Fish are friends, not food

[shawmutt]

So I ate a nice hunk of salmon steak tonight. As I was walking past the fish tank on the way to the kitchen to dispose of the skin and bones I see my fish's faces pressed up against the glass and my fish are staring at me. I see a teardrop run down the smallest Kenyi's face. The fish all set aside their petty territorial differences for a moment to huddle in a circle and say a prayer. They then all look at me with grim resolve, plotting their revenge at the next water change and tank cleaning.

OK, OK, so it's not ALL true, everybody knows you can't see teardrops on fish!

Anyway, is there anyone else here with an overactive imagination who feels guilty about enjoying their favorite fish dish? Is there anyone here that owns a species they have eaten? 8O Is anyone raising their fish so they CAN be eaten (which would explain the high sales of pacus)?

Anyone wonder how tasty their fish are?

[Allivymar]

Erm...I get delivery sushi a coupla times a month. I eat it right in front of the tank; my fish don't cry tho. They beg for a taste

While I don't own a species I've eaten, one of the teachers I work with has a HUGE tilapia in his school tank. Tilapia...mmmmmm. I drool when I look in that tank

[sumphead]

LOL, first of all that was great. I've felt a little guilt here and there too. Then I laugh it off and get more shrimp! I have often thought of raising then to eat. Espescially saltwater stuff like lobsters and tiger shrimp. I think of benifits like controlling thier diet and freshness of the bounty. But then I fear the additives like the artificial saltwater and other stuff I don't know about. *shrug* maybe...

[Enki]

When I was first getting back into the hobby a few months ago i was google searching for info about oscars. I came across a page that was talking about stocking ponds with oscars for sportfishing. They recommended stocking oscars because they grow fast, eat almost anything, will strike almost anything, put up a great fight and have a nice delicious flaky flesh.

[Allivymar]

Lots of the decorative fish we have in our tanks are food fish in other places. Clown loaches are to folks in Sumatra what pan fried trout is to us! Clown knives are supposed to be yummy, as are arrowanas.

[RogerMcAllen]

I always thought that perhaps if my catfish ever outgrow the pond they might have to be eaten.

[MantisX]

Originally Posted by Enki

When I was first getting back into the hobby a few months ago i was google searching for info about oscars. I came across a page that was talking about stocking ponds with oscars for sportfishing. They recommended stocking oscars because they grow fast, eat almost anything, will strike almost anything, put up a great fight and have a nice delicious flaky flesh.

Oh my. What happens if inbreeding happens? Id hate to see a oscar/largemouth bass mix. Both of em are already pretty ugly.

[An t-iasg]

I sometimes eat salmon too; I like to make a "burger" out of it. I really don't like any other kind of "food" fish, though.

The way I resolve this with my bettas is to tell them that if I don't eat the salmon first, it will eat them!!

[cindywindy]

I'm with Alli on the sushi thing. I can't get enough of it. When I am done with my sushi meal, I sit back, completely satisfied ... drinking the last of my tea - and sometimes thoughts of my fish DO cross my mind.

That's generally when I order one more yellowtail for the road.

[myriam]

Ummm, sushi...salmon...tilapia...lobster...prawns...I'm salivating.

Obviously I've never had any worries about eating fish. But I've also never kept an edible fish for a pet. I think it would be weird if I had a big fat catfish in a tank; after a certain size, I'd be eyeballing it and thinking: breaded in cornmeal and panfried.

[deli_conker]

When I wish
for fish
in a dish
I go out on the town,
or into my fridge.

Not to my tank
where I spent all my bank

Red Zebra on rice?
Wasabi on the side?
"no way" says I
For me, octopi...

Seriously though, I saw the Lion King. I know all about the circle of life and how some fish belong in my belly. Or something. No, I can't see myself slathering tartar sauce on my johannis either...

[ferret]

Er. I don't eat fish. I eat crab, lobster, and shrimp though.

And I purposely raise convict cichlids to feed to oscars

I have kept and eaten Oscars (but not the same fish). Ate Oscar on vacation on FL., a friend of mine caught it fishing in a private pond. It was good!

I have also eaten Bluegill, and I have a small one in my pond.

I eat fish, Blue Crabs, and shrimp on a regular basis and do not feel guilty at all. Matter of fact, I usually scrape up some scraps when I eat crabs, and feed the scraps to my fish. they LOVE it!

[Thaiboxer]

I've had a guilty thought about eating my fish... they'd be SOOO fresh, and unpolluted... but I spent way too much money on them. I'd rather eat my sushi and watch my fish.



Funny that we're so into fish, and so many of us are sushi fans!

[sultana]

dito i've got these pacus and they could go on the plate but i'm not gonnu make many friends telling u guys this? alternatley you guys seem to be the same - like minded. Farming is my passion, and i'm ok with it. Support small scale farming- its kinder to the animal. i would like to disscuss this further.

[Allivymar]

deli: bwaaaaaaahahahah oh thats brilliant! Your words or from somewhere else? LOL I'm dyin here.

Arrowana recipe: http://www.gsas.org/Articles/1999/to-server-fish.html

Pics of food fish caught in Sumatra (not for the faint hearted *grin*): http://forum.planetcatfish.com/viewtopic.php?t=4600

And I very much understand why Clown Loaches are a food fish over in Asia. One of mine has hit only 4 inches long, but he is a beefy bugger...I look at him and think "panfried with lemon...mmmm":

[ferret]

rofl. Planetcatfish is blocked by my work firewall as Adult Content

[Allivymar]

No way ferret! LOL I guess all that catfish breeding is just too much huh

[deli_conker]

Alli: I'm afraid those were my words... Glad to amuse

I don't know if I could raise something just to eat it. But I have absolutely no qualms about somebody doing it for me!!!

I like most types of fish and just about anything in a shell. I also like squid and octopus. I used to eat all sorts of sushi, now I ususally just get octopus (mmmmm-tasty).

[tabitha]

i dont eat fish or any type of seafood... i just think it smells funny and tastes nasty... and i love my fishie friends