most abused fish

which fish is most often abused?

  • goldfish

    Votes: 38 50.7%
  • bettas

    Votes: 24 32.0%
  • livebearers

    Votes: 1 1.3%
  • BIG fish (arowanas, pacus, ect.)

    Votes: 9 12.0%
  • other

    Votes: 3 4.0%

  • Total voters
    75

fishcatch22

The Picotoper
Jun 13, 2006
4,214
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Morris, Illinois
hi, ppls! this thread may sound a little odd, but it is to post your opinions about what pet fish you think is most frequently abused.
 
That's a pretty loaded list, fishcatch22!!! I say they are all terribly abused; goldfish die by the billions due to people knowing nothing; bettas--so many many of them living in tiny containers, not only from shipping to store, but in homes, with no filtration or water quality to speak of; large fish literally packed into small tanks (local Japanese restaurant has an aro in a 4 foot tank at entrance)--all the litte pacu's and bala's etc., sold at Wally World to unsuspecting, unknowing or uncaring humans; I reckon the livebearers are treated like other females used strictly for breeding; it's a daunting list, and I really can't say which has is worst. :huh:
 
It depends how you measure. If you mean which fish has the most fish that have died in unfavorable conditions in history, then probably gold fish because they have been kept longer. If you mean what species has the highest percentage of mistreated fish out of those sold, then probably bettas. The myth that you can keep a betta in terrible conditions has permeated our society pretty thoroughly to the point that I know dozens of fellow college students who keep a betta in a little unfiltered cup/vase/whatever they can find that holds water. On the other hand, there are a good number of gold fish kept properly in ponds. I'd say its a coin flip between the two.
 
Feeders

I can tell you from working in stores, that people who tend to get betta's like their fish a great deal more then those who get feeder goldfish or common comets, and you have to look at the environmental requirements of the fish, a betta can survive in a 1 gallon vase or even smaller for the entire lifespan of the fish, particularly the new set-ups people are getting with a plant. however goldfish are meant to get large and live for very long periods of time, so to keep them in a small tank(very common if not more common then big arrawannas, about even with pacus and oscars, just because there are much more of those in tanks than arras) or even in a bowl till they die(incredably common) every bad situation like bad care, small enclosesure, or the simple fact people feed them to oscars and pacus and the like when pellets would be much better for the fish makes feeders the most abused. and for those few who do get the nice cheap goldfish and put them in ponds, im soooo happy you exist but you are the great minority.
 
i vote for goldfish....

aside from being wronlgy stocked (is there suched a term?), some have been bred into freak shows.... :mad:
 
I voted beta. I had one given to me by a friend in a vase with a happy plant in it. not knowing much i got on the net and did some research, it does seem they do well in small tanks as there natural enviroment is shallow water so it is not the size of the tank that concerned me it was the fact that you are never told and the fish are not kept in warmish water. alsmot every site i looked at said to make sure there water temp was ok they are not cold water fish..so within 3 hours my beta went into my cuminal tank in a beta display that ran it's 2 foot length.......i had him for ages and it was sad when he passed.
 
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