False Advertisement?

[tekknocolor]

I was thinking, you know, the majority of the time you purchase aquariums from a LPS or LFS they always have false advertisement on the boxes the aquariums come in. You usually see a 5 gallon tank that has 100000x guppies or platies in the picture of the same exact tank the package is for. I was wondering though, are there any kinds of disclaimers on the box that says this tank is not appropriate for that many fish or something similar? I guess if it didn't, wouldn't it be considered false advertisement?!? Don't you hate it because the majority of the people fall for it the first time they want to get into fish and don't know about it?! I know I fell for it the first time, but then I learned from my mistake and only had one fish die on me. I just think there should be something we can do to have them place actual scenarios on the tank rather than the facades that are actually there. Any suggestions?! I guess though, the people selling them want to sell their fish too and don't care whether or not the fish die as long as they make a profit... I think that bites...

Let's hear what you all think!

Also, here's an example of what I mean (2.5gal):

 

[clutterydrawer]

It unpsets me too I was in my lfs and saw a 2.5g with a pic of two goldfish on it! And obviously the fish on the pics look healthy and happy which suggests everything's fine.also I saw a picture of a 5gallon minibow containing 14, yes, 14, tiger barbs. I don't even think they would've fitted in there. I think they must have stuck the fish phtos onto the tnak photos.

I think something could be done I jsut don't know what. cos these ads are effectively saying "you can safely have 2 goldfish in this tiny tank"....which is a LIE. It's like saying, "smoking these cigarettes will prolong your life and improve your skin."

 

[SnowyzMom]

Yeah, you're both right. It's the almighty dollar over the quality of life for the fish, AGAIN. It IS misleading advertising! A picture is worth a thousand words and somebody is going to see the image of an overcrowded tank on a box and that'll stick with them and they'll think "oh these guys build the tanks, they're experts, they must know" and just charge ahead. That being said, I've got to seriously give away some of my guppies or I'm going to have an overcrowded tank myself! Danged male fry that sex up overnight and then evade all my capture attempts for 2 weeks! ACK!

Oh yeah, how many movies have we seen with a seriously underplanted tank with a ton of fish in it, just so it looks "cute" for the scene it's in? I can think of a BUNCH. There's a seriously overcrowded marine tank in "Mars Attacks" for a start. I hope somebody rescued those fish. Fish as window dressing.....AHHHH!

 

[Wyld-Fyre]

It the evil's of the consumer world I'm afraid. Put yourself in the marketers/salesmans shoes, and 'feel' what they're thinking of. You'd want your products to shift too right?

In a way the advertising is misleading, but its not because what are they selling? They're selling a tank, and not the fishes contained therein. The fishes are only for 'decoration', and it is up to the consumer to a) research into the types of fishes they'd want, and B) how many they'd need in the tank.

It is not the responsibility of the salesman to tell you what you can/cannot have in your tank.

However, I do agree that there should be a consumer warning added to the box to say that the tanks' inhabitants, and number of, are the sole responsibility of the fish-keeper.

I know it sounds like I'm kind of disagreeing with you all, but I do know how you guys feel because I've been duped myself into buying an under-sized fry hatchery/breedery.

 

[Link]

Juwel do it with a photo of a tank containing both Tiger Barbs and male Guppies.

I think most of them are computer generated

 

[fourplayfishy]

i definatly agree thats why i prefer to get the plexy glass and what not and have my dad make my tanks hes real good at it i just gotta take the measurements from the store for the lid i want and he does it up real pretty

 

[tekknocolor]

I agree with you all, it is highly misleading. I do see where you're coming from kribsinvcrib, where the object of any company is to make a profit, but why not have a warning of some sort be aware that this is not recommended. With that said, I don't think it would take away from their profit as the tank provider, but rather increase sales because people would want more fish than what they can hold in that tiny tank or buy a larger tank for that matter. So, I guess you are correct in saying it is not their responsibility, but rather that of the consumer.

Maybe there is something that can be done, by making the company (more)aware that this is misleading. I don't know, but rather feel that it is inappropriate that corporations are taking advantage of innocent lives (whether human or not).

It's just sad to me

 

[wrs]

its very misleading. And some lfs believe that you can have that many fish in there! I know when I got my first tank it was one of those acrylic ones that has alot of fish on the package. Like 12 in a 5 gallon. It was a both mine and my brothers so we each got like 6 fish for it!! A total of 12. Its very misleading and should be stopped.

 

[clutterydrawer]

I think if I was a new fish buyer, I would be happier for the company to be straight with me. Like I'd be more inclined to buy their stuff in future, if they weren't giving dangerous and misleading ideas out through packaging.

 

[Danno]

Im getting a digaltal camera tomarrow and ill take pictures of all the tanks in Petsmart. It is frustrating how they shuv those fish in those tanks...Just how duying fish frustrates me... Oh well

 

[nibbles]

lmao that 2.5 g tank has like 20 platys in it..

i doubt there is anything you could do about it..

the fish store selling it, or the online site should have a disclaimer saying that you cant keep 20 platys in a 2.5 gallon tank, but if they dont i doubt you could sue them or anything

 

[GuppyDude]

i dunno about newbies but wen i got back into fish i was a bit of a newbie and i accually thoght about geting one of those. but even a noobie has the common sense to know that 20 fish aint hittin in a 2g, i think 4 fish is pushin it but my rule is 2 fish a gallon. i hang out in the livebeaers forum alot and i know for a fact 20 platties in a 2g will kill each each other just to make room

that is false advertiseing and i know for a fact it doesn't say on the box how many fish is proper for a tank that size.

 

[djprincessx]

I would consider it false advertisement. You would never be able to keep that many fish in those tanks that are in the box. It pisses me off so much because they look so pretty but you know it's never gonna happen!

 

[clutterydrawer]

i dunno about newbies but wen i got back into fish i was a bit of a newbie and i accually thoght about geting one of those. but even a noobie has the common sense to know that 20 fish aint hittin in a 2g,

Sadly I think that some people wouldnt even realise that. or if they did, they'd think "but the manufacturers say it's ok and they know more than me".

 

[wrs]

that greanish blue ones a 5 gallon ya know. The 2.5 is the divided one.