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| Prisons | 27% | 47 votes | Total: 175 votes | |
| Decor | 73% | 128 votes |
Prisons
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Add to FavoritesThere is no doubt about it. The fish is not in it's natural environment. it is curtailed to a certain footage by footage aquarium, and it relies on it's human carer to ensure that it gets an adequate food supply and a clean and healthy place to live.
Looking after any kind of aquarium fish is a responsibility. True, they make nice decor, and true there can be beneficial aspects to "keeping" fish that helps to lower stress and encourage an enjoyable past time, but that is what you are doing. You are keeping fish out of their natural state.
To the fish it is a prison. No matter how congenial the surroundings and no matter how intent you have been in creating as near normal an atmosphere as possible, the simple truth of the matter is these fish are trapped in a tank on dry land somewhere and they cannot get out.
Years ago I had a small fish tank and I looked after it tirelessly... until I got bored with it. Keeping a tank going at the right temperature and making sure the fish are adequately fed and the water quality is spot on, is a hobby. You have to be a bit passionate about your fish. Even the minutest change in water temperature can cause problems, and if you overfeed them by accident...
My dad got some black mollies for me and I used to think they were so gorgeous. I loved to sit by the tank and watch them for hours. That is until I came down one morning and found that nearly all of my beautiful fish had jumped out of the feeding hole through the roof of the tank and lay asphyxiated on the ground. I managed to save a few of them and could never figure out why they had done that. In my childish mind I imagined they were trying to escape the confines of the tank.
It all became a bit of a worry really and in the end I didn't really care about how pretty the tank was, I just looked at it and felt guilty for keeping the fish in the first place and frustrated that I had to keep up with the upkeep of the tank because the fish depended on me for survival.
I used to think that keeping fish purely for making your home a prettier place to live in was OK because you couldn't get emotionally attached to a fish, but in the end I was wrong. Fish have just as much right to live on this earth as us. They were given a life to live and who are we to use another living creature as a form of moving wallpaper? The thing that saddens me is that a lot of fish were born for this purpose alone and have never even seen the ocean.
How sad is that?
Learn more about this author, Jane Allyson.
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Decor
Aquariums may be termed 'delightful decor' provided they are well maintained. Keeping fish in an unhealthy tank may well be akin to a 'plastic prison'. However, researching your fish and invertebrates before you purchase them enables you to provide a healthy, humane environment for them. If you don't care for them their environment will suffer, and so will they. An aquarium only becomes a prison if the inhabitants' welfare is not paramount.
Aquatic shops and retailers sell fish that have been bred in captivity. If you are unsure of this, you can always check the source before you buy. Because the fish are bred in captivity, each species is already used to living in a more confined space, and will not miss the open ocean. Some may argue that fish instinctively know they are not in the ocean, but this is a matter of opinion.
As long as you provide sufficient living space, dietary requirements and everything your fish need, your aquarium is a safe haven. There are few predators for most fish in an aquarium. You can choose fish that live together in a community, thereby reducing some of the more aggressive fish behaviour.
Reef tanks can be beneficial for corals. In the current climate, it is estimated we may lose our world's coral reefs in thirty years' time if we don't do something to combat climate change and over-fishing. Aquariums allow the opportunity for propagation of coral species that may otherwise die out. They also allow us to learn about the ocean and its inhabitants without the need for a diving certificate.
The peace and tranquility that surround a well-kept aquarium can work wonders on the mind and the soul, not to mention the satisfaction of knowing you are doing your bit to help the environment. This peace would not be so readily achieved if the fish appeared unhappy, trapped or stressed. Most fish-keepers can tell whether their fish are happy, and would not continue to keep fish if they appeared otherwise.
Do a little research, and provide your fish and invertebrates with everything they need, and your aquarium will indeed be 'delightful decor'. Aquariums are colourful, lively, interesting and soothing, and your fish will give you endless joy.
Learn more about this author, A Morris.
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