Priced at AUZ$70, sales of iPond have been briskly since it was launched in the market in September. The 'torture-box' (to the fish) is a popular gift idea for Christmas but an outrage to the animal activists and aquarists. Measured at 152 mm in height, 88 mm across and 77 mm deep, it doesn't take rocket science to foresee the unhealty living condition of the fish in that claustrophobic space. The fish trapped in the iPond sold are Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta Splendens). The minimum tank size for such a breed to live heathily is 3 gallon (11 litres). The iPond's tank water capacity is, however, at an approximate 0.17 gallon once rocks are set in. Imagine you are limited to the space of a tiolet cubicle size to stay, will you be happy and healthy? The fish are not different. In fact, there are more consideration for the fish imprisoned in the iPond.
The Siamese fighting fish is a tropical breed that live in puddles and rice paddies. The iPond is just ridiculousy small for them in every aspect of their survival. The size of iPond is just too small:
- for it to receive adquate oxygen;
- for the fish to move;
- for it to be filled with enough water to prevent rapid temperature change
The spokeperson for the Pets Paradise andPet Goods Direct chains claimed that they consulted the Pet Industry Association of Australia before selling iPond. Apple has no comments on iPond since it is an iPod accessory manufactured by third party.
Bananation condemns iPond as an invention that does not consider the wellbeing of a fish. It is purely a fad to rip commerical interest out of curious consumers especially during this holiday season. If I were to receive an iPond for Christmas gift, I won't be merry. Fish swim. Look at the iPond. The poor fish can barely escape to a quiet corner when music is blasted from the ipod because there is no room! This is the only moment when a fighting fish loses its fighting spirit. I am not joking here.
Due to negative meda attention, Pets Paradise has removed iPond from their shelves on a wait-and-see attitude. Meanwhile, you can join the petition to ban iPond.
2 comments:
Cool new electronic pet!
Thanks for the information.
Alexander
Alex's World! - http://www.kakinan.com/alex
I actually work at a Pet Goods Direct store in Australia. When the iPond product was allocated to us (we stock what Head Office says) we didn't sell a single one, because myself and the other staff strongly advised a larger living space when customers purchased a Betta Splenden ('Siamese Fighter'). Which was great for us, too, because people spent more money on lerger set-ups with proper equipment! Fortunatelly, all PGD stores were told to remove them from sale. Unfortunately (in my personal opinion) in Australia a tank of that capacity is considered (by most) of acceptable water volume for one Fighter Fish. They are often kept in tanks similar in size to a peanut butter jar. The main breeder/importer/distributer in Australia of tropical fish states this is enough space for a Fighter. As all aqurists will tell you, this is due to the 'labrynth'- a tiny, ridimentary lung that all fish from the Anabantoid group have as well as their gills. This organ enables them to breath atmospheric air, should there be too little dissolved oxygen in their water. Fighters are an Anabantoid, so they will survive in water as long as it is moderately clean and enough to cover its body. So we can understand how a Fighting Fish will be able to survive and even breed in tiny amounts of water (like the iPond). They do, in fact, live longer in such an environment than they do in the wild. My issue with such small tanks is, just because the fish has the ability to SURVIVE in it, doesn't meen it should HAVE to. They really don't need a lot of space, but please, at least a 12" filtered aquarium. You wouldn't confine your pet cat to your garden shed permanently: it would SURVIVE in the shed, but any idiot can see it would benefit from more space! So, while they do just fine in such a small water volume, I believe they must be provided with more. My main issue with the iPond is the built in speaker. All fish feel vibrations and are more sensitive to them than we are. That's partly why tanks are always mounted on polystyrene, to absorb the virations from the room, and why your local aquarium store owner growls at your kids when they tap the glass of his tanks. The company that manufacteres the iPond responded to a complaint from me personally by saying that the little speaker on their product was no different to placing a small aquarium on your stereo speakers. That's true enough, but you should NEVER place a small aquarium (no matter what type of fish it is home to) on a stereo speaker or in a high-vibration are of the room. I have a bookshelf full of fish-keeping books, and more than half of them bother to mention not to place tanks on or near speakers due to stress caused by vibrations. So if the iPond is merely the equivalent of doing this, why the hell has this manufacturer placed a functioning speaker in the base of their tank? They obviously no nothing about aquarium keeping. So people, don't use iPonds, don't use tiny tanks: give your fighter a small, filtered, tropical aquarium with live plants for shelter and plenty of frozen or live foods (bloodworm or brineshrimp work well) and he will be much happier. He will have brighter colours, and will even become more active. Aren't they reasons enough to provide a decent environment for this fish?
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