> HOBBY ......Hardly the type of thing I encourage....Whant to learn
 > about fish ?????GET A DIP NET AND HEAD DOWN THE ROAD TO THE LOCAL
 > POND OR CREEK....SEE WHATS THERE BEFORE YOU GO TO THE PETSTORE AND
 > KILL SOMETHING>>>>>
I'm not sure I agree with this.  If one only wants to learn about fish one 
should get a good book.
I am very fortunate to be in an area that has a lot of local 'ponds' and 
ther
standing water.  On our 'farm' ette we have a spring fed 'small' pond-ette.
Don't know if that a real term but the pond, if you will, is about 18 to 20
feet in circumference 1 inch to  (at most) 8 feet at it  deepest part ; it's 
fed by the 'spring' then has a small stream running off to the northeast
where that feeds into a system that has some of the best 'trout' and other
fish in the north east. (my predgist opinion of course)
Anyway. I feel fortunate to have wild life all arround me, but am also 
pleased that our creator is the one providing for them.  It would be a lot of 
work if I tried to 'manage' it.  We simply enjoy it trying not to disturb the 
echo system.  Doing little more then watching them.  I feel privledged that 
most of the wildlife around the 'pondette' has accepted our benign presence 
and seem to go on about it's business normally.
I would never try to 'capture' a part of that to keep 'inside'; i'd much 
rather go 'outside' to view it as god has made it.  At appropropriate times I 
capture some 'live' food (daphinia, Mosqueto larva, a worm like creature the 
Oscars love) but otherwise the pond ett is left to gods will.  I often time 
struggle with the disire to  help a duckling up the rather high 'left'
bank, the 'mom and pop' now parade their young quite boldly right in front of 
me, and have upto now have resisted interfearing. 
As for first time fish keepers I'd prefer to see them get a simple setup with 
a
few 'gaudy' tank raised fish to see if they are truely dedicated to keeping 
fish as a hobby or something else.
I also see nothing wrong with keeping fish simply because they are beautiful. 
As long as they are well cared for, that they are being kept only
because they are pretty does not bother me.  After all the reason I plant 
'tulips' in the fall is because in the spring, when they bloom, they look 
nice.. if they did not I would not struggle to get them into the ground... 
nor would I set out 'rose' bushes and tinker with them all summer, fighting 
the hidious 'japnese beetle' for first pick of a blossom, if they did not 
have a
delightful fragrance.  My point is there's nothing wrong with having 
something simply because it's beautiful.
I understand your passion, I hold it for most of what our god has created - 
and thank him much for it.  But what I am saying my friend is that so long as 
we care for our 'charges' as best as we can there is nothing wrong with 
keeping or having something simply because it is beautiful.  I am not sure 
taking something from the wild  can always be justified but a tank raised 
fish that is unlikely to survive in the wild (I could just see mickey mouse 
platties trying to hide from a kingfisher) kept because it looks nice - 
where's the harm in that?
In my opinion anyway.
I've always wanted to ask you, as sort of a 'natural' fish expert why you 
keep native fish in captivity at all?  I mean thoes fish and wet things you 
can easily see in the wild?  I keep tropical fish mostly because I can not, 
or do not, live where they are native...
(My friend that's not a put down just i'd like to know why?)
--- FMail 1.02
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