Caffeine + Fish = Dead?

[n3ont3tra]

My friend is doing her 8th grade science project on how caffeine affects fish. The site she got the idea from said that caffeine does not hurt fish in any way. I'm doubting this and was wondering if anybody could tell me if it's true or not (without harming the fish). Also, to my horror, I asked her how it was going along and she said she got 4 comet goldfish that died. I asked her what size tank she had and she just shrugged and said she had 2 in one goldfish bowl and 2 in a another. She had no filter at all, and no aeration either. I was like "Oh my god, goldfish need like 20 gallons per fish and an extra ten for each additional fish!" and she was just like "Nah, they'll be fine." Then the fish died. And honestly, I don't blame the fish. I would have died too if I was cramped like that. Anyways... could anybody tell me if the caffeine thing is true?

 

[woogrl]

My friend is doing her 8th grade science project on how caffeine affects fish. The site she got the idea from said that caffeine does not hurt fish in any way. I'm doubting this and was wondering if anybody could tell me if it's true or not (without harming the fish). Also, to my horror, I asked her how it was going along and she said she got 4 comet goldfish that died. I asked her what size tank she had and she just shrugged and said she had 2 in one goldfish bowl and 2 in a another. She had no filter at all, and no aeration either. I was like "Oh my god, goldfish need like 20 gallons per fish and an extra ten for each additional fish!" and she was just like "Nah, they'll be fine." Then the fish died. And honestly, I don't blame the fish. I would have died too if I was cramped like that. Anyways... could anybody tell me if the chlorine thing is true?

Do you mean the caffeine thing is true? I dont know anything by fact but I would assume that it would not be good for the fish. Just look what it does to people and all of the caffeine overdose victims that are showing up at the hospital. I think that the caffeine would speed up the fishes heart to a too stressful point and the fish would die. But like I said I know no facts but cafffeine is good for no one.

 

[dasmall1]

Probably not a good science fair project for her. She will need to be able to control all factors that affect their life to accurately prove whether or not the caffeine is what kills them.

 

[Callum]

also thats not very fair to the fish, stressing it also caffine may affect the water quality.

 

[dwarfgourami]

There are several problems with this so-calling itself science project.

Firstly, as has already been mentioned, if it is not controlled, i.e. if other factors that might cause the same symptoms (death) have not been eliminated, then this project cannot call itself science at all.

Secondly, a project that is likely to result in prolonged stress to a living organism ought to justify itself in terms of necessity- the research should have an overriding usefulness and it should be impossible to arrive at the same conclusions in a non-harmful way. To me it seems it falls down on both counts: I really don't know why we should need to know about the effects on caffeine on fish, seeing that its effects on other life forms are so well known (not least to academics!), and it seems to me that it should be perfectly possible to extrapolate from these already known effects.

 

[Spinal]

Shes lucky she's not in the UK or I'm sure the RSPCA would be there in a blink of an eye (and rightfully so)... and if they weren't I would make sure they were alerted...

Surely even in a place as cruel to fish as the US you must have some form of protection against pointless animal cruelty?

 

[ImperfectFaerie]

Shes lucky she's not in the UK or I'm sure the RSPCA would be there in a blink of an eye (and rightfully so)... and if they weren't I would make sure they were alerted...

Surely even in a place as cruel to fish as the US you must have some form of protection against pointless animal cruelty?

Wow, I'm sorry but I take a little offense to that. Maybe if you are going to state that the US is cruel to fish you should have something to back it up. For your info, we have the ASPCA and PETA as well as various other groups. I do not know where this kid is located, but in my district that would not be allowed to happen. Yes, I totally agree the the *science* experiment is totally flawed and cruel, but I don't think it's basis to pass judgement on everyone because of one 8th graders bad move. Judging everyone on preconcieved sterotypes is not the best way to go.

 

[vic]

Shes lucky she's not in the UK or I'm sure the RSPCA would be there in a blink of an eye (and rightfully so)... and if they weren't I would make sure they were alerted...

Surely even in a place as cruel to fish as the US you must have some form of protection against pointless animal cruelty?

Wow, I'm sorry but I take a little offense to that. Maybe if you are going to state that the US is cruel to fish you should have something to back it up. For your info, we have the ASPCA and PETA as well as various other groups. I do not know where this kid is located, but in my district that would not be allowed to happen. Yes, I totally agree the the *science* experiment is totally flawed and cruel, but I don't think it's basis to pass judgement on everyone because of one 8th graders bad move. Judging everyone on preconcieved sterotypes is not the best way to go.

HEAR HEAR - conclusion jumping is a national sport to some!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SLC Flyfishing]

I'll second that and add the question; have you ever been a fish in the U.S.? If not then how can you state with anykind of authority that the U.S. is cruel to fish?



SLC

 

[TolkienGeek]

I have to agree, I don't appreciate being told that I'm cruel to fish just because I'm an American. OR that my entire country is cruel to fish based a on a silly snap assumption. If I dug around, I'm sure I could find thousands of cases of animal cruelty in the UK.

Sorry, I love my country and don't like wrong conclusions being spread around.

God bless America and the United Kindom.

 

[vic]

I have to agree, I don't appreciate being told that I'm cruel to fish just because I'm an American. OR that my entire country is cruel to fish based a on a silly snap assumption. If I dug around, I'm sure I could find thousands of cases of animal cruelty in the UK.

Sorry, I love my country and don't like wrong conclusions being spread around.

God bless America and the United Kindom.

Hey, don't forget us Canucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[ImperfectFaerie]

I just think that EVERYWHERE, every nation every state- there will be some village idiot to do something stupid. Don't punish the masses because of one horror story you've heard.

 

[TolkienGeek]

Hey, don't forget us Canucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[/quote]

God bless Canada, the United Kingdom, and The United States of America, as well any other God fearing, Fish loving country.

 

[MHunt]

One persons cruelty is another persons interest. What some people find cruel, another person would not be bothered by. ie. I could not eat cat or dog, certainly one that was freshly killed, but in some country's it's a delicacy.



If there was a real scientific need to determine the effect of caffiene on goldfish, then fine. But we all know it would probably have the same or similar effect on fish as it does on any other living creature. Increased metabolic rate, reduced sense of fatigue. I can just see the whirlpool in the goldfish bowl from the four goldies swiming round and round and round!!!

 

[black angel]

In what form is the caffeine going to take? If its an experiment just for caffeine what is its purest form. You find caffeine in loads of products but at different strengths so its going to be flawed anyway. If you use coke then the carbon dioxide would kill them first wouldnt it? Tea i would have thought would be the better to use.
Ive seen a post similar to this on another board and find it strange how this just happens to pop up at the same time.