Dyed Fish Retailers

[dc3]

Like someone said a few posts ago - LFS's are in the market to make money - just like any other business... To make a broad statement as to boycott them is kinda pointless and a little self-righteous. Plus it doesn't account for are we talking about 1) dyed fish (via injection or dipping) 2) genetically modified fish (those glo-danios) or 3) the result of just plain cruel results from breeding (star-gazer goldfish). It can be argued that category 3 is just as bad as 1, it not worse - so why are we not boycotting those... Maybe the "mutation" process is not as immediately painful but a painted tetra is a whole lot more functional than those goldfish... As for shortened life expectancy - I am willing to guess that painted vs non-painted tetras life as longer than the same ratio in star-gazer vs comet (or whatever a base-goldfish is).
A lot of LFS have half-decent service and pretty decent prices - to ignore their whole stock just because of a few tanks they have that cater to idiots is kinda unfair. If you're so upset about it, start harassing the government - it doesn't seem like there is a powerful painted-fish-importer lobby-group - so if there's a good chance you can stop the import plain and simple. Most people who buy these fish aren't going out and spending serious time to find a painted fish (unlike some people i've known who've driven a 400km round trip to get certain cichlids and oddballs) - if they don't see the painted fish, they will not think "oh cute, let's get it" and that will dry the market up...
Just my two cents on the matter...

 

[The_Dude]

Fish are cool and all, but 400 km! Rediculous much?

 

[Chrispixx]

I agree, just don't buy from that store. Tell the manager why, though, if not in person then by letter.

I sent an e-mail to a LFS store owner in my area disscussing the tattooing or dying of fish as this topic was discussed on another forum.... here is a copy of the e-mail i sent.


Dear Steve,

I belong to a website called Fish Index. It is a forum type website dedicated to the care and maintenance of fresh and saltwater fish, ponds etc. for the aquarium hobbyist.

There is a topic on there discussing Tattooed (Dyed) fish and has a link to a news article about your store and how you stock these fish for sale and condone the tattooing of these poor creatures.

I thought I would send you the link to this discussion and let you read it to see what people are saying about what you are doing. There are some great people on there with many years of experience in the fish hobby who don't condone the selling of these fish. Please read for yourself.

Regards, Chris


Here is his reply.



Hi Chris,



Thank you for sending me this. I actually have registered with the site and was going to post a response but have not been given privileges to post. Maybe they don’t want me to?

Anyway, for what it’s worth; the fish are tattooed with a low intensity laser light and it does not hurt them in any way.

I think that most people think the tattooing process is painful +/or harmful to the “poorâ€￾ fish. It isn’t. The laser does not penetrate the epidermis and it is not a needle.



Steve.




Now i'm not saying this practice should or should not be condoned, but this is something that unfortunately in todays world is more than likely here to stay. I dont know if it's right or wrong, or if the fish are affected in some way or hurt buy it or not, who really knows.

If you think this practice is not right then the only thing you can do is not shop at that store like some people have already mentioned. But those few people who choose not to shop there anymore will not hit them where it hurts enough.

Unfortunately a boycott wont work because people dont ban together for a cause like they used to in the sixtys and seventys so thats pointless. I guess it's touch and go. Just something we have to deal with, and get used to seeing in fish stores especially when it becomes more popular.

The only thing we can hope for is the store owners themself to do whats right and not sell these fish just to make a buck.

 

[vancouver]

Funny how dude lies about it..

 

[Chrispixx]

Funny how dude lies about it..

Lies about what... the tattooing/dying process being harmful/painful? Like i said who really knows if it is. Have there been studies?

It's all just a moot point anyway, nothing can be done that will be effective unless a big animal rights group gets involved. And thier too busy saving whales and bald eagles to worry about fish in the aquarium hobby.

 

[vancouver]

I've never heard of a magical laser that can somehow get dye into a fish.

Sounds like some x-men stuff.

 

[MikeD67]

I've never heard of a magical laser that can somehow get dye into a fish.

Sounds like some x-men stuff.

