We've all purchased fish that we regret - please help me with mine!

RocketGarStar

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Mar 7, 2018
107
37
31
24
Ann Arbor, Michigan
I've had a 5 inch gourami sold as a "mystery gourami" by PetSmart for about a year now. Being the suspicious person I am, I looked up photos of baby giant gouramis, and bam. They look exactly the same. I had promised myself in my early years of tending aquariums that I'd never, ever make that mistake, but, it happened. My LFS won't take the fish, and I've contacted my local aquarium - is there anything else I can do?
 

krichardson

Bronze Tier VIP
MFK Member
Jun 19, 2006
27,560
14,448
480
Datnoid Island
How big is your tank, can't you keep it?
 

J. H.

Potamotrygon
MFK Member
Oct 14, 2016
1,894
1,436
164
26
11225
They usually sell for $100+. I'm sure you could give it away, or sell it. You might have ship it, though. I believe that in some parts of the world, some people raise them in ponds in their basements without filters and fed them food scraps to grow them out for the table, just as people used to keep pigs in the US. It shouldn't be hard to keep in a kiddy pool.
I have to admit "Mystery Gourami" is quite funny. Hey, ya wanna buy a "Mystery Cichlid"?
 

Deadliestviper7

The Necromancer
MFK Member
Aug 6, 2016
7,421
4,175
178
30
They usually sell for $100+. I'm sure you could give it away, or sell it. You might have ship it, though. I believe that in some parts of the world, some people raise them in ponds in their basements without filters and fed them food scraps to grow them out for the table, just as people used to keep pigs in the US. It shouldn't be hard to keep in a kiddy pool.
I have to admit "Mystery Gourami" is quite funny. Hey, ya wanna buy a "Mystery Cichlid"?
Nnoooooo it's a trap!!!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: RocketGarStar

Gourami Swami

MFK Moderators
Staff member
Moderator
MFK Member
Jul 13, 2006
7,056
8,370
753
NJ
Yeah I would put it on craigslist and in the marketplace here, as "for free to good home". Ask the person who wants it, to send you a pic of their tank with their username in the pic, to prove they have a tank for it and are not going to feed it to a gar or something. Hopefully you can get someone to pick it up.
If not, I've never had a problem with LFS's taking fish in for free. If one said no, try another?
 

Itsadeepbluesea

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
Apr 6, 2008
2,812
1,079
179
39
Yeah I would put it on craigslist and in the marketplace here, as "for free to good home". Ask the person who wants it, to send you a pic of their tank with their username in the pic, to prove they have a tank for it and are not going to feed it to a gar or something. Hopefully you can get someone to pick it up.
If not, I've never had a problem with LFS's taking fish in for free. If one said no, try another?
agreed
 

krichardson

Bronze Tier VIP
MFK Member
Jun 19, 2006
27,560
14,448
480
Datnoid Island
Oh yeah.....if all else fails shop will certainly take the fish for free and then try to sell it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Davidiator

kewpiefishypewpie

Potamotrygon
MFK Member
Jan 21, 2016
2,104
2,175
164
I've had a 5 inch gourami sold as a "mystery gourami" by PetSmart for about a year now. Being the suspicious person I am, I looked up photos of baby giant gouramis, and bam. They look exactly the same. I had promised myself in my early years of tending aquariums that I'd never, ever make that mistake, but, it happened. My LFS won't take the fish, and I've contacted my local aquarium - is there anything else I can do?
Was the fish 5" when you bought it a year ago, and if so how big is it now? Or is the fish 5" now after having had it for a year?
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store