tattooed fish?

Question

I was wondering if anyone has heard of these and how is it done. I was in a pet store the other day the lady told us it didn't hurt the fish. But I don't see how you can hold a fish out of the water and tattoo it adn say it is fine. Is this animal abuse?

I left the store that day but it puts me in a delima because we only have the one in town and that's where I get all my pet supplies for our hamsters and guinnie pigs.

Answer 1

The fish are injected, and not just with tattoos. You will often see "painted glass fish" in stores, small see-through fish with stripes of neon dye in their bodies. These fish never last long and are actually a brackish water fish tho they're almost always sold for freshwater setups. Many kinds of fish are given a dip treatment, almost like dyeing easter eggs, but first the fish are dipped in a solution that removes their protective slime coat to let the dye absorb better. This is how you see "popsicle" tetras (strawberry, blueberry tetras) and as of last year dipped angelfish, mollies and others were available on wholesale lists. Fish are also given different chemicals to bring out unnatural colours. This is how you get female dwarf gouramis that look like males and can't breed. Fish like discus and other cichlids are hormoned like this as well. Discus especially are fed red colourant to make drab fish appear more expensive, only to fade out a few months down the line.
Whichever procedure is used, these 'altered' fish are inevitably less hardy than those who havn't been tampered with.
The message is simple; don't mess with nature.
jess

Answer 2

Yes this is common amoong Koi breeders. Just like horse breeders. Koi are tatooed so you already know everything and theft is kept to a minimum

With us koi breeders it is common place. Once you have a koi that is worth some money it is worth getting them tatooed to keep them yours, actually computer chips are even better. They monitor heart rate and activity vs. just looking for a tatoo. All of my best breeders are chipped as well as the dogs and cats. My daughter is avet so this makes things easy.

Pet stores unless they raise the fish, do not tatoo. If a Quality breeder is selling them fish, they are chipped. Each LFS owener has the code for each fish. If they are still tatooing, that is an old method and I would question why they still did it.

Koi are from the carp family and can remain out of water for more than an hour and still be fine. Tatooing takes less than 5 min. and the fish are replaced.

As I mentioned, being a koi breeder and goldfish breeder, tatooing is an old art and most qualitu breeders had upgraded years ago (more than 20)

Answer 3

It is bad for the fish. Some places get it on accident ... read this thread (about the 5th post down gives an owner's perspective):
http://www.theoscarspot.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=49&topic=11840.0

There is some rough stuff later on in that post if you follow the links. Tatooing and dyeing aren't the worst of what happens, but there are descriptions to the process in there somewhere as well. Some fish get scissors taken to them. There ARE pictures if you follow the link later on. Icky and makes me feel sick.

It is not considered animal abuse, because as arrogant humans, the majority of people believe since they cannot directly communicate with us, they must not feel or think. It is easier than to believe we are harming intelligent animals. You wouldn't take scissors and cut off a dog's tail because it will yelp and whine, but since we cannot hear a fish cry, it makes it ok. Sad state of the world ... maybe in the future we won't be so sadist.

http://www.deathbydyeing.org/

Answer 4

Those tattooed fish look wrong. I hope you were talking about tattooes doe id purposes. There are so many naturally beautiful fish out there that come in every color. We shouldn't be changing animals like that.

Answer 5

I've heard of them and would never support any store that sold them.

I think Danielle misunderstood what type of tattooing you were talking about - this type is meant to be "decorative" - see photos: http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/blog.php?blogid=32 , http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=44744 , http://www.weirdasianews.com/2006/11/22/chinese-fish-get-tatoos/ , http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/blog.php?blogid=76

I can see possibly tattooing a valuable fish as means of identification, but this is strictly a commercial gimmick. These show no artistic value - only commercial value to the people who do this for profit. Calling them "ridiculous" doesn't even begin to describe them.

The process is said to use low intensity laser rather than injected dyes, but why is it necessary to do this at all?

NOTE: You should let the manager know your feelings about the sale of these fish - if enough people spoke up against them, maybe they wouldn't get more in. Unfortunately, there will probably be some people who think they're "cool" and buy them all in a few days - so your store will be more inclined to order more of them.

ADDITION: This link describes the tattoo process supposedly used to tattoo the fish in the photos above: http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=850

Answer 6

Is it animal abuse? Well, it does abuse the fish, it causes pain, obviously, because the fish is getting poked with needles and injected with dye. The dye affects the fish's overall health and they do not live long afterward.

But by law, no, it is not animal abuse. Fish are not considered when it comes to animal abuse cases.

To deal with stores that sell tatooed fish the best thing to do is to not shop there. Maybe even send them a written letter explaining how you feel about dyed fish and tell them that you will not shop there unless they stop selling dyed fish.

Answer 7

First THIS IS ANIMAL ABUSE. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET TATTOED AND SOLD AND THEN DIE SO QUIck BECUASE YOU CAN'T BREATH. There. You should never buy from that fish store. People insert ink into the bodies of fish and then block some of the fish functions. I WOULD LOVE TO INK A HUMAN AND THEN SELL HIM AS A PET WITH ALL THE DYSES IN THE WORLD SO THEY COULD DIE. This is what this people are doing with fish and it should be stopped. ABUSE HUMANS AND ANIMALS

Answer 8

It DOES hurt the fish and kills MOST of the fish who get tattooed. The lady who told you that was a moron.

http://www.firsttankguide.net/painted.php

It's not healthy for the fish and I, personally, avoid any stores that sell them.

Answer 9

i don't buy the tattoed fish because they put these designs on them wich injurs the fishes slime coat making the fish more vulrable to many sickness they don't usally get, and i hate what they do to oscars, they tattooed them and they sit on the bottom of the tank you can tell they are in pain. i would say it is, my pet store stoped though,because they died faster then they could say, and i would say that says something!

Answer 10

They drug the fish to slow it down, and they use microscopic needles to put in the ink. It doesn't hurt them, its just under the scales, but the pictures usually wear out withing a couple months.