A friend has been posting photos all day of fish tanks from Meijer (local Michigan grocery store), claiming she will never shop there again as this is animal cruelty. Is she right?
Sort of.
I mean things look okayish there, but a grocery store shouldn't be selling live fucking animals.
I mean look at that fish on the far right. This is a picture of an adult. Who the fuck is going to have a tank for something like that who is buying fish at a grocery store?
This probably isn't what they even meant but it's completely ridiculous normal pet stores sell these guys and pacu.
>>2022036
That's a reason for the store not to sell pangasius catfish (which shouldn't be sold as pets in general). As long as they have staff that knows what's up, there's nothing keeping a grocery store from doing just as good a job at keeping fish as a dedicated LFS.
>if you say you're going to eat the fish, do they still charge you sales tax?
>>2022031
Think about how many of those fish would live in the wild. Think about how many of those fish would ever get the opportunity to get to be some little child's first ever pet and to be loved and cared for.
Yes, some of them do die, yes the store employees aren't fast at cleaning out the tank when one of them dies, and yes it is heartbreaking.
For the most part, when I go to my local Meijer they do a fairly good job with the fish section (yes there are some dead fish from time to time when I'm in there, but it's never terrible enough for me to make a fuss over it).
My sisters got a betta fish from Walmart because they felt bad (they saw another dead fish in the tank) and it lived with us for almost three years. I highly doubt it would've had such a luxurious lifestyle in the wild, and it certainly wouldn't have had a family to care for it and ensure it was well fed and played with from time to time.
>>2022031
Counldn't be worse than Satan's Asshole, Walmart. Have you seen the condition their fish are kept in m8? They got little crabs absolutely submerged in water and those lil' guys need air. I rescued some and they didn't last very long, but at least they didn't drown.
>>2022031
Doesn't look much worst than the chain pet stores. I would need to see better pictures to be sure honestly. I like that fact that they're keeping duckweed and algae in their tanks.
>>2022031
No, this is animal cruelty.
>>2022123
>>2022055
>Think about how many of those fish would live in the wild
Infinite food and space, perfect water parameters, freedom to build their nests wherever they want and reproduce.
>Think about how many of those fish would ever get the opportunity to get to be some little child's first ever pet and to be loved and cared for
Is this supposed to be a bad thing?
Children can't take care of animals.
>it lived with us for almost three years
That's a premature death.
Nothing to brag about.
>>2022123
Holy hell there's 5 dead ones
>>2022036
>a grocery store shouldn't be selling live fucking animals.
What about lobsters?
>>2022126
This is sad.
>>2022036
I think that is a bala shark actually
I don't think this tank looks too bad other than the algae growth, which doesn't hurt the fish
>>2022148
I thought betta fish only live up to four years?
>>2022148
>Infinite food and space, perfect water parameters, freedom to build their nests wherever they want and reproduce.
[citation needed]
>Children can't take care of animals.
I think a preteen having a pet goldfish as a first pet is a fine experience. Learning to care for and look after those who need you to live is an invaluable life lesson.
>That's a premature death.
No, actually it isn't, they live for 2-4 years in captivity and generally less than that in the wild.
>>2022184
>goldfish live 2-4 years in captivity
oh anon, how wrong can someone be
>>2022186
They're talking about a betta you fucking pedestrian.
>>2022188
Then why did he even referenced a goldfish.
I can't into context sorry
OP here,
She posted another one.
Claims the water is brown and therefore it is animal cruelty.
The reason I'm asking about this is due to the fact that this chick, in lieu of having a social life, has gone out of her way in the last five months to own three cats, two Guinea pigs, a dog, and more recently TWO fish tanks, a 30g and a 10g. She's a little more than an animal person, it's an obsession at this point, and anyone who disagrees with her is wrong and she'll block you. I was just wondering if this accusation had any meat to it. Let's be honest Meijer (and other chains) have been storing fish like this for years - is the term "animal cruelty" just loose here?
>>2022225
the conditions are certainly not optimal, but I'm not sure if i'd call it animal cruelty.
I just wonder if she keeps her own pets properly or has the guinea pigs locked up in some tiny cage
>>2022225
It'd be cruel if someone bought only one Bala shark and put it in anything less than a 55 gallon. They are schooling fish and need a minimum of 3 and are going to need 100+ gallons.
>>2022225
lake water etc. is brown. its tannins. also the existence of algae isn't bad.. anyone who keeps an aquarium has killed some fish. anyone who knows a lot about aquariums has probably killed a lot of fish.
>>2022225
she sounds like an attention whore. there is a big overlap between attention whores and animal rights activist. would unfriend in a second. really without bringing in a water test kit its really hard to know the answer.
