How come people just don't get it?

[OrionGirl]

A huge part of it-and this doesn't excuse it, just explain it--is the prevalence of myth in the hobby. "Fish only grow to the size of their surroundings." Raise your hand if you heard this--won't make anyone admit to buying it, but we've all heard it.

And of course, people recall their Aunt Esther kept a goldfish alive for 15 years in a bowl.

Most people--including many who have been in the hobby for years, have less understanding of fish biology than they do of astrophysics. They do not understand the biology behind maintaining a tank, or providing for the fish. It's not like mammalian pets--we understand cats and dogs better, because we share some of their needs. We can see the waste from them, smell it, and know it's icky. With clear liquid waste, in a box of clear (mostly) water, the wastes are out of sight, and easy to ignore.

So, ignorance is the reason. That it is willfully maintained is beyond my understanding, but there it is. People are happy being uninformed. Heck, I've had people argue with me about some of these things. Just mention using iodized salt in some places, and you will get looks of horror. Mention that you would love an oscar, but don't have the room, and someone WILL tell you it will be fine in a 10. Or--and this has happened--ask if you can put a betta in a community tank. Just see if you don't hear that either the betta will drown in the deep tank, or that it will kill every fish you try to put in there.

 

[NatakuTseng]

On the issue of the tank size and amount of fish in the tanks, its simply something that isn't avoidable unless you have a huge stock pile of cash laying around. People want to see a variety of fish and want to have a variety of fish. The stores just simply can't set up multiple tanks for every species that are of the appropriate size, it would take up way too much room. Usually the fish don't stay in the stores long, so the small confinements aren't the best, but they do. I atleast always inform the people I sell fish too about the care and husbandry required for the fish I'm selling them. Some listen some don't, I don't like selling fish to people I know aren't going to follow my advice, but the fact is the correct information was presented to them, its up to them to make the decisions. Ethically, its probably not the greatest call to make to sell fish to those people, but I also understand that the owner of the store, and also a very good personal friend, needs to make money doing it and I wouldn't have a job if we didn't sell fish. We both are there because we love the hobby and want to share it with other people, some of the customers are like a very poor preforming pupil, others are great and some have gotten deep into the hobby like most of us here, and bring in their locally raised stock for store credit. Those people are the ones that make working there worth working there because you know you did something right and you know you steered someone in the right direction and guided them through their troubles and now they aren't just a newbie, their a collegue.

 

[fishinAZ]

And most of it is that they are JUST fish and who cares if they die or have to get flushed down a toilet.

I'm also a parrot owner and I see it all the time. OH what a cute bird......they spend the money get it home and it makes a mess and screams. They don't realize what goes into being a parent of a parrot. Pretty soon the cage and bird are up for sale. Same with aquariums.

Taking on a "pet" is a responsibility and takes a lot of time a money.

Fish are pets... it's a responsibility...