Difference between feeders being eating whole and "quick" vs. being ripped apart

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dbcb314

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Jun 4, 2007
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Some people who don't like feeding videos will always say, "Well the fish is being ripped apart! It is too big to be swallowed whole and killed instantly"


But is a fish that is swallowed whole REALLY killed instantly? I am not a fish biologist and don't study fish digestive systems, but I would guess that when a fish is swallowed ... it is just going to be dissolved in the stomach, no? I would assume fish have stomach acid or something similiar.

And if this is the case.. is being dissolved my acid any better than being torn in half in the water? Is it really any less "cruel?"

If this isn't the case, can someone give a quick fish digestive tract lesson please lol.
 
Another thing to consider is that fish being ripped apart effects your water quality more IMO
 
the fish swallowed whole is just in the mouth and slowly will be chewed to death
thus swallowed whole or ripped apart both are slow painful death
 
Yea when my catfish eats he sometimes gets gravel with the feederfish so he has to move the goldfish around in his mouth so he can spit the gravel out before swallowing. I'm sure thats not a great expirience.
 
I have an idea:

Don't feed live fish for your own pleasure. I've only had 1 fish that required live food, and I converted it in a month (Chinese Perch, had been raised till 16-17" on feeders by someone else).

I've never owned a fish that couldn't be converted to "dead" food. For example. My pike top minnow which was said to take live only took flakes after 3 days.


If it will absolutely eat nothing but live, then that's alright. Otherwise, it's not necessary, and even if they do it in the wild, it's cruel. IMO, the wild argument is BS since I've never seen someone chuck live fish into a small glass box in the wild.
 
rallysman;2052764; said:
I have an idea:

Don't feed live fish for your own pleasure. I've only had 1 fish that required live food, and I converted it in a month (Chinese Perch, had been raised till 16-17" on feeders by someone else).

I've never owned a fish that couldn't be converted to "dead" food. For example. My pike top minnow which was said to take live only took flakes after 3 days.


If it will absolutely eat nothing but live, then that's alright. Otherwise, it's not necessary, and even if they do it in the wild, it's cruel. IMO, the wild argument is BS since I've never seen someone chuck live fish into a small glass box in the wild.
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I agree.
People seem to ignore the fact that cruel things constantly happen in the wild.
Predators don't much care if they are 'humane' on not.
 
I don't think that diet of pellets is fair for the fish that is used to eat meat/insects in the wild. It is like feeding pellets to dogs without other food.

The only concern about feeding non-pellet food to carnivore fish is water quality imo. Messy eaters (e.g. pirana) should not be given live food to "shred" - instead give it bite sized pieces. Be sure the feeder fish can be swallowed in one hit ... not a problem with aros cos in my experience they tackle food that can be gulped (i admit that frog eating can be messy if the frog is oversized ... guts spilling and all that = dirty water)- not the same for Oscars that slowly "chew" on oversized feeders ... can be disturbing especially if the fish is eaten from tail to head (thus alive for long time).

Finally, all live food carry risk of disease/parasytes. So feed at yourown risk. Some may say that pellet food is better for coloration because of additives - others would say that natural food is better. I say just to be sure use both (with caution for live food)
 
ctoychik;2052867; said:
I don't think that diet of pellets is fair for the fish that is used to eat meat/insects in the wild. It is like feeding pellets to dogs without other food.
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If the fish is captive raised it's more than fair.
If it's wild caught, then the last thing you should worry about is it's food. In that situation it would be accustomed to rivers and/or lakes/oceans so keeping it in a (comparatively) tiny environment would be much worse than only offering pellets IMO.
 
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