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Aquarium Fish
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| Yes | 19% | 66 votes | Total: 346 votes | |
| No | 81% | 280 votes |
Yes
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Add to FavoritesThink of being trapped inside your home for your entire life. There is no option to explore destinations unknown, no visiting new or interesting locations, and no challenge to life. You simply wait for your food to be dropped every day or so and that is what life is. Can you survive this environment? Yes, of course. What type of life would this be though?
1.) Nature. It is in a fish's best interest to be able to use the instincts and skills that nature gave them. Think of any other animal that is forced to be caged or held away from the world. Think of dogs that are chained and never allowed to explore anything other than small little patch of land. Think of how unsociable and violent these animals become. Why is it that we can see how distressing this is for dogs and yet not be able to apply it to fish? Sequestering any living thing away from it's natural habit has crippling results.
2.)Reasoning. Many people say that the fish are happier in aquariums than they would be in the wild. These fish have their food provided for them, water monitored, and have no threat from predators and who wouldn't love that. The same thing can be said for people who are in prison. Are they happy? Another problem with this argument is we can not measure a fish's happiness. Unlike other animals they are not really able to give an indication of how they feel. The only real choice they have for voicing their opinions is in the amount that they eat and because they have a relatively short life span anyways these deaths are easily written off.
3.) Investment. There are ways that owners can invest in quality of life for pets such as a dog or a cat which are relatively inexpensive. These include exercising with them, taking them to the vet, and socializing them. The same can not be said about fish. In order to recreate or at least simulate their environment you need one of the large wall size tanks, you need to invest in the coral and food that is high quality. Even with all this money your investment could prove worthless because fish have a relatively short life span, especially the more unique varieties. These are just a few of the reasons why keeping fish in captivity doesn't make a lot of sense.
Learn more about this author, Heather Bernard.
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No
Aquarium fish are some of the most beautiful and calming additions to your household. But some of you might wonder whether it is cruel to keep fish in restricted conditions. Some people ask: How would you like to stay in a fishbowl? How can you be so sure you're not being cruel to the fish?
The answers are not simple, but they exist.
Firstly, fish are not humans, and quite a few breeds spend their lives in small territories even in the wild, which they jealously guard.
Secondly, it is not cruel to buy common, locally bred fish. These do not suffer the trauma of being captured from the wild and then transported over long distances in small containers. Exotic fish and most salt-water fish are another matter. The rule of thumb is: more expensive the fish, the more exotic it is, and the more it has suffered as an individual and a breed.
Thirdly, it is important for you as an aquarium hobbyist to figure out what sort of fish you want, and what would be the best environment for them. Just like you have to research various dog breeds to find the perfect one for you, you have to research the fish you want to keep. Some fish might look beautiful in the shop, but might require the kind of investment in terms of time, space, effort, and money that you cannot afford. It would indeed be cruel to keep your fish under less than ideal conditions.
Fourthly, well-kept aquarium fish have a better shot at living longer than their counterparts in the wild. If the breeds of fish living together are chosen properly, the fish do not suffer from aggression, nor do they become part of the food chain. And if you take care not to over-feed or underfeed the fish, supervise children near the aquarium, and pay attention to any changes in how they look and behave, the fish are actually better off than in the wild.
Fifthly, any conscientious aquarium owner would try to duplicate the fish's natural environment as closely as possible, by providing sand for fish which are bottom dwellers, places to hide in for fish that are shy, or the right plants and grass that are the ideal habitat for certain fish.
Keeping aquarium fish is not cruel if the owner knows enough about fish and how to keep them. As a hobbyist you might want to choose breeds not according to how great they look, but how well you can keep them, and how well they get on together. Also pay attention to how exotic the breed is that you fancy, because fish that do not breed easily in captivity suffer during capture from the wild and transport.
In the end, keeping aquarium fish is only as cruel as keeping a dog or a cat-keeping these common pets can also be cruel if you abuse them, and do not care for them enough. At the end of the day, what matters is a healthy, happy pet. If your aquarium fish are active, have great color, and in special cases, beginning to breed, you can honestly vouch for their health and happiness. And you are definitely not being cruel to them.
Learn more about this author, Damyanti Ghosh.
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