to do with this post? Read on.
In the latest edition of the Bulletin, Klaus Steinhaus penned an interesting article. Titled “Some thoughts, opinions and rants about our hobby,” Klaus shares his disdain for hobbyists keeping bare tanks, i.e., tanks containing few components much less anything original to the fish’s biotope. Though Klaus doesn’t explicitly state what he means by “bare,” I think you could assume that he means no substrate and few if any decorations or flora. He expresses his disappointment that more hobbyists don’t try to emulate the natural environment of their fish, something he takes great pride in. He also states that he sees a difference between fish rooms in his native Germany and here in North America. He says
To me a fish room is a place to enjoy your fish, watch their behavior and relax. You take one day a week and do the work that needs to be done, keep it clean and that’s it. I have seen many fish rooms here so dirty and cluttered that you had trouble to go through them. Most tanks were bare and the aisles between the tanks so small that I had trouble to walk through them. Glass not cleaned for a long time.
I have mixed feelings about this. While none of my tanks even remotely mirror my cichlids’ natural habitat, they certainly aren’t bare (FYI, the photo at the top is for illustration purposes only. I’m not critical of it in anyway. It’s a fry tank.) I believe Klaus over generalizes here. There are many fish keepers who take pride in their tanks being clean and healthy, regardless of the substrate, decorations, etc. I can enjoy my fish and witness their unique behaviors even when the tanks contain travertine tile, custom ceramic caves, and even PVC. None of those components would appear in any fish’s natural environment, nor do I believe such unnatural components inhibit my fish’s natural behavior.
Furthermore, I know plenty of hobbyists who don’t keep bare tanks but do keep them neat and clean. I also don’t believe a pristinely kept tank prevents fish from doing what they would normally do. I have plenty of tanks with brown algae, hair algae, etc. In fact, these are some of my most successful tanks when it comes to breeding. Yes, having dirty glass makes it difficult to watch your fish, but I don’t believe it’s quite as doom and gloom as Klaus makes it seem.
On the other hand, I understand Klaus’ perspective. He is what I call a “purist” in the hobby, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Klaus’ goal of providing an environment for his fish that most closely resembles their natural habitat is admirable. I would love to do that myself. However, it can take a lot of work depending on your source water and the availability of the flora and fauna endemic to the body of water from which your fish originate. Sometimes that effort can take away the joy of keeping fish in the first place.
What are your thoughts about this? Drop me a line.