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I was thinking of getting an aquarium tank recently, just because it's possible to make them very beautiful. I was planning to do it without fish, but I do think fish are very cute. It seems like it's debatable exactly what fish do/don't feel compared to mammals like cats, dogs, pigs, horses etc. But I don't like the idea of keeping them if they're sentient enough to be aware they are stuck in a small space.
Of course they understand where they are. Get a big tank. I always suffer with fishes in tiny aquariums.
I totally feel the same way. Super pretty. Fairly simple maintenance. But I definitely disagree with keeping fish and birds.
To be fair, most are bred specifically for being sold. So, it’s up to whether you wanna contribute to a shitty concept.
You could dumpster dive the major companies. I see TikTok’s all the time of people finding live fish.
Just make sure your tank is big enough and your filter is powerful enough and look up which fish produce how much waste. A build up of ammonia can be a living hell for fish.
Call me callus but I dont even regard fish as normal pets. More of a decoration you have to feed and maintain, much like a bonsai tree.
They are what I like to dub "expendable pets" of course if you invest in a 200 dollar fish you should take care of it for the sake of the investment. Fish are pointless unless you are that lonely and you want to have something with more sophistication than a cactus as a friend.
I know that's a cold way of looking at things but I value cats and dogs as a league far above fish of every variety. For one you can touch them without risking giving them a scale infection. And for the second they provide a tangible benefit to keep around, even if you dont intend on using them for their bred talents/inclinations.
Small pets, including fish, will have plenty of information that is discoverable on internet. Recommended living arrangements will vary from species to species. Some species need far more space than others to in tip top shape.
Some fish can handle a small aquarium and others need massive tanks. The same is true with bird cages and reptile terrariums.
They might not be aware that they're stuck in a small space, but it is very difficult to look after them properly. Goldfish are supposed to live at least 10 years, but they rarely reach anywhere near this age because people don't provide them the optimum living conditions. To be fair, it is very difficult to provide them the best living conditions, you'd need to be a qualified expert on water quality, filtration, PH, etc. But in that case, people just shouldn't be keeping them as pets in the first place, it's not fair to them. Their lifespan is greatly reduced, and their quality of life must be reduced too if they're spending their entire lives living in an unsuitable environment.
The size of the tank will have to be right for the type of fish you choose, therefore if I were you I would choose the type of fish first, and ask a professional at the shop for advice on the tank. Like every living being, fishes need to be in an environment that's right for them. If you provide what they need, I don't think they'll suffer from being kept in a tank (but nobody will know for sure). Mind that aquariums require a lot of care, failing to look after the tank properly will definitely result in issues with whatever you put in there. I hope this helps.