Fish Abuse???

[fish_face]

Hi everyone,

Now, i'm new to fish keeping, but i'm sure that this photo that I saw when nosing through some classifieds, is not the correct way to handle or photograph a fish!

http/www.aquarist-classifieds.co.uk/php/...cat=63&de=11718


However, like I said, I am new to the hobby. Is this ok? or was I right in posting?

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I don't like or agree with it but it appears to be general practise.

 

[Undawada]

If you handle the fish gently, make sure your hands are clean and free of soap, and prevent it from falling onto a dirty floor, holding a fish like that very briefly will stress, but not permanently harm the fish.

I think there's easier and better ways to photograph one though.

And what if it squirmed and got away from you?

 

[Def]

It's ok to hold a fish briefly in the palm of your hand, and it's sometimes necessary if you need to get a good look at them. How he's holding them seems very cruel.

Oh and if you need to look at a fish for an extended period of time (more than a few seconds), turn them upside down and keep their gills underwater. It calms them down and lets them breathe.

 

[jesssa]

i hate it when people do things like that. I'm sure its alright to hold a fish for a short period of time to check it out for disease or something like that. But he's clamping down on it, and I bet he held it for a pretty long time to get a good shot.

 

[SirMinion]

This seems to be the usual way of holding plecos within the import and wholesale trade.

We have the Aqualog All L-numbers second Edition pleco book, and nearly all of the plecos in it that are being held, are being held like this.

I don't like the look of it myself.

 

[gale]

Oh that's sad. He's putting his nasty germy human-hands right on the fish's mouth.

 

[Paul_MTS]

as Sir Minion said I'ved seen them also holding like this in the Aqualog books.

I don't think it looks particularly bad. If you want bad there's a fish encyclopedia we have at work that has a picture of a dead fish as 1 of the pictures and the fins are pinned down with pins to show them out properly. It's of a large cichlid.

As there not exactly great pictures I think he did it pretty swiftly.

 

[jflowers]

I have a book "The handbook of tropical Aquarium Fishes", Drs. Herbert R. Axelford, Leonard P. Shultz, T.F.H. Ontario, 1990 (first published 1955) so its an old book, but it says this is the best way to handle a plec. Would not do it myself though and as the book is a bit dated (says to make sure you lay down something on the floor so you dont anger the Lady of the house with drips ) there must be better ways.

Jon

 

[Teelie]

If you've ever tried to handle a Plec, especially a large one, you'll know this is the best way to hold them. Their fins often have spines which can hurt and then make you drop the fish, thus really harming it. While it looks bad, it's not as stressful or dangerous for the fish as you think.

 

[LadyMinion]

If you think about it, the plec is "attached" in the same way it would be in the water. It may look uncomfortable, but it is more natural to the plec than being held around the body. So I think it's perfectly OK to hold them like that.

 

[Ben]

looks okay to me, aslong as he isnt holding it down hard and also aslong he put it back right after the photo.

DD

 

[Michael Roth]

If you have ever needed to remove a net from a pleco, you will never net them again :>

They tend not to freak out as much if you use your hands either, though mine prefer to sit in my palm, even my 14" Gibby would be transferred from tank to tank that way, kind of like a slimey, rough, spiny puppy. That never barks. Or needs to go outside.

You get the idea

 

[Sorrell]

My 9th grade Biology teacher had a plec that he would carry around the school during his planning period and stick it to windows of various classrooms I'm not condoning it, but he did it all four years that I was there, and we heard about it before and after I left, so it didn't kill him offright

 

[Ben]

so he took the plec and stuck to random windows with out knwoing what was on it. poor plec !
well atleast it survived.