The worst unethical practice prevalent today in the aquarium trade is dealers selling artificially colored aquarium fish, like Disco Fish (also known as Dyed Glassfish or Painted Glassfish).
Artificially colored aquarium fish are fish that have been dyed to make them look more colorful and appealing. These fish are not naturally colorful. Instead, dealers dye them in various ways.
This practice is not good for the fish as it can cause disease, stress, and can even be fatal. Many of these fish pass away during the dyeing process, with up to 80 percent of them not surviving.
How Are These Fish Dyed?
Here are the most common methods used by dealers to dye fish:
Injected Dye
In this method, fish are injected with dye. Dealers use needles to inject the dye under the skin of the fish.
This process often causes many punctures on the fish that can get infected later on. These infections can happen long after the fish are moved to a dealer or a home aquarium.
Dye Dipping
In dye dipping, the fish are first put into a solution that strips away their slime coat. This allows the dye to be absorbed by the fish.
After that, the fish are put into another solution. This second solution is irritating and it encourages the slime coat to grow back.
Tinted Food
Another way to dye fish is by feeding them tinted food. The fish eat this food and it changes their color.
But, after they stop eating this food, their color starts to fade away. This method often leads to health and growth problems for the fish.
Why Should We Stop Buying Dyed Fish?
The practices used to dye these fish are cruel. They cause harm to the fish and often lead to their death. When we buy these fish, we are supporting these cruel practices.
We are encouraging the dealers to keep doing what they are doing. If we stop buying these dyed fish, the dealers will go out of business.
How Can We Stop These Practices?
There are a few things we can do to stop these cruel practices. The first and most important thing is to not buy dyed fish.
We can also educate other fish hobbyists about this issue. We can encourage them to not buy dyed fish as well. If we all stop buying these fish, the dealers will have to stop dyeing them.
It’s very important to remember that fish are living creatures. They feel pain and stress, just like we do. We should treat them with kindness and respect, not like objects to be dyed and sold.
So next time you’re shopping for fish, think about the harm that dyeing causes. Choose naturally colored fish instead. You’ll be doing a good thing for the fish and for the fishkeeping hobby.
