Do you ever feel bad about..

[SaracensRugby]

So been thinking lately, does anyone ever feel bad about keeping fish that are used to acres and acres of ocean to swim in (tangs for instance), and they get cooped up in small boxes of water? Corals ok they are stationary so thats cool. I love the hobby and have no plans on quitting, but there are brief moments where I feel like I have the fish version of a zoo. Like my purple tang is the equivalent of a lion in a cage at the zoo, he could do so much more, but the cage reduces him to pacing back and forth.

Is it just me?

 

[Peach02]

I think everyone feels this to some degree.
Captive bread fish make this more ethical as they have never experienced the ocean so can't miss it
With tangs I believe that if they have enough room to swim, have a reliable food source (you) and have a mate, (we can't control this realistically as they often kill each other) but if a fish has those three things it is happy and we provide two of those three

 

[Phycodurus]

Personally, I think any responsible reefer has these sentiments in the back of their mind. It’s incentivizes is to keep up on good husbandry. Respectfully said.

 

[Sailingeric]

Our fish will live longer lives than in the wild, so that is how I feel good about keeping my fish

 

[Peach02]

Our fish will live longer lives than in the wild, so that is how I feel good about keeping my fish

depends on the fish but survival rate is higher for most fish but life expectancy past juveniles is lower

 

[juanrmattos]

I think we all feel like that at one time or another, at the same time gives me full relief to think that Im exchanging a sincere commitment/attachment, full care and safety for the privilege of enjoyment .

 

[CindyKz]

I actually think of this frequently. I work hard to keep fish below the minimum tank requirements (in my 180 I don't plan to have anything Live Aquaria rates over 125 gallons), feed well, etc etc.

But I still worry.

 

[Punchanello]

I think about it often. I'm not for a second suggesting that a tank is a better place to be than the ocean for a fish, but the ocean is also a brutal world. Every fish can be eaten by something (except maybe sharks but for them there's humans) and/or every fish is fighting for their place in a social hierarchy until they die. I want to avoid making their existence any more brutal than that, but the reality is that catching, shipping and a life in captivity is just that.

It's important in my mind to do the best I can by the animal. It's hard to ignore that each is an individual with a personality of sorts and should be treated that way. Not as disposable.

Bring on more captive bred species. It's really the only sustainable future for the hobby.

 

[leedsrhinojohn]

While we all think what we do is right and proper Is it really ethical to keep fish in a rectangle box? no its not if we are honest, can I live with the fact that its not ethical? yes I can.
We humans are a selfish breed and will always do what we want to do, so while I think its unethical to keep fish in a small rectangle box, I do so for my own personal pleasure, and I can live with that.
While there maybe people out there thinking how nice it would be to keep a fish tank but don't because they know its wrong and couldn't do it, everybody else on the planet who keep fish know its wrong or unethical but can live with that fact.
The majority of people I would say think zoo's are cruel and unethical and not right but how many of them have taken their kids to the zoo?

 

[EmdeReef]

As long as you provide a good living environment - make sure your fish are healthy and quarantined, feed them well and ensure there’s no aggression I feel it’s fine. Im
One of those people who feel really bad when a fish I had dies, even in QT so I try to do my best.

I try, whenever I can, to buy captive bred fish.

As a diver, on a break, I’ve witnessed reefs at night and quite frankly not the most pleasant places to be. I’m not sure if the fish in our tanks ever get less stressed than that but I hope they do over time.

In the end it’s not all that different than owning dogs that were bred for herding, running, hunting etc.i like to believe my pups are happy

 

[Mark Gray]

My wife says it's fish jail, but I tell her it safe for them and show her videos of fish being eaten in the Oceans

 

[leedsrhinojohn]

My wife says it's fish jail, but I tell her it safe for them and show her videos of fish being eaten in the Oceans

That is like putting a person in jail, not because of a crime but because he wont face the perils and dangers of being free. Lets put little johnny in a prison, that way he wont get run over by a bus or get killed by a mugger or murderer the list goes on.
Not a very good argument to keep fish i'm afraid

 

[Mark Gray]

That is like putting a person in jail, not because of a crime but because he wont face the perils and dangers of being free. Lets put little johnny in a prison, that way he wont get run over by a bus or get killed by a mugger or murderer the list goes on.
Not a very good argument to keep fish i'm afraid

Well I would surely take the safe spot If I was cared for like I care for my fish

 

[leedsrhinojohn]

Well I would surely take the safe spot If I was cared for like I care for my fish

I am sure you care for your fish as passionately as I and most people do, but I have yet to see a valid justification for keeping fish, I cant even justify keeping fish myself but I can live with it.

