Fancy Goldfish housing question

[reiverix]

Ideally every cat needs a farm to live on with plenty of mice to chase, or even their own personal jungle

I'm not sure this is a good argument. If I kept a single cat in my house it would be like keeping a goldfish in thousands of gallons. However, cats are quite free ranging and as much as I like cats I don't have one because I cannot provide the environment it needs.

The bottom line is that even though the fish don't know it, we are the supreme being and have them at our mercy. It just comes down to what our version of Eden is.

 

[aquariumfishguy]

It just comes down to what our version of Eden is.

That is an interesting statement... one which someone could probably write a full-length college paper on.

 

[Whistler225]

question

I've been reading in this thread and I have noticed that no one else has asked this, so I will. I understand that a goldfish that is kept in a tank too small for it will not grow to its full potential, and not live as long as it could. My question is this: other than these effects which have been stated several times throughout the thread, does keeping goldfish in tanks too small for their potential actually cause them physical discomfort? Or does it simply limit the size they can attain? I am not asking this to be smart, I am asking because of my tank setup. I've had goldfish for a little over a year. I started this particular group in a ten gallon tank on the advice of my LFS as tester fish for my water since they are hardier than other varieties. The initial group was three commons and a Black Ghost Knife. Since then, I moved them into a 29G, lost the knife (he got caught on some rock decor during the night. I was crushed), and added an Oranda (3"), two plecos (about 4" total) and four red minor tetras (my boss lost interest in his tanks, two 55g, and gave me everything. One tank was cracked, and the other had/has the Giant Gourami you see as my avatar in it, so I thought the tetras would have a better chance of survival in the 29G). I know this is alot of fish in a 29G tank, but it will be at least a few weeks before I can afford another tank of any size. The Oranda has been in the 29G for about three months now. If I move him to a bigger tank, will he resume growing? Same question for the commons.

 

[cgrabe]

...My question is this: other than these effects which have been stated several times throughout the thread, does keeping goldfish in tanks too small for their potential actually cause them physical discomfort? Or does it simply limit the size they can attain?...

My understanding is this: fish release a growth-inhibiting hormone into the water to keep the competition smaller than themselves. In a tank that is too small, the concentration of the hormone will reach such high levels that it affects the original fish and keeps it from growing larger. The problem is that while the body stops growing larger, the internal organs do not stop growing and become crowded. I would imagine this has the potential to be painful, but I really don't know. Many argue that a fish's brain isn't sufficiently developed to allow them to comprehend pain in the same way we do.

 

[reiverix]

I would think that any animal with a nervous system must be able to feel pain. Whether fish feel pain in the way that we do is something I don't know.

However I do believe that the ability to feel pain is essential to the well being of a species. It's our bodys way of telling us that something is wrong. Our reaction to pain is also very quick. For example if you spill boiling water on your hand, you instantly pull away.

I'm not sure if a goldfish is aware of its own potential lifespan. But I am sure that tank sizes are the difference between 1, 5, 10 or 20 years of age. I guess this could go for any of the larger fish like oscars and plecos, etc.

 

[aquariumfishguy]

Fish can feel things, but with any human - we have emotions with our pain. This is something fish do not have. Also, the example of a burn is classic... but fish do not feel this burning sensation, which can last for days with humans. They do not have all the same nerves that we do. I guess humans were just designed to suffer!