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out healthier than wild fish: “They’re not exposed to disease and pathogens, and not exposed to as much transportation stress,” says Sweet.

They’re also more likely to eat what you can buy to feed them. “Captive-bred fish have grown up eating pellets and frozen foods,” he says.

Commonly available captive-bred species also tend to be fish that beginners can succeed with. “They can withstand a little learning curve,” says Jeff Gibula, zoological operations manager at Newport Aquarium in Kentucky. He observes that big breeders are likely to put their efforts into what keeps customers coming back: “You want to sell the thing people can do well with.”

Aside from your success as a fish-keeper, though, there are also bigger issues of conservation.

Wild aquarium fish are sometimes caught with methods that are bad both for the fish and the ecosystem it comes from. The fish may be stunned with dynamite or caught using cyanide. There’s also the pressure often put on wild populations.

Gibula, who runs his own aquarium installation company, says some wholesalers offer sustainably caught wild fish that he is comfortable buying. He can see how they track the fish from their point of origin, and they guarantee how they’ve been caught and handled.

That may be an option that allays environmental concerns, but you won’t know unless you ask.

“My favorite store, they label every fish where it

Coral Magazine captive bred lists:

came from — the name of the company or breeder,” says Sweet. “Not every store does that, but if I go into a store and they can’t tell me where their fish is from, I won’t buy it.”

Both captive-bred and sustainably collected fish are likely to be more expensive, but Sweet says you’re getting value for the money: “In the long run, it’s better to pay more for a fish that’s going to last longer.”

You’re also doing the responsible thing. Fenolio notes that even for species that are currently doing well, the global phenomenon of coral reef bleaching is an issue.

“Species could quickly become endangered because there aren’t that many healthy reefs left,” he says.

Still, as a conservationist, Fenolio doesn’t discourage people from keeping marine fish — quite the contrary. “I do support the hobby wholeheartedly because it offers an opportunity for people to connect with wildlife as our cities get bigger ... and as wildlife and wild places vanish,” he says.

But do it responsibly: Don’t just go into the store and point at what looks pretty. Do your research and know what questions to ask. Says Fenolio: “Impulse buys are absolutely the worst thing you can do with any pet.”