|
Fishkeeping is a vast and complex
hobby with many different areas of specialization and conflicting schools
of thought. It would be an impossible task to provide a comprehensive guide
to the hobby. If you are new to the hobby, the best place to ask for advice
is your local aquarium shop keeper. Their advice and expertise usually proves
invaluable. The people that run aquarium shops tend to be hobbyists first
and foremost and as such are interested that you enjoy the hobby and understand
how best to practice it. However, not all shops are reliable, so there are
a few things to look out for:
- Ask for shop recommendations
from any people you might already know whom have been aquarists for
some time.
- The General Cleanliness
of the shop is a good indicator.
- Look for a large selection
of both fish and dry goods.
- Look for any certificates
in the window which state membership of an organization (such as OATA
in the UK) and/or staff certificates from aquatics courses.
- Check shop tanks for
ill or dead fish. If you see any dead or diseased fish it is generally
not a good sign.
- Honest shopkeepers
tend to dispense advice freely and willingly.
In general, if the shop is good this reflects the skills and experience
of the owner and staff. We would also recommend purchasing a proven general
fishkeeping guide. The hobby has a huge range of published material from
the very basics to the most specialist areas of aquarium keeping. Subscribing
to an aquarist magazine will keep you up to date with new products and developments
in fishkeeping as well as having lots of useful articles, advice and tips.
If you already know anyone that keeps fish ask them for advice as other
hobbyists are often a the best source of information. You may wish to join
a local/ national fishkeeping club where there are significant pools of
knowledge. Increasingly the Internet is proving an invaluable source of
advice on all areas of fishkeeping.
Use our links section as a starting point
for exploring the many aquatic pages on the web. In addition, you can find
related advice in the product section.
|
