Responsible Aquarium Ownership

Creating and owning an aquarium is a huge responsibility. First of all, in taking on the hobby of creating an aquarium, you are taking on the responsibility of recreating an environment and ecosystem that is needed for your aquatic pets to thrive and survive. Beyond that, you will need to ensure that only the proper methods of creating and acquiring elements for your aquarium is followed so that you can guarantee the integrity of the environment you take from.

This means that although exotic fish and other aquatic life is wonderful to look at and would make a wonderful addition to your aquarium, it would be best to procure aquatic life that has been bred in captivity for the sole purpose of trade. Ensuring that you don't procure from the wild means that you will not be supporting a system of unsustainable means.

The hobby of aquarium creation and ownership has captivated quite a large amount of the world's population. If all the aquarium owners procured additions for their aquarium from the wild then the whole practice can become unsustainable because it puts even more strain on an already weakened natural aquatic environment. Illegal and unsustainable practices of fishing have already immensely depleted the world's fish stock placing the future generation's dependence of seafood in peril. Don't add to the problem by collecting fish from the wild for recreation.

Also, while having live corals in your aquarium can be very beautiful and exotic, remember that this practice is a fancy that endangers the lives of aquatic life forms in their natural habitat. Corals take many years to grow back and regenerate if at all. You can choose to use artificial coral or other materials for your aquarium. Don't take live coral and place it in your aquarium.

One more thing to remember is that if for some reason you decide to dismantle your aquarium, remember to discard the contents of your aquarium properly. If the fish are still alive don't just dump them down a creak or introduce them to a live body of water. While you may think you're doing the fish a favor by setting them free, it is important to preserve the existing bio diversity of an area so don't introduce species that are not local to the region. Doing so will upset the balance of species and threaten the fragile ecosystem. Instead of throwing them out, donate them to other aquarium hobbyists.