iPond - The iPod speaker that comes with built-in fish tank

The iPond, a speaker for iPod, also has a built in fish tank. It is sold for AU$70 in Sydney Australia. This iPond is sold out in some places in Australia but has created an outrage among animal activists and aquarists.

The iPond has a tiny fish tank, up to 15 times smaller than the recommended size by the aquarium. But the consumers don’t seem to mind they are buying this product in large numbers and are selling out in some places in Australia.

This product is sold in the pet stores across Australia. Users can play their iPods through a speaker built into the bottom of the brick shaped fish tank. Pets Paradise, one of the pet stores, is selling Siamese fighting fish with the iPond.

The fighting fish are native to South-East Asia and have a "labyrinth lung" that allows them to take in oxygen from air. Typically they live in puddles and rice paddies.

Though it may look cool for kids and others alike, it is not cool for the fish.

According to Melbourne Aquarium, this Siamese fighting fish requires a minimum tank size of 10 liters, whereas iPond provides only 650 milliliters (0.65 liters).

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) wants this iPond to be banned, the reason being the tank is too small for a fish to thrive with adequate oxygen supplies and a clean environment. Since this is a small enclosure there will be high temperature fluctuations and may pose a danger to the fish.

Animal Liberation Victoria's Noah Mark was very vocal against this product and considers this as a torture tank for the fish. He said fish is a social creature that experience pain and boredom, putting them in this tank is equivalent to putting one in a torture box.

Acoustics expert Jason Gedamke said the music sounds will easily escape into this tiny fish tank and it will be like putting a fish tank on top of a loud speaker.

Marketing manager for the Pets Paradise and Pet Goods Direct chains, Alyse-Grace Robertson, said so far they received only one complaint about iPond and says fish seemed to flourish inside the tank.

Apple was asked about this product, they said they will talk only about Apple products and not about third party products.

I hope this product becomes a fad soon. The fishes or any other living creature needs to be in a natural environment where they can thrive well not in a place where human assumes them to be. In my opinion, they should put the inventor on top of a speaker and make him or her live for a few days.

If this iPond is offered in your marketplace, will you buy this product?