Rant about miskept fish that are "doing fine"

windeindoiel

windeindoiel

I
Mar 24, 2005
153
0
0
39
Canada
Ok this has just been bugging me for the last week or so. For everyone who incorrectly keeps their fish, in too small of a tank, overcrowded, species conflicts, wrong salinity of water... you get the idea. Are your fish fine because they're magical? Because your individual fish is different than all the others? Are you a fish doctor who monitors its long term health and knows it's ok?

Grr.

:mad2: :rant2:

Ok, now that I have that out of my system, I'm better.
 
I think the problem is that for many people, their definition is 'The fish is alive, it eats, it moves; therefore it is fine.' Of course this isn't true for many other pets--a dog that didn't play or learn tricks etc wouldn't be considered 'fine'. For some, though, that same definition does apply to a cat--but I'd be very worried if my cats were that inanimate, just as I would be concerned if my fish were.
 
I've felt a little guilty about the entire "hobby" lately. Even though I just bought a 180g tank for my bala sharks (after dumbly buying them without doing any research), it is still a bucket compared to their natural habitat. But I guess a few balas in a 180 is better than a few pacus in a 75, right?!?!
 
Holly, kudos to you for buying them a proper home after making that mistake- plenty of people allow their fish to suffer for their mistakes. But I see what you are saying. I think though that if you are providing fish with a home proportional to their size and sufficiently stimulating, you need not feel guilty. I mean there are perks for them living in a tank- their food is air dropped right over their little heads, no predators.
 
You are correct when saying most people don't research the fish first. I too am guilty of that and ended up with 2 ID sharks. As for "people don't care it's just a fish", that statement goes beyond fish. People dump unwanted animals all the time and face it some even dump human babies. We are living in an ever changing world where everything seems to be disposable. There is no value to a life anymore.
 
That's becasue they don't have them. Pets make for smarter, better, and happier people.

Edit: haha, Now I've one and dug up a post because I didn' notice it was two weeks old. :p
 
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