A Fish is Just A Fish

So this may sound silly to some, but I'm quite the animal lover regardless what kind of animal it is. I was doing a little bit' of shopping awhile ago, and was thinking of investing in some fish for my home.

I've always loved fish, and I've always had fish in my home. While in the fish department this man and his young son were looking at fish too. I was at Wal-Mart at the scene of all of this, and they decided to buy two types of fish. The first one was a fresh water Black Moore, and the second one was a Salt Water Dragon fish looking thing.

While listening to them debate what fish they wanted, they said they were going to experiment. They were going to put the Black Moore in the salt water with the dragon fish. I immediately spoke up and said "You can't do that, it will die." The man just laughed and said "Oh, well we will see." This infuriated me to no ends, rather a fish is just a fish, it's still a living breathing creature. As the lady lifted it helplessly out of the tank and into the fish bag I felt awful. Here goes this poor fish that's going to be taken home, and have no idea of what's going to happen to it.

I started to argue with the man and told him that it was wrong. The little boy didn't even seem to mind, coming from that sad excuse of a "man" I can see why the kid didn't care.

My question is: Could I have complained to the manager to where they couldn't sell him the fish? The lady servicing him the fish also heard that he would be putting the fresh water fish into the salt water tank. She had a disturbed look on her face when I looked at her for an opinion. I felt really bad I let it just roll off my shoulders, but could I have done anything?

I just got fish and killed some by accident due to my inexperience. I am doing everything I can to save the rest. This just infuriates me to no end. I probably would have called the manager and would have raised a big fuss. If you abuse cats or dogs they arrest you.

Ugh, I hate, hate, HATE stories like this! I was an avid fishkeeper (had over 500 gallons of fishtanks in my house at one point), and I really hated seeing the pet departments in the department stores because most of the staff were totally oblivious to the care of the fish they sold. But then again, is it their responsibility to educate the general public on the pet they are considering, or is it the general public's responsibility to research it on their own?

It's a fine line. I really don't know if complaining to the manager would have done anyting in the long run, because honestly, it is the sale they are after, the $$ being brought in, they really don't care if the fish die or not. If they die, they might get another sale out of the deal when they come back to buy more fish. It's heartbreaking that the animals have to suffer because of someone's lack of research, but it does happen all the time.

I usually try to let people know the "real deal" when I overhear conversations about fish keeping, but if they choose to ignore me and go ahead and do what they want, it's out of my hands. I hate to see someone buying a goldfish bowl that holds a gallon of water, then grab two fancy goldfish to put in it. I will let them know that goldfish require a minimum of 10 gallons for each fish, and the cleaning and care that fancy goldfish require, but if they choose to go with the bowl, that really is their perogative... and will have the joy of coming home to floating fishies sometime soon.

Bottom line, you can offer your opinion and knowledge, but I'm afraid there is not much else you can do. My heart goes out to that little black moor, he's not going to last long in salt water. What a shame.

I'm with you on this point as well. Why cause a living creature harm for no good reason?

For the record, I don't think wal-mart should sell living things (except plants) at all. I know how they treat their employees, who are human, I can't help but think that animals fair even worse!!!

I think what that person did was highly irresponsible but there's not much you can do about it. I mean, if you think about it, fish are not domesticated creatures anyway. By that line of thinking, wouldn't leaving them to the oceans, rivers and streams be the more humane option? The fish has no idea what's in store for it, good or bad. I'm sure it's not real happy about it's lot in life as it is.

Some people are inhumane idiots,unfortunately no matter how hard we try and point this out they still do not get it and then they go on to teach their kids the same way. SIGH. I am like you, I ALWAYS try to point things out BUT, the person on the other end of the message needs the necessary brain cells to understand it.

I really don't see how people can be like this, so cruel it's disgusting. Animals mean nothing to most people, and as Victoria said other people are teaching not to be kind/care for animals to their own children making it a vicious cycle that goes over and over again.

