To me, that's the big failing in captive maintenance. I work my brain
around it two ways - I'm not sure how quickly this selection of
different criteria occurs, and I have no plans to put my fish back into
the wild anyway. I think they're interesting creatures who were predated
by being collected, and as aquarium fish, are part of the 'living dead'.
In a sense, all animals out of their habitat are the living dead, which
is a big part of my reticence about putting maintenance ahead of
habitat. If you eat 'em or look at them, they're still out of their
circuit.
That's also where I thought it apt to inject an African killiekeeping
experience into a North American fish debate.
I'm speaking very subjectively here, but maintaining populations of a
species leaves me in wonder at the diversity within a single species,
which leaves me in wonder about the processes and habitats that produced
that diversity. I'm just a guy with no scientific training, a day job,
kids and a fascination with fish. I try to step lightly. If I maintain a
species and enjoy contemplating what produces 'population' differences,
then I'm either wasting my time pleasantly or maybe providing the same
possibility for future humans. I'm not doing anything for the fish
unless I take it to the next level and try to get involved in habitat
preservation.
Gary
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