Goodbye To My Native Fish!

[xspainx69]

Did I tell you to get rid of the fish?

No you never said get rid of them. But it was an inevitable situation that I could have prolonged and make worse. How would I have gotten rid of a 1-2 foot Bass in 75 Gallon tank. Not only would mailing it out be such a headache and a half, but I doubt anyone would even take it!

 

[teleost]

This is one of the reasons I'm so adamant about not taking bluegill and bass home. Both get big, stay pretty ugly, can have a nasty temper and almost never are kept until adult. Unfortunately they wind up in some water because people don't have the heart to kill them. Releasing fish is a time bomb just ticking on these forums. Ponds connect to natural waters either by stream or by flood. We're all waiting for a nasty outbreak of foreign junk due to this behavior. No matter what anyone tells you...putting any fish you've had in a home tank can never be put back into any water outside. It's simply unethical. Once you take a fish home, you've essentially killed it.

 

[xspainx69]

This is one of the reasons I'm so adamant about not taking bluegill and bass home. Both get big, stay pretty ugly, can have a nasty temper and almost never are kept until adult. Unfortunately they wind up in some water because people don't have the heart to kill them. Releasing fish is a time bomb just ticking on these forums. Ponds connect to natural waters either by stream or by flood. We're all waiting for a nasty outbreak of foreign junk due to this behavior. No matter what anyone tells you...putting any fish you've had in a home tank can never be put back into any water outside. It's simply unethical. Once you take a fish home, you've essentially killed it.

Yeah you are entirely correct! Unfortunetly for me, I was too dumb to realize that before I bought the fish. My stubborness brought my own pain of letting them go.

But I know now after pain and suffering that if you cannot house a pet, dont buy it!

I was lucky to find my fishes a new home with bigger tanks. Not everyone is as lucky and releasing them into the wild is not the answer.

I hope my experience and testimony serves to a bigger cause. I hope that everyone that reads this knows now how this hobby works.

I have to say that I am glad to have such kool people on MKF to talk to who can give me advice.

It must have been a tough road to walk as a hobbyist in past when internet was not around.

 

[niblit]

the right thing hurts sometimes

 

[warmouth]

I have had my native fish :Largemouth Bass, Spotted Sunfish,Bluegill,Channel Cat since they we small.

I was housing them in 75 gallon tank, My Chanel Cat grew to 12 inches, Bluegill & Largemouth Bass grew to 6-7 inches, Spotted Sunfish upto 4 -5 inches.

I finally thought to myself that since I just cant upgrade in the future that maybe it was best to give them up to someone who could properly house them for life.

It was so hard today for me to scoop them out to put them in bags to ship them out to their new owners.

When I normally clean their tank, the Largemouth Bass would swim up to my hand and wouldnt be afraid of my hand or any equipment that I would put in their to clean the tank.

But today as I went in there with my green net, he fled to the other side and wouldnt come near me and evaded my hand and my net. It was just so bad to see how he knew that something wasn't right about what I was doing with that net.

It hurt me inside more because I didnt wanna get rid of him because I really care so much about him. But I figured it was the right thing to do now since he wasn't so big.

The Bluegill and Spotted Sunfish also ran from the net and they were confused and not very responsive to my hand anymore. They too realized something was not right about the situation.

I tend to ask myself now If I really did the right thing by finding them new owners who can provide them with 180 Gallon & 200 Gallon tanks.


I am to blame for my loss because I was stubborn and I decided to take in fish that I knew one day i would have to give up due to their housing requirements that i cannot meet.

It almost feels like losing a family member....


Did I do the right thing by finding them better owners? I keep having regrets now. But do you guys think I did what was right for them?

Sorry for your loss....I have only a 46 and 20 gallon tanks so I have 2 3inch green sunfish in the 46 gallon and feeder goldfish in the 20 gallon, this will work until I can upgrade to a 75 gallon like you have, which I believe will be big enough for my greens. You might try some warmouth or green sunfish for your 75 gallon. Yes I do think you did the right thing by selling your fish if you cant afford a bigger setup for them.

 

[gar man]

u did the right thing dont worry