Ever felt guilty about owning a fish caught from the ocean?

[Rickybobby]

Please don’t hate Just watched a video about a killer whales being taken from the wild and made into circus acts. And the whales basically hurting themselves because there not happy. So half of my fish are captive bred and other I believe wild caught. I have a beautiful 4 foot tank amazing conditions. Care and parameters. However my flame angel poppy. Eats and interacts but she swims counterclockwise around the tank in the late afternoon and I believe she does it because she does not like being in a box. All my other fish love life and make me very happy. Anyone else have some guilt for keeping wild caught fish? I’m doing my best

 

[Mark Gray]

Please don’t hate Just watched a video about a killer whales being taken from the wild and made into circus acts. And the whales basically hurting themselves because there not happy. So half of my fish are captive bred and other I believe wild caught. I have a beautiful 4 foot tank amazing conditions. Care and parameters. However my flame angel poppy. Eats and interacts but she swims counterclockwise around the tank in the late afternoon and I believe she does it because she does not like being in a box. All my other fish love life and make me very happy. Anyone else have some guilt for keeping wild caught fish? I’m doing my best

My wife used to say a tank is like fish jail. But she has kind of changed she sees how long fish live in an aquarium. I will post a picture of my favorite captive bred pair.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Whales are mammals, just like us, so not really comparable. As for small fish I think they have a healthy happy life in my aquarium whereas in nature it would probably be eaten. That’s what I tell myself.

 

[DaddyFish]

No

 

[Lowell Lemon]

Nope...never. Where do you think the captive bred stock comes from...yep the ocean. You have to start somewhere in the captive breeding game.

 

[CMMorgan]

Mixed feelings.... I can't stand seeing wild birds in cages. Yet... I can agree with @LordofCinder that little fish in the wild are part of the food chain. Even the pretty ones. I don't think of it as fish jail... maybe more like fish resort or the fish spa. I do think about conditions. This was actually my motivation for the custom build tank. I never see fish swimming up and down but I do see them frustrated with looking for long paths to swim. The existing 90 gallon tank just looked sad. Thus, the frustrating new build was supposed to be deeper front to back and longer side to side. 72 x 24 x 19 vs 48 x 18 x 24. I have been looking forward to watching those fish cruise the extra length for months.

 

[Hugh Mann]

I did at first, but then I came to the following conclusion.

We provide these fish with excellent foods, safety, and medical care. Yes, they're environments are a little small than the wild, but especially those of us with larger tanks, it's not like the fish utilizes the entire reef anyways. We meet all their needs, and fish don't really care much more than that.

In the wild, they're constantly on the brink of starvation, and will likely be killed by predators, disease or starvation long before old age gets them.

It's the same sort of logic I use hunting. My bullet is a far kinder fate for that animal than what a pack of wolves, coyotes or a cougar had in mind.

 

[littlefishy]

It's very interesting how perspective changes things. We have lionfish derby's and eat them in FL bcs they are serious pests.

 

[ca1ore]

Generally no. Just provide sensible space for the fish you choose.

 

[vanpire]

I eat fish, and I don't feel guilty. So I feel even less guilty about keeping my fish in a relatively nice environment. They get fed well and nothing tries to eat them, usually anyway.

 

[Reefer of Oz]

Excellent topic to address Rickybobby, thanks for bringing this up.

It is something I have considered from the inception of the idea of creating a captive marine system. I believe we have a responsibility as hobbyists to focus on the animal husbandry aspect as much as the aesthetic and collector aspects. to that effect, I have started to refer to this activity as a CRAFT vs HOBBY. Craft feel more in depth an encompassing than hobby which ,to me, sounds fickle and fleeting. Pet ownership is a responsibility that we put on ourselves and we ought to take it seriously. My spoiled cats can attest to my adherence to that principle.

That being said, I have yet to add fish to my first system. the plan is to try and only place tank raise fish and coral. Though being in MN, I struggle with the best sourcing method for livestock. What are the true costs of wild caught vs tank bred fish? What is the best way to introduce them to reduce stress and mortality? What system and tank mates are most compatible with our ideals as aquarists? And the biggest struggle for me, whose experience and opinions do we give the most weight in our decisions? These are the questions I ask myself as I go along this journey. Threads like this help. Here are a couple other sources pertaining to this topic I have found valuable in these decisions.