With todays technology and the constant advances we make I wouldnt doubt that it is possible. but also it may not hurt the fish at the time of getting it done but I believe it would have to take its affect on other aspects of a fishes life example being possibly life span getting shortened or even making the fish more prone to sickness. I wlways have had one phrase stuck in my head for things like this and that is "EVERY ACTION HAS A REACTION"

 

[Night_Market]

After having more than a few tattoo's myself, I can assure you that it is pretty painful (...and I like it ).

Never mind the bl**dy fish.

Where is this 'magical' laser tattoo machine, and why is it not used on humans then.

Bollox to that...

 

[Danno]

Just a ditty that I might add. There IS a laser that changes the pigment in fish. They reason why they don't use it in humans is because human pigment, or melanin, ranges from whitish-tan to a darker-tan color. We don't have the anatomy to turn, lets say, blue? (I wouldn't want to be a Smirf anyways ) Fish who have the ability to change different colors, have lasers sent into them to change the pigment in their skin. Take for example, Parrot Fish, They don't shove a huge metal needle in them and squirt a bazillion of ccs of dye in them. They use a laser on them to change them different colors in them. They have a unique bright color to them in the first place so it makes it easier to dye. I forgot where I read this but the machine that dyes fish was the predecessor of the machine for corrective eye surgery! But on the other hand, fish that have lines or blotches of dye in them are injected with dye in certain parts of their bodies. The dye is made out of a plasma base. Plasma is part of the blood that keeps it “flowing". The dye is about as harmless as the dye that is injected into us! The reason it looks like a lot is because a lot of the pained fish are clearish.

Note that this is the small information about dyeing. This is my opinon as my opinion has already been posted earlier in the thread.

 

[chibi]

I don't think we should name them. It seems a little harsh to me. I know it's not nice they sell dyed fish, but to give out their names? Then, the really radical people may call them and harass them. That's not nice.

 

[CFC]

There was a magazine artical in an Asian fish keeping magazine which was posted on the net some time ago (i believe PFK may have also run something on it too) which showed the process of dying and mutilating a fish to make it "more beautifull". The process involves dipping the fish into a mild acid solution which strips the natural slime coat from the fish, the dye is then painted onto the scales in the various shapes and designs wanted and then the fish is placed into a bath which contains an irritant solution to force the regeneration of the fishes slime coat to seal the colour in. There is no magical laser which changes the colour of fishes scales and such technology would be considered far too expensive compared to cheap labour in Far east Asian countries.

I am all for the naming and shaming of stores which stock dyed and mutilated fish, in this day and age of easy to access information anyone who chooses to stock these fish is either ignorant or gready, or a combination of both.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

I agree, just don't buy from that store. Tell the manager why, though, if not in person then by letter.

this would be the best way to go about it

 

[Maxta]

After having more than a few tattoo's myself, I can assure you that it is pretty painful (...and I like it ).

Never mind the bl**dy fish.

Where is this 'magical' laser tattoo machine, and why is it not used on humans then.

Bollox to that...

Amen to that, i want a tattoo but im a panzy, dont want the pain that comes with it. Now if they used this magical lazer id be tempted.

The market for dyed fish will always be there, children and even adults will go in the shop and see something unusual. There is a big market for unique things. Dont get me wrong, i think it shouldnt be done.

I wouldnt say dont buy them, because they'l be stuck in the store for their whole life, and the conditions in most arent exactly ideal. I say buy them, and care for them as best as possible, not because theyre dye, but because theyre a fish.

 

[Birdie]

What would be the purpose of naming and shaming an individual shop? It's not as if the dyed fish are being sold in secret - unless the owner is flat-out lying about it (and I wouldn't fancy outing a business-person as a liar on the internet without having cast-iron legal evidence). The dyed fish are there for all to see when you walk into the shop. Energies would be much better expended raising awareness of *why* dying/tattooing fish is such an obnoxious practice. Otherwise you are just preaching to the choir - or possibly inviting harassment of the shop-keepers.

 

[tetraqueen]

I think my lfs has done the decent thing and stated they do not sell dyed fish.

I also think it is up to the person buying the fish to ensure that it is okay.


There is nothing more beautiful than natural colour my clowns show beautiful markings and if you look at fish photos on here there surey is no need to dye.