| Aquarium keeping does not have to be a hobby | | | | species. These are organisms that are introduced |
| that endangers the environment. There are steps | | | | to the environment and harm it. They degrade |
| you can take to ensure that your aquarium will | | | | ecosystem functions. Invasive species also affect |
| not have a negative impact on natural | | | | human day-to-day life. Because they upset |
| ecosystems. | | | | ecosystems where they do not belong, whatever |
| Firstly when you go to a pet store to buy fish or | | | | waters they are introduced to become unsafe to |
| plants, ask the retailer where the specimens | | | | use for recreation. 'Drinking water plants' have to |
| came from. If they say they do not know, do | | | | work harder to keep the water drinkable, which |
| not buy anything. You will want to know whether | | | | costs more money. |
| the specimens were bred in captivity to sell | | | | There are alternatives to releasing an unwanted |
| specifically for aquariums or if they were captured | | | | fish or plant into the great unknowns of the wild. |
| from the wild. Always go for the plants and fish | | | | Contact the retailer you bought it from and ask |
| that were bred in captivity. The less that | | | | them about returns. If they will not take the fish |
| aquarists buy organisms that were captured in | | | | back they might have some ideas about how to |
| the wild, the less the demand will be for wild fish | | | | get rid of it. Another option is to trade or give it |
| and plants, and the less they will be harvested | | | | to another aquarist. Plants are easier-just seal |
| from their natural ecosystems. | | | | them in a plastic bag and throw them away with |
| Some times aquarists are given an organism they | | | | the rubbish. |
| can not keep, or they buy one too many, or they | | | | The best and really only way you can take steps |
| simply decide they want to get rid of a perfectly | | | | to setting up an environmentally friendly |
| healthy, living plant or fish. Believe it or not, letting | | | | freshwater aquarium is to think carefully about |
| your unwanted goldfish loose in a pond is actually | | | | what fish and plants you want before buying. It is |
| a bad idea. An organism that is released into the | | | | easier to buy few organisms and add on to your |
| wild when it has only lived in captivity has little | | | | collection than it is to take organisms away! Your |
| hope of survival. They do not understand their | | | | collection should only consist of specimens that |
| environment. They will not know what their | | | | were bred in captivity specifically to be sold for |
| natural food source is or how to hide from a | | | | home aquariums. Follow those two steps and you |
| predator. In the unlikelihood of survival, the | | | | will have a very environmentally friendly |
| organism becomes what is called an invasive | | | | freshwater aquarium. |