YOUR OPINION- are fish truly happy in captivity?
- Thread starter ZoWhat
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Oh man, this is loaded.
Here's my honest opinion... I question the ethics of keeping them. I often feel bad about the fact that they are fully dependent on the environment we cultivate, and also the technology we use to keep things working day in and day out. One small failure, even if it's not our fault, could make them sick or kill them.
That said, my mom points this out to me every time I bring that up: if you're taking good care of them and providing them quality food and a stress-free environment, maybe they have a better life than in the wild where they aren't really afforded such luxuries.
I spent a weird amount of time thinking about how quickly my blenny in particular adapted to captivity in my tank. He initially panicked, then tried to jump, and then literally the next day found a home base and began to settle in. Now he has a routine.
Here's my honest opinion... I question the ethics of keeping them. I often feel bad about the fact that they are fully dependent on the environment we cultivate, and also the technology we use to keep things working day in and day out. One small failure, even if it's not our fault, could make them sick or kill them.
That said, my mom points this out to me every time I bring that up: if you're taking good care of them and providing them quality food and a stress-free environment, maybe they have a better life than in the wild where they aren't really afforded such luxuries.
I spent a weird amount of time thinking about how quickly my blenny in particular adapted to captivity in my tank. He initially panicked, then tried to jump, and then literally the next day found a home base and began to settle in. Now he has a routine.
Coxey81
Well-Known Member
My fish seem completely happy, that doesn't keep me from questioning keeping them in captivity.
My dad had a good point on it though. If people don't see and experience animals for themselves in person, they will never care about them when they are thousands of miles away.
This is loaded, but what the heck.
I will say this, my fish have ample space, stable and clean water, constant supply of various foods, endless caulerpa nori/graciliria grazing for the tangs and no worries of that big ole grouper or shark coming to eat them. Or even that fisherman with a taste for tangs lol.
As for happy, cannot say. For safer than the wild, for sure. Almost all of my fish (excluding a few tangs and wrasse) are paired up and spawn regularly.
I will say this, my fish have ample space, stable and clean water, constant supply of various foods, endless caulerpa nori/graciliria grazing for the tangs and no worries of that big ole grouper or shark coming to eat them. Or even that fisherman with a taste for tangs lol.
As for happy, cannot say. For safer than the wild, for sure. Almost all of my fish (excluding a few tangs and wrasse) are paired up and spawn regularly.
OrchidMiss
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This is a good one.
I wonder this often, as well. Not only about the fish, but the other animals I keep.
I look at it this way, I provide them all with high quality food, keep their environments clean, and they all seem very happy whenever I come to see them! The fishies love to swim up to see me, even if I'm just passing by.
My chickens come running up to me/to the door of their run every time I go out the back door.
My birds fly over to me the second I walk in the door and the dogs come running too.
So, I feel as though all my animals are well taken care of and, YES! I think they're all happy
I wonder this often, as well. Not only about the fish, but the other animals I keep.
I look at it this way, I provide them all with high quality food, keep their environments clean, and they all seem very happy whenever I come to see them! The fishies love to swim up to see me, even if I'm just passing by.
My chickens come running up to me/to the door of their run every time I go out the back door.
My birds fly over to me the second I walk in the door and the dogs come running too.
So, I feel as though all my animals are well taken care of and, YES! I think they're all happy
Smite
2500 Club Member
If you are truly worried about it you could always go with captive bred fish. They know nothing else.
I always try to buy fish very small, I feel like they adapt better overall. I have thought about this as well. They see me and they all hit the glass wanting food but that doesn't necessarily mean they are happy. Do fish get happy and experience emotion or is that just us putting human attributes on an animal to relate to it?
I always try to buy fish very small, I feel like they adapt better overall. I have thought about this as well. They see me and they all hit the glass wanting food but that doesn't necessarily mean they are happy. Do fish get happy and experience emotion or is that just us putting human attributes on an animal to relate to it?
Grumblez
Active Member
Well whether fish can experience happiness is partially a philosophical question. We know fish can experience stress so at the very minimum the absence of stress (or signs of it anyways) and their base needs met could be called a happy fish.
I think without a doubt smaller fish like damsels, cardinals, clowns, gobies, fish that aren't generally free ocean / long range swimmers can be happy in captivity. Fish like tangs and anthias that would normally roam a huge portion of reef? It's harder to say.
One interesting thing to look at is how fish behavior changes in captivity. For example some fish such as watchman gobies behave more or less the same in captivity, find a hole, hopefully a shrimp friend and live in in hole. Other fish have large behavior changes notably many fish that school in wild like Bangaiis and Chromis have a tendacy to murder each other in a tank. Is this because they recognize the absence of predators? Or just part of maybe the stress of captivity?
Lets look at Bangais in the wild they live in large groups, but in most scenarios in captivity that I've read they will eventually narrow down to two. Sure dispersed aggression might play a role, but I've read about large groups in very large tanks still killing each other off. Is this because they somehow recognize the absence of predators? Or is it some other stress of captivity we can't identify. If a schooling fish can recognize they are safe from predators than on some level they recognize they live in a box ;Writing
Grumblez
Active Member
This might be true for smaller fish like clownfish, but there's a discussion to be made that the larger fish now captive bred like angels and tangs 99% of home aquariums won't come close to the giant vats they are raised in.
GHOSTLY
2500 Club Member
Let's say your tanks full of algae, its overstocked, and you don't keep up with maintenance then yes. If your doing water changes, providing homes and shelters via rocks, and feeding id say yes
Smite
2500 Club Member
That's true but they are all so small when sold for the most part, I wonder how much of that space they really register.
J.D.
Community Member
Loaded question, but here goes – I don’t think Fish have the capability of being “happy” or not. That emotion is reserved for higher functioning organisms; fish are governed more by instinct than rational thought. That being said, if we provide a well-cared for environment with proper nutrition and amply space to roam, they are generally living a more peaceful existence than if they were constantly being chased on a reef by something that wants to eat them.
KonradTO
Valuable Member
Stress is caused by different factors in the wild vs in captivity. As others said the only way to know is to observe behaviour and get a feeling. Some probably do not even know they are in an "unusual" situation (in captivity). When I look at my six line wrasse I think it would need a much bigger tank ( I have 32g), I regretted a bit the decision to bring it home. One day I will upgrade the size of the tank for sure.
Coxey81
Well-Known Member
Fish are neither happy of sad. They don't have the capacity. They may be more active and look better when their needs are better met, and appear "happy" but they are nevertheless not "happy"... or for that matter "sad"... they just exist. The respond without cognitive thought to stimuli. While responses can be conditioned, it is not "learning". That said, I think there is some benefit to thinking of positive responses as "happy" since it means that they are in a environment that meets its needs.
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