Fishkeeping - Animal Welfare

Animal Welfare

A properly maintained aquarium allows fish to socialize with their own species and in many cases breed successfully. This is in marked contrast to the conditions of larger animals like cats and dogs, which are often kept alone and neutered in an environment different from what they would experience in the wild. However, fish are often maintained in inadequate conditions. Therefore they live short lives and never breed.

Inexperienced aquarists often keep too many fish in one tank, or add fish too quickly into an immature aquarium, killing many of them. This has given the hobby a bad reputation among some animal welfare groups, such as PETA, who accuse aquarists of treating aquarium fish as cheap toys to be replaced when they die.

Goldfish and bettas in particular have often been kept in small bowls or aquaria that are too small for their needs. In some cases fish have been installed in all sorts of inappropriate objects such as the "AquaBabies Micro Aquaria", "Bubble Gear Bubble Bag", and "Betta in a Vase", all of which house live fish in unfiltered and insufficient water. The latter is sometimes marketed as a complete ecosystem because a plant is included in the neck of the vase. Some sellers claim the fish eat the plant roots. However, bettas are carnivorous and need live food or pellet foods. They cannot survive on plant roots. Another problem is that the plant sometimes blocks the betta's passage to the water surface. They are labyrinth fish, and need to breathe at the surface to avoid suffocation.

Such products are aimed at people looking for a novelty gift. Aquarists actively condemn them. Similarly, the awarding of goldfish as prizes at funfairs is traditional in many parts of the world, but has been criticized by aquarists and activists as cruel and irresponsible. The United Kingdom outlawed live-animal prizes such as goldfish in 2004.

The use of live prey to feed carnivorous fish such as piranhas also draws criticism.