May 1998
I can't even begin to count the number of people I have encountered who believe that fish are furniture. You know the sort - toss a bit of food in the tank occasionally, polish the outside of the glass when it gets grotty but otherwise ignore the tank and occupants.
Personally, I find this attitude downright immoral. Yes, I know that probably sounds a bit extreme, but think on this - those fish are completely dependent on their keepers not only for food, but for life-support. A dog or a cat can be kept in a "toss it a bit of food and otherwise ignore it" sort of way without suffering more than boredom or loneliness - they may not be emotionally fulfilled, but they'll be physically fairly healthy. A fish, on the other hand, doesn't breath air but water. And the water that they breathe is provided and maintained by the fish keeper. If an air-breather is in a position where the air is foul, they can usually move to somewhere with better ventilation (or whatever). A fish in an aquarium can't go anywhere. If the water is foul, they're stuck with it. Nowhere to go. And funnily enough, if the water is foul enough for long enough, they will eventually die.
I used to know someone who kept goldfish in a goldfish bowl on her kitchen table. Every couple of weeks she'd flush another dead one down the toilet. One by one her goldfish would die. But she never tried to find out what she was doing wrong. "Goldfish are cheap!" she would say cheerfully, and buy another one to replace the last.
Does anybody else see what is wrong with this scenario?
It's a funny thing, but people whose fish die of disease and neglect would likely be outraged at a dog or a horse treated the same way. For some reason, fish don't seem to register as "alive" with some folk - perhaps they think that they are some sophisticated video game or tamagotchi?
Perhaps you are now starting to see why I find these slack attitudes immoral. It's an issue of responsibility. If I buy a fish (or a bird or a dog), then I'm taking responsibility for that creature. It is now my job to ensure that its basic needs are met. Doing anything else is, in my opinion, negligent. Nobody has forced me to take on this creature, and it is a simple matter of doing a bit of background reading beforehand to find out what its needs are. Getting a pet without the intent or desire to look after it is a similar thing to having a baby and having no intention of clothing or bathing it. It be less likely to land you in gaol, but a fish is no less a living creature than a baby, and should be similarly treated with respect.
I hope there is a special hell reserved for people who neglect animals. If there is any justice in the universe, people who kill fish through neglect would spend their afterlives sitting in foul-smelling cesspits with only refuse and rotten things to eat or drink.
Please, please, please - if you are considering keeping fish, do give a moment's thought to their basic needs. If you are not prepared to (at the very least) change their water every couple of weeks, make sure they're being kept at the correct temperature and check the pH every so often, don't get an aquarium. Get a video or a picture of fish instead.