Skeptical Reefkeeping Part 1 – are you sure that that thing is true, or did someone just tell it to you? – Rich Ross

Reduce-reuse-recycle, reef?

When I think of all the reef aquariums I’ve owned, and visited over the years, the word sustainable never comes to mind. Home reef tanks use a lot of electricity, are tremendous water wasters (especially if you employ a RODI unit) and have been implicated in the release of invasive species...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Rickybobby]

Thanks everyone.

 

[fishybizzness]

Nope. I love fishing to include spearfishing! I eat fresh caught fish regularly, even some of the same species I have in my tank. I also believe that they are much more likely to live a longer life in my tank than in the ocean. Less stress too because they are never being actively hunted!

 

[Chrysemys]

I don’t ever specifically feel guilty about owning a fish caught in the ocean.
I do occasionally feel guilty about what it took to get that fish to my tank. It seems like captive bred when done right may be a better way?
Yet, I do consider that ocean caught is providing some livelihood to a segment of the population which captive bred may not?
It is a conundrum.... but when the fish is already is a store 800 miles from any ocean the deed is already done. Who am I to not support my local community by purchasing that fish? I don’t think there will ever be a full market shift to captive bred that would change what shows up in my LFS. As a caring and reasonably skilled fish keeper, I feel that “my tank” is probably the best thing that could happen to that fish moving forward.

 

[DJF]

Yes when I fail to give them their best life. You don’t need a god complex to be successful at reefing but it will reveal what kind of god you’d be

 

[Zionas]

Many fish in the wild don’t get to satisfy their massive ego complexes because they can get eaten by a predator while sleeping on the sea floor, while in our tanks they get to do the bullying. xD I guess from the perspective of some of those fish they’re indeed happier than they are in the ocean.

It’s not like many smaller, less active fish use that much space anyway. They’ll stick to a territory whether in the ocean or in our tanks.

So apparently extending the potential wild lifespan of a species by 5, 10, 20 times is oppressive?

Of course still a big supporter of Captive Breeding, and we are probably the best shot at the survival of many species at this rate.

I am in a country that has very little regard for the environment. I like to think fish would have a better life in my tank than in the massively polluted waters off shore because of greedy capitalists.

Besides if I take care of a creature for so long, would it be fair to let it go and let it survive on its own? They do this with domesticated tigers and other big cats and not all are able to fully recover their wild instincts.

I guess it’s like us, that life has trade offs. I don’t know what the fishy equivalent of having it all is, but for us it’s like choosing to live in an exciting and unpredictable hell with lots of ups and downs versus living in a stable but more predictable situation without as much excitement but also fewer things that could go wrong in the way of losing your life.

 

[stanlalee]

Killer whales are highly intelligent, Apex predators, too large and roam too large a territory to be maintained in captivity. Our hobby fish are 1000x safer in captivity and occupy a patch of reef and sometimes much less than that. I do feel guilty when they jump out or die prematurely.
However I cringe at how they are kept at distribution centers and the survival rates. I cringe at how large freshwater fish are housed in pet stores and sometimes in homes overcrowded (I know sometimes for territorial prevention), no substrate or structures. I am also more appalled at how chickens are over produced in the billions per year mainly so somebody can profit off of fast food chains...but I still eat chicken. What can I say, I wasn't born in a natural living tribal society where we hunt only what we need to eat, enjoy only the natural pleasures God put forth in front of me like sex and dance. I was born in the belly of the beast. If you caught me at 5 I could go back but it's too late for me to turn back now.

 

[mijan]

Not even once. My fish have a great life with no fear of predation or where their next meal is coming from.

The reef is a brutal savage place where the rule is eat or be eaten. It certainly is not like a Disney movie where they all get together to sing show tunes.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Nope

 

[Drendo]

Please don’t hate Just watched a video about a killer whales being taken from the wild and made into circus acts. And the whales basically hurting themselves because there not happy. So half of my fish are captive bred and other I believe wild caught. I have a beautiful 4 foot tank amazing conditions. Care and parameters. However my flame angel poppy. Eats and interacts but she swims counterclockwise around the tank in the late afternoon and I believe she does it because she does not like being in a box. All my other fish love life and make me very happy. Anyone else have some guilt for keeping wild caught fish? I’m doing my best

I always tell my kids that the ocean is a dangerous place, filled with predators. The way I see it, I’m rescuing my fish from sharks and other apex predators.