Ok, stupid question....but do people get attached to fish?

Question

like they would a dog or cat? My toddler accidentally overfed a family members fish and they all died!! I feel so horrible and I'm soo embarrassed. They had about 5 or 6 tropical fish that I want to replace. In my previous question tonight I was asking about how much these kind of fish cost - I'm clueless about fish. I'm going to send them an apology card ( I already apologized profusely in front of them and punished my son ) and a gift card to a local fish store for $100. Do you think this is enough money? Do people get ttached to their fish to the point where they feel they are irreplaceable? Sorry, told you it was sort of a stupid question. Thanks~

Answer 1

I have a fish & he is kind of my buddy but in no way have I bonded w/ him like I did with my dog. Fish are way less personable & friendly. They don't even respond to you when you are near the glass.

Crazy things like this happen w/ children. If they have children, they know this!! My niece ripped up my contact lenses once & my brother had to pay almost $300. to replace them! I also had a nephew kill my hamster (accidently) when I was young. I was terribly upset but I was concerned about his little feelings too so I was very gently with him because he was just playing too rough w/ the hamster.

It's ok to feel bad & I would certainly be embarrassed too. Do the best you can to replace the fish & it should all be fine. Just think it will be a funny story that gets told in a few weeks! Truly, it is pretty funny! Not funny for the fish, or course, but still funny. Next time, the food needs to be put in a place where your toddler can't reach it. Lesson learned- I don't leave ANYTHING where a small child may be curious or want to be helpful- I have learned the hard way.

Answer 2

Some people do get attached to their fish. My suggestion would be to send the apology card or even talk to them face to face telling them that you would like to help replace the fish that they lost. Let them know how bad that you feel and that you do have a dollar amount in mind that you know that you can afford to help replace the fish. Some tropical fish are expensive and some are not. I would not send the $100.00 gift card until you know more about the cost the fish that were lost. If your friend is willing to allow a replacement talk with them. Go with them to when they go to get the replacement fish. It would be educational for you as well and it will help ease the tension on the friendship if the friend feels that you should replace them. If you remember what kind of fish they were you can research and that way you will know if the $100 gift card would be a good idea or a bad idea.

Answer 3

That is not stupid at all. It is nice that you are worried. We cannot control everything toddlers do. A boy came over my neice's home one day and actually killed her hamster! Because they were playing safetly in the room, my sister did not blame the parents necessarily. That kid was messed up though, which I think had something to do with the parents. But in your case, the child just didn't know how to feed fish. I think the gift card is a wonderful idea, and it is better to let them pick out the fish. They will appreciate how concerned you are. I have to admit, I am very attached to my fish, but not as much as I am to my cat because I communicate on a deeper level with my cat. I do LOVE my fish, though. It depends what kind of fish these were, some salt water fish run $29 and more, while some are less. Many freshwater fish are far less though, and come at $10 or less each, unless you purchase htem at large sizes. $100 will replace a lot of fish though, and they will appreciate the card. If you want to be sure, you can go with them to the store.

Answer 4

Yes, people definitely can get attached to their fish. I grew up with dogs and cats and just recently became a fish owner. Pets of any species are great companions for most people who own them. But I don't think most people feel that if their fishcaretaker accidently killed their fish, they'd ban them from their lives. Accidents happen.

As far as what your son did, it's not that uncommon. When I was in kindergarten, my teacher asked me to babysit her fish for three weeks while she went on vacation to Europe. She came over to my house with her husband and their 10 gallon tank and many goldfish.

Well, I was six at the time and my sister was four and my brother was two. I was so excited that my teacher felt I was responsible enough (well, she probably knew my parents would supervise) and even wrote out the feeding time and amount on a chart easy enough for a six year old to understand. The first two weeks were great b/c my parents helped. But by the third week, I was so obsessed with these beautiful goldfish that I began to overfeed them to the point where they all died before my teacher came back from her vacation. At first my parents thought it was because my sister dropped my brother's toy tonka tractor in the tank, that accidentally killed the fish (none were squished b/c they were either at the bottom of the tank or floating at the top; my sister thought the fish should have some toys to play with). But when my teacher came over, she explained to me (I was beside myself with grief!) calmly that the fish had too much food and that accidents happen. I felt better afterwards and although my parents were upset, they didnt' ground me. They just said that I would not be allowed to get any fish of my own until I was older. Well thirty years later and I finally have fish of my own that I will never overfeed. ha ha.

I think you did the right thing, sending the apology card and gift card for $100.00. My parents paid for the replacement of the goldfish (which were much cheaper in the late 70s!), my brother got his tractor back and now I have a funny fish tale to tell.

Your son was too young to know better. So it was an accident. I'm sure your family members totally understand. Since you sent them the apology and gift card, I would let the issue go and not worry about it anymore. The more you bring up your guilt, that may irritate your family members more than the loss of their fish. Relax. You did the right thing.

Answer 5

Not at all a stupid question for the reason you were asking it. Some people do, but most people don't. For example, if they just had a tank of mixed fish like neons, platies, corydoras, and a male betta; most likely they weren't family members, just something to look at. Think about how much care they put into their tank, that should also help you. Also, a hundred dollar gift card was extremely nice for you to give them, I think it should cover or at least help cover the cost. How big is the tank they had? If it was a ten gallon, most likely they didn't spend a fortune on the fish.
Feel Good About Yourself, Everybody Makes Mistakes, And You Did the Right Thing By Telling Them About It And Giving Them A nice Sized Gift Card!!!!! :)

Answer 6

Some people do get attached to their fish, some more than others, but I'm sure the fish owners realize that your son didn't mean to hurt them and that what happened was an accident.

The card is a nice gesture, and it's great that you want to replace the lost fish. Depending on the species, $50 - $100 should more than cover the price of replacing the fish, plus some extra food if a lot was added to the tank.

Answer 7

Little kids do get attached to all pets. Some people get very attached to their fish. If I lost my centerpiece fish, my Rainbow Shark I would be upset for a short while but I would move on and get another. It cost me only about $2.25.

Depending on what kind of fish they had they could be inexpensive. $100 is more than enough to replace 5 or 6 tropical fish if they are freshwater. Saltwater fish can be more expensive. Your cad and apology should be good and the gift card should more than cover the loss.

Answer 8

Yes, people can easily become emotionally attached to a fish, as odd as that may sound. However, people tend to get over the loss of a fish a bit more quickly than they get over the loss of other companion animals, such as dogs or cats. This is most likely because fish are not as visually individual, and cannot interact with humans the same way.

However, it seems like you've done all that you can to make it up to them, so you shouldn't worry yourself so much.

Answer 9

Yes people do get very attached to fish. We owned a pet store for years, and these are true and loved pets for their owners. You start seeing personalities emerge, and they come eagerly to you when you feed. Most people have names for them. They are a perfect pet for children, and adults who may have active lives and don't have the time for dogs and cats, etc. Everyone differs on your question about being replaceable. But I think what you did was very awesome, and you tried to rectify the situation to your best ability. I don't think you can do anymore than what you've done. Accidents happen, but you've truly shown your remorse for it. I'm sure they appreciate your gesture, and they'll be fine. I'm sure they will get more fish when the time is right for them. Hope this helps you some!

Answer 10

Not a stupid question! Accidents happen. I think what you have given is enough all ready, $100 is more than enough to buy new fish! I am attached to my fish(70+), I love them all, and would miss them if something happened, but I'm a forgiving person, I couldn't be mad at a child, they don't know any better!