• Educate yourself. You should be knowledgeable about each fish’s natural habitat, diet, behavior, compatibility with other species, and size and space requirements.
• Exercise self-control. Don’t overcrowd your aquarium or try to mix incompatible species. Don’t buy species that have difficulty surviving in captivity–even though they’re sold in stores.
• Find a good store and support it. Spend your money at a store with knowledgeable employees who listen to your needs and treat fish respectfully.
• Boycott bad stores. If you have bad experiences with a store or discover a merchant who sells fish that shouldn’t be kept in home aquaria, don’t shop there and urge others not to either.
Sources: www.AquariumCouncil.org, www.AquariumPros.com