My neighbor has a beastly little boy that I don't have any patience, or a care in the world for. Of course not his fault, but being raised by his grandma and grandpa his grandpa is a little on the rough side. The little boy likes to take a bebe gun and shoot birds out of the sky, if that wasn't bad enough he pummels their dogs, jumps on em', absolutely annoys the poor things. Luckily he got a punishment that was surely to teach him never to mistreat an animal again.

I would like to think that schools now a days would have a program for animals that teach children about that. Especially with wildlife the way it is, and polar bears becoming close to extinct, you would think schools would bring in something to teach our children what some fellow parents are lacking to do.

Maybe that is extreme, but I'm just too soft hearted for animals.

The thing is compassion is taught long before you go to school. If you are not taught with any compassion or taught to show any to live creatures before you go to school good luck. Most people have compassion for another human being or animal by the age of three. Like you it drives me WILD when I see lack of compassion for living things. My son has always had lots of pets and we love them to death and they seem to live forever. He got 5 fish 7 years ago 2 of which are still living. When the others passed on we had funerals for them even. He cries even if a plant dies.Lack of compassion is SO sad.

Whether it is a dog, cat, fish, hermit crab.... One thing that really bothers me is when people acquire pets with the INTENTION of not taking proper care of them.

An honest mistake is one thing- but to take an animal home and already know that you will not be giving it the proper care:

they said they were going to experiment. They were going to put the Black Moore in the salt water with the dragon fish.

is DISGUSTING to say the least. That is just pure ignorance mixed with cockiness, and I am sure it extends beyond fish with that guy. The pet store worker should have explained the proper way to care for the fish and describe the inevitable results of his stupid pre-planned "experiment" (i.e. death via slow suffocation) so that they would not feel the need to carry it out.

Basically a salt water fish can live for a short time in fresh water. It will die slowly while it's body (which is designed for absorbing and excreting salt water) shuts down.

Even salt water fish that are hardy and migrate through fresh water temporarily, usually only do so for a very short period of time- and they are introduced to the new environment gradually (not by being thrown into the different environment).

I'd give the fish one week, max before they kill it.

I hate when stupid people get pets.

As the lady lifted it helplessly out of the tank and into the fish bag I felt awful

She's no better.

This is one reason why I have pets, I want to teach my son compassion. In his daycare they have a few pets, a bunny and some fish. Some places are trying.

While driving through a residential neighborhood I once saw 2 little boys- about 6 and 9 maybe- being mean to their bassett hound in the yard. We all know that many dogs love snow- but this wasn't right: One held it's face while the other one smashed a snow ball right on into it's snout and eyes (hard and point blank). I rolled down my window and scolded them. Then I rang their doorbell and told their mom, and they got in trouble.

Maybe I overstepped my boundaries but I could care less about what they thought of me. Even if I only annoyed them, and didn't make any other impact, it was well worth the intervention. It wasn't the first time and I'm sure it won't be the last.

I would definitely be the person to speak up about the fish at the pet store. Whether they liked it or not.

I think I argued with the guy for a good 30 minutes, and the lady who was giving him the fish just looked a little stunned. She was a Wal-Mart Employee a place that should never sell fish, she had no idea how to care for this fish. I had asked her a few standard questions a few minutes before she assisted this guy and his son, none of the questions I asked was she able to give a plausible answer to.

She was some lady that came out of lawn and garden and was part time in electronics, it was probably her first time with the fish department. The man I was arguing with did get a little upset, I almost wanted to look down to the little boy and say "You know that if you and your daddy get this fish, this poor fish will suffocate and die." However I knew that was probably cruel, and it would fluster a huge argument and he would get me for harassing his son in some sort of ridiculous way.

I told the man that it was cruel, and he said "A fish is just a fish." I knew exactly what kind of guy he was, an uncivil imbecile that lived far out in the boonies with a trailer, and his brat children. They were very trashy, trashy, people, and you could sense it from the get go.

I looked at my boyfriend who was mildly embarrassed from the scene, and I asked if I could get a manager and he told me probably not. I decided to let it go since I figured it wouldn't do anything good, but I still felt really guilty. I would have offered to purchase the fish if the manager was looking at it in a money aspect. I could see the manager seeing the fish as money, and if he would have rejected the man from purchasing the fish, I would have gladly paid TWICE or TRIPLE what the fish was worth just to keep it safe.

