Do you ever feel guilty about keeping fish?

Sometimes, while watching my fish swim to one end of the tank to the other I wonder if I'm being cruel. It's usually with the bigger fish that I feel like that. Perhaps the tank's too small whatever.

Have any of you thought anything like that before?

Not me, but

I don't feel guilty, but I also don't feel comfortable buying any fish or 3 or 4 inches. I think I might feel guilty with a bigger fish in my tanks (my largest is a 55). I think if I had larger fish, I'd probably have some pangs of guilt.

I try not to think about it
Here a thought, what's the odds of that fish making it in the wild?
enjoy Frannie you just save its life:angel2:

Only when I kill them.

Conscience is pretty clear with captive-breds. Wilds are another story and one of the many reasons I try and avoid them.

But life expectancy in captivity generally far better than in the wild, especially these days (depending on the captor).

thats 100 percent the reason i stopped keeping saltwater fish. i could just see the poor suckers in there dreaming of the ocean. with captive bred fish its not so bad, they seem to only want a little rock to hide under where other fish don't bother them.

Na i dont feel quilty. When well taken care of they seem very happy in my tanks. and at least they dont have to watch for birds of prey or a drought. LOL I do feel sorry for the fish that gets a bad owner or ends up at walmart or one of the chain stores.

I don't feel bad about any of the fish that I keep. When I feel bad is when I see a very large, wild caught fish sitting in what the owner or store considers a "big tank". To know that fish was happy in a lake or river for probably more than a decade, only to spend its final days in a glass box does not sit well with me.

Oooopss

mchambers said:

I don't feel guilty, but I also don't feel comfortable buying any fish or 3 or 4 inches. I think I might feel guilty with a bigger fish in my tanks (my largest is a 55). I think if I had larger fish, I'd probably have some pangs of guilt.

Click to expand...

Poor typing: I meant "any fish bigger than 3 or 4 inches".

Feeling Guilty?

ABSOLUTELY NOT. I try to learn as much of the species I am keeping or will kept. I try to feed them as much variety food, and provide an environment where they (if done correctly) thrive. I am very meticulous with the weekly 90% water changes (my fish really like that!). Some of the species we all have will end up living longer in our tanks than nature. Also, I believe we should educate others about what are the best ways to keep healthy and "happy" fish.

I am confident that practically all CCA members really try their best to have their fish in good condition. If that is not possible we may donate, sell them, and sometimes even euthanize them (if sick/injure).

As a veterinarian, I have deal with different species, from fish to chimpanzees. I have even have to use some species (laboratory mice/rats) for research studies. My goal was always try to alleviate pain and suffering when possible.

Manuel

I do my best to provide best care possible for my fish in as big of tanks as I can provide for them. But sometimes, I do feel bad for the wild fish in my tank. I have a few wild discus and wonder if they miss being in the river. But I really doubt it. They probably don't really know what's going on other than somethings changed and that they are somewhere completely different. I am sure it happens in the wild. So I don't feel bad for too long.

I feel bad too Franny. But, they don't have the ability to think or feel so that helps me deal with it.

I THINK THE FISH I KEEP ARE SPOILED AND FARE WAY BETTER THEN THEY WOULD IN THE WILD...NO PREDATORS , CLEAN WATER, MEDICAL TREATMENT, GREAT FOOD, AND HUMANS TO KEEP MY LIVING QUARTERS CLEAN ALL THE TIME. I FEEL AS MUCH GUILT AS THAT SHARK THAT CATCHES ONE OF US EVERY NOW AND THEN AND EATS A HUMAN....NONE AT ALL.

What you say?

longstocking said:

I feel bad too Franny. But, they don't have the ability to think or feel so that helps me deal with it.

Click to expand...

Maybe not to the extent that they are 'self-aware' in the manner of humans (some of us anyway), but as to do they "think and feel" - absolutely, albeit less so than birds but maybe more than reptiles and amphibians.

'Feeling' per se is universal among living organisms (even plants), as response to stimulus is principally deterministic for survival - most just don't make careers out of it, rather more of a good/bad- yes/no processing that dictates behavior/response. That sort of limits 'thinking' in some respects - fish are very unlikely to override (decide against) their 'instincts', e.g., head toward danger, but they do learn things/in ways that seem to exceed what can be explained by simple conditioning.

Not trying to lecture here, but if it has nerves, it feels, and if it has a brain, it thinks. Maybe not very well or logically or sophisticated-like, but I could say the same about some people (all CCA members excepted) and it wouldn't be a lie.

Apologies- just felt a need to stand up for my (stoopid) fish.