The politics of the aquarium hobby are fascinating. I once read an article in Aquarium Fish Magazine discussing how hobbyist kept and traded fish under the Communist rule in Russia. I believe the excellence of the hobby today in Russia stems from the abuses the government placed upon the people. The people are literally greatful for their modern freedoms.
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I find a similar joy as I continue to keep Hygrophilia polysperma. A plant species hated more greatly than the snakehead. Somewhere along the way, my aquariums became illegal. Now, a criminal, maintaining a banned crop, I smile.
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I think back on the snakeheads I've kept in the past and wish I could enjoy them again. Yes they were pets. Yes they were dinner. If I had known what would become the end of their stay in America I would have tried harder to maintain the species that others might enjoy them too.