Hi Im Stacey and asking everyone help me convince my husband, and in-laws that this babies are not"just a stupid fish" Those are the words from my family. They think these are stupid fish. And Iam getting really pissed off. My MIL said to me to just flush it down the toilet. I love my babies like I love my children.
So please answer this poll either 1 or 2. Thankyou. Everyone cant be wrong.

1- these are just stupid fish. They mean nothing
2- they are PETS and are are better ones then dogs, cats, and birds!!!

Aslong as this is aloud. If not sorry forget this post. I just cant take this comments anymore from them.

It won't be very long before I will be upgrading the forum software. The new software will contain polls which I know a lot of people do want.

Anyway, flushing fish down the toilet is totally irresponsible and inhumane. Okay, fish may not be quite as smart as a dog but it is still a living creature at the end of the day. I wouldn't treat a fish any differently than I would treat a dog.

I meant to put I also have a dog guinea pigs and they have a bird. It just makes me so mad that people can be so stupid and unkind. I wasnt putting down our furry friends. I was was just trying to say our babies are just as important.

I prefer fish to cats/dogs because they don't piss on the bed or chew up the furniture. Then again, I don't have much patience for dogs. Only bird I would consider having would be a bird that could talk and tell everybody "f#@k you" when they walked in the room. That would be awesome. I would totally train it to do movie quotes from Kevin Smith movies.

Some fish are 'smarter' than other fish. Oscars interact more than goldfish but either way it dont matter - Flushing ANY fish is cruel and condemns then to a painful death. If you dont want to keep a fish then give the fish to someone who will look after them. This can be someone with a big enough tank to look after them or (2nd best) a local fish shop

My view is that if you want to keep fish then go for it. Oscar make a great 'wet pet' and some say they are like dogs. If you want to see how smart oscars are go to youtube and search for 'oscar trick fish'. Your family will be amazed what these 'stupid fish' can do

okey... this may sound rude but i will give my comments anyway:

when i started city life, i missed my previous life living with fishes
i grew up caring 48 hectare fishponds and fishes is my life.....thus at the
city, i started having aquarium.... but i do grill and ate my fishes. during
those days, i am not aware i am raising oscar and tilapia. i love them because
they grew fast.....

but saying they are just stupid fish.... that is not true.... what ever you have
as pet can not be treated as stupid things, otherwise, one should not have any..
pet is same as wife or children... you must love them unconditionally.... wife or
husband is not related to you but you love her/him any way.

Hey Stacey,
I, too, have had people say similar things re my boys, "They think these are 'insert derogatory comment here' fish", and I have been concerned at those comments too, however let me share some of my thoughts as to how I dealt with it, in the hope of helping.

It really is unfortunate, but I hate to say it, there will always be people who say these things, and not just about our fish, but also our dogs, cats, hamsters....whatever we keep. But you know what, it really doesn't matter, because our pets, will always be seen differently in our eyes. I found that it's just that they can't see them the way we do. I have also found that most people that I know (not all) change their minds when they take the time to see their personalities, and how they interact with each other, and with us. There's nothing like the way they dance, and beg, and eat, and play that endears us so completely to them (I see them as family members). With that in mind, could I be so bold as to suggest that perhaps a more appropriate way to look at it is to ask whether their subjective approach should be affecting you so much?

I only say that because I used to seek the interest of family and friends in the same way, only to be disappointed when they didn't see it the same way, but I see it differently now. I'm really not too concerned about it these days, but only because I can't see the sense in letting comments like that in any way affect the joy and happiness that I get from my boys. It now makes zero difference to me whether someone else perceives my boys as smart, stupid, ridiculous, a waste of time etc, because to me, they are everything but that, and that's ALL that matters. Remember, it really is only their opinion

PS, delboy makes a great point re the youtube vids, but just bear in mind, that despite watching them, your family may still not see it the way you do...
....anyway, it's just food for thought, but I really hope that you never let the opinions of others affect your experience, joy and happiness with these awesome friends!

Nick

i doubt if a poll from a fishlover site wouldt change their opinions.
i am lucky with my family and friends, that are either into fishkeeping too, or do respect my passion for the hobby very much.

my advice would be to flush your MIL, and to buy a roll of duct tape and put a piece on your husbands mouth.
Cheap options, works fine.

lately i had a friend coming over and when she left she passed the big fish.
All of them were begging and checking us out .
then she sais:" I wonder, will they be able to see us?".......
i only answered i think they do....