Thoughts on returning fish when they get too big

F

firefly

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Jun 6, 2005
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HI all. I've noticed that many people who buy fish (and even those who post here) often say "I know it will get too big, I'll just return it when It does". I personally don't like that thought. IF you can't house a fish properly for it's entire life, I think you should pass on it and get something more suitable to your tank. (but that's just my opinion).

We will take back fish if they are in our 14day warrantee period,but aren't supposed to after that. We make a point of telling people how large a fish will get, and what tank size it will need, and that we can't take it back when it gets too big. (though most of them don't believe us, or get upset that we are treating them like "children" and not allowing them to make their own decisions). Occasionally we'll take back fish that get large, usually if an associate wants it for their tank, or we have a regular with a large tank who wants it.

One of the local stores has finally started refusing extra large oscars and plecos that people are always wanting to get rid of. He has tons of 10&20g tanks filled with large oscars and plecos looking so sad and has finally decided he can't fit any more in.

My boss does not stock arowanas, pacus or knives (other than the african brown knife) because they get too large for just about any fishkeeper, and she thinks it is irresponsible to stock them and tempt people with them. we do sell Oscars and plecos though, these are not as problamatic as the others, but people still don't seem to want to believe how large they will get.

I say, A fish is a live animal. Moving it from tank to tank, or store to store is stressful on them (more so than many other animals) and it is just not responsible to buy an animal you know you can't keep for it's entire life. IF you like some large fish, think they are cool, go visit a local aquarium or zoo to see these guys, and keep more reasonalbe fish in your home. Or, invest in that mammoth tank, and do it right. It's far cheaper to put the fish in it's long term home, than to keep buying larger aquariums as it grows. plus, most fish grow far faster than expected and really need a larger home than you think for starters. If you do have to wait and upgrade for a fish, o.k., but plan how to do it. Realize that the upgrade may need to happen within a year, and start with the largest possible tank. (starting in less than a 55g for most large fish is just not good IMO). If you can't afford to do that (space or money-wise) wait until you can before getting the fish. You and the fish will be happier in the long run.

O.k., so perhaps this is just my little :rant2:. It seems that it is just far too common (and/or acceptable) to buy fish that will get too big, and return them when they do. I'd appreciate others opinions on this.

Emily
 
I appreciate your opinion. In fact I have experience in this all too common problem. We had a common pleco in our pond, we bought it at about 1in long. No one told us how large it would become. Eventually I tried to move it to a 55gal tank, but within a few weeks, it could barely turn around in there. So, I took him to the best fish store I knew of and they gave him a home in one of there larger tanks. If I would've known then what I know now, I wouldn't have gotten him. But something in me says if I ever get another pleco like that, I'd get one of those big above ground pools for it. It would be kinda neat to attempt something like that one day. The common plecos are often sold as algea eaters, when really they do become a bit carnivorous later in their development. They are also underappreciated to some exrent for their prehistoric beauty. I wish pet stores were required to tell people these things about any animals they sell.
 
Thanks for the replies. Good to know others share this opinion. The worst I get is that so many people come in convinced that their tank HAS to have a pleco. Grrrr... I ask "do you have an algae problem?" usually the answer is NO, or if it is yes, there are many better ways to fight it than a pleco. Algae is usually a symptom of some lacking in husbandry and should be addressed as such. AH well. And, the regular plecos are ugly to boot. (at least I think so). I warn people about their size, and they all say, "no, they die before they get big". Sad unnescesary loss of fish life from poor conditions...
If at all possible, I try to talk people into the rubber lips (max out at about 6") or otocinclus (max out at 1.5" and eat brown as well as green algae). THe otos need a well established tank though, but I can usually get that by telling them they have to wait until there is algae for the fish to eat. And, some are quite relieved to hear a pleco isnt' at all needed.

Of course, those who want the big fish that look cool, and don't want to house them properly, well that is another story.

Emily
 
Riso-chan said:
I wish pet stores were required to tell people these things about any animals they sell.
Click to expand...

Well, just because a pet store says these things about their animals doesn't mean a customer will believe it. We do tell them all this about our animals, but many people think it isnt' true, or are under the misconception that fish will only grow to the size of the tank... (yeah because they will be unhealthy and die early).

Emily
 
This is a great idea, and comming from someone who works in a lfs is even better. I just had the same discussion about a week ago, and the mentality behind this is that they "enjoy growing the fish out" in thier tanks. I asked one guy "what do you do after they get to big?" and his reply was "I will give it to a zoo or my friend" Wow that must have taken some imagination to think of that. Isn't funny how every one of these guys has a friend who has a tank big enough to house thier unwanted fish. Wow that must have taken some imagination to think of that.

The problem is that a lot of the people who want to keep these big fish, I am talking redtailed cats, arowana's ,arapama ect, usually only keep them in a 6'*2'*2' or a little bigger and they think that this is adequate, granted some people do actualy have the facilities to keep these fish, not many but there are people out there. I will say that nothing can compare to the wild, but if we are going to keep fish , an adequate enviroment should be provided. I suppose there are many differing opinions on what is adequate, but in my book the tank should be a least wider than the fish is long and if possible much wider. This is where people run into problems.
 
The store I work in encourages us to talk to customers about their setup before selling fish, and I'd say my technique borders on interrogation at times ;)
I regularly refuse sales (or sell them a larger tank) if a customer's tank is too small to house the fish into adulthood, and generally speaking the response I get is positive - most people look astonished when I tell them a 'common' plec will grow to nearly two feet and thank me for warning them.
I think it's important for LFS staff to let people who may not be sure what they're getting into know the adult size of the fish they purchase, and to discourage the practice of buying fish with plans to return the fish later - I usually tell people that they'd be hard pressed to find a store that wants another 10" plec, or 5" common goldfish that was cute at 1" and then turned into a waste factory that outgrew their 10g tank.
That said, I can understand the temptation - every time I go to work I drool over the Sunshine plecs and almost bring one home, thank goodness for the voice of common sense that overrides the impulse, telling me I simply don't have room for another plec in my tank :)
 
It depends. If I can give it a good home (better than at the fish store) then yes, I think buying a fish I know will get too large for my tank eventually is worth while. At the point the fish becomes to large I think a humane euthanization or tank transplant is far more beneficial and fair to the animal.

I'd rather painlessly kill a fish with clove oil after giving it a good run then suffer it to sub-standard care at the LFS.
 
I think this has been hashed to death already.
It seems to pop up every week or so?
Some pet stores are still about the business...business means $$$'s.
As long as you're making $$$'s, that's all that counts.
This is a "moral" issue, not a business one.

Case in point, the LFS I frequent just got in fruit tetras.
Yeah, the dyed ones.
They sell very well.
Oh well...
 
This does come up alot, but I think many of us still like to rant about it occasionally :rant: !! LOL!! It usually gets to me when I go to a store and hear bad advice. Which, by the way, I usually avoid the chain stores, but I really wanted to get some clown loaches and that is the only place near me that sells them. Well, I was amazed that the girl netting them for me actually asked me if I realize how large they can get and asked what size tank I have!!! :thm: It was nice to see that, usually the chain stores are the most guilty of selling the wrong fish to the wrong tanks
 
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