Had to euthanize Pacu's over the weekend
- Thread starter jagarundi
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no research lesson
Oh my gosh that is sooooo sad!! I had a "newbie" experience also, mine fortunately turned out much better, but my Aunt had given us a 30/g tank and my mom took my son to get some fish for it. Anyway they DID tell the sale person the size of our tank before picking out fish (this shows NOT to trust the sale person or the info tickets on the tank), well my son really liked the columbian shark (on the tank it said they get around 6") and got 2 of them then he saw the bala, rainbow shark, neon gaumbie (not sure how to spell that) and the irridesent shark (tank said they get 6"-8") well he ended up getting 2 of each of these and a algea eater and 6 ghost shrimp. The sales person told them they would all be fine together and that was not to much for a 30/g tank. Well the columbian's did say they are BW, when my mom asked about the other fish they were told they could all live in BW, my mom asked what is Brackish and he said you just add some aquarium salt so my mom got the "aquarium" salt to make it BW. After getting the fish and bringing them home we put the salt in and everything was doing fine, then I noticed the columbian looked like they were shedding (that is the only way I can describe it) and is also how I found this site (which may I say is WONDERFUL), in the process of trying to find out what was wrong with them I found out more about all my fish, and that there was NO WAY they could all live together in a 30/g tank. I found out what I thought was BW was not you were suppose to use a different kind of salt for that then the aquarium salt (which thankfully I did not use since NONE of the other fish were suppose to be BW) and most likely that was the cause for the columbians looking the way they did which they both did die within a day or two of finding out more about them, I was going to switch them into my 20/g tank by themselves so they could at least have the right type of water and temporaraly since they can get up to 18"!! I am getting a 55/g and was going to switch them to the 30/g untill I couldn't keep them there any longer, not really sure what I was going to do when that time came. Then I found out that the irridesent sharks could grow up to 3' yes that is FEET not inchs, a very nice person on this site sent me a link to some pictures of a few fully grown irridesents I about died when I saw them, well after loosing the columbians and knowing there was know way I could provide for the irridesents I went to the LFS and took in a picture from the link telling them I wanted them to take the fish back, and asking them why in the world they would say they only grow 6"-8", his response to me "well in an aquarium they will only grow to that size, they wont outgrow their surrounding" I told him that I found out they my not out grow on the outside but their insides still grow and they would die!! They refused to take the fish back telling me they have a 3 day return policy :mad2: Then I asked them why they would say all the fish would be ok in BW when all but the columbians were fresh water and if I was suppose to use BW why did they sell my som the aquarium salt instead of the other, he said they must of missunderstood because the columbian could be FW or BW and that would be why he sold the aquarium salt instead since the others were freshwater fish
Now the irridesents were my fav's I didn't want to kill them, and in no way could provide the gallons they would require I was at a loss as to what to do, heres were the happy ending comes, my cousin has a friend whos mom has a outdoor pond with coy(I think they are called...the HUGE goldfish) and several other fish, well she said she would take them, which made me very happy...only problem she said she couldn't take them until they were at least 1'. Then came the next good thing for my fellows, a friend of mine had just got a 120or130/g tank and said he would take them until they were big enough :dance2: So although my ending was much better I know how you feel!! I have told my son NO MORE unless we know EXACTLY what we are getting and don't depend on what the LFS tells you either!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is soooooooo very important to research first. I do not think they should sell fish that get that big to anyone unless they let the person know what they are getting into EVER!!
p.s I heard through the grapevine that LFS is going out of business so maybe that is why we were SO misinformed but still that is no excuse for such B.S.
Oh my gosh that is sooooo sad!! I had a "newbie" experience also, mine fortunately turned out much better, but my Aunt had given us a 30/g tank and my mom took my son to get some fish for it. Anyway they DID tell the sale person the size of our tank before picking out fish (this shows NOT to trust the sale person or the info tickets on the tank), well my son really liked the columbian shark (on the tank it said they get around 6") and got 2 of them then he saw the bala, rainbow shark, neon gaumbie (not sure how to spell that) and the irridesent shark (tank said they get 6"-8") well he ended up getting 2 of each of these and a algea eater and 6 ghost shrimp. The sales person told them they would all be fine together and that was not to much for a 30/g tank. Well the columbian's did say they are BW, when my mom asked about the other fish they were told they could all live in BW, my mom asked what is Brackish and he said you just add some aquarium salt so my mom got the "aquarium" salt to make it BW. After getting the fish and bringing them home we put the salt in and everything was doing fine, then I noticed the columbian looked like they were shedding (that is the only way I can describe it) and is also how I found this site (which may I say is WONDERFUL), in the process of trying to find out what was wrong with them I found out more about all my fish, and that there was NO WAY they could all live together in a 30/g tank. I found out what I thought was BW was not you were suppose to use a different kind of salt for that then the aquarium salt (which thankfully I did not use since NONE of the other fish were suppose to be BW) and most likely that was the cause for the columbians looking the way they did which they both did die within a day or two of finding out more about them, I was going to switch them into my 20/g tank by themselves so they could at least have the right type of water and temporaraly since they can get up to 18"!! I am getting a 55/g and was going to