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.
Ethics and fish keeping, revisited
fish keeping
Another argument for dwarf cichlids
If you’ve viewed the FAQ page on the blog, you know why I choose to keep dwarf cichlids, specifically Africans. One reason that I haven’t listed has to do with ethics. Yes, there is a fair argument that keeping any animal, domesticated or undomesticated, is unethical.
You are not a scientist!
I’m going to guess if you are reading this, it’s because you either keep cichlids or you want to for the enjoyment. Neither of those makes you a hobbyist, necessarily. For a lot of us, however, cichlid keeping is a hobby. If your collection of tanks and cichlid species seems to grow, your thoughts are often consumed with cichlids and aquariums, and you spend a lot of your free time maintaining or watching your fish, you can consider yourself a hobbyist. As such, your fish keeping journey should be something to be enjoyed. But it is also a responsibility.