is it immoral to keep marine fish in the first place?Can't help but i feel guilty...?

Question

i hate the idea of capturing these poor gorgeous creatures, to keep them in pretty cages.What do you people think?

Answer 1

Of course it's immoral. Fish that usually travel hundreds of miles to be trapped in a 2'x3' crate is not ethical. But, our personal pleasure outweighs the rights of animals, so we continue to capture them and sell them in pet stores. I personally wouldn't want to live in *my* bathroom the rest of my life, but hey, that's just me.

And a note - pet store fish *DO* come from the wild as well. The capture of exotic fish often ruins the local environement and coral reefs due to the 'stunning' chemicals involved. The poachers say that they were caught ethically, but it's more of a don't ask don't tell situation.

Answer 2

I think you're correct.
It is wrong to capture them. Most marine species don't breed in captivity so people go out to coral reefs with cianide and poison them out. Not only is it bad for the reefs, but the fish are also injured and shocked. By the time they wind up at petstores they're on the dead side anyway. You may as well leave them in the ocean and save your money. Notice that most stores don't offer a health guarantee on them, but do on captive bred fresh water fish.
I think that if it can't or hasn't been bred in captivity, it shouldn't be kept as a pet.

Answer 3

You can apply that statement to keeping any fish, not just marine fish. Goldfish and koi belong in ponds, betta fish belong in the rice flats, oscars belong in the south american rivers, african cichlids belong in the many lakes there, and so on...

Many tropical fish are also wild caught. For example, cardinal tetras are hard to breed in captivity so most that you see are wild caught. It's a decision you have to make. If you provide clean, healthy conditions for them, they trade the possibility of getting eaten and having to fight for food for a clean, safe, fed environment (as long as you don't have other fish that will eat them!)

Answer 4

shop up! study the subject completely and dont rush into it. it may pass incorrect over nighttime! locate out appropriate to the huge quantities of equipment that are required....ie sterilisers, skimmers etc For starters run a tank without corals. The protecting of the fish may be sufficient of a undertaking! probably start up small and build it up from there. you will get nano tanks that are all outfitted in. stable success and confirm you no longer rush into it :-)

Answer 5

i think it is... most marine fish are wild caught... and only small percentage of them survive the shipment/transport... so think of how many has to be caught..

And they're endengerd in the wild... And the coral reefs are dying.... in 40 years, fish will be wiped from the oceans..

so, yeah.. keep to freshwater fish.

Answer 6

i caught 3 Bluegills and a catfish one time, then brought it home and put it in my tank. some people like the idea of having something different in their tanks. nobody else ever does this. so all your visiters with like it.

Answer 7

Buy from a stoer that only sells propagated marine life, like...

Answer 8

You have a good heart to hear the plight of another being.

The only side of the coin that might apply is it might be the only opportunity for people to view them and/or while saving them from extinction in their native habitat (again, thanks to humans) but aside from that, it does seem to feel crummy.

Answer 9

if you get it a nice big tank, clean it properly,keep the water quality good and feed it then no.

Answer 10

if you caught it yourself, YES. If you bought it in a petstore - chances are it was bred for this very purpose therefore i'd say no... just as long as you give it the best life possible.