Shanghai Fisheries University will provide free medical treatment for sick fish being raised in home aquariums around the city, school officials revealed over the weekend.

The university's aquarium sciences lab, which runs the country's first aquarium sciences program, had opened the city's first aquarium fish clinic to offer telephone consultations or in-home treatment for fish owners with sick pets.

"People usually have no idea about what to do after their fish appears to be sick. Many of them just wait for the little creature's death and throw it away," said Chen Zaizhong, an associate professor at the lab.

He added that many fish illnesses are curable with proper medical treatment. Common symptoms that a fish is sick include refusing to eat, swimming slowly or developing white spots all over their bodies.

"The simple dead-and-discard model is not only ruthless to little creatures like fish, but dead ill fish are also likely to contaminate the environment," Chen added. Dead fish are generally thrown out in China, unlike the West where they are often flushed down the toilet.

Meanwhile, the lab will also set up a "love fish pool" to raise pet fish that their owners don't want any more. Discarded fish will be raised at the pool after receiving health checks and those looking for a new pet will be allowed to adopt one for free.

About 1.12 million people in the city raise fish in their homes, according to the Shanghai Aquarium Fish Association. Most of them raise cheap gold fish, however, and probably aren't willing to spend the time taking care of a sick pet. The university program will mainly focus on the small number of people raising expensive tropical fish.

The association is also planning to open the city's largest aquarium market near the Longyang Road station along Metro line No. 2 in Pudong.

The city's 57 aquarium markets generated 1.1 billion yuan (US$137.5 million) in revenue last year.

(Source: www.shanghai.gov.cn )