Tattooed fish? Really?

[ShredderEmp]

It makes me want to see if they know what it would feel like to live in a plastic bag.

 

[Anonymity82]

This is how people treat what they consider disposable pets. Hermit crabs sold in tiny plastic containers, goldfish in bowls, dyed fish, it goes on and on.

Unfortunately, people have the belief that if it is being sold/advertised it MUST be OK. This of course is far from being true in the pet industry, as most of us know.

Some things are such a part of our collective cultural gestalt that people get angry when you tell them it is otherwise. When I was going through university I often worked in pet stores. I would have people rage when I refused to sell them a goldfish and bowl. No amount of explaining that it's cruel to put a fast growing, messy, cold-water carp in a tiny bowl where it will slowly suffocate due to lack of oxygen and poison itself by soaking in its own waste would convince people otherwise. Because, you know, it's CALLED a goldfish bowl.

I always tell customers the only thing I'd put in a bowl is a moss ball... I'm not sure where my authority lies at work. I'm a low level employee. I can refuse to sell them a molly or some other gold fish but I think I have to sell them a feeder fish seeing how they're bred to die. I'm not sure. My main boss is against it but his boss will tell me to do it. So, what do I do? Sell them the feeder fish and wish them luck. Some people keep goldfish in bowls for many years only to have it die when they finally clean the damn thing out! If it were up to me we wouldn't sell fish. We lose so many fish just in delivery and so many people lost fish when they try to set up their tank. Nobody's going to wait 6 weeks for the cycle to finish.

Not selling someone a feeder fish because they're going to make it suffer in a bowl is like not selling someone crickets because they're going to put 30 of them in an 8oz deli cup. Crickets suffer the worst fate at pet stores and not one person holds an ounce of sympathy for them, but god forbid someone puts a 13 cent feeder fish in a bowl lol. I try to get people to get the really tiny 3-4" minnows if I can't talk them out of it all together. The most common question is "What can I put with my gold fish" and after I ask the obligatory questions they respond with "6 gold fish in a 10 gallon tank." I usually laugh and tell them that most likely only one or two, if any, are going to survive the next 6 months in that tank and not to put anything else in there.

---------- Post added 12-12-2012 at 10:55 PM ----------

The turtle thing bothers me the most. That's just terrible. China is not known for its concern for human life, let alone animals.

It's funny how many of us will get upset about a tattooed fish and then go to taco bell or burger king (not implying the OP does go there or eats meat). Or, we feel terrible about how betta fish are treated (which I do) and feel nothing for crickets. How do we decide how much to care for what animals? It's okay to eat beef, pork, fish, etc..., but not okay to put goldfish in bowls. I've seen people eat lamb chops and then become judgmental towards a pet owner who doesn't brush their dog enough. Who gets to decide?

 

[Niffarious]

I think there is a huge difference between temporary housing/storage (feeders) and keeping something long-term.

And if someone kept a fish for many years in a bowl it was stunted, deformed, and likely suffering. You really don't think there is a difference between keeping feeder crickets for a few days in a deli cup vs keeping a fish in a bowl which will ultimately cause suffering, physical deformity and death? What if someone suggested that this was OK for tarantulas because of their cost/monetary value?

I keep goldfish - I have some worth a dollar and some worth a hundred. I can assure you that despite morphological differences they will suffer the same way regardless of which cost more.

Tanks can be cycled with fish so long as the right ones are purchased at the appropriate stocking level.

And for what it's worth, I'm very concerned about where my meat comes from. I cook most of my meals (rarely eat out, and almost never fast food) and I get locally sourced meat.

In all honesty, I can't tell if you are agreeing or disagreeing with me. You don't see the problem with treating feeder goldfish badly, but don't think stores should sell fish?

 

[bugmankeith]

Parrot fish and African clawed frogs also have tattoos, they are common here I see them all the time along with lots of glofish species. I hate it!