switch them to the 30/g untill I couldn't keep them there any longer, not really sure what I was going to do when that time came. Then I found out that the irridesent sharks could grow up to 3' yes that is FEET not inchs, a very nice person on this site sent me a link to some pictures of a few fully grown irridesents I about died when I saw them, well after loosing the columbians and knowing there was know way I could provide for the irridesents I went to the LFS and took in a picture from the link telling them I wanted them to take the fish back, and asking them why in the world they would say they only grow 6"-8", his response to me "well in an aquarium they will only grow to that size, they wont outgrow their surrounding" I told him that I found out they my not out grow on the outside but their insides still grow and they would die!! They refused to take the fish back telling me they have a 3 day return policy :mad2: Then I asked them why they would say all the fish would be ok in BW when all but the columbians were fresh water and if I was suppose to use BW why did they sell my som the aquarium salt instead of the other, he said they must of missunderstood because the columbian could be FW or BW and that would be why he sold the aquarium salt instead since the others were freshwater fish
Now the irridesents were my fav's I didn't want to kill them, and in no way could provide the gallons they would require I was at a loss as to what to do, heres were the happy ending comes, my cousin has a friend whos mom has a outdoor pond with coy(I think they are called...the HUGE goldfish) and several other fish, well she said she would take them, which made me very happy...only problem she said she couldn't take them until they were at least 1'. Then came the next good thing for my fellows, a friend of mine had just got a 120or130/g tank and said he would take them until they were big enough :dance2: So although my ending was much better I know how you feel!! I have told my son NO MORE unless we know EXACTLY what we are getting and don't depend on what the LFS tells you either!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is soooooooo very important to research first. I do not think they should sell fish that get that big to anyone unless they let the person know what they are getting into EVER!!p.s I heard through the grapevine that LFS is going out of business so maybe that is why we were SO misinformed but still that is no excuse for such B.S.
Very sad story. I just found this forum and read this.
The really sad part of it is Pacu's are so easy to find at the pet shops. Most of the stores around here have them, including PetSmart. I think it does say they grow to 18" or 2 feet on the labels at PetSmart, but it is in very small print. They are very pretty fish so I'm sure this is a very common story.
The really sad part of it is Pacu's are so easy to find at the pet shops. Most of the stores around here have them, including PetSmart. I think it does say they grow to 18" or 2 feet on the labels at PetSmart, but it is in very small print. They are very pretty fish so I'm sure this is a very common story.
my old neighborhood petstore used to have huge pacu's. they were so big they could have fit into size 2T childrens clothes.
i can picture a pacu in overalls cant you?
:hi:
i can picture a pacu in overalls cant you?
:hi:
That was the most horrible post I have ever read! :sad:
I have just heard of this "euthanize" term today. Someone suggested I do it to my Betta! I could never EVER kill any fish! I'm sorry you had to do it.
I have just heard of this "euthanize" term today. Someone suggested I do it to my Betta! I could never EVER kill any fish! I'm sorry you had to do it.
"I wrapped them in newspaper and used a cinderblock dropped from the third step onto it's head."
i cant believe people are calling this euthanizing, that is a horrible way to put down your fish, in fact it's grizzly. Simple clove oil can be used to put down fish, it is in fact used in small doses to knock out a fish, like a puffer for dentistry after which they revive perfectly healthy, a stronger dose however euthanizes the fish.
ive also heard of vets putting a chemical called Euthanol into the water and that doing the job very peacefully. Also Finquel is another fish tranquilizer, but like any tranquilizer, it is lethal if overdosed and would have down the job in a non butcher like manner of a cinder block.
for all the lessons learned you say happened perhaps a 2 minute google search on euthanizing a fish may have been in order before bashing it with a cinder block!
i cant believe people are calling this euthanizing, that is a horrible way to put down your fish, in fact it's grizzly. Simple clove oil can be used to put down fish, it is in fact used in small doses to knock out a fish, like a puffer for dentistry after which they revive perfectly healthy, a stronger dose however euthanizes the fish.
ive also heard of vets putting a chemical called Euthanol into the water and that doing the job very peacefully. Also Finquel is another fish tranquilizer, but like any tranquilizer, it is lethal if overdosed and would have down the job in a non butcher like manner of a cinder block.
for all the lessons learned you say happened perhaps a 2 minute google search on euthanizing a fish may have been in order before bashing it with a cinder block!
There was recently a thread about quick ways to euthanize fish. I think cinderblock dropping would be a good way to do it, think of how quick it'd be.
i couldnt disagree more, and i mean by light years, 1st, youre removing the fish from the water, second it will most likely be flopping around (ten times more so with a fish this size), and third with a fish this size one drop from a height like that probably is not doing the job (ignoring the high probability of the fish flopping and you missing or you just flat out missing on your own).FreddytheFish said:
pick your death:
1- tranquilized and pass on
or
2- someone drops cinderblocks onto your head until the job is done
fine it is a fish... BUT i know which id choose for something considered a friend/pet/family. but i guess finding clove oil or any other fish tranquilizer just isnt reasonable when cinder blocks are so readily available (sarcasm)
The intent of this sticky is to raise the awareness of aquariasts as the difficulties in purchasing fish without adequate research to ensure long term care. Attacking the original poster is NOT tolerated, and NOT okay. Several posts have been deleted for this reason.
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