do you think having fish in a tank is cruel?

Question

wouldn't you rather have them on your plate?

Answer 1

yes, but i suppose its better than having them with chips.

Answer 2

Yet another example of a question that people are reading wrong and answering wrong. I love fish. I have several in a tank. Sadly (for me, not them), they're not really edible. Too small. But they always remind me of how tasty fish the on my plate always are. Like a McDonalds commercial that when you see it you go to McDonalds. Only with my fish, it's more like when I see them, I go to the store and buy one of their friends and cook it and eat it. My fish are kind of like a living fish commercial, if you know what I mean. It WOULD be cruel if I was constantly reminded of tasty fish if there wasn't a supermarket across the street that could provide me with a fresh fish in exchange for money. As an omnivore, I always live by the motto "There's a place for ALL of God's critters, right next to the potatoes and gravy."

Answer 3

Of course it's cruel. You try living in your bathroom for the rest of your life.

Fish cover so much territory in their natural environment that locking them up in an aquarium is mean. The methods that fish are caught often destroy the environment and result in the deaths of habitats.

People who say 'no it's not cruel' simply don't care about animal welfare or haven't bothered to read up on the reality of it. They've fooled themselves into believing that because the fish is alive and in water, all is good.

Answer 4

The only way I find a fish in an aquarium ''cruel'', is when the fish is in something too small for them to manuever. (Like the betta fish in cups).
I wouldn't rather have them on my plate, because fish sold at petstores are too small to be worth any meat....lol

Answer 5

Six years ago my husband brought home a bucket full of bluegills after a successful day of fishing. When he dumped them into the sink to cut them up for cleaning one was still alive. He threw it into our 55gal aquarium. He eats worms from our fingers, and watches the TV next to the tank. Yes, he would rather be in the lake. However, alive and spoiled has to be a better choice than fried. I feed him a large variety of live and frozen foods and after this many years he is still thriving.

Answer 6

Yes it is cruel. That being said, many people overfilter, plant heavily, and put appropriate fish in their tank. This is infinatly better. There is already an economy for it, and I doubt it will suddenly colapse. Therefore it is our job to make sure the fish are treated as well as possible

Also, as already mentioned, many fish are kept alive through active breeding programs, though it is our fault they are extinct in the wild

Answer 7

What's so cruel about having fish in an aquarium? Go back to searching for Waldo, because dude, you 're grasping at straws. What about college guys that either do pranks or college initiations involving swallowing goldfish? Isn't that a more heinous act, when you think about it?

Answer 8

No, sometimes it is far crueler to return some of these species of fish to their native habitats. Fish like cherry barbs and red-tailed sharks are practically extinct in the wild due to the pollution and strip mining in Burma. Sometimes the pet trade saves many species of fish from extinction while their natural habitats have been completely destroyed. However you gotta take the good with the bad.
In the worst case scenario these fish are given tiny, insufficent tanks with improper filters. Plus their owners take no responsibility in taking care of them.
In the best of circumstances these fish may sacrifice their freedoms but in return they live in closed eco-systems that are predator/disease free. If they were to fall ill they would be taken care of. When they are hungry they would be given prepared foods instead of forcing them to hunt. They don't have to compete for resources with hundreds of other species either.
In conclusion, cruelty itself depends on how well they are taken care of.

Answer 9

Not really. I bought a Betta from Wal-Mart that had about 8 ounces of water to swim in. My fish now has 1 gallon of water to swim in. If I had bought him just to end the cruelty of living in a half pint of water and threw it on the ground and stomped on it to end the cruelty, which is more cruel? Upgrading to a gallon, or immediate termination of his little fishy-wishy life?

Answer 10

Well I guess that depends on if you are a fish....lol. I am an avid sportsman... I do alot of catch and release fishing..... but I have also had alot of fish tanks in my time.... aquariums actually. As long as they are maintained, fish tanks are a good thing in my opinion.

Answer 11

No, unless you have it in a small cage w\ other fish. If you have a large or medium sized tank, i would suggest you don't put more than 5.