Back in 2017, I posted about the personal reservations I have with keeping fish. With respect to my feelings about being an aquarist, little has changed.
I still sometimes get sad when I see a fish swim endlessly against the glass knowing that it’s probably looking for a way out. I am thus acutely aware of my own sadness that creeps in when watching my fish as well as the responsibility I have.
How do I reconcile those feelings against the joy of watching a fish prepare a spawning site, defend a territory, or simply rear fry? Not easily. Does it stop me from enjoying the hobby? No.
As I prepared for this post, I began looking for a piece on ethics in fish keeping. There is a lot to be said for ethics in the hobby, or lack thereof. Rather than get on a soapbox, however, I thought it might be beneficial to share a nice article about responsible fish keeping from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences extension.
Published July 2023, The Ornamental Fish Trade: An Introduction with Perspectives for Responsible Aquarium Fish Ownership is a nice educational piece about the hobby. I would encourage you to read it, especially to understand how fish get from their place of origin to you.