Fish are FRIENDS, not expendable!

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For me, how attached one is toward their fish is their own thing. If they see a dead fish as "not too bad cause they're cheap" or even as a terrible ordeal, that's fine as long as the care given during the animals life was the best an owner can provide. If your cousin does all he can for a fish to provide the best home possible, but still sees it as "just a $1.00 fish," then that's not so bad to me. Attachment and feelings on expendability are personal things, it's only when those feelings translate into poor care that things get bad.

Ex- I had an oto catfish die on me recently. I tried feeding him/her EVERYTHING from bleached spinach to marine algae to algae covered rocks from another aquarium. Despite my efforts, he/she died after a few weeks. I was sad, but glad that it was only a $2 fish and not a discus or anything.
 
were they wild or feeder guppies. I know those litterly are a dime a dozen and keeping them alive in a tank is much better then feeding them to a bigger fish, but they do tend to die fast and im sure it wasn't his fault or a big deal.
 
I think part of the reason for the "it's just a fish attitude" is many aquarium owners aren't very good about care and lose fish more frequently.
They don't have a clue how long the fish can really live or they think it's a made up number.

My first Betta lived 6 years.
My current Cherry Barbs and Harlequin Rasboras are over 5 years old. I preached to customers how LONG fish can really live with good care !!!

Some people still won't care. Fish tanks are just decoration. Not "real" pets.

No one believes me when I first tell them Goldfish can live over 20years. I think the record for a Comet is 39 years ?
 
I guess im on both sides of the fence, or maybe right down the middle..

I adore my fish and do all I am capable of to keep them well and happy... on the other hand if I end up with one dead despite my efforts to protect and save it, then thats what was meant to be.

I started with 2 snails in my tank, and they are my favourite I love watching them..one died a week ago it never grew the same as the other, I even tried feeding it seperately from its other buddy snail...but he still died...i wasnt heart broken ....sometimes it just happens

however its not like im just gonna go an replace it either, im fine with the one in there, it is robust and healthy and keeps me entertained
 
I don't understand the mentality of fish being expendable, and I'll admit that I do get a little emotional when I lose one, or worse, have to put one down, but I understand that people have their own opinions that nothing will change, and as to my outlook on killing animals, I've never liked killing fish even though I'm an avid fisherman, and I even release the "junk" fish like panfish, carp, and catfish, will never kill spiders (much to the wife's dismay, she tells me to kill it and I just put it outside) or bugs (don't get me started on chasing them down in the house to get them back outside...), but I'm an avid hunter and have no qualms about rifling a squirrel or arrowing a deer (even though I still feel a little guilty after taking the shot :( ), so some may still see me as "cruel".
 
mysticeel said:
"I shall call him 'Squishy,' and he shall be mine, and he shall be my Squishy.

sorry I had to do it ^^

Even though my lfs is willing to help anyone out with their sick fish. He tells me how some of his customers will flush their sick fish down the toilet. He wishes they would be more human and put them into the freezer, because they will fall asleep and feel no pain. Unfortunately that is the way life is. I am all for eating fish and meat. I personally go out of my way to buy only farmed raised fish (i am lucky that I have access to farm raised fish, while other countries don't have this luxury). Even though I am one person that is at least 1 fish that does not have to be removed from the ocean. At the same time there are so many more people bring fish to the edge of extinction from over fishing such as leaf sea dragons and blue fin tuna. I believe there should be a balance...but than that would be more of a political view -.^
Click to expand...

The root problem for over fishing is the same as for most natural resources. It is the reason we are now seeing our food including meat (No animals needed just DNA and chemicals) being grown in labs. OVER POPULATION! Nature can't keep up with the rate Humans and other species numbers continue to grow.
 
As humans we have the luxury of being at the top of the food chain. All other animals and plant matter are our source of food, or means of survival. So yes, in a sense fish like all animals are expendable. However, when we take animals out of their natural habitat and into our homes or place of business we take responsibility for their well being. This without question changes the expendable argument. Once we take an animal into our homes/life we need to provide it with all that nature intended it to have and provide a healthy environment.

All of these other arguments about bugs, insects, bees and other uninvited guest are not comparable. That is unless you have welcomed them into your home and taken responsibility for their well being.
 
If your cousin has a well established and cared for tank, he probably litterly has tons of guppys (as these fish breed like rabbits). So you're telling me that if you have fish and a large number of their offspring your going to get upset every time one of them dies? If that is the case, and its certainly fine for you to have that attitude, I would recommend that you avoid keeping fish such as guppies or swords which are prolific live bearers or even cichlids. Not very many people who keep these types of fish try to keep track of every fish in their aquarium, and while a particularly colorful specimen may attract attention and fondness, the vast majority are simply a part of the group swimming around in the tank. If you have a tank with only a few fish in it, I can understand the caring and concerned attitude, as well as feeling bad about it when one passed away. But generally the attitude changes when one has a larger group of animals.
 
I don't even name my fish. It is not that I don't have an attachment to them but for me there is a difference between keeping them as pets compared to a dog and the attachment I feel. If one of my fish dies I am not unconcerned but I am not as upset as I would be if my dog where to die. Each person is different with there attachment. it also depends on what the guppies where being raised for, are they feeder fish? Also I like e post about the lion fish being nursed back to health and then feed ghost shrimp and mollies. While I don't get upset about this some people keep mollies and GS for pets. So again it goes back to each person. As long as a person keeps the water changed/cleaned and feeds the fish they are good fish keepers in my book.
 
I straddle the fence.

There are certain fish that I name. These are more like dogs to me. When one dies, I do get very emotional about it.

Then there are species like my red cherry shrimp. Yes, I love them, no I don't name them, and when their head count gets large, I net some and feed them as a live protein source to my other tanks.
 
I thread makes me think of people whom name their fish. I'm like a cowboy and his horse, I don't name anything I might have to eat.
 
I agree. They're a pet, and just like any other pet, they rely on us for food, shelter, and liveable conditions. Their price tag should not be an indicator of how we treat them - if you don't want them, don't get them in the first place!
A pet's life is not expendable. If people don't care whether a pet lives or dies, it would be in their best interest to find another home for it.
I'd re-home a fish before I'd just let it die off. I don't care if it cost .20 cents or $200.
 
ASPSplinter said:
I thread makes me think of people whom name their fish. I'm like a cowboy and his horse, I don't name anything I might have to eat.
Click to expand...

I don't think I will have to resort to eating my bettas therefore they all have names. I have 54 of them and they ALL have distinct personalities or colors, that just beg for names.
 
I way I see it is I have these fish, in tanks, in my home, therefore I AM RESPONSIBLE for their health and well-being. It is my choice to keep them as pets so it is now my job to make sure they have everything they need.
I don't name all my fish. Just my favorites, my goldfish and bettas. If one of them where to die I would be sad for a day or so but wouldn't shed a tear. They would get buried in a pot plant.
The other day I lost a neon tetra. I scooped it out and placed it in the garbage without a second thought. Does that make me cruel or cold? I don't think so. I cared for that neon and didn't treat him any different to any of my other fish. He had a good life in a large tank, clean water and good food.
Everyone's different. I understand how someone would think of their fish as 'babies' and I also understand people seeing them as just a hobby (as long as they are cared for). I don't see a problem not getting upset when one dies.
 
I've been lurking here and havta say I'm on the fence too. I mean i have goldfish that ive raised for 13yrs now and I'd be devastated if something happened to one of them but I've also had a scud colony for as long a period of time. Do i have to be as attached to the scud? I think not :)
 
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