Question About Painted Fish

[Queen Bee]

I read about how people take the fish and inject them with dye to get the colour patterns. The dye remains liquid in the fish and wounds never fully heal. I have stayed away from buying these fish because of the treatment of them.

I saw some painted tetras in a store last night and asked the owner about them. When I found out they were painted, I immediately turned away and looked else where. He knew what I was thinking and explained that these were not injected but put into a bath of coloured water and dyed the same way that a lady dyes her hair. He said that it was not harmful to the fish, and that he would never stock the other fish that have been injected because of his beliefs in cruelty to animals. He said this was perfectly safe and not harmful.

Is he handing me a line of crap? Would love to add the fish to the tank, but do not want to support abuse to fish. I don't see it being healthy for the fish, as their gills and eyes would have had to go into the dye bath as well. Does anyone know about the process and the effects on the fish?

 

[helterskelter]

Singapore have never shown people how it rearly done well not to the trade.

died fish are dipped but some people belive it's in a acid first to strip the slime away to let the dye bind to the flesh...... this is perhaps worse then injections.......

How ever I dont know for sure but this is one thats it lit would work!!!!!!

 

[nosoup4you]

Dipping - As barbaric as dye injections seem, this practice is even worse. The fish are first put into a caustic solution that strips off their protective outer slime coating. They are then dipped in dye, or injected with dyes, after which they are dipped in another chemical that irritates the flesh to stimulate re-growth of the slime coat. This method is very stressful, and has a high mortality rate.

http/freshaquarium.about.com/cs/beginner...paintedfish.htm

 

[Queen Bee]

Thanks for the link. They were the skirited tetras that I saw at the store. I will not return to buy them!! I guess some people don't care about how the colour is achieved, as long as the fish is pretty. What an interesting read. Disturbing too.

Thanks

 

[Syphoniera]

I read about how people take the fish and inject them with dye to get the colour patterns. The dye remains liquid in the fish and wounds never fully heal. I have stayed away from buying these fish because of the treatment of them.

I saw some painted tetras in a store last night and asked the owner about them. When I found out they were painted, I immediately turned away and looked else where. He knew what I was thinking and explained that these were not injected but put into a bath of coloured water and dyed the same way that a lady dyes her hair. He said that it was not harmful to the fish, and that he would never stock the other fish that have been injected because of his beliefs in cruelty to animals. He said this was perfectly safe and not harmful.

Is he handing me a line of crap? Would love to add the fish to the tank, but do not want to support abuse to fish. I don't see it being healthy for the fish, as their gills and eyes would have had to go into the dye bath as well. Does anyone know about the process and the effects on the fish?

I'm no expert, but I do know that a lot of dyes are either known or suspected to be toxic and/or carcinogenic - and that the dye would have to soak into and stain the very cells of the fish for even short-term colouration.
Considering the amount of genetic/immune damage already common in fish due to 'safe' levels of pollutants, further additions don't strike me as a good idea.
You're absolutely right that the fish's gills and eyes would be subjected to the same process, and I suspect that the store owner has been fed a line of crap he's continuing.
And frankly, even if the process was harmless, which seems unlikely, this type of treatment is hardly something we, as responsible pet owners, wish to support.
Because if it becomes socially acceptable to toss fish into the dye vats as though they weren't living creatures capable of suffering, fear, and sickness, then it's not that much of a stretch for it to be OK to mutilate, inject or do whatever else to fish to turn them into the ornament of the moment, if one with an expected (and profitable) high turn-over rate due to the rapid and random expiry date so encouraged.
And fashions are expected to die quickly, to be replaced with new - who wants an outdated fish in their decorator model 2 inch wide wall-hanging tank anyway?
That's not a perception most of us want to adopt - or propagate - regarding living pets.

Just got back to slap this on and saw the great posts that appeared in the meantime - hope you can hear me cheering?
You guys very probably just saved thousands of fish in the longterm.

 

[nosoup4you]

And all of that suffering for something that will fade away in just a few months...

 

[smegforbrains]

It's about time that fish were given the same legal protection that other animals get!

 

[petertr]

Thanks for the link. They were the skirited tetras that I saw at the store. I will not return to buy them!! I guess some people don't care about how the colour is achieved, as long as the fish is pretty. What an interesting read. Disturbing too.

Thanks

You should print that off, and give it to the guy at the store!

 

[Queen Bee]

Thanks for the link. They were the skirited tetras that I saw at the store. I will not return to buy them!! I guess some people don't care about how the colour is achieved, as long as the fish is pretty. What an interesting read. Disturbing too.

Thanks

You should print that off, and give it to the guy at the store!

Funny you said that, I printed it and sent it to the store as well the sister store which I saw carried the same fish last night. I didn't put a return address or information about myself, as I felt very nervous about doing it. People should be aware though of what is going on. Because the fish is in water, we don't hear it's pain. Doesn't mean that it makes it ok.

 

[petertr]

Funny you said that, I printed it and sent it to the store as well the sister store which I saw carried the same fish last night. I didn't put a return address or information about myself, as I felt very nervous about doing it. People should be aware though of what is going on. Because the fish is in water, we don't hear it's pain. Doesn't mean that it makes it ok.

Good for you - well done!

 

[vinylman]

It's about time that fish were given the same legal protection that other animals get!

Don't hold your breath.

 

[Truck]

Don't hold your breath.

i know it annoys me i cant stand seeing fish being treated wrong, i mean the rspca think its wrong to abuse a dog, but abused fish is the same thing! Do we need a petition?

 

[helterskelter]

Don't hold your breath.

i know it annoys me i cant stand seeing fish being treated wrong, i mean the rspca think its wrong to abuse a dog, but abused fish is the same thing! Do we need a petition?

Best thing is to imform the shop of the practice and dont buy them.
Tell other people about it and ask them not to buy them.

If shops cant sell them they will not order them.

If the wholesalers cant pass them to the shops. then will not order them.

The main problem is when their added to a shipment to make up an order from the far east. We cant stop this but is the shops refuse them then the whosalers get lumbered with them...... sad thing but these fish will then only be wasted!!!!!! but it would help to put a stop.

Sinapore only produce them as their is a demand for them!

 

[andywg]

Don't hold your breath.

i know it annoys me i cant stand seeing fish being treated wrong, i mean the rspca think its wrong to abuse a dog, but abused fish is the same thing! Do we need a petition?

Or maybe it just isn't brought to their attention enough?

Fish have pretty much exactly the same protection in England and Wales under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 as any other animal or pet (not sure if that act affects Scotland and Northern Ireland). Performing any sort of colour treatment as described above would be illegal over here as a result of the aforementioned Act.