At the zoo today...

[davidryder]

The image is broken

[AquaReeferMan]

Originally posted by davidryder
The image is broken

Thats odd, it was there. It was a Hippo Tang with very bad HLLE.

[ralphie16]

Originally posted by AquaReeferMan
How is that we can take wonderful care of these fish with limited budgets, and some group of people with endless money cant?

i take it you never worked at a zoo by your suggestion that they have an endless money supply. i worked at a zoo for several years and unless your the bronx sandiego or munchen zoo, funding is usually very limited. every part of the zoo is competing for a part of the limited budget and unfortunately many displays suffer for it.

you think your $8 admission is enough to aquire, transport, feed, health care, display setup and maintenance, grounds upkeep, and not too mention personnel? most zoos would not survive without public funding.

[ralphie16]

Originally posted by J. Montgomery
Because no one wants to stand up and take initiative or put effort into something like learning proper aquarium husbandry. Most people are too apathetic and lazy.

maybe they got their advice from their LFS

[CeeGee]

Originally posted by ralphie16
i take it you never worked at a zoo by your suggestion that they have an endless money supply. i worked at a zoo for several years and unless your the bronx sandiego or munchen zoo, funding is usually very limited. every part of the zoo is competing for a part of the limited budget and unfortunately many displays suffer for it.

you think your $8 admission is enough to aquire, transport, feed, health care, display setup and maintenance, grounds upkeep, and not too mention personnel? most zoos would not survive without public funding.

Then they should close the zoo or the displays that suffer as a result. If they can't take proper care of the animals they should not have them. It is that simple.

If I mistreat my dog I am fined and could go to jail. The result should be the same for these so called "professionals".

[ralphie16]

alright well im not debating whats right and wrong, just correcting his understanding that zoos have an unlimited supply

so according to your comment, you should go to jail if your fish develops Head and Lateral Line Erosion or your tank develops a bad case of hair algae? your words.....

[Jah2707]

Crap i would be in Jail a couple of times then.

[CeeGee]

No that isn't what I am saying.

Please don't take this out of context. This is one of those internet scenarios where what I say sounds like I am waging war and I am not.

I am just saying that in general aquatic life is treated as expendable. Dogs and cat and other "higher mammal" pet cruelty is treated very, very seriously. Just because someone is a "professional" doesn't mean that they shouldn't be held accountable for the mistreatment of animals regardless of whether they live in water or not.

Do I think they should go to jail? No. Do I think they should tear down the tank? Yes. IF they can't give the animals the proper care then don't keep those animals. Get something else that they CAN care for. I doubt anyone is going to say. "Man that zoo would have been soooooo nice if they had a regal tang. I will never go back there."

The general public would be just as content to see some much easier to care for percula clowns or a nice freashwater tank.

In short if you didn't think you could care for that nice coris wrasse that you would really like to have at your LFS you would pass on it. You would either A) choose a fish better suited to your skill or B) do your research and better your skills so that you could give that animal a fair shake. It is highly unlikely that you would say I know that moorish idol is impossible but **** it. It will look good in my tank until it dies.

[LOTUS50GOD]

I agree that aquariums public or private should at least have the basic ability to care for the creatures we purchase. It is unfair that we can abuse these animals without reprocussion, however if I was to feed my dog the wrong diet and it died, I could be sentenced to jail...

There is an article in the local Phoenix paper that a guy got 90 days in jail for feeding his snake a 3 week old puppy.
http://www.arizonaautoracing.com/Ari...osts=1&start=1

before I get off my soap box, if the zoo is not willing to provide the proper diet, and provide the correct conditions the zoo should not house the animal. Its no different than if they could not provide for an elephant or tiger. It hurts the hobby and could eventually hurt the zoos reputation. Do you really want to pay your $8.00 to see an exibit of diseased fish?

[davidryder]

Originally posted by CeeGee
No that isn't what I am saying.

Please don't take this out of context. This is one of those internet scenarios where what I say sounds like I am waging war and I am not.

I am just saying that in general aquatic life is treated as expendable. Dogs and cat and other "higher mammal" pet cruelty is treated very, very seriously. Just because someone is a "professional" doesn't mean that they shouldn't be held accountable for the mistreatment of animals regardless of whether they live in water or not.

Do I think they should go to jail? No. Do I think they should tear down the tank? Yes. IF they can't give the animals the proper care then don't keep those animals. Get something else that they CAN care for. I doubt anyone is going to say. "Man that zoo would have been soooooo nice if they had a regal tang. I will never go back there."

The general public would be just as content to see some much easier to care for percula clowns or a nice freashwater tank.

In short if you didn't think you could care for that nice coris wrasse that you would really like to have at your LFS you would pass on it. You would either A) choose a fish better suited to your skill or B) do your research and better your skills so that you could give that animal a fair shake. It is highly unlikely that you would say I know that moorish idol is impossible but **** it. It will look good in my tank until it dies.

The only cruelty our society really takes seriously is human cruelty. You know how hard it is to get a conviction for animal cruelty? Don't blame the "Zoo" - stand up and take some action. It's the equivalent to PETA campaigning for the "liberation of enslaved dogs". I doubt many, if any, of the Zoo members spend several hours a day chatting online about fish - it may be irresponsible to us but you will be hard-pressed to find many people outside of the hobby that view fish as we do.