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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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