Hot take: I flipped on whether aquariums are good for fish
I thought they were just pretty tanks, but learning about stress changed my mind. Some folks say they're key for research and saving species, though. What's your take?
Monterey Bay Aquarium had this huge kelp forest tank when I was a kid. I remember staring at the fish for hours, they seemed so calm. But later I read how the sound of pumps can stress them out. Made me question if all that glass and noise is worth it. Still, that place does a lot for ocean education. Tough call.
The Georgia Aquarium's whale shark tank gave me the same vibe. I spent whole afternoons there, but later heard about the stress from constant filtration noise. Kinda like what @davis.leo said, picturing the fish pissed off by all the pumps. Still, teaching kids about ocean life is huge, so it's a real gray area.
Those bubble curtains some tanks use to hide the noise are a good example. They try to fix the stress problem, but it's just another human-made thing in their environment. Makes you wonder if the research and rescue work balances out the daily hassle for most of the fish just on display.