The "how to kill a fish" class

crazy4fish

oh my god i have a situation that is just like that right now! in my 8th grade spanish class everyone was talking one day about how they wanted a class pet. so of course its going to be a fish becuase they are "easy" to keep.

the "tank" that one of the students brought in definitely can not be called a tank. it cant even be called a bowl! it doesnt even hold a gallon of water! i was so upset when i saw that "tank" and told my teacher and class that no fish should be kept in something that small. but of course they all thought they knew better and that a betta would live fine in it. and to make it even better we put a little castle in it that takes up half the bowl so there is even less space! it has no heater and no filter. and the other day when i walked into class guess what was in the bowl... not a betta, not a goldfish, but about 10 or actually probably more than 10 guppies! i was soooo mad! they have all these guppies in a bowl with no filter or heater and its getting really cold here. all the guppies are female except one which is a male. and one of the females is already pregnant!

i told them that guppies need a filter and the teacher is like "oh no they will be fine i will just change the water a lot" and they also wouldnt listen when i told them that there was way to many fish in the bowl. and they apparently dont no how to feed fish either. whenever a kid wants to see them eat they throw food in the bowl and most of it sinks and is uneaten making the water cloudy (its even worse since there is no filter). and the teacher said she will just feed them a lot on friday because they dont get fed over the weekend when no one is there.

i just cant stand to see those poor little guys suffering in that tiny little bowl. :( i really wish i could bring them home to my aquarium.

Kim

I would go to the principal and make a scene about how that is abuse, and how it is setting a bad example. Also explain that it is upsetting you-they always have to satisfy that. As for my teacher, I am sending her an e-mail tonight because I never have time to talk in class.

Today I noticed some pieces of blue fins stuck in the plastic plant, and some rips in his fins (which are always clamped because of the cold). That is why I am sending an e-mail tonight, because I can't let it go on any longer, but I just don't have time in class. It also gives me a chance to review my wording before I send it!

I hope it works out for both of us.

Little-Fizz

crazy4fish, why don't you give your teacher the link to our forum and we can kindly explain that he is going about this the wrong way. I would flip if I saw 10 guppys in less then a gallon! Or simply try explaining that you keep fish at home and you know what your talking about, if he still refuses then I would go to the principle and explain that you are upset by this and would like to see the fish get a better home ( Maybe even a better home with you ;) )

iamntbatman

If possible, you could make a quick slideshow of pictures of good environments for the fish in question. Could you imagine how the teacher and students would react to a picture of a beautiful, healthy betta in a big planted tank? The comparison would go even further to show how proper care makes a giant difference in both the health and happiness of the fish *and* your enjoyment of it as a pet.

qpc68

crazy4fish

yea i think im gonna try to talk the teacher into getting a bigger tank (an actual tank this time). i think that she thought all the fish would fit in there because most of them are very young and so they are small and dont take up as much room...yet. but there are 2 fully grown ones in there and when they all get that big they wont be able to swim around because it will be so crowded. i just hope she will listen to me this time. :/

Amphitrite

Have you had any response from the teacher yet Kim?

Kim

Well, I couldn't e-mail her because my computer doesn't have the right program to e-mail through the link she provided on the school website. After the goldfish died I was able to insert that the pH is better left alone. I don't think that they are messing with it anymore. They also just spontaneously decided to change the betta's water every day or so, I think. I am trying to find the right time to introduce the whole "proper betta care" thing without sounding too rude. The problem is that my teacher is kind of a "if you don't like it just deal with it" person, and I know that I have to say it right or she will just tune me out.

jeffdart

You should take over fish duties, and kick them all in the ass.

Kellsindell

I'm with jeff... but "if" you can't do that then i'd suggest just going up to the teacher and ask her if you could bring a 10g tank or 5g or something that's a real tank and then ask if it would be possible to get someone or all the class to pool money together to get a waterheater and filtration. i would just bite the bullet for the price of a small tank. that way she doesn't see that you are trying to bring correction, you're just trying to fit more stuff in, kidding, but you get the idea. don't be obvious with your goal. i'd want a tank in there with actual volume more than 2g, but if she's not willing then i'd say to just tell her about the stress the fish is going through and how it's cutting the life spand of the fish ect...