Gold Fish Bowl Cruel or Cool

[Alan R]

I am a noob to fish keeping as well as reptiles and amphibians as many of you have probably come to realise. I will state my opinion because I am 17 and believe that our country needs its people to speak up even if its over a small issue because more and more I notice that we are becoming less and less of a democracy everyday.

I voted cruel on the basis that most bowls don't have filters and thus are not safe for fish. I know that whales are mammals but this priniciple still applies. An animal that is obviously deformed (fin curl) because of it inability to exercise properly, how cruel is that, yes it may be healthy but wouldn't it be happier in a bigger tank? Or how about the elephant at the local zoo that rocks back and forth from boredom?

I do not dispute Alans statement that everyone is entitled to their opinion I applaud that thinking, but thoughts are not fact either and I won't claim mine to be, as neither did he.

I believe that fish do have a primitive system of emotion, That they are capable of thought even if its not at a level that is understandable to us. Therfore I disagree with his statement but would otherwise like to comend him for speaking his mind and explaining his thoughts.

I challenge his statement of not all animals having emotions based of the fact that fish can become acclimated to the person that feeds them but when another person feeds them they will be more shy, this begs the question of is a learned trait connected to emotion?. Also some schooling fish sometimes won't accept a fish of their same kind why is that? They can be perfectly healthy and still not be accepted. Why is that?

I don't think that unless you ask the god(s) of (insert belife here) or drop a bunch of acid you will ever know the answer to this question. Therefore I provide my animals with as close to their natural habitat as possible and only house them in enclosures I think I, as an emotional beign, would enjoy.

Well, its late I have bronchitis and an ear infection, I hope this made sense and I hope that I didn't offend anyone but If I did I appologize for nothing, after all its just my opinion.

I don't feel that you should apologize for you opinion nor do I think anyone else should. To answer your question I don't think that memory of a food source shows emotion. In your example you used an elephant. Elephant are very intellegent creatures and have been proven to have emotion. Its obvious they do imo. They experience love fear sadness etc. Although I don't deny that some fish are more intellegent than others like oscars for example. I have never seen any evidence of emotion or even a sense of pain in fish. If fish felt pain wouldn't fishing be out lawed? What do you think would happen legally if you snagged a dog in the lip with a sharp barbed hooked? Not proof of my point I know but only an example.

 

[mostlycichlids]

Bowls are for cereal not fish!

 

[Que]

If we are talking about a bowl that is too small to KEEP a fish in then:

Part of one definition of cruel that i got from Websters 9th Collegiate is: devoid of humane feelings.

If we take the definition of humane from the same source we have: marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for other human beings or animals.

So a person who doesn't know about the correct size enclosure for goldfish and has it in a bowl may not think they're being cruel.

If you have the knowledge of the requirement for the fish and you have consideration for the animal then I would hope that you will know that it is cruel to KEEP a goldfish in a bowl.
A poll on this is pointless except to point out that some may not know it is cruel to KEEP a golfish in a bowl.

Q

 

[Darkness9876]

I didn't appologize persay but I guess it could appear that way.

Also if a fishes actions are only dictated by instinct wouldn't it need to know its in pain before its instincts could react?

Also are you to tell me that you've never watched a scared fish hide? Or have you never watched a fish that feared something you put in its environment? Do fish not hide from gravel vacs? You can argue that this is instinct but you can also argue its emotion.

Personally I belive that if it has a brain than it is capable of emotion. They may be primitive emotions but they still have emotions.

 

[Virtuoso2K12]

well for me its cool for food or show case,but never said for goldfish,even check,never said anything unless the bowl was like 50g,like imagine.

 

[jm1212]

Bowls are for cereal not fish!

depends if the fish are pizza or cheddar flavored. pizza ones get stale to fast.

 

[Rbishop]

This thread is done.