During my time at Goshen College, I’ve witnessed events that I can only describe as horror stories related to the mistreatment of animals, specifically the aquatic life kept in the residence halls.

I consider myself an advocate for the humane treatment of all marine life. These instances greatly disturb me, causing both rage and discomfort, and leaving me with feelings of extreme unsettlement about what individuals consider humane treatment for aquatic animals.

Nevertheless, I believe that it’s important to educate the masses in order to spread awareness of what it really means to care for aquatic life so that they are not simply surviving in their tanks, but thriving and living considerably happier, healthier lives.

Common mistreatments that I have noticed are keeping fish that grow very large in a tank that’s considerably too small, not cycling the tank or, in the extreme, residents forcing bettas to fight other fish simply for entertainment.

All of these cases are mistreatments of the animals and are, in one way or another, abuse. While I partially blame the big-box pet stores for the lack of information that they provide on aquatic life, it’s still important for the caretaker who is adopting them to perform rigorous amounts of research to ensure the best life for the fish they are wishing to adopt.

Unfortunately, it seems that many people research very little about their fish, and simply choose what looks the coolest or the prettiest one that they find. This leads to improper housing, unfit water conditions and pairings with unsuitable fish. That leads to stress which can eventually cause death.

On campus, I’ve encountered real-life situations with an angelfish and a tiger oscar crammed into a 10-gallon tank. With angelfish reaching six to 12 inches and requiring a 29-gallon tank minimum, paired with a tiger oscar that can reach 10 to 14 inches extremely quick and requires a minimum of 75 gallons for a single fish, this pair is simply incompatible in such a small tank.

Other experiences include glass catfish, a schooling fish that needs at least six others to feel comfortable and unstressed, kept in a pair, placed in a tank far too small with incompatible tank mates, three black dot barbs kept in the same 10-gallon tank with other fish that require much larger tanks and betta fish kept in small enclosures that no fish should ever be kept in. Most shockingly, a bala shark, a fish that can grow to be around 13 inches in length, was kept in a 14-gallon tank, while the minimum for an adult is a 125 to 150-gallon tank.

While I’m aware that some keepers upgrade the tank as their fish grow into adulthood, a dorm room does not provide nearly enough room to be constantly upgrading fish tanks.

Outside of the tanks being too small, we see other acts that relate more to the atrocious acts that Michael Vick performed with his dog-fighting arenas. A similar situation has been conducted on campus, with residents forcing betta fish to fight each other. They placed bettas into tanks and watched as one would kill the other, then they would continue to mock the life of this fish by hosting a joke funeral.

So I wonder: would you put a cat in a closet for its whole life, or adopt a dog just to force it to fight for its life against other dogs?

Now, not everyone is intentionally hurting fish, and I do believe that many want to care for the animal. So I urge you to make sure that you are doing the right thing for your pet, even if that means returning it to the store because your tank is inadequate for it to live in and starting over.

Keeping fish is enjoyable and can bring a lot of happiness to a person, and while I personally recommend doing so because of this, it’s important to do it correctly. However, if you find yourself unwilling to do the maintenance it takes or spend the money that it costs, please do not purchase these animals because they are dependent on you alone.

No animal should ever be subjected to abuse and neglect, and the animals that seem to face most of it are fish. There is a misconception that their lives mean less because they are so cheap or so replaceable. But why should any less value be placed on a fish — a living, breathing creature with its own characteristics and personality?

I urge people to research this animal the same way you research a dog or cat, because fish are more than some replaceable thing that you can get for your 4-year-old — they are alive. Fish are not decorations for your room, they are animals with lives that mean just as much as any other pet.