Volume of aquarium

[mrV]

When i have red lots of messages and lots of home-pages, i have seen that most hobbyists have quite small tanks, like 30 liters or even smaller...

I have wondered that do you have any laws protect fish? :=) Like minimum volume of tank etc?

In Finland you should have aquarium, which is at least 40 liters. And this is recommended only for temporary use, or only for small fish like neontetras. In the same time is prohibited to keep fish in bowl etc...

Im very interested in knowing what do legislators think about animal like fish in other countries Or do they just be fish and they need no laws for protection?

 

[Alien Anna]

As far as I know, animal cruelty laws don't apply to fish. I do think it's a bit silly to have a rule like no aquariums under 40L, since it depends on how many and what type of fish, what kind of filter etc.

I also wonder if such laws aren't rather hypocritical, given the way fish are treated by the fishing industry, and by fish farmers?

Do you have sport fishing (angling) in Finland?

 

[Davy Reynolds]

I've never came across any rules about keeping fish. There is about releaseing fish. I've never came across and covictions related to the treatment of fish but I've came across ocassions that fish have been taken away from peps

 

[gadazobe]

40 litres is not a big tank - it is approx 10uk gallons. I think you will find that most hobbyists have tanks much larger than that. The smaller tanks are used mainly (by serious hobbyists)for quarantine, hospital and breeding. I like the idea of prohibiting fish bowls - although many people keep bettas in one. Regarding fish rights - I don't know what the law is, but I do know of a case where a person was prosecuted for cruelty to his fish. It happened locally where I live - a shopowner had a tank in his window and when the shop closed down he left the tank there. The sun literally "boiled" the water and the fish died. The RSPCA (British organization against animal cruelty) was informed and they prosecuted the owner. Unfortunately I don't know the outcome of the case.

 

[mrV]

I do think it's a bit silly to have a rule like no aquariums under 40L, since it depends on how many and what type of fish, what kind of filter etc.

Didn't you read my message, or didn't i write it clear?

Quote of my message:

... at least 40 liters. And this is recommended only for temporary use, or only for small fish...

Well, i think i have to translate alittle bit more (from animal protection decision):

There is no allowed to keep fish in bowl.

There is water at least '1 liter for each 5cm long fish' and at least '4 liter for each 10cm long fish'. There is water however at least always 40 liter.

And there is much more regulation how to keep fish in aquarium, like decoration, water changes etc...

My point was, has your legislator even thought about fish?

 

[Alien Anna]

Didn't you read my message, or didn't i write it clear?

I find that question a little rude. If I hadn't read your post, I would hardly answer it, would I?

If Finnish law says "only for small fish", how exactly does it differ from the British situation then? You can't put a large fish in a 40L tank!

My point was, have your legislator even thought about fish?

Not really. But then the legislators don't think much about human beings most of the time either. I've lobbied MPs about small animal cruelty issues, but I've generally been perceived as a nut.

 

[mrV]

I find that question a little rude.

Im sorry. No, you dont... Because, you know, that my mother language is finnish, so when i write something in english, i just write it shortly - not so much errors then

 

[Rose]

The legislation doesn't give a rip about aquarium fish here in the states. at least none that i can find. Rose

 

[mrV]

Do you have sport fishing (angling) in Finland?

I don't know, because i do not fish.. I know that some fishers, fish for fun and if the fish hasn't hurted itself, they let it go back to lake...

I hate english! a fish=fish, to fish=fish... Just everything is "fish"... "I fish fish"   :laugh:

 

[pete]

I can confirm that YES there are laws in place and enforced by organisations such as the R.S.P.C.A which cover cruelty to fish etc as they are classed (quite rightly too) as an animal in thier own right and as such are subject to the same types of laws which protect say...a cat or dog :what: , however..........the reason that you do not often see reports of such organisations getting involved in prosecuting owners of neglected fish etc is that unless (as stated by gazadobe) the aquarium fish in question are in prominent view to members of the public etc it is very hard to get information on fish in distress as they are usually housed behind closed doors and are not subject to viewing by other experienced fish keepers who would know that the fish are being neglected :hmm:

The laws in this country (as well as others) need changing to provide better protection for "ornamental fish" as they are known and needs to cover things like filtration, the banning of fish housing less than 10 gallons (with certain exeptions ie quaruntine etc), and general care of fish!!!!!!!

However these laws would be almost impossible to enforce due to the same reasons listed a few paragraphs above so i feel its a bit of a "no win" situation and sadly can see no future for the governing of fish keeping

At the end of the day it is still down to the "fish keeper" to act with the responsibility and care that keeping fish requires and sadly there are many people out there keeping fish that should not be allowed to as they care not for the well being of the fish in thier care but care only for the decorative values of keeping fish

Alot of resturants etc as well as newcomers to the hobby could certainlly benefit from a short course in the care and maintainance of ornamental fish provided by say a local college evening class and courses like this could ease the numbers of fish lost due to bad maintainance and NEGLECT!!!!!!!!!!, if everyone had to attend a course of keeping whatever animal they choose to keep be it fish, cats, dogs etc there would be alot less homeless animals on our streets and in rehoming centres all over the world, but seeing as anyone can go out and get a dog, cat, fish etc (or even undertake to raise a child!!!!!!!!!!) things will IMO only get steadily worse for some of the fish being sold in our fish shops .

Sorry to all for that long winded moan but i felt it had to be said :grumpy:

 

[Feargal]

Well said too m8!

 

[adeyc]

True. Bet me to it didn't you m8 lol. If people arnet allowed to keep fish in a bowl or other small tank why are the stores allowed to sell them. a bowl is still to small to use as a hospital or quarantine tank, and this just encourages peeps to do the wrong thing. I'm sure the E.U. would have a stricy law to pass on this but I just can't imagine what. I gave up on them after the straight bannana thing. but there also should be tighter laws imposed on the whole genetic/hybrid thing.
And before anyone asks Pete the big Q' I have seen a fish walking down the street,it was with a bear,a rabbit,a pope and a can-can dancer.

 

[pete]

LMAO

 

[Great Lakes]

I don't think a tank under 40 liters should exist. Period.

These cheap little tanks sold by the large department stores to inexperienced peeps have caused this hobby more harm than good.

And Anna. I don't quite get the hippocracy of my fishing for salmon on the weekend, and keeping tropicals at home. Irony maybe, but not hippocracy. Or maybe I'm just "fishin" for a debate.

 

[Alien Anna]

Great Lakes,
I just think if we care for fish as we do, we ought probably to be more concerned with the animal welfare issues in commercial fishing and fish-farming than we are.

A fisherman recently told me that herring caught in the North Sea can take half an hour to die, and during that time they are chilled with ice so they get frost-bite and hypothermia as well as suffocating to death.

Now, I like my kippers as well as the next man, but this did worry me.

Also, commercial fish farmers are feeding fish on artificial diets including colouring to make the salmon pink (a colouring I'm allergic to, btw), plus large quantities of antibiotics used to help the fish survive despite the horrendously over-crowded conditions. Plus, they are even worse off than their wild caught peers because they too are suffocated and chilled to death.

At least sport fisherman club the fish on the head to kill it.