I have been looking at a few clubs in my area, and I noticed that all of them have basically the same mission of "advancing the aquarium hobby". I understand this to mean spreading knowledge, cultivating more fish in aquariums vs importing, and developing ways to better immitate ecological settings. I have also noticed more people developing advanced paludariums, vivariums, and ripariums.

How has your club advanced the aquarium hobby? What can hobbiests do to advance the aquarium hobby?

A guy in my club has made it his goal to only keep apistogramma and tankmates from their water systems. Breeding them ect to bring more to the hobby. Some are keeping species from parts of the world that are being destroyed and attempting to breed them so they won't completely die off. I wouldnt go far enough to say its all advancing the aquarium hobby, but they're on the right track. All hobbyist can do is breed as many fish as they can and spread them to decrease exporting them from habitats. (Sad to think about it, some people in SA make a living off catching our fish and sending them to us)

Our local club includes a group that keeps and breeds fish on registered endangered species lists. I keep 2 pair of Characodon encaustus that I acquired from one of the other members. Each year there is a different species that is focused on.

sox

Is not ""advancing the _ _ _ _ _ _ hobby", part of every club's misson statement, no matter what the hobby is?