One of our new authors, Stephen Noble, was telling me about his tiger barb tank at home. Stephen wrote this month’s “Little Tigers for Your Tank," where he talks about putting up a divider in his barbs’ tanks, which separates the male and female fish for a while before spawning. When some people were visiting, the kids looking at his tank felt bad for the divided fish and didn’t like that there was a barrier. Stephen explained that “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” as this division is a part of getting the fish to spawn.
The enthusiasm — and very charming concern — of these children reflects how younger fishkeepers contribute to our hobby. There are a lot of different aspects of the hobby to focus on, such as keeping reef tanks, plants or specializing in a particular group of fish (such as cichlids). And while it’s probable that today’s young fishkeepers will end up being involved in these parts of the hobby (if they’re not already), it’s important to get all newer hobbyists started on the right foot. So, we just wanted to take the time to applaud all those educators, companies, parents and anyone involved with getting kids into the hobby — and keeping them in it as responsible fishkeepers.
Part of being a responsible fishkeeper is considering what is best for the fish. How you decorate a tank is just one example. Of course, you want your tank to look beautiful and you want to see the fish as much as possible — but it’s important to keep the fish’s needs in mind, also. For example, while providing hiding places may mean you won’t see some fish as often, not providing those hideaways may stress some species. See Miller Morgan’s “Aquascaping for the Fish” for more on this topic.
Hobbyists have already done a lot to be more responsible fishkeepers. Captive breeding is just one example. And although not many marine species are being captive-bred just yet, we all know of some. This really does make a difference. See “How Captive Propagation Helps” by John Tullock for more. Enjoy!