Am I alone?

[holbritter]

In feeling sad when I lose a fish? I mean, yeah, you feel the "darn it.....I lost another one" type of thing, but I'm really getting bummed out when I lose one of my babies. I'm trying so hard to make sure everything is right with their living conditions, that I'm feeling like a failure if I lose one ( or 3 by now!) And I don't think my baby honey gourami is going to make it through the night.

Meanwhile, I hear someone from where I work saying how she has never changed her water, or even tested it, because the fish are "cheap enough" that even if they die, it's no big deal.
Pisses me off!

Ok...done venting, and hopping off my soapbox!

[Chrona]

For the most part, yes I agree with you. Fish should be treated as you would treat a puppy or another, more relatable pet.

[Lindsay_D]

i lost one of my tiger barbs today poor mimic

[holbritter]

Thanks Chrona..... I was starting to feel like a sentimental freak here! :)

[cocoa_pleco]

same. I just about died lastnight after my krib died. All because a fish is 100x less expensive than a puppy doesnt mean it should get less respect.

[Drumachine09]

I get upset when i lose a fish, but the gravity of losing a puppy > losing a fish (imo). Losing fishes pisses me off though.

[Chrona]

I get upset when i lose a fish, but the gravity of losing a puppy > losing a fish (imo). Losing fishes pisses me off though.

Oh yeah, for sure. I didn't mean that a human would ever percieve a puppies death on the same level as a fish(simply because, with better interaction, you tend to form a stronger bond to the puppy), but rather that they should be treated with the same respect.

[cocoa_pleco]

yeah, a puppy always looks up to you and wants to be with you, fish look up to you for water changes and care. Some of them tend to actually care about you, like oscars. My platys follow me whenever i pass the tank.

[Lady Hobbs]

I am different with different fish. I still have the 9 black skirt tetras I started with but recently lost one hi-fin tetra. It was like, oh well. I don't care for these fish at all and could care less. I didn't with Mollies or guppies or any of those. However, I would stroke out if I lost an angel or a Silver Dollar.

I think everyone has their main fish and the rest are rather "fillers" so don't get that attachment to them. Your friend sounds like she'd feel the same no matter what fish she had. She would think differently if she'd just paid $60 for a fish.

[Abbeys_Mom]

I find the sadness at loss of a fish depends on the fish. I am always sad when one of my fish dies, but some hit me harder then others. I was devastated when my green spotted puffer died. I was also sadden by the death of a balloon molly. She was different from the others, even from her fry. She had a love affair with the orange light on my heater. She and her dot were inseparable. If the heater turned of, she would swim franticly trying to find it. The the light would turn back on and all would be right with the world. I would have to say, I am saddened by every loss and some are on par with larger pets, like cats and ferrets. I think I would be sadder about a fish, then say a hamster. They are just my pet of choice and if you bond with them, then it is certainly reasonable that you would be saddened by their loss.

[cocoa_pleco]

yeah. Once i had a cory die overnight, 12 hours after i bought him, and it was so what. But i had the krib for about 5 months.

[Gelo_USA]

I am different with different fish. I still have the 9 black skirt tetras I started with but recently lost one hi-fin tetra. It was like, oh well. I don't care for these fish at all and could care less. I didn't with Mollies or guppies or any of those. However, I would stroke out if I lost an angel or a Silver Dollar.

I think everyone has their main fish and the rest are rather "fillers" so don't get that attachment to them. Your friend sounds like she'd feel the same no matter what fish she had. She would think differently if she'd just paid $60 for a fish.

I find the sadness at loss of a fish depends on the fish. I am always sad when one of my fish dies, but some hit me harder then others. I was devastated when my green spotted puffer died. I was also sadden by the death of a balloon molly. She was different from the others, even from her fry. She had a love affair with the orange light on my heater. She and her dot were inseparable. If the heater turned of, she would swim franticly trying to find it. The the light would turn back on and all would be right with the world. I would have to say, I am saddened by every loss and some are on par with larger pets, like cats and ferrets. I think I would be sadder about a fish, then say a hamster. They are just my pet of choice and if you bond with them, then it is certainly reasonable that you would be saddened by their loss.


yea I agree with hobbs and abbeysmom some people think $$ only.... and I would care less if any of my other fish died but I would be really sad if my angel or any corydoras died... I got really like "attached to my angel" I think because of the way he/she reacts when I get close to the tank.... its like he/she goes CRAZY like up and down up and down with all the fins moving just like a dog wags their tail when its feeding time.... each fish u have would hit u differently

I think tht all animals should be treated RIGHT no matter what if ur not going to treat it how it should be JUST DONT GET THE POOR ANIMAL no matter if it is a BUG or a HORSE.... i knw people make mistakes with their pets just like we do but learn from them so ur pets dont have to go trough it again....

its good tht we are talking about this cause I got madd when I went to a clients house yesterday to fix a computer and I saw he has 3 tanks and one iguana.... on one I think its a 75g he had 3 angels barely swimming water temp was a around 71.. water was all foggy everything was dirty... the other tank is probably a 29g with like 5 turtles in and it was all dirty no proper lighting tht reptiles need NO FILTER ATT ALLL the water was all BROWNISH
the other tank looked ok but toooo small... he had a crab in it but I dnt knw anything crabs need but it seemed ok.... when I asked him what he feed the iguana he said he feeds it only when he has time wich is once a week or 2 weeks..... I think thts cruelty why would u have sooo much pets if u dnt have the time to take care of them... it pisses me off...... as u guys knw I got my fish because of tht.... the person who had them wasnt taking care of them right.....I just wish I could get all his pets... and keep or find people who would really take care of them
sorry for the long post LOL I just had to express how it bothers me...

[Incredulous_Ed]

It's a real heartbreakeer when you spend all this time reasearching a type of fish and you make arrangements for it abd all, and it dies a day after you bring it home.

[Glasstapper]

Let me tell you a story about Scar.....

After having my tank setup for only a few months, I decided that dwarf gouramis would be an excellent addition to my peaceful stock. I went to my favorite LFS and brought home 3 that day. I fell in love with them instantly. They were playing and fighting and all around fun to watch. To make a long story short, I lost one after a couple of weeks, and then another a few days later, with the third looking like he wasn't going to make it. I named him Scar because he looked like he had been through a blender. His fins were all ragged, he had sores on his body, his mouth had a severe case of fungus.....*sigh* poor Scar. He was such a little trooper, though. Through all the meds and stress I probably put him through and with his mouth half hanging off, he still danced in front of the tank when I got home and did a fine job of learning how to suck flakes in through his horribly swollen mouth.

Finally, after fighting disease after disease and med after med, I decided to not let the little guy suffer any longer. I euthanized him, and I bawled like a big ole baby.

I still keep his pictures, and I only had him for a total of maybe 5 weeks. :(

[cocoa_pleco]

that would suck.

I remember when my huge goldfish was 30 years old and was losing balance due to swim bladder, i spent from 11.00pm to 5.25am making a crappy DIY harness for him. He died at 7:30, 3 hours and five minuted after i build the harness.

[sushant]

when u decide to keep a pet then its not the price that matters but its the responsibility u undertake ,and its the same for any type of pet.

[cocoa_pleco]

yeah. a feeder comet should get as much respect as a discus.