Fish Don't Live in a Zombie State so Don't Treat Them Like They Do

re: These Animals Don't Live in a Zombie State, so Don't Treat Them Like They Do

wapdap — 2/16/2016 1:14:58 PM

I can't stand to see these poor fish swimming around and around in a small bowl or tank. Why can't people just leave animals alone to live in their own natural environments. Imagine how we would feel if we were taken from our homes and confined to a small space in a strange place. It makes me sick.

re: These Animals Don't Live in a Zombie State, so Don't Treat Them Like They Do

veganforlife — 2/16/2016 1:01:45 PM

Since it's now accepted that fish do indeed feel pain and demonstrate their capacity for emotions such as anger, and so, in short are sentient, then we have a moral obligation to treat them accordingly. This implies that pulling them out of their element and killing them because we enjoy the way they taste, or distributing them in plastic bags as "prizes" for children at the carnaval, etc. etc. is unethical. The same goes for all the other sentient animals we kill and eat--not out of necessity, but just because of our dietary préférences.

re: These Animals Don't Live in a Zombie State, so Don't Treat Them Like They Do

uff68433 — 2/16/2016 12:01:23 PM

I had a 115 gal salt water aquarium for many years, and can attest to the fact that fish can do all of the above, and even more. Try telling that to a non fish owner though? In their mind they are thinking, yeh, right, no way!

re: These Animals Don't Live in a Zombie State, so Don't Treat Them Like They Do

Laurentha — 2/16/2016 10:48:20 AM

I used to have two goldfish, Harpo and Groucho, that were originally intended to be feeders for my turtle. They grew to be the size of my hand and their tank sat next to my computer. It was not at all unusual for them to come to the corner closest to me and wiggle their bodies at me for food.

I also had a flathead, aka bait, minnow for two years. He did quite well in a very well planted 10g tank.

re: These Animals Don't Live in a Zombie State, so Don't Treat Them Like They Do

Momkastner — 2/16/2016 8:14:37 AM

So here is my moral dilemma....I have two tanks - 110 gal & 29 gal. both long established, so my water is aged. Water is well water-both tanks water tests the same. Here is the problem. Whenever I have introduced plecostomus (algae eater) to the large tank, they die within 2 weeks. They thrive & grow in the 29 gal tank. I now have a pleco that is WAY to large for the small tank he is in-about 10" tip to tail. The small tank is all he has ever known for the last (maybe) 10 years - if I put him in the large tank, there is every likelihood that he will die. But keeping him in the small tank is like keeping a dog in a crate. I really don't know what to do. Input please?

re: These Animals Don't Live in a Zombie State, so Don't Treat Them Like They Do

doctom — 2/15/2016 3:56:44 PM

My 15 year old Murray Cod is very intelligent and graceful and he enjoys his Habitat alone as he is very territorial. He plays with toys in his 600 litre 6' X 2' X 2' Tank moving Marbles around at night and has done regular landscaping whilst enjoying a space to hide and has a large Mallee root to swim through the gaps in the root extensions. He is aware when I have food for him to eat although he cannot see it and as I restrict his diet to keep from outgrowing the Tank as he would be risky to transfer to larger due to his size. I feed him most live live Beetles, Spiders, Insects and large worms and he has even eaten a Dragon Fly, although his favourites are other Fish and Yabbies but as he is getting too large to chase them so aggressively I mainly feed him raw fresh Ox Heart to achieve a balance of safety and natural diet. He is jealous when I feed my large Mastiff or other Aquarium fish and shows aggressive territorial defense behaviour when Mastiff walks past his Tank to feed. He will outlive me by many years and I raised from small fingerling, unfortunately he ate his 3 other siblings in the first month.

re: These Animals Are More Than a ‘Showpiece’ - Give Them Dignity, Respect, and Enrichment

jca652041 — 2/8/2016 10:06:17 AM

We're such a sick species still believing from our ridiculous religious teachings that we are the most important, dominant and only beings that feel pain or experience "life", etc. We still treat our dying earth with a complete lack of respect. Fish are such beautiful beings, but we've destroyed their ocean, lake and river habitats. Maybe you haven't heard of the Murres, a penguin looking shore bird dying by the thousands due to lack of food.....i.e. fish. Yet we continue unsustainable fishing practices to protect "jobs" when most fish stocks have collapsed or are very near collapse. I'm glad that aquarium fish are being given some respect, but if we're just starting to care about the richness of their lives in a bowl think about what we're doing to the wild ones.....they are just as intelligent and their struggles are epic as so many become by catch for a few target species. It's probably too late, but I wish somehow our apathetic population would wake up and understand that nature is finite and scream for it's protection. So sad to see this beautiful earth's destruction.

re: These Animals Are More Than a ‘Showpiece’ - Give Them Dignity, Respect, and Enrichment

wendyb. — 2/8/2016 1:58:34 AM

When I worked in a pet store, there was a goldfish who was blind - without eyes. When I put my hand in the water he learned to recognize that I was there and would swim over and lay in my hand. This always happened with him. He later found a friend who had only one eye and they became buddies and the new friend also took up his trait of coming to me. Realizing that these two would not find a home due to their disfigurements, I took them home. Unfortunately, they came up to greet my cats claws one day. I was devastated.