balam - 7:01 pm on Jun 27, 2007 (gmt 0)

Out of curiousity, what is a "safe" pet? It's difficult to imagine a guppy causing any trouble.

andye, I did consider that exact species of fish, but based on a decade of breeding experience, ruled it out as "dangerous."

A guppy? Dangerous?!

Ok, allow me to qualify - and to note that my classification is based on P1R's statement:

I've seen too many videos of what happens to children when pets go bad.

A single guppy in a tank is a safe pet. More than one, when there is a male present, and they are dangerous. Now I don't mean dangerous in a physical sense - being bitten by a guppy is amusing - but in a psychological manner to the well-being of a child (and some adults, it seems).

Male guppies are very aggressive, sexually. Very. If a female won't respond to his advances, he will eventually become a physically abusive serial rapist...

Daddy, why is Little Mermaid hiding in the corner with her tail missing? Because she is the victim of a brutal sexual assault, my dear child...

Ok, you and your child have - hopefully - survived breeding with psyche intact, now it's time for live births. As I'm sure any parent will tell you - I'm childless - birth is a beautiful thing and now you have 30 more fish, so...

Let the cannibalism begin!

Mommy, where are all the babies? Hors d'oeuvres, my dear, hors d'oeuvres...