Opinions Wanted

[crazywiggy]

Just my opinion on this....

I personally object to buying animals (rather than adopting) because of the problem of overpopulation, and the huge number of unwanted animals waiting (and dying) in rescue centres.

If you can find somewhere near you that you can rescue fish from I think this would be much better. If there doesn't seem to be an overpopulation of fish where you are then I would suggest a good breeder or specialist aquarium. I think it's like finding a "responsible" breeder of any animal - all the fish should be kept in good conditions, be in good health, free from parasites etc and the breeders should be knowledgable and concerned for who buys their animals, making sure you know exactly how to care for them.

I only know about the UK, but I often see adverts in the local newspaper for fish tanks complete with fish, so I assume there must be some in need of homes.

[Djakarta]

For Salt Water fish, I think the issues center more around how they are "harvested" in the wild than whether or not they are being bred.

I think the problem there is how much damage is being done to reef structures around the world as the popular and exotic fish are captured and transported. I suspect the survival rate among the transported fish is abysmally low.

The issue of people breeding these fish doesn't arise. So little is known about their nutritional requirements, that these fish are doomed to die. People can't keep these fish alive for extended periods, much less breed them.

[this_lil_piggy]

Question:

What makes a fish breeders better than a dog/cat/guinea pig/hamster/gerbil/mice/bird/etc. breeders? If you look hard enough and have patience you can find some needy fish.

Answers:

I don't think fish are better/worse than guinea pigs but the situation is very different.

I personally object to buying animals (rather than adopting) because of the problem of overpopulation, and the huge number of unwanted animals waiting (and dying) in rescue centres.

__________________________________________________ _____________________
I agree. Personally, I am not against breeding of all animals, I am just simply against the breeding of animals that are over populated in rescues and needing homes. It isn't because I think any less of fish than I do of cats, dogs, or guinea pigs...it is that the situation is very different.
I don't keep fish anymore, but I used to own a rather large tank. When I was shopping for fish I would shop the papers first to see if anyone was giving away or selling before I would resort to buying from a petshop. In fact, the aquarium that I owned, and the fish that were already stocked in it, were purchased from an individual from an ad I found in the paper. Finding needy fish is rare though.
If there were fish rescues and shelters, and an over population of fish in them, I probably would be against the further breeding of them. That isn't the case though.
Fish aren't at all like guinea pigs. When people take fish on as pets, they don't get themselves into an unexpected overwhelming mess as often as they do with gpigs that result in them abandoning them. Fish don't require large vet costs, cleaning out bedding once a week, spending a ton on veggies, bedding and hay, they don't bite, they can be left at home unattended when families vacation, and if you stick opposite genders in a tank together (in most cases) they don't accidentally breed...they require special plants and such to lay eggs in before they will multiply.
Fish don't get dumped out on street corners, and alley ways and then flooded into rescues and shelters. It is just an entirely different situation. If it wasn't, I would be the first in line boycotting the senseless breeding, selling, and purchasing of them, as well.

[muffin]

I'd like to give my two cents on marine fishkeeping. I skimmed this thread and a couple of people touched on reef destruction. This is something which is very much an issue with the harvesting of wild marine fish. Firstly, keeping marine fish is incredibly hard. They need just the right conditions, and the film 'finding nemo' has done a lot of harm to a lot of fish when unscrupulous pet stores sell the poor little real life versions. My boyfriend has done a lot of research on marine fishkeeping and on a forum a person told the story of how a fish shop they had visited told him that marine fish don't need salt water, warm water or a pump or filter. All completely untrue.

The most common way marine fish are collected/harvested is by cyanide explosions. The reef is damaged to a great extent and the fish are stunned so that they can be 'gathered'. Most of the fish die after this, and even though only certain fish are gathered, the rest are still affected. Good fish suppliers, in addition to being experts and having excellent conditions in their fish tanks and knowledgable staff, do not support the trade in fish gathered by cyanide explosions. They opt instead for fish gathered by people swimming into the reef and catching the fish individually with small hand-held nets. It is the kindest way, and the fish are less stressed and are transported in better and faster conditions. Of course this costs more. Ulitmate Discount Aquatics in Scotland is such a shop. There are others in England but I don't know the names.

