Fish are increasingly kept in offices and healthcare settings for stress reduction, but their welfare often suffers from inadequate care knowledge, inappropriate tanks, and lack of attention to their complex needs.
The welfare of office and institutional fish is poorly monitored and rarely prioritized. Without designated caretakers, fish go without water changes, adequate feeding schedules, or medical attention. Fish in healthcare settings are often selected for their claimed stress-reduction benefits for humans while their own welfare is neglected - an ethically uncomfortable double standard. Welfare-conscious institutional fish keeping requires formal care protocols, designated responsibility, appropriately sized tanks with filtration, and access to veterinary advice from aquatic animal specialists.