Ok, well here is my thoughts. I am double sided here. on the one hand, yes, i am somewhat immature, and to be honest do get a sort of enjoyment out of committing savage acts on animals every now and then and I even think its funny sometimes. I enjoy watching the hunt when i put feeders in my tanks. I have even had my buddies over and placed bets on which feeder would last the longest. I like watching animals fight. ( I would never put them together for that sole purpose however) Do I enjoy watching animals suffer though? no. Do I condone putting an animal in a tank that it will surely die in, but how ever know it will take a long time and it will be miserable? no. Will I turn into a serial killer when I "grow up"? (I am 22) no. I realize that seems almost contradictory, but I do have a conscience, and have felt bad after a couple of the things I have done.
The fact is all of us have some privative urges and desires in us, some of us more than others, and some of us act on them much more than others as well. That is where most of this comes from. I wouldn’t and don’t brag about how big and bad and man my fish are, and I certainly don’t put videos of carnage online for all to see. My point with this is, that the claims that people keep them and do the types of things you have seen on the videos soley for bragging rights is just not true. I keep my fish because I enjoy them. Not to show them off.
As for the whole feeding them live food because its emulates nature, or they wont eat anything else, ok, I am with you on that. Honestly though, if you are trying to use that as an argument to your favor or to make you look more compassionate, it doesn’t fly. You have that kind of fish for a reason. If it really pained you to feed them live food you wouldn’t be keeping those types of fish.
I am trying to keep this as objective as possible, and don’t want to offend any one here, so don’t take anything here as a personal attack.
thoroughly enjoying this thread every one.
