# Disgusting!



## Fishyfins (Feb 28, 2009)

So, i was perusing facebook as i usually do last night, when this little gem appeared on my feed

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Guppy-Bear/1493897234161185

Its a new start-up thing. Its basically a goldfish bowl built into the belly of a teddy bear! Because, you know, disguising a death trap as a cute toy and marketing it at children is the way to go!

The bowl is 3.5L, and comes with naught but a battery operated LED light and plastic plant.

I know this kinda stuff does happen, but it really makes by blood boil whenever i see it! Obviously the person who is developing it has no clue whatsoever! :cursing:


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## Phoenix24 (Apr 6, 2013)

I keep seeing this on ebay and it makes my blood BOIL - these noveltry decorative 'fish tanks' should be outright banned.

Fish Wall Mounted Bowl Aquarium Wall Hanging Tank Plant Decoration Bubble Bowl | eBay

Grrrr

I made a comment on the guppy bear thing, perhaps if more of us made comments (as firmly but POLITELY as possible!) they might reconsider marketing it as a fish bowl.


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## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

I truly can't imagine what anyone in their tight mind would want to have either a guppy bear or one of those tiny wall mounted tanks. The GB thread has a comment If you change the water every week the fish will be okay" - like that is going to get done! ANyone who thinks this is a suitable environment for ANY living creature isn't going to bother changing water - and if they did, it's still not enough! And guppies are social fish - they live in huge shoals - it's unbelievably cruel to have one on its own even in a suitable aquarium.

Why does legislation not cover these poor creatures? Crap like this should be banned!


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## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

I've also commented on the page. Apart from the obvious issues with space/filtration etc, I can just see some parents buying these for their 2-year-old to chuck around/shake etc...


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## Polski (Mar 16, 2014)

Is it legal? they're marketing it as "Baby Goods/Kids Goods" and i'm pretty sure there are some laws being broken there.

I'm not a fish owner, know very little about them so forgive me if i'm wrong but don't fish need air pumped in as well as filtration...or at the very least should they have a large surface area on top of the water? (like I said not a clue)


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## catpud (Nov 9, 2013)

It's more of the same isn't it. Fish being seen as childrens toys or decorations rather than the complex live animals that they are. 

I don't see why it is allowed to be honest. Two / three litres of water (a cola bottle full basically) is not enough for any creature to live in comfortably let alone putting that in a childrens toy.

I don't see why people can't think of the fishes welfare. They could still make some lovely looking small aquariums which I would consider buying. For example the wall mounted bowl - why not make it a 25 litre / 5 gallon nano tank, complete with little filter and heater, would be great for a few shrimp or even a male betta if the person keeping the tank was careful with parameters. 

I just wish the inventors of these things would think it through a little bit more and make something that is useful and humane, might even encourage people more into fish keeping.


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## NaomiM (Sep 22, 2012)

I see they've deleted all the negative feedback...


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## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

catpud said:


> It's more of the same isn't it. Fish being seen as childrens toys or decorations rather than the complex live animals that they are.
> 
> I don't see why it is allowed to be honest. Two / three litres of water (a cola bottle full basically) is not enough for any creature to live in comfortably let alone putting that in a childrens toy.
> 
> ...


Comes down to cost, I expect. They'd rather sell 100's at a tenner each, than have lower sales at £100 quid or whatever.

Just tough about the fish - poor little buggers are expendable. These tanks will be a five minute wonder for the purchasers anyway, and the poor fish don't have a chance of a decent life.


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## Phoenix24 (Apr 6, 2013)

NaomiM said:


> I see they've deleted all the negative feedback...


I wondered how long before that happened. I might just report the whole page and be done with it.

I think its also forgotten that guppies are tropical fish and need a heater.

I don't see how this 'toy' could be safe for children, let alone the poor fish.


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## Phoenix24 (Apr 6, 2013)

I have messaged them to take down the post about using it as a fishbowl. If they continue to ignore requests I will report them outright. And to the RSPCA.

Do you think if they got enough comments they would listen?


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

That's awful! 

I had fish in bowls when I was younger, when it was widely believed goldfish have a six second memory, and didn't feel pain. Unfortunately some people still think like that, and have no idea they not only very much do feel pain, but have a very complex life with the way they interact with their surroundings and other fish/animals. Before I had to get rid of them as I started having a reaction to the water, I had four large fish tanks, set up to be *biotope* so they recreated a wild environment as closely as possible. If I have the space I'll do it again, depends on how I do it out, but my ideal fish tank would be set up with a concealed tank above so that water changes were as simple as possible, and matured water at the same temperature could simply be piped down to replace water that was drained off. I'd go for an Amazonian tank, which I simply love as I love discus, and had several previously. 

Anyway, off to report the page! Fingers crossed if enough people comment and report it, they'll realise it's not fair on the fish, maybe suggesting something like a pretend fish might help?


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## Phoenix24 (Apr 6, 2013)

Success - a response from the page owner, they have (hopefully) edited the text to remove the bit about the toy being suitable for fish.


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## pugfan34 (Aug 6, 2014)

Fishyfins said:


> So, i was perusing facebook as i usually do last night, when this little gem appeared on my feed
> 
> https://www.facebook.com/pages/Guppy-Bear/1493897234161185
> 
> ...


I cannot believe this thing still happens  Like seeing the poor bettas in the fish shoppe (I must have guilt-bought a dozen over me life)  Hope they stop making these awful "toys". Thank you for posting this.


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