>>2022225
>this chick, in lieu of having a social life, has gone out of her way in the last five months to own three cats, two Guinea pigs, a dog, and more recently TWO fish tanks
This is exactly like a girl I know, spooky. I'd be convinced it was her since she also complains about animal cruelty a lot if you hadn't said you're in Michigan.
>>2022343
>lake water etc. is brown. its tannins
>tannins
>tank with no wood/leaves
It's a supermarket, they aren't going to have a fucking blackwater setup. In settings like supermarkets/walmarts/petsmarts/etc if the waters brown it's from shit, not clean water with tannins.
>>2022148
>Infinite food and space, perfect water parameters, freedom to build their nests wherever they want and reproduce.
Kek, nice b8
>>2022655
>way more animals in the tank than it should be. Too much bio load
>no filter in sight
>species that prefers heavily planted water surfaces; however no plants in sight
>animals that usually don't leave the water unless something is wrong. In this case most of the animals in the tank are in land
>at least ten dead animals in the tank
I don't know, what's wrong with that?
>>2022725
Well I don't know these animals, that's why I asked you pretentious fuck.
>>2022725
pet shop tanks aren't usually filtered individually.
they're hooked up to a central system of water, so bioload and filtration aren't a thing.
Meanwhile, her densely crowded 10g with Angel fish.
I misspoke: she lives in an apartment with four dogs, four cats, and three Guinea pigs. And the fish to boot
>>2022726
>literal dead ones everywhere
I mean i understand not knowing about an animal but c'mon
>>2022753
>angel fish
>10 gallon
Dammit, and that tank looks so nice for a few platies or guppies or danios instead.
if only she would care as much about humans as much as she cares about stupid fish
>>2022753
Call her out on her hypocritical bullshit.
>>2022151
Well, they will steam it for you at no extra charge, so you can pick the little guy out while he's alive, but you can leave the store with him cooked.
i once had a goldfish that lived 8 years
>>2023690
I'm going to. But as this has happened before, she goes all Kamiya to anyone who calls her out on her shit and blocks them. She claims to know plenty on the subject after a few wikihow articles (i.e. She thinks letting the tank water filter for 2+ weeks is a "professional tip")
>>2022753
It looks a little tall for a ten gallon.
The tanks look fine other than the pangasius species, they shouldn't be sold at any pet stores. Well, at least not the small ones. Although the bala tank is a bit brown, it's nothing too bad. Keep updating us anon with her pictures.
>>2023774
Holy fucking shit. I've just realized this bitch has THREE tanks along with >>2022753
A 10g, 35g (pictured I think?) and this 55g. Like literally set them all up within a week - is this an addiction of sorts? Maybe she's coping with no one to interact with? I know she works at the animal shelter but her parents are paying for her apartment since she does not make enough to afford it herself
>>2024030
you start off with a small tank and eventually realize you need a bigger one to keep what you want. But you can't sell or trade your small tank so you wind up setting it up again.
in time you need a quarantine tank or a hospital tank and suddenly you've got another one going. If you know enough people in the hobby you'll also be given tanks as people move or quit.
most aquarists probably have more than one tank going. Some of us have houses full of tanks.
Here's the last photo she posted on Facebook. She apparently dropped all of the things she was buying and placed a complaint with the manager and said she will no longer support that store
>>2024033
I realize this - I started with a 10g, bought a 35 and my boss just ceded me his 55. But I didn't blow my load on three tanks at the same time, and I know for a fact she's never had fish in the past, let alone three tanks' worth. She's not quarantining anything - she posted photos of the set up in a consecutive five-day span.
>>2024035
might be some OCD and/or autism then.
>>2024038
As someone who's not an aquarist, but who just ended up with two leopard geckos and a ball python, for me it's OCD.
One gecko > this enclosure isn't big enough > upgrade > now the other one is empty > repeat
(Don't worry, everyone, I have professional help for my issues and all my animals are now in a rack system)
>>2024042
I'm pretty sure anon was talking about the crazy lady
You still sound autistic tho
>>2024034
Other than what i think is a dead fish that tank doesn't look bad
>>2024034
There's more algae and snails than I would expect to find in a well maintained pet specialty store, but neither of those are actually harmful to the fish in any way. There really should be some kind of decor, but that's the only thing I can see that's really wrong. The tanks are actually surprisingly big and lightly stocked.
>>2022753
I think that's a 20 gallon. It's a Top Fin tank, and the hood is shaped differently between a 10 and 20 gallon. Still too small for angelfish long term, but if she's using it as a grow out tank until putting them in >>2024030 (which I'm 90% sure is an Aqueon 54 gallon corner tank), that would be fine. The tanks are really nicely decorated, at least. And with overpriced pet store decor, too. She must have spent as much on the plastic crap as she did on the tanks, though I guess that's easy to do when you're mom is paying your rent for you (I mean really?)
She definitely sounds obsessive, at least, and a bit nuts. I'm guessing she doesn't have many friends or real hobbies.
