Is This Humane?

[keimak]

Is it 'humane' to keep guppies, just the males. I like guppies but I don't like the out-of-the-control-birth-rate.
Yea...
So can I just keep the male guppies?

 

[AstonN24vantage]

i suppose, but don't expect there to be no fighting.

 

[nosoup4you]

Sure, but don't expect them to have the perfect guppy show tails. As Aston has stated, they are going to squabble a bit.

 

[keimak]

What if I put around 5-6 males? in a community tank

 

[AstonN24vantage]

i think you'll be ok. they're prob not gonna kill each other, but theres a 70% chance they'll chase and fight a little.

 

[OldMan47]

I have often kept a small number of guppy males in community tanks. I never actually observed any problems when I did that.
Humane? I am no judge of morality. Our friends at PETA would say that merely keeping fish in a tank was inhumane.

 

[Ben M]

I don't like the out-of-the-control-birth-rate.

If they are in a normal community then I doubt many fry would survive, so babies shouldn't pose a problem. Even if they did, most fish shops will take them (although they won't give you any money for them).

cheers

 

[keimak]

Our friends at PETA would say that merely keeping fish in a tank was inhumane.

I think if we provide them a good home and good tankmates it'll be better for them in the wild

 

[OldMan47]

I just cited that as an extreme example of people's definitions of moral, ethical or humane. Those people do not get my respect or support but they are a viable part of our population. It is one reason you won't see me pick a side in an argument and try to argue morality or humanity for the side I choose. There are just far too many definitions of what is ethical, moral or humane.

 

[AstonN24vantage]

I have often kept a small number of guppy males in community tanks. I never actually observed any problems when I did that.
Humane? I am no judge of morality. Our friends at PETA would say that merely keeping fish in a tank was inhumane.

PETA ain't my friend! there is nothing inhumane about keeping a fish tank if you know how to take care of it. personally, i like the animal liberation front better.

 

[ARMS87]

If you think it's humane imagine being in a single sex environment for life when all you want to do is eat and breed..

But food comes once a day like in 2nd world prisons, and it's usually the equivalent of dehydrated ape flesh and egg..
fish in fish flake...

so your an asexual/gay cannibal in limited space, getting desert island ideas now?
Good

 

[Baccus]

It may not be normal for all male guppies being together but it is better in a sense than the guppy population explosion by even having just having one female with one male. Guppies have no respect for tank size limitations and will just breed and breed and breed. In a community tank with other mouths to eat the fry you could argue that it's a better set up (more natural in some regards) but then will you feel guilty about all the little fry getting snacked on? I have a tank of male and female guppies and to try and keep the numbers in some sort of check I did have 2 gold gouramis but even they barely made an extra dint in the constent baby supply, even one of my siamese fighters only managed to eat the newly born fry and plenty escaped him long enough to get too big to be eaten. And don't worry the gouramis where never put in the same tank as the fighter. So now I keep one tank of reject (only in the sense they aren't the colour we are aiming for) / for sale males and the same for females as well as a tank of our desired breeding stock. Yes it feels a little mean keeping the boys on their own but most people when they come around and buy our guppies take females as well. It may not be ideal but it saves on the cruelity of ending up with overstocked tanks just because guppies breed like plague locusts.Do what you can best live with and what your tank limitations and budget will allow.

 

[seizethecupcake]

I don't see a problem in keeping only males. I've got a male guppy in each of my aquariums; the guppy in my large tank is a very happy, friendly community fish. The other male...well, he's best kept away from most other fish, certainly away from other guppies. I tried them together once, that lasted all of two minutes.

 

[hughessomefish]

There is no problem what so ever with keeping all males, I am in one of my tanks. I actually don't have fights in my tank.

 

[AstonN24vantage]

If you think it's humane imagine being in a single sex environment for life when all you want to do is eat and breed..

But food comes once a day like in 2nd world prisons, and it's usually the equivalent of dehydrated ape flesh and egg..
fish in fish flake...

so your an asexual/gay cannibal in limited space, getting desert island ideas now?
Good

they don't really care about breeding because in my tank it's like sex abuse; they attack females to take their sperm.