Do You Agree With Keeping Big Fish?

[wrightt3]

Do you agree with having truly massive fish in the hobby?  By big I mean things like arowanas, red tailed cats, gars etc
Personally, I don't! Only a minute amount of people actually have the space for these fish where as most seem to think that their 'massive' 8ft tank is adequate...
 
This isn't meant as a rant, I just thought it would make for an interesting debate.

 

[Zante]

Yes, but provided the person does have the room to keep them.

 

[EllieJellyEllie]

Only if the person in so dedicated and actually have huge tanks that are like the size of my room.

 

[Chad]

I do, as long as the person has the right environment for them.
 
For example this tank...it's huge and goes back to an even larger area that's hard to see from the photo.

 
We have a LFS here that keeps them in displays that are thousands of gallons.
 
I don't agree with keeping any fish in a tank that's too small for it but I feel that any fish that can be kept alive, and in the right environment, is okay for us to keep. I specify that can be kept alive because there are some fish that even in a large enough tank simply shouldn't be kept. Especially deep water marine fish.

 

[wrightt3]

But who actually has a tank that is big enough? very few. Far less than the amount of people who keep these fish anyway.

 

 

[fm1978]

'Tis an interesting question and I have to agree mostly with what's been said so far. Assuming the right conditions are met, I don't see a problem

I always imagine it being a case of the wrong person as opposed to the wrong fish.

 

[Chad]

 
But who actually has a tank that is big enough? very few. Far less than the amount of people who keep these fish anyway.

 

 

But that's not really the point is it? It's like I said above, if someone does have the right size tank I won't look at them as say "you shouldn't have that arrowana in there" but if someone has a platy in a 5 gallon I would say you shouldn't have that platy in there. It's all relative to the environment being proper rather than a type or size of fish being off limits.
 
I have a 210 gallon tank which allows me to keep tangs happily. But wait until someone puts a tang in too small of a tank and the tang police come out and jump on them.

 

[wrightt3]

 

 
But who actually has a tank that is big enough? very few. Far less than the amount of people who keep these fish anyway.

 

 

But that's not really the point is it?

It's like I said above, if someone does have the right size tank I won't look at them as say "you shouldn't have that arrowana in there" but if someone has a platy in a 5 gallon I would say you shouldn't have that platy in there. It's all relative to the environment being proper rather than a type or size of fish being off limits.
 
I have a 210 gallon tank which allows me to keep tangs happily. But wait until someone puts a tang in too small of a tank and the tang police come out and jump on them.
 

I think that is the point. What I'm saying is no one actually has the right tank size but people continue to keep them regardless. If someone actually has a 12x6ft tank lying around in their living room then sure, go for it! but I don't think these fish should be as available as they are.

 

[Chad]

If someone has the right size tank I have no problem with it, if they don't they shouldn't keep them. It's that way with any fish though. There's nothing inherently wrong with keeping large fish in and of itself.

 

[TallTree01]

Bigger fish should be harder to get. Bala sharks and large cichlids a d catfish should not be a staple in LFSs. Most of the sharks in particular go into bad homes. Cichlids and catfish aren't so bad but are still often crammed into glass matchboxes.
I vote yes. But with conditions .

 

[ncguppy830]

i dont think they should, keep small fish in a big tank that mimics is enviroment, but put big fish in big tanks its really unatural.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Tricky!
 
As long as the fish is in a tank thats more relative to its size rather the size of someone's budget!
 
But having said that, these larger fish are used to having a much, much larger territory at sea or rivers, even if they are bred in captive conditions, they still have these roaming instincts.
 
And a tank, even if its the size of your house, is basically a drop in the ocean, literally.
 
So, I have to say, no (only just!), having a single large fish in a 2,000 litre tank is more cruel than having, say, a shoal of 20 guppies, in a 200 litre tank.
 
But thats just my opinion, but nevertheless, an interesting question!

 

[wrightt3]

As long as the fish is in a tank thats more relative to its size rather the size of someone's budget!
100% agree! Hence why I am against these fish being in the hobby for the most part as only a minute amount would actually have the budget or the space for them. As tall trees said, they should at least be made a lot harder to get hold of.

 

[Megalodon]

i agree with what others have said.....and they should be harder to get. i should not be able to purchase an arowana for 12 bucks and I should not be able to get pacus at walmrt.

 

[Zante]

That is up to the fish shops though. You shouldnt just ban fish outright, unless they are a real danger to the environment, like snakeheads in some places.