What a Fish Goes through Before we get Him

[patsheridan]

To feed most Supermodels all you have to do is spray some chicken soup in their face once or twice a day. I worked with quite a few of them and I sometimes helped with their feeding.

Ah yes, I can see it now - the title of your next book: "The Supermodel's Guide to Reefing - Forward by (insert name here)"

 

[Paul B]

Sounds great, I will think about it

 

[ca1ore]

Acquaintance of mine, a former long time marine fish wholesaler, always used to say that the mortality rate of fish from initial capture to surviving 1 year in the hobby was over 90%. If one thinks about the collection steps they go through, I doubt that number has improved all that much since.

 

[Bluecbs]

We can only do our level best for the fish, but imho, nothing beats the ocean

 

[Paul B]

That is true, the fish will always be better in the ocean, the only difference is that in the ocean, fish always get eaten alive or they suffocate on the deck of a ship. They have a lousy life no matter where they are.
I am not sure if they are any happier in my tank, but they normally die of old age there. Of course, if they can think, and I am not sure what they are thinking, they may live a lonely life in a tank especially if they don't have a mate or if the only mates available are homely. But I don't know if fish have any feelings besides remorse.

 

[BBoley24]

Paul it's a whole lot more complicated than that.

 

[james983]

Paul, your posts never disappoint.

 

[Webslinger]

I had a fish fry last night, he was delicious. I wounder what that fish went through before he ended up in my tummy.

 

[Paul B]

Paul it's a whole lot more complicated than that.

Yes it is, but I couldn't fit the history of the earth in that paragraph.
I also do not know what fish are thinking or if they are thinking and neither does anyone else. But I do know that fish don't die of old age in the sea.

I had a fish fry last night, he was delicious. I wounder what that fish went through before he ended up in my tummy.

I had halibut last night, just for the hall o bit. I eat fish a few times a week and I know how they died because my family was I the sea food business.
They gently coax the fish into very comfortable nets, then put them in lounge chairs under water in the air conditioned hold of Mega cruise ships. Then after 10 or 15 years the fish die of old age and they are carefully lifted out of those chairs, filleted, broiled and thrown on a plate.

 

[BBoley24]

Lay off the grass Paul!!!

 

[Paul B]

Lay off the grass Paul!!!

I grew up in the 60s. We invented that stuff. Now I just mow it. Well, at least my gardener does.

 

[BBoley24]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah

I'm using that one

 

[Bluecbs]

Well we don't know if dying of old age is their preferred ending, dying at the sea is part of the life cycle (remember Lion King )...and dying of old age doesn't necessarily mean a happy death right, hmmm......what i mean...even the bestest aquarium like at the Sea World or Dubai Mall, if you make an opening connecting to the sea, I'm pretty sure the aquarium will be empty in a matter of days, if not hours....something about freedom that nothing can substitue, imho

 

[Paul B]

I am not saying dying of old age is the best thing. But If I had the choice of living in a small compound and being fed every day or get eaten by lions, I would prefer the former.
If we are going to keep fish, I think they would rather die older than waste away with the wrong food until they get sick and are then subjected to all sorts of medications, then die anyway.
If your fish are staying alive and spawning, they are as healthy as they can be and if they could smile, I think, in some tanks, they would.

 

[FlyinBryan]

Oh my word, it's just a fish. It's well written, but entertaining. This is what happens when we humanize animals in cartoons.

 

[scriptmonkey]

Oh my word, it's just a fish. It's well written, but entertaining. This is what happens when we humanize animals in cartoons.

Not really sure I agree with you on this but it is ok...it is the internets, we can disagree. Humanizing this problem is not necessarily a bad thing. I mean it might cause people to think the next time the see a fish they have to get because it is all the rage and knowing in the back of their mind that the chance of success is poor because they have a 10 gallon tank. If people continue to have the "oh well it was only a fish" attitude and start depleting the oceans of the species that we collect governments will be forced to act and lock it down or we will have $500-$1000 species of fish (oh wait that is already happening).

 

[Bluecbs]

Heheh, just discussing here, or sensibly rambling???, but Paul, I would choose to face the lion, i might live (lion sleeps most of the time), and get to see the Victoria Falls.....wow

 

[FlyinBryan]

Not really sure I agree with you on this but it is ok...it is the internets, we can disagree. Humanizing this problem is not necessarily a bad thing. I mean it might cause people to think the next time the see a fish they have to get because it is all the rage and knowing in the back of their mind that the chance of success is poor because they have a 10 gallon tank. If people continue to have the "oh well it was only a fish" attitude and start depleting the oceans of the species that we collect governments will be forced to act and lock it down or we will have $500-$1000 species of fish (oh wait that is already happening).

And there it is..the almighty 'Government' the solution to every mans ills. The ocean will not run out of fish..ever.
That does not translate into me advocating want and waste of fish, I know that's the next play here. But the LFS, do a pretty good job.
Fish neither have thought or memory.
Cute story though.

 

[Webslinger]

I don't know, my fish remember me. They say hi every morning. Except one, but he isn't to thoughtful.

 

[scriptmonkey]

And there it is..the almighty 'Government' the solution to every mans ills. The ocean will not run out of fish..ever.
That does not translate into me advocating want and waste of fish, I know that's the next play here. But the LFS, do a pretty good job.
Fish neither have thought or memory.
Cute story though.

I am not a pro government advocate, everything they get involved with usually turns into crap and that is why it is important to avoid it. I do not agree with the ocean will not run out of fish, I mean there are already species that are considered threatened or endangered that we keep, one off the top of my head is the Banggai cardinalfish, it was placed on the list early last year.

When I had my first tank 10 years ago, I would feed my fish at the same corner of the tank every feeding. It got to the point when I came up to the tank they would all congregate in the same corner every time thinking it was grub time. I don't know, that would leave me to believe they have some sort of mental capacity, not saying it is enough to put them on the moon or anything, but at least some.