Animal welfare and good practices

Animal welfare refers to the physical and emotional state that is affected by the environment in which the animal lives and works, human attitudes and practices, and the resources available to it .

To achieve animal well-being in the marine aquarium, it is important to know what good practices we should adopt.

Investigate: before acquiring any organism we must know its needs from formal sources of information. That is, magazines, books, documentaries. It is best to avoid consulting sellers if they have not accredited any formal training in professions related to biology. Species have different diets, varying temperature needs and habitats. Imagine that an alien bought you and took you to live at the North Pole in a bathing suit... or put you in a little house in the middle of a pride of lions... try to be empathetic so that the organisms in your care can develop the best bond. with you.

Quarantine: it does not matter that the aquarium where you buy is the most trusted. You must also quarantine because the "planet" the organism is going to arrive at is new for it. From the type of food, climate to new pathogens that you have not yet faced. The quarantine serves so that before that great challenge you can be strong and nourished in a safe and peaceful environment where you can lose fear and rest.

Observe: involved in consumerism and high technology we forget that the best test is observation. The system speaks for itself. Some tests can fail, and phenomena in a system have multiple variables interacting at the same time. That is why you should always observe and trust in the first signs to anticipate problems.

Communicate: if you had a problem coming from an aquarium, communicate it so that the appropriate measures can be taken.

Legality: purchase in established places. The informal buying and selling of marine organisms on social networks is direct and indirect Animal Abuse. They seriously affect established aquariums that strive to comply with standards and encourage cross-infection of multiple diseases. Request a Tax Invoice when you buy organisms to promote the care of species in the sector.

Health: take care of hygiene and water quality. If your resources are limited in time and financially, a simple way to take care is not to overpopulate. Better to have one or two healthy and happy fish than a group in terrible condition. Seek timely help when you see symptoms of illness.

Nutrition: feed appropriate to the species and its physiological and behavioral needs. Remember that keeping live natural food present allows you to have a more stable and safe system. Look for the correct measures because overfeeding in marine systems has a negative impact on water quality and generates the risk of mass mortality due to ammonia spikes.

Friendship: Fish identify and develop bonds with their caregivers. Always approach with respect and patience. We are animals of a large size compared to them. There are gossips, fearful ones, angry ones, bloody ones. Find out by having a calm manner. Avoid sudden movements, sudden intense lights, "fishing" them or grabbing them violently. When you need to take a fish out for treatment, do it with slow movements, at its own pace and with prior notice that you are going to take it out. Fish are very struck by the fact that humans close their eyes, since they do not have eyelids. When a fish is hidden for too long out of fear, wink your eyes from a distance and it will surely slowly approach with curiosity.