You will often find people selling marine tanks in newspapers or online, often complete with equipment and sometimes fish, because impatient or poorly informed people rush out, spend a fortune on setting up and stocking their new tank, and then realise just how much work and maintenance is involved, as their fish begin to suffer from poor water quality and nitrate levels and a whole host of other problems.

[standuprookie]

I would just like to post some fish I found for adoption. These are ONLY from the Dallas Craigslist and only from after Christmas.
need fish?
Bettas (fish) (These are freshwater)
FISH NEEDING A NEW HOME QUICK.....
Saltwater Tank (Tank with fish)
red devil fish large 5 and 10 inch
Need to rehome 2 Oscars
fish need new home, very cheap rehoming fee

[lynn's Cavies]

I'm really glad this discussion is taking place because this has really made me re-think the fish situation. Next time we would like to take in some fish I'm going to do a search for fish needing homes.

[Hansel]

My Dad has always had aquariums (and he was VERY good at keeping all the critters happy). At one point he a 120 gallon coral reef aquarium along with prob at least another dozen salt water aquarium. He had a tank with clown fish and anemonies and all sorts of tanks with beautiful fish in them. THis was all when I was in grade school.

As beautiful as I think they are, the destruction being done to the coral reefs makes me want to cry. They are so fragile and when you take into consideration all of the things going against them, i.e. toursim, over fishing, explosives and the aqaurium market ON TOP of the destruction that global warming is doing to them it makes me wonder how long they are really going to last.

I had the fantastic opportunity to visit Belize for 10 days last May. Aside from the Great Barrier Reef, Belize has the second largest/most intact coral reef system in the world. We spent nearly 7 or the 10 days snorkling all of the reefs there and it was breathtaking! I would much rather see that ecosystem through a fishes eyes than through the glass of an aquarium.

[avcavies]

Originally Posted by daftscotslass

I'm the proud owner of two rescue fish! There was a conference at the hotel I used to work at who bought in lily vases with fish as the centrepieces. Everyone was absolutely disgusted and some of us refused to work at the function. They were left to die afterwards without a thought so each of us took some home. 3 years later two out of the three are still with me!

It disgusts me to see places selling Bettas in vases saying stuff like: don't change the water and don't feed them, they will eat the roots, it is actually a slow and painful death. My three Bettas I've had over the past two years live in regular fish bowls, get their water changed once a week, and get food on a daily basis and they love life! They always swim up to me when they see me get the fish food out! I know this is odd by they are very affectionate. Fishies(sp?) rock!

[sweetjay6891]

I love betas, but i usually get them from local adds. The usual exuse is that there moving and don't want to hold a fish bowl for the drive. So my fish are rescues.

[Emmett]

I have fancy guppies in my 60 gallon tank. I bought 10 feeder guppies for 10 cents each and now I have around 50. I decided to never buy another fish just let them multiply on their own. I also have a 29 year old striped raphael catfish and a 18 year old clown loach. I want to find a new home with other clown loaches for the clown loach because I know he is lonely since all his friends have died through the years. I am very picky to where he will go. So far nothing has met my standards. I used to raise fish for extra money and know what fish need to be comfortable. I can't believe all the wrong information I hear when I go to Petsmart. The employees are so uneducated regarding fish. They tell people anything they pull out of their ***** just to sell a fish.

[fourbwabbys]

They tell people anything they pull out of their ***** just to sell a fish.

Haha this reminded me of a story. I was listening on the radio and someone called in with a funny story. He said he bought 7 fish from a large chain pet store. A few days later, 4 of them died. They have that "14 day money back guarantee" so he brought them back. The person working there said he couldn't have his money back because he didn't put his fish in the tank three at a time, he put all of them in at once. He takes a look at the thousands of fish along the wall and says "And you're telling me you put all of those fish in there 3 at a time?" Needless to say, he got his money back.