WOW Irresposible IMO

[Fingolfin]

Salt water fish? they don't need your tank to survive and be happy. they have the ocean and we kidnape them from their home and claim self righteousness?

Please don't put words in my mouth. It's all too familiar tactics for scoring points in debates. Go back and check every single word I typed then see how I applied "moral righteousness" in this case.

Indeed, humans have fallen natures, and I do not deny my own tendency to sin. In this case, you did raise a very interesting question:

We kidnap an animal from their natural surrounding then have them subjected to our pleasure, how can we justify our behavior?

I can't answer the question for you, but I will answer the question for myself. Being a person who has been attracted to fish at very young age, it has been my desire to have close contact with them. Over the decades as my knowledge, skills, understanding, compassion, and financial means have increased, my approach to my hobby evolved accordingly. To me, hobbyists can be a tremendous resource to educate general public to preserve the nature. Thanks to the development of the modern economy and technology, the advancement of reef/fish understanding is no longer the privilege to biologists. We as hobbyists can also contribute to this field, at the expense of "kidnapping animals from their natural habitat".

At the end of day, we all need to justify our actions before we comfortably go to bed, without internal conflicts. If you don't feel right about doing certain things, you shouldn't keep doing them. It's simply for the sake of your mental health.

 

[smcnally]

I agree, Dong. Although I find it wrong for someone to keep a tang in a small tank, I don't go to the extent of thinking they are immoral or evil people. I frankly just think they are stupid. Wild dogs and birds have huge areas to run and fly, but you don't see people complain about a bird being confined to a cage or a dog to a small yard. I'm with Cindy too...Although I really like my fish, they come nowhere near my dogs or other animals. If I came home to my fish dried up on the floor I would think it sucked but I wouldn't get bent out of shape over it. On the other hand, if I came home to my dogs dried up and lifeless on the floor, I would ball my eyes out. Maybe I'm a mean person, but I definitely don't think all creatures are created equal. I see a spider, fly, roach, etc... I kill it.

 

[Peter Fernandes]

I like hamburgers!

 

[dz6t]

I like hamburgers!

Me too, you should try the Miracle of Science in Central Square Cambridge, best burgers in town.

Back to the topic, even after decades of research, there is still very little known about ocean fish. The limited amount of tank bred fish available for hobbists are limited speices of clown fish, some dottybacks and bangai. No one can breed tangs and all the tangs sold as pets are wild caught as well as all the angel fish.

 

[Sherri]

Life is life whether it is a dog, fish or insect. The fact that we value some life more than others is the basis for some of humanity's greatest failings. The fact that some humans are less valuable than others is the basis of many religious differences. It is at its core respect -- respect for life whatever form it takes. Do I kill flies and mosquitos? Yup. Do I eat meat? Yup. Do I do my best to respect all life even when I am eating it or squishing it? Yup. At the core of this whole issue is how much respect do you have for the lives in your care. My heart breaks for any death which is definitely as problem as death is the unavoidable end to all that lives. So -- to get out of the deep stuff ... how much respect do you show for the lives you have volunteered to be responsible for? That answer varies depending upon individuals, cultures, religions, etc. etc. etc.