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It's a hit with Christmas shoppers, but animal activists are up in arms over the iPond - a tiny fish tank that doubles as a music speaker.
Sales of the miniature tank have been brisk in Australia, but the RSPCA has called on the device to be banned as it is too small to provide fish with an adequate oxygen supply.
"The fish in this thing does not look like it has very long to live and it can barely move," Animal Liberation Victoria's Noah Mark told the Sun-Herald.
"Even if it does live it's not [a] life worth living ... it's really just a torture box."
Two Australian chain stores - Pets Paradise and Pet Goods Direct - currently sell the iPond, which has a water capacity of about 650 millilitres once small rocks are placed inside it.
A small speaker built into the bottom of the tank allows users to play music from their iPods through it.
Pets Paradise shops are selling Siamese fighting fish with the iPond.
The fish, which are native to South-East Asia, typically live in puddles and rice paddies but a spokesman for the Melbourne Aquarium told the Sun-Herald they needed a minimum of 10 litres to survive.
Although Siamese fighting fish have a "labyrinth lung" which allows them to take in oxygen from the air, RSPCA spokesman Hugh Wirth said the tank was far too small for it to receive adequate oxygen.
Acoustics expert Jason Gedamke said there was no doubt noise from the speaker would escape into the water.
"It's the same as putting a fish tank on a speaker," he said.
Marketing manager for Pets Paradise and Pet Goods Direct Alyse-Grace Robertson, said fish in the iPonds appeared to flourish and the Pet Industry of Australia was consulted before the devices went on sale in September.
A spokesperson for Apple told the Sun-Herald the company was not willing to comment on products made by third parties.
- NZ HERALD STAFF