 

[Mark Gray]

I am sure you care for your fish as passionately as I and most people do, but I have yet to see a valid justification for keeping fish, I cant even justify keeping fish myself but I can live with it.

I can understand, I try to feed live at least 4 times a week, and now that my wife is sort of stuck in the house she won't say it but has fallen in love with a couple fish. Hope it continues afer she gets well.

 

[Hypnotoad]

Having done a lot of diving and seeing how much ground tangs cover, I’d feel weird about ever putting one in a tank.

That said, I’ve seen animals in captivity, especially at crappy old zoos as a kid, that looked like they were losing their mind and been really sad about it. Tangs in healthy tanks look mellow and content, and stressed tangs seem to die fast.

I don’t know what it’s like to be a fish and how much of a spirit there is to break there, but I’m pretty sure it’s not as tough for them to be in a cage as a tiger or something.

I do believe there are many fish and reptiles and such that would be content to occupy a tiny space in the wild if food just came to them all the time.

I still prefer to keep smaller fish that don’t cover a lot of ground in the wild.

 

[leedsrhinojohn]

I can understand, I try to feed live at least 4 times a week, and now that my wife is sort of stuck in the house she won't say it but has fallen in love with a couple fish. Hope it continues afer she gets well.

I think some people fail to realise how attached people can get to fish, I treat mine as pets not fish.
Hope your wife gets better soon.

 

[EmdeReef]

I am sure you care for your fish as passionately as I and most people do, but I have yet to see a valid justification for keeping fish, I cant even justify keeping fish myself but I can live with it.

I think this is taking it a bit too far, with respect. There’s no justification for keeping dogs or cats or birds you name it. But we do as pets...

If you want to feel better about keeping fish, I can highly recommend a nighttime dive in the pacific when sharks and other larger fish feed. It’s beyond eerie and many of the cute fish we keep get mercilessly eaten.

Yes tangs cover lots of ground but that’s in search of food, algae isn’t as abundant on reefs. More recent research into tangs is indicating some are not swimming as much in areas that have more algae.

Many fish barely leave their few square feet of the reef unless forced out by new younger/stronger fish.

 

[leedsrhinojohn]

I think this is taking it a bit too far, with respect. There’s no justification for keeping dogs or cats or birds you name it. But we do as pets...

If you want to feel better about keeping fish, I can highly recommend a nighttime dive in the pacific when sharks and other larger fish feed. It’s beyond eerie and many of the cute fish we keep get mercilessly eaten.

Yes tangs cover lots of ground but that’s in search of food, algae isn’t as abundant on reefs. More recent research into tangs is indicating some are not swimming as much in areas that have more algae.

Many fish barely leave their few square feet of the reef unless forced out by new younger/stronger fish.

Who said I want to feel better about fishkeeping? I have no problem with fishkeeping, I just cant justify it just like you cant except to say it is a selfish thing to do but I can live with that.

I can highly recommend a nighttime dive in the pacific when sharks and other larger fish feed. It’s beyond eerie and many of the cute fish we keep get mercilessly eaten.

They are not mercilessly eaten, they are eaten for food, its nature.

Yes tangs cover lots of ground but that’s in search of food, algae isn’t as abundant on reefs. More recent research into tangs is indicating some are not swimming as much in areas that have more algae.

I never even mentioned tangs.

All i want is for people to be honest and just admit that they keep fish for selfish reasons because that is what humans do and stop trying to justify.
At least i am honest enough to say i keep fish for my own personal pleasure as does everybody else who keeps fish. There is no other reason so stop trying to justify the unjustifiable.

 

[EmdeReef]

Who said I want to feel better about fishkeeping? I have no problem with fishkeeping, I just cant justify it just like you cant except to say it is a selfish thing to do but I can live with that.


They are not mercilessly eaten, they are eaten for food, its nature.


I never even mentioned tangs.

All i want is for people to be honest and just admit that they keep fish for selfish reasons because that is what humans do and stop trying to justify.
At least i am honest enough to say i keep fish for my own personal pleasure as does everybody else who keeps fish. There is no other reason so stop trying to justify the unjustifiable.

Alright friend take a break...