"Japanese style" = "excuse to overstock"?

[santoury]

Miguel is right. I started off with explaining the reasons for my doing so, and how the fish fare.

I have never seen a Japan style tank with unhealthy fish. Did you guys notice this, too? (Except of course for those at asian markets, but those don't count, because they are food, not pets.)

 

[islander671]

There is a similar themed thread on the catfish forum:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75177

I live in Japan currently. Believe me when I say space is SHORT!! You have to be here to understand. I feel (huge generalization here) that many Japanese people WOULD give their fish more room if they could. Its not always money that is the problem and they are fanatical fish keepers.... thats why I am here actually. Their knowledge and expertise is well proven since even supermarkets and corner stores/convenience stores all transport and keep live food fish. Understand why you refer to Japanese stocked tanks but feel people should also have some insight as to why.

Well said. i have noticed though, that when you do come across monster tanks here in japan they are definitly HUGE.

 

[islander671]

No it seems that instead it's just a power trip for those people,something to show off."How much money worth of fish can I stuff in one tank?".For some people Its like their Bling Bling or something.

I have to disagree with this statement, the Japanese as a people are more modest in that sense. Alot of the fishkeepers with the tanks you describe are hobbyist like us who spend alot of money on fish because its something they love doing. The Japanese fishkeepers i know dont have large expensive houses or cars that would hint at that type of "showy" behaviour, but live somewhat modestly, but like us are willing to spend alot of money on fish that they really enjoy.

 

[ilubtaimei]

I think people are over excited with the "space for fish" theme.

if we are really honest, all fish captivity, be it tanks, be it ponds, be it John Ptc's or that 50,000 gl over in Canada, is unsuitable for most fish species and we are not giving them the space they are entitled to have as living beings.

So let us all forget fishkeeping and let us all "free" our fish..

I do not agree with you, Senor. I like "japanese style" fishkeeping...it is a centuries old, time honoured, practice .

Beyond that, one just has to look at the pix of "j-tanks ( to call it short )and one will see that in most cases they are the ones with the "better" water and with healthier looking fish, and that is because, usually, they are kept by very savy guys who know very well what they are doing.

I, for one, will not refrain myself from adding a new fish to the tank, ( agressivity issues obviously pondered ) just on account of space.

M

200000% agreed,j-spec rocks!!!!!!

 

[carolinafishkeeper]

I agree. I always have seen it as inhumane to overstock.

shoot, it's inhumane to keep fish in tanks but we all do it

 

[big train]

I have never done a jap style tank because most of my fish are spawning pairs of cichlids and each pair has their own tank.I can see how many can say that the jap style is over crowded and stressful for the fish with so many tankmates of varyring species competing with one another.On the other hand the japenese mfk style is very attractive to the hobbyist with it's many different combonations of fish and atitudes displayed by them interacting with one another and if the fish are healthy and water peramiters correct it's hard to argue about a great looking tank shoaling with lots of all our favorite fish:grin.A japenese tank it's like a overcrowded jail with many different types of prisoners and atitudes all trying to get along if u keep the prison clean and the prisoners well fed and healthy u can maintain peace for the most part.Over crowding is just the way of life for prisoners and the same for captive fish it sucks but that's the hand life has dealed u. Most folks the general public not mfkers just don't care that a fish is stressed and if it dies they get a new 1 or 5 in it's place it will be a tough veiw to change i am a bit torn myself on the topic there may or may not be a jap style tank in my fishy future.

 

[cichlaguapote]

Mind you that these tanks have about 30-40K in them with the aros and dats in them so i think they would know what they are doing

That's your price.. some things like leo's will be high priced everywhere but I think you're overexagerationg on price..

 

[Miguel]

That's your price.. some things like leo's will be high priced everywhere but I think you're overexagerationg on price..

He could not be..imagine a tank full of snows

 

[Fabio's Dad]

I have to disagree with this statement, the Japanese as a people are more modest in that sense. Alot of the fishkeepers with the tanks you describe are hobbyist like us who spend alot of money on fish because its something they love doing. The Japanese fishkeepers i know dont have large expensive houses or cars that would hint at that type of "showy" behaviour, but live somewhat modestly, but like us are willing to spend alot of money on fish that they really enjoy.

Hi, my name's David KOYAMA and I can assure you that Japanese people are just as 'showy' as anyone else. Sometimes in different ways, but it's a huge part of the culture to note one's statis in one way or another. Believe me, there wouldn't be any steak preparing restaurants in Japan if a few people didn't like frivilously spending a few bucks. It seems that the showiness is more in the quality of things than the look for many japanese that I know.
As for me, I don't care for habitat conditions for the fish except for what I get out of it. I keep my discus under as little stress as possible so they lay eggs. I keep my monsters in a large tank so they won't stunt. I don't really care about their rights. I've eaten way more fish than I've owned. The only reason I think species should not be extinct, is so people can experience living with them. truthfully, I think that many are this way, but can't admit it to themselves. I do have compassion, just not life altering compassion. they're just fish. I have flushed many, because I didn't like them, too! As far as never being in as good as place as nature....In nature there are many preditors. (Sometimes in tanks, too!) But really, many are taken care of in safer conditions than they would live in in nature. So there's my two bits.

 

[islander671]

good point as far as there being 40-50K worth of fish in some of these "Japanese-style" setups,It does imply that they know their way around a sump and a wet/dry to be keeping the fish alive,but not necessarily that they "know what they are doing",]

These too can be argued as (although not in heavily stocked tanks) many of these hobbyist have had success with fish such as arowanas and many other species to spawn in home aquaria. So there has to be something that these fishkeepers do right. And these are the same hobbyists that keep "full tanks"
Here in Japan, fish keeping is more than just a hobby to alot of keepers. to many of them it is a passion inspired art. not just in the Monster fish keeping area but also in many smaller species and planted aquaria.