So here is another peta article, this time about fish and a little more truthful than the other one i debunked about snakes. My comments will be in green and i am speaking on behalf of knowledgeable keepers who are dedicated to the hobby.
lets see if a 14 year old can take on an organization
Fish are intelligent, sensitive animals who think and feel pain the same way that cats and dogs do. In fact, scientists at Oxford University have discovered that some fish can learn faster than dogs. Fish crave stimulation from other fish and from their environment. They are meant to dwell in the majestic seas—even the biggest, most well-maintained aquarium can’t compare to the open ocean.
Fish can be smart yes, but in general it is the larger fish and their capacity to learn tricks is not the best but they do learn where the food is. Some fish are social to a degree or like things to play with such as puffers but in general most fish are more worried about finding food and avoiding predators than playing around. any keeper that provides for their fish gets a tank large enough for free movement and other hiding spots and things they need.
Fish are often treated as mere merchandise. Each year, millions of them are purchased as decorative ornaments or “starter pets” for young children. Few people realize just how much fish suffer before they reach pet stores or know how to care for them properly once they get them home.
This is true to a degree but for hobbyists fish can be anything but ornaments, even buddies or wet pets in some way. fish keeping is a hobby that must be researched and fish transport is stressfull but there is no stressless way to do it.
Approximately 95 percent of the saltwater fish sold in pet shops are captured from the wild, mostly from the waters around Indonesia, the Philippines, Fiji, and other Pacific islands. Fish divers often squirt cyanide or other poisons into the coral reefs where the fish live. Cyanide is used to stun fish so that they will drift out of the reef for easy collection; it also sends many fish into spasms, making them easy to grab by hand or net. Marine experts estimate that half the affected fish die on the reef, and 40 percent of those who survive the initial poisoning die before they reach an aquarium.
Only 47% (from what i have read and calculated) are caught with cyanide and shipped. it is not a good practice and should be cracked down on.
About 90 percent of the freshwater fish sold in stores are raised on fish farms. Goldfish, for example, are usually bred and raised in giant tubs on farms that raise as many as 250 million fish a year. Many of them are doomed to live in plastic bags or tiny glass bowls, neither of which provides the space or oxygen that goldfish need. For this reason, the city of Monza, Italy, banned keeping goldfish in bowls. One sponsor of the law pointed out that bowls give fish “a distorted view of reality.”
For hobbyists this is BS. The problem with raising goldfish in tubs? they are not found in the wild and captive breeding eases pressure on wild species. Bowls are not advocated to keep fish in by hobbyists and that i will give them.
Fish are living beings, not artwork, yet some fish breeders “paint” fish by injecting fluorescent dye into their bodies or alter their genetic makeup to make them more attractive to buyers. Pet shops, discount superstores, florists, and even online catalogs sell “decorative” Betta fish (Siamese fighting fish) in tiny cups or flower vases. The fish often live in just a few ounces of water, which isn’t enough to turn around in, much less swim in.
Dying fish is bad and should be banned. Selective breeding they mention? doesn't seem that bad to me, or just random hybridization that just happens. Bettas can survive in small bodies of water for short periods but it is unfortunately a common misconception that they can live in little puddles, nothing to do with the keepers that provide well (3-5 gals plus) for bettas
When you purchase fish or support businesses or fairs that give fish away in contests or promotions, it encourages the pet trade to continue kidnapping fish from their ocean homes and breeding them on crowded, filthy farms. If you enjoy watching fish, consider downloading one of the many colorful and realistic fish-themed computer screensavers available on the Web.
Now this... this is BS. giving fish away is not a commendable idea and shouldn't be. encouraging the pet trade? is it a monster or something that gets fish to a safe environment with regular food, disease treatment and no predators. Most fish wouldn't breed in filthy conditions and breeding farms are kept top notch in regards to water for best rearing conditions. screen saves do not produce the awe of real fish.
As Gill, one of the characters in Finding Nemo—a charming movie about a clownfish who struggles to escape from an aquarium and find his way back to his father in the ocean—says, “Fish aren’t meant to be in a box, kid. It does things to ya.”
A fish in a tiny box does things to them. fish in reality do not have a level of emotion similar to that of those in the movie but poor keeping can lead to damage to a fishes insides.
But don’t despair if you already have fish. Although there’s no safe way to return captive fish to their natural environments—which are often located in far-away regions of the world—because of difficulties in locating a suitable habitat and the possibility of introducing disease to existing fish, the following are some ways that you can make your fish friends happier:
There ya go folks. a slightly true but still almost propoganda crap peta puts out. enjoy
lets see if a 14 year old can take on an organization
Fish are intelligent, sensitive animals who think and feel pain the same way that cats and dogs do. In fact, scientists at Oxford University have discovered that some fish can learn faster than dogs. Fish crave stimulation from other fish and from their environment. They are meant to dwell in the majestic seas—even the biggest, most well-maintained aquarium can’t compare to the open ocean.
Fish can be smart yes, but in general it is the larger fish and their capacity to learn tricks is not the best but they do learn where the food is. Some fish are social to a degree or like things to play with such as puffers but in general most fish are more worried about finding food and avoiding predators than playing around. any keeper that provides for their fish gets a tank large enough for free movement and other hiding spots and things they need.
