I'm sure you've all seen Aquababies, or similar products at your local mall. If you haven't I'll describe them to you. They are small plastic cubes, not much bigger than a coffee cup in some cases, that house fish. Some can contain up to three fish or more at one time, plus gravel and possibly (if the fish are lucky) a plant. Now you might be thinking, "what's so wrong with that?". Well I'll tell you....As a strong believer that all animals should have humane living conditions, Aquababies and similar products disgust me. Basically you have a fish, for example a Betta, living in about a two cup fulls of water and a tiny hole for air. Now add in the food that gets shoved through the hole with a toothpick, and waste from the fish itself, and you have quite a mess. It is impossible for any waste to be taken out of the cube, since there is no filtration for the tank. Also if you have more than one fish in a tank, if one happens to die, the remaining fish has a roommate that isn't much fun. Now if your still wondering why these "tanks of torture" are so horrible try this on for size...The best example I give to people who ask me about these products is this: Imagine living your entire life in a bathroom stall with a little tiny hole for air, and your personal waste has nowhere to go. Plus someone sticks a toothpick full of food through your little hole every couple of days. Doesn't sound like much fun does it?
What can you do to help you ask? The best way to help is to NOT BUY AQUABABIES OR SIMILAR PRODUCTS AT ALL. If you really want fish, invest the time and effort into a tank that is suitable for all fish to live in. Also you can visit the Boycott AquaBabies web page at: www.rk2000.com/boycott.aquababies.html and sign the petition!
Now from time to time I have harrassed people who sell AquaBabies in malls. I do not condone or encourage this kind of behaviour. I'm sure that these people don't even know that what they are selling is horribly wrong. I would suggest that if there is a store in your local mall that does sell AquaBabies or similar products, that you write them a letter to express your unhappiness. Please don't do anything that will get you arrested or kicked out of the mall. And of course I must remind you that the opinions stated above are strictly mine and are in no way those of my webhoster. |
