Stupid schoolmates!!!

[Pleco-Heaven]

OMG I was talking to some class mates today and nearly all of them have fish.
1st one: Has goldfish in small tank
2nd one: Has in a, what I think is, small hexagonal tank with, wait for it- a medium sized angelfish with small fish which it bullys (eats!).
3rd one: 3 goldfish in a pond, I guess thats alright.But he wants to put a Silver shark In!!!!!
4th one: Doesn't have fish but thinks you can put goldfish in those tiny bowls!

 

[mrV]

4th one: Doesn't have fish but thinks you can put goldfish in those tiny bowls!

I think this is the main reason why fishes are kept in small tanks. People "thinks" that goldfish bowles are ok, so other small tanks must be ok too.

 

[Dwarfs]

The main problem is...The bowls are even sold as GOLDFISH bowls.

 

[Tropjunky]

Well i used to work at my lfs and during a week we can 100's of idiots wanting goldfish and well most of them usualy go ask for the manage and then after about 10mins of argueing about why we refused to sell him fish for a small tank that he just bought somewhaere else they usualy go away. But some of them go and buy a few £100's of stuff usualy a 6ft tank.

 

[mrV]

The main problem is...The bowls are even sold as GOLDFISH bowls.

Not here Because there are some laws in animal protection protecting fishes too Unfortunately people see those bowls still in films, and then they go to nearest lfs and ask some bowl for their child. Fortunately, seller tell them, that it is not allowed to keep fishes in bowls in our country, so customer either buy aquarium (at least 40 liters ~ 10 gallons) with technical equipment or buy nothing.

Some stores are nowadays very careful of what they sell to customers. They even watch our forums regularly and see how customers react and they follow some rules too: they try to sell large fishes only customers, who have large tanks too. But it's not a miracle, if you hear that some seller sold large fish to small tank it's business! - but it will start debate on our forums and those sellers get really bad publicity. People remember those sellers and give warning messages to new hobbyest about bad stores. Im very happy that our sellers watch forums and really try to do what is good to customer and fishes. But there are still couple really bad stores that should be closed!

 

[Leslie]

It's ridiculous what some of these people are told is ok... the companies that sell those tiny tanks as goldfish bowls need to change their wording as well as the ones that put the pictures of like 3 of them in a 3 gallon on the front of their packaging. Without the proper knowledge it makes sense that consumers will think this is all ok.

 

[mrV]

As long as there are no rules (laws etc.), companies will try to make money easy. Those small cans don't cost alot but they take huge profits of them. Some people doesn't realize that those are not suitable for fishes and some override it - they are just fish...

 

[csr mel]

i think the real problem is that goldfish and other fish are seen as ornimental fixtures. you put a goldfish in a bowl and it dies in a month so you get another one for 15 cents.

people actually think a goldfish only live for a month or 2 and that it is normal for them to die to quick.

the general public does not see a fish as a pet in the same way you have a dog or cat. fish are more a decoration to be looked at and later flushed when they die.

fish do not get the same respect as a dog or hampster.

 

[luxum]

I know the widespread misinformation out there about fishkeeping is very frustrating to those of us who try to provide the best environment for our pets, but it isn't really fair to call your schoolmates "idiots" or "stupid" just because they ignorantly beleive what most people consider to be common knowledge. They really just don't know any better.

 

[mrV]

fish are more a decoration to be looked at...

Or better... People who believes somekind of magic things, like fengshui, keep goldfish bowls for good energy current or for what ever purposes...

Only "fengshui" I will get, it will be when people understand how nuts they are...

 

[Aquascaper]

Or better... People who believes somekind of magic things, like fengshui, keep goldfish bowls for good energy current or for what ever purposes...

Orange (the mobile phone network) have fish tanks in the majority of their stores with 7 gold fish and 1 black fish because this is meant to be good Feng Shui. No idea if there are any company guidelines about minimum tank size, etc. but the fish all seem to look happy (at least in the 4 - 5 stores i've been in).
Apparently it is also good Feng Shui to have odd numbers of fish (species/colour not necessarily total number).

Not that i know or care