The last two posts are way off base on this issue...... IMO.
Would YOU like to live your life in a jail cell? Is the behavior of inmates not unlike that which we see with our confined so-called "glass-bangers." Do we not see pathological behavior in zoo animals kept in unnatural conditions? The zookeepers of the world have learned that what was acceptable in the past was far from what was needed. As a result, we see the much more natural and expansive exhibits of today, and the longevity, behavior, and breeding success of captive animals is much improved.
.......and the "all aquariums are bad since they're smaller than a lake" argument is only relevant when dealing with species whose natural territory is an entire lake. Many cichlids, for instance, spend the majority of their time in a very small area, and that can be entirely reproduced in captivity. A pair of cons, for example, would never even use more than a few square feet provided there was plenty of food (and in captivity there always is!). BUT, the reasoning I quoted above, though irrelevant for many species is VERY relevant to monster fish. To expect a huge animal -- a fairly intelligent one at that -- to exist in an environment just slightly larger than its own body size is both unrealistic and quite selfish.
The phrase "Japanese Style" aquarium is a touch insulting. Please spare me the fancy label for a run of the mill overstocked aquarium. Nitrate levels may be your concern, but I wonder what measuring stick the fish are using to quanitfy their happiness? Stress levels are through the roof in such setups, and terming them "Japanese Style" is just a euphemism for "too many big fish in too small a tank" (and that phenomenon is certainly not limited to Japan!).
People need to be responsible and selfless enough not to keep fish they cannot properly house. Heck, even the attitude toward what is proper gets skewed by the gang mentality of boards like this. I can't think of a single monster species that can't be almost exactly replicated by a more easily maintained micro-species!
Would YOU like to live your life in a jail cell? Is the behavior of inmates not unlike that which we see with our confined so-called "glass-bangers." Do we not see pathological behavior in zoo animals kept in unnatural conditions? The zookeepers of the world have learned that what was acceptable in the past was far from what was needed. As a result, we see the much more natural and expansive exhibits of today, and the longevity, behavior, and breeding success of captive animals is much improved.
.......and the "all aquariums are bad since they're smaller than a lake" argument is only relevant when dealing with species whose natural territory is an entire lake. Many cichlids, for instance, spend the majority of their time in a very small area, and that can be entirely reproduced in captivity. A pair of cons, for example, would never even use more than a few square feet provided there was plenty of food (and in captivity there always is!). BUT, the reasoning I quoted above, though irrelevant for many species is VERY relevant to monster fish. To expect a huge animal -- a fairly intelligent one at that -- to exist in an environment just slightly larger than its own body size is both unrealistic and quite selfish.
The phrase "Japanese Style" aquarium is a touch insulting. Please spare me the fancy label for a run of the mill overstocked aquarium. Nitrate levels may be your concern, but I wonder what measuring stick the fish are using to quanitfy their happiness? Stress levels are through the roof in such setups, and terming them "Japanese Style" is just a euphemism for "too many big fish in too small a tank" (and that phenomenon is certainly not limited to Japan!).
People need to be responsible and selfless enough not to keep fish they cannot properly house. Heck, even the attitude toward what is proper gets skewed by the gang mentality of boards like this. I can't think of a single monster species that can't be almost exactly replicated by a more easily maintained micro-species!
