Blackwater - everything you mentioned regarding the benefits you give your fish is all that a companion of any kind would want - whether it be a dog, cat, reptile or other. There are however levels of cruelty that occur when it comes to all animals when in the wrong hands. You know if the animals you keep are unhealthy or unhappy imo.
Is fishkeeping cruel?
- Thread starter OnceLoyal
- Start date
It's all about respect. And I think a matter of gratitude on our part.
I don't know if this will make sense to anyone, and the fish probably don't care. But I think it is important to acknowledge not just what we give to them, but what they give to us. That kind of changes things from just trapping a thing we dominate.
Like those old ladies who call goldfish their babies and OH! How much they love those fish! I think we should acknowledge to the animal not just how much we do for them. But also what they give to us. Acknowledge why they are in that little box, for us. They give that lonely old lady something to love. And maybe a reason for her to not just lay down and die.
That's respect. Not just cruel usage.
But if you are keeping living things and ignoring their needs (I don't mean clean water) except when you want to get off watching them kill each other...that has no respect. That's just the cruelty of humans.
I don't know...maybe it's a spiritual equality thing.
Probably sounds silly to talk that way about a fish.
But when I eat a meal, I don't thank God. I thank the animal that gave it's life to me.
Crazy?
I don't know if this will make sense to anyone, and the fish probably don't care. But I think it is important to acknowledge not just what we give to them, but what they give to us. That kind of changes things from just trapping a thing we dominate.
Like those old ladies who call goldfish their babies and OH! How much they love those fish! I think we should acknowledge to the animal not just how much we do for them. But also what they give to us. Acknowledge why they are in that little box, for us. They give that lonely old lady something to love. And maybe a reason for her to not just lay down and die.
That's respect. Not just cruel usage.
But if you are keeping living things and ignoring their needs (I don't mean clean water) except when you want to get off watching them kill each other...that has no respect. That's just the cruelty of humans.
I don't know...maybe it's a spiritual equality thing.
Probably sounds silly to talk that way about a fish.
But when I eat a meal, I don't thank God. I thank the animal that gave it's life to me.
Crazy?
One could go on for days weighing the pros and cons of this debate. The best answer to your question would simply be to ask yourself if how you keep your fish is how you would want to be kept if you were a fish. I think you feel that you do an adequate job of providing for your fish, so your answer would probably be, no, it's not cruel.
Spankbelly;1933742; said:
it not only little old ladies, 25yo men do to lol. my fish are my babies and i would be lost without them. i actually cried when i gave Don my saum away cos he was a great little guy. lol no cheeky insults please i just love animals more than people.
cichlid2006;1933767; said:
No insults.
That's what I was talking about. Just acknowledge what they give to you. Or what they bring out in yourself.
Then it's not just take take take.
Onion01;1933710; said:
with this, if one is a serious fish keeper then the fish will receive 100% better care then they would receive in the wild...but of course you get the unexperienced\uneducated fish keepers that cause more harm then good because they dont know any better and your average LFS employee doesnt know enough to educate anyone...
To answer this question I guess you would have to be a fish and it would depend on what personality you have. Fish are probably nothing like humans but if they are smart then think of it like a human. If someone were to take you away from having to pay for gas and food, rent, etc not to mention dealing with people who want to be jerks and rob you or murder you. Then they pluck you away and put you in your own house with nice people who share your interests and they feed you all you can possibly eat and provide the best living conditions then I guess to me it would depend. But there is also the family issue. I would love to be plucked away and put in my own house to do my own thing 100% free of all the worlds pain and anger but unfortunately no one collects humans 
If fish do remember their parents and family it would be hard I guess but if they don't then I don't think they mind a bit.
That is just my view on the subject but wrong or right you know deep down in side as long as you take good care of your fish and they are healthy and fed well then I don't think it is cruel.
If fish do remember their parents and family it would be hard I guess but if they don't then I don't think they mind a bit. That is just my view on the subject but wrong or right you know deep down in side as long as you take good care of your fish and they are healthy and fed well then I don't think it is cruel.
in the wild, only the strong survive. in our aquarium, we can basically make the smallest, weakest, most deformed fish survive and thrive for years.
its a trade off in the end. yes they are being kept in a glass tank MUCH smaller than nature. however, in our tanks they have the absolute best nutrition, water quality and conditions and no predation.
give me a choice of fending for myself in the world as fish would in the wild, or being confined to a small room with the best of things in life, and ill stay in the room.
its a trade off in the end. yes they are being kept in a glass tank MUCH smaller than nature. however, in our tanks they have the absolute best nutrition, water quality and conditions and no predation.
give me a choice of fending for myself in the world as fish would in the wild, or being confined to a small room with the best of things in life, and ill stay in the room.
None of these fish could ever be kept in their wild habitat anyway since most have been mass bred and would die in their natural ecosystem. So you can no longer take the "free willy" perspective anymore and it's now about proper feeding care and not allowing poor fish to breed.