I felt pretty guilty letting it go

This is probably the worst response imaginable, but i'm going to say it anyway.

For my family, hunting and fishing is a big part of our lives. We would probably be out of a home if we did not go dip-netting and hunting annually. When we go fishing, we bring a large family and end with ~110 salmon to split among our homes. I am usually the one to clean the fish, and it's never really bothered me.

I grew up with needing to fish and needing to hunt. Cleaning a moose or salmon is just... a mode. I am very compassionate towards animals. I have not once smacked my dog, and I live in an area that is abundant with moose. They are beautiful animals and I could not imagine harming them, but when I need to, I can. I guess i'm trying to explain that different cultural norms have a large effect on your perception of right and wrong when it comes to animals. I would not call what I do animal cruelty, but what you explained was a disgusting thing for that man to do. Yes, I intentionally set out to harm these animals, but only when it is completely and absolutely necessary, and even then, I make it quick. This man was toying with them with the intent to see them suffer.

I felt pretty guilty letting it go

 

Your effort was commendable:

 

I think I argued with the guy for a good 30 minutes,

 

You did what you could, given the circumstances. The comedian Ron White has a saying for situations like these: "You can't fix stupid."

 

Your tried. But sometimes when people only have 2 brains cells to rub together you are more likely to extract (salt?) water from a stone than get through to them.

4131765]Your effort was commendable:

You did what you could, given the circumstances. The comedian Ron White has a saying for situations like these: "You can't fix stupid."

Your tried. But sometimes when people only have 2 brains cells to rub together you are more likely to extract (salt?) water from a stone than get through to them.

I have always loved that statement, " you can't fix stupid" It is SO true.

My dad is a hunter as well, and hunting is one thing. It's an act of survival, and some people still use hunting as a way of survival. Do I agree with hunting as a hobby and sport? No, I really don't. But for someone who feeds their family by hunting, it's one thing. I know the circle of life, and over populating of animals if there wasn't a such thing as a food chain, and no one hunted.

However, people who just hunt to hunt and never dispose of the animal (which is illegal ... I think?) or just wastes the meat, should not have a hunting license. Even if you don't eat the meat, it can be given to someone in need. You are right when it comes to culture, some cultures do not believe in eating pigs. As to where in America bacon is quite popular, and it's not unusual to eat pork. Although I will add a little opinion of mine, I think hunting should also be fair. Animals are equipped with their instincts, and they are as smart as they can be. Why should we be any smarter, or any trickier than they? I do feel that if people are going to hunt we should be as smart as them, no more, no less. Now a days you see camouflage, non scent odor cans, traps, noise makers, it all contributes to the hunt, but people are starting to make it "too easy" to hunt, where the animal hardly ever has a chance. And if that's how it's done for sports, how did you really catch that and be proud if the animal wasn't up to your level? This may sound silly, but it's something that I just believe in, that all animals should have an equal chance to protect themselves.

Poachers and people going for elephants, and rhinos I've heard have set up traps to entrap them and then kill them when they can't run, or even move for that matter. That is not right in my opinion.

I don't agree with Vietnamese eating poor dogs, and kitty cats ... that is cruelty to me. However they are domestic to us, and just plain wild over there. It's a double standard if people pointed their finger and said "You can eat this, but you can't eat that. And this you can eat, but that's not acceptable." It doesn't work that way, and it never will.

But on the other hand, skinning a chinchilla, rabbit, fox, for it's fur is not acceptable to me. Unless you are going complete caveman style and your family is living in a rock and hunting for fur, and using fur to keep warm with, real fur should not be acceptable. That sort of thing is more understandable, than food opinions. Especially the areas that skin animals completely alive so the animal will produce more testosterone to keep the fur longer lasting, and durable. Ridiculous!

I respect your reply, and I don't think it was the worst reply. I don't agree with hunting, but your family seems to be putting it to good use, and your just playing a part in the circle of life. This guy who just goes to buy a fish to put it in salt water is in fact as you said making it suffer, and it was needless. Thanks for the reply though