Fish are often treated as mere merchandise. Each year, millions of them are purchased as decorative ornaments or “starter pets” for young children. Few people realize just how much fish suffer before they reach pet stores or know how to care for them properly once they get them home.
This is true to a degree but for hobbyists fish can be anything but ornaments, even buddies or wet pets in some way. fish keeping is a hobby that must be researched and fish transport is stressfull but there is no stressless way to do it.
Approximately 95 percent of the saltwater fish sold in pet shops are captured from the wild, mostly from the waters around Indonesia, the Philippines, Fiji, and other Pacific islands. Fish divers often squirt cyanide or other poisons into the coral reefs where the fish live. Cyanide is used to stun fish so that they will drift out of the reef for easy collection; it also sends many fish into spasms, making them easy to grab by hand or net. Marine experts estimate that half the affected fish die on the reef, and 40 percent of those who survive the initial poisoning die before they reach an aquarium.
Only 47% (from what i have read and calculated) are caught with cyanide and shipped. it is not a good practice and should be cracked down on.
About 90 percent of the freshwater fish sold in stores are raised on fish farms. Goldfish, for example, are usually bred and raised in giant tubs on farms that raise as many as 250 million fish a year. Many of them are doomed to live in plastic bags or tiny glass bowls, neither of which provides the space or oxygen that goldfish need. For this reason, the city of Monza, Italy, banned keeping goldfish in bowls. One sponsor of the law pointed out that bowls give fish “a distorted view of reality.”
For hobbyists this is BS. The problem with raising goldfish in tubs? they are not found in the wild and captive breeding eases pressure on wild species. Bowls are not advocated to keep fish in by hobbyists and that i will give them.
Fish are living beings, not artwork, yet some fish breeders “paint” fish by injecting fluorescent dye into their bodies or alter their genetic makeup to make them more attractive to buyers. Pet shops, discount superstores, florists, and even online catalogs sell “decorative” Betta fish (Siamese fighting fish) in tiny cups or flower vases. The fish often live in just a few ounces of water, which isn’t enough to turn around in, much less swim in.
Dying fish is bad and should be banned. Selective breeding they mention? doesn't seem that bad to me, or just random hybridization that just happens. Bettas can survive in small bodies of water for short periods but it is unfortunately a common misconception that they can live in little puddles, nothing to do with the keepers that provide well (3-5 gals plus) for bettas
When you purchase fish or support businesses or fairs that give fish away in contests or promotions, it encourages the pet trade to continue kidnapping fish from their ocean homes and breeding them on crowded, filthy farms. If you enjoy watching fish, consider downloading one of the many colorful and realistic fish-themed computer screensavers available on the Web.
Now this... this is BS. giving fish away is not a commendable idea and shouldn't be. encouraging the pet trade? is it a monster or something that gets fish to a safe environment with regular food, disease treatment and no predators. Most fish wouldn't breed in filthy conditions and breeding farms are kept top notch in regards to water for best rearing conditions. screen saves do not produce the awe of real fish.
As Gill, one of the characters in Finding Nemo—a charming movie about a clownfish who struggles to escape from an aquarium and find his way back to his father in the ocean—says, “Fish aren’t meant to be in a box, kid. It does things to ya.”
A fish in a tiny box does things to them. fish in reality do not have a level of emotion similar to that of those in the movie but poor keeping can lead to damage to a fishes insides.
But don’t despair if you already have fish. Although there’s no safe way to return captive fish to their natural environments—which are often located in far-away regions of the world—because of difficulties in locating a suitable habitat and the possibility of introducing disease to existing fish, the following are some ways that you can make your fish friends happier:
- Provide a stable environment. Keep the tank on a smooth surface that won’t rock or jiggle, and place it away from windows, direct sunlight, and temperature extremes. Tanks should generally be kept between 68°F and 76°F. Generalization. love it. depends on the fish pal
- Make sure that your fish get proper nutrients. That jar of flakes might not be what your fish would choose to eat. The type and amount of food varies from fish to fish. True, but flakes are a start
- Provide at least 24 square inches of water for every 1 inch of fish. Fish become frustrated and unhappy when kept in bowls and small tanks. Surface area? footprint and height are better things to go off. filters, powerheads, temperature and air stones can affect aeration.
- House fish in a large filtered tank instead of bowls, which don’t provide enough space or oxygen. All tanks should have a pump to keep water flowing continuously. a filter does this job unless you have a weak filter or fish that require high flow. they are right on the bowls.
- Decorate! Bare homes make for bored fish. Place structures in the tank for your fish to investigate. A few plants, plastic or real, will make your fish feel more at home. Some fish will use the tank-lining rock bits to build nests for themselves. Only somefish, mostly larger, need some stimulation such as large cichlids, subsrate sifters, puffers etc
- Keep them in a quiet area. Fish “talk” with one another through a range of low-frequency sounds. The pumps and filters necessary in many home aquariums can interfere with this communication, so use quiet equipment, and don’t place radios or televisions near your fish. I do not now much on this. but i dont know how true this is.
There ya go folks. a slightly true but still almost propoganda crap peta puts out. enjoy
