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Post by blufindr on Oct 18, 2008 4:00:39 GMT -5
Hands up if you've ever kept your fish in a tiny bowl.
You are guilty of animal cruelty.
I'm not even kidding. They suffer so much because of this that I can't even express just how badly they are treated.
Most people, beguiled by the pet shop, will buy the bowls for their fighters or goldfish. That is a massive no-no, and I should slap you across the face for that.
A small tank would result in a very quick buildup of ammonia, nitrates and general waste. This is especially the case for goldfish. Without a filter (usually not supplied) or regular (and I mean maybe twice a week), the water would quickly get dirty. Besides from being aesthetically bad, it's also VERY bad for the fish, and they can get diseases that could be expensive/difficult to treat. So your fish will most likely die very quickly, in their own filth.
Not to mention that fighters do not need to survive in that. Yes, they are perfectly capable of it. But humans are perfectly capable of living in a 2x2x2 room if someone gave them food and cleaned it of their waste. It's unhealthy and it's cruel. And if it's cruel to do that to a person, then it must be cruel to do it to an animal that cannot speak for itself.
So next time, PLEASE think twice before confining your fish to such a space.
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Post by adhara on Oct 18, 2008 9:32:49 GMT -5
I think you are right, about tiny fish bowls. I had goldfish when I was little, and two of them jumped out of their small fish tanks. The first time, I happened to be nearby when I heard a "plop" and found my goldfish flopping about on the table counter... my mom scooped it up and put it back in the tank. The second time, because we were never allowed to have dogs, my sister and I used crawl around on the floor a lot pretending to be doggies. I was crawling about on the floor one time and I encountered a dead goldfish on the carpet  . I haven't thought about it in a long time because I have no intention of ever getting fish again- but the tank must have been too small if they kept wanting to jump out... |
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Post by klein on Oct 18, 2008 10:13:27 GMT -5
beta fishies like small fish bowls... they feel happy in small places  my co-worker has a crown beta but she keeps it in a quite nicely sized fishtank with a green plastic plant and a giraffe and some colored stars in the sand.... the fish is happy and makes bubble nests (they do that when they are happy) <3 stinky |
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Post by KarlatheLHFan on Oct 18, 2008 10:50:18 GMT -5
I never thought about it that way, but I think you're right!
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Post by FadedJade on Oct 18, 2008 20:16:17 GMT -5
there ARE fish more suited for smaller environments, so I think your message would be better heard in just reminding people to do their own research before taking on any kind of pets.
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Post by gogonutz on Oct 18, 2008 20:22:49 GMT -5
I think it's more about the cleanliness of the water than the actual size of the tank, in most cases
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Post by blufindr on Oct 21, 2008 0:53:59 GMT -5
I think it's more about the cleanliness of the water than the actual size of the tank, in most cases Small tanks = dirty water faster. Most people who get fish don't realise that they need to change the water at all, or if they do, put it off for ages. By then, the nitrate concentration is pretty much deadly. Some fish have been known to become resistant to it (danios and goldfish, for example), but bettas are such fragile fish, it's rather rare for them to live for a long time in dirty water. |
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Post by blufindr on Oct 21, 2008 1:01:06 GMT -5
there ARE fish more suited for smaller environments, so I think your message would be better heard in just reminding people to do their own research before taking on any kind of pets. Yes, I know there are. Some danios, for example, live fine in a little bowl, provided that the water quality is ohkay. However, bettas and goldfish produce a large amount of waste (generally speaking) compared to their body size. So... for a novice aquarist, who would not know this, to be lured into buying a small bowl for sellers who should know better... It's irresponsible, really. I've had a reply from a seller saying that she was in fact unaware of this. She was selling the bowl because her own fighter died rather quickly, and the pet shop people had not informed her of the potential problems. I've also had a message from another seller saying that he knew they couldn't survive in them, that's why he was selling it :-\ But honestly, uninformed decisions like this aren't just restricted to fish alone. The cute-puppy syndrome strikes more, and is noticed more, but it's not really much different. |
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Post by Jessi on Oct 21, 2008 1:05:08 GMT -5
I actually decided to look up some information on Bettas because I own one, his name is Gordon. I found out that Bettas actually prefer more room. It is preferred that for every single Betta they have 4 gallons of water. My poor fishy, I have him in about a one gallon vase.
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Post by blufindr on Oct 21, 2008 4:33:12 GMT -5
I actually decided to look up some information on Bettas because I own one, his name is Gordon. I found out that Bettas actually prefer more room. It is preferred that for every single Betta they have 4 gallons of water. My poor fishy, I have him in about a one gallon vase. Well, good on you for looking up information anyway. I hope you change his water often. I'm planning on breeding them in a 14.5 gallon tank. It should be ohkay, I think. |
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