Being an aquarium enthusiast is also about being a proponent and defender of aquatic life. We’re really happy to see that over the past few years, people have began to care more about where the inhabitants of their aquariums come from, and whether they were harvested responsibly. Here are four things to watch out for to make sure you’re doing your part for aquatic life sustainability:
1. Know your supplier
The first step toward knowing the provenance of your aquarium’s inhabitants is to know who is procuring them and how trustworthy they are. As a client, you may not have the necessary connections for knowing who to trust, but ask your aquarium installer and we will provide you with reliable options.
2. Choose captive-bred sources
Aquarium fish come in two varieties — wild caught and captive-bred. With captive-bred fish, you can be sure that the environment was not destroyed in the process of their harvesting. The problem? Only 10% of aquarium fish currently come from captive-bred programs. If you’re going for wild-caught species, find a supplier that can talk about their techniques and how they take care of the environment.
3. Check how fish are treated
If visiting a supplier, a lot can be learned from how they treat the fish. Do the fish appear well taken care of, or are they clearly just in an in-between place before they get sent off to buyers?
4. Avoid certain high risk species
We get it, everyone wants the coolest fish for their tank. But certain species are just too controversial, and you’re better off avoiding them. We all want a red line torpedo barb, but they’re critically endangered. If you care about sourcing fish responsibly, you’ll just have to avoid certain species.
Have a question about responsibly-sourced aquarium fish? We’re experts on the subject. Get in touch with us today!
