R.I.P Sturgeon

[Max Power]

how is buying a fish and trying to save it irresponsible???

 

[meepster]

just another guy with his nose too high in the air spewing pretentious trash.

He just thinks that because he keeps good fish or has been keeping them for a long time that it gives him license to attack people who are not as experienced.

I have probably been keeping fish longer than most of the people here and I only give advice and constructive criticism. I know what people are like when you give them advice or criticize them so the use of words are very impotant.

 

[ksiaquatics]

I believe this was more or less layed out in mine and polypterus' responses. But just to hit the highlights, it was irresponsible because:

The fish was purchased with the obvious intention that it would die.

Although, the initial care for the fish was planned out, apparently, the long term care of this potentially huge fish was up in the air.

Buying this fish, which is totally inappropriate for the aquarium trade in the first place, perpetuates this fish's availability. Unfortunately, due to the money-driven society of today, if this fish sells it wll be replaced in the market with another fish for sale.

Does this make sense to everyone?

 

[nativelover]

POLYPTERUS! you just suprised me, wenr toyu one of the people i turned to aid me in supplying this fish a proper habitiat.......
im entirely astonished to hear this kind of thing coming form a member of this board!

im am by no means an average fishkeeper, ive been keeping fish for 10 years includeing some rather fragile fish such as mormyrids.....
i had every intention if keeping the fish alive , althought i was prepared for the worst seeing as how the fish was in bad shape....
a good amount of my fish collection is comprised of "Rescued" fish if u will.....
pardon me if i tend to cover the asses of my fellow, slightly or largly irresponsible fellow fishkeepers and aquarists. after doing some delving into the resons this store had the fish it was a speciall order that was never picked up, so all those promising young fish were killed for no reason, and i thought even if i could save just one it would be better than letting a future monster die of bad conditions, i knew what i was getting into and only asked questions becuase if uve ever tried to do research on a not so common fish it turns out to be a major headache. and its better to have a second opinion in everything, thats why these boards exist! those of you that dissagree with my decision thats your opinoin.

alos the resources clearly were there! i set up a tank just for this fish and spent about 70 dollars of hard earned cahs attempting to restore this fish to health. i was even constidering dedicatting my new 125 gallon to this fish alone till i could find it a home, any preson that would frown upon compassion and a urge to help should be considered the scurge of the hobby.

and for the recod i got him eating, a major hurdle with sick sturgeon, and was into treating his fin rot with target meds when i lost him for unkown reasons.....

in the future i will not look for compassion and understanding from the members of this board, in the past this board has been a very prolific exchange of ideas, i guess all good thingsa must come to an end, and the asses out there always have to spoil it for everyone



the people out there like nativelover i thank for your understanding......


]v[ONSTER FISH FOREVER!

 

[meepster]

I believe this was more or less layed out in mine and polypterus' responses. But just to hit the highlights, it was irresponsible because:

The fish was purchased with the obvious intention that it would die.

Although, the initial care for the fish was planned out, apparently, the long term care of this potentially huge fish was up in the air.

Buying this fish, which is totally inappropriate for the aquarium trade in the first place, perpetuates this fish's availability. Unfortunately, due to the money-driven society of today, if this fish sells it wll be replaced in the market with another fish for sale.

Does this make sense to everyone?

I guess it does, but polypterus was just going too far with his post.

Sturgeon are not for the aquarium trade, but people like me still keep them if they have the necessary habitat for it. Don't get me wrong. Putting them in aquariums for a short time is ok, but if you are keeping them in an aquarium to stunt it's growth, then you are being irresponsible.

Many states have already banned sturgeon from the aquarium trade and taking wild sturgeon is illegal in the USA.

I have a couple of sterlets that I am selling right now and I make sure that the buyer has the necessary habitat (or at least a mega tank) before I even consider selling it to them.

 

[ksiaquatics]

just another guy with his nose too high in the air spewing pretentious trash.

He just thinks that because he keeps good fish or has been keeping them for a long time that it gives him license to attack people who are not as experienced.

I have probably been keeping fish longer than most of the people here and I only give advice and constructive criticism. I know what people are like when you give them advice or criticize them so the use of words are very impotant.

I, nor Polypterus, are proclaming to be experts in the arena. I think anyone that does is as you so eloquently put it "pretentious trash". The point I was trying to make here was that such a fish should not be taken home without its long-term health and maintenance having been taken into consideration. My other, and frankly much more important point, is that this fish should not be in the aquarium trade at all and buying the fish in the first place just perpetuates its position there.

 

[meepster]

I, nor Polypterus, are proclaming to be experts in the arena. I think anyone that does is as you so eloquently put it "pretentious trash". The point I was trying to make here was that such a fish should not be taken home without its long-term health and maintenance having been taken into consideration. My other, and frankly much more important point, is that this fish should not be in the aquarium trade at all and buying the fish in the first place just perpetuates its position there.

Well, if you really think that responsibility is the key to it's "conservation" if you will, is not to argue over whether buying it is ok.

We should be spending time educating the public or at least educating the community, and possibly the government that we should take them out of the aquarium trade and make posession of live sturgeon illegal altogether.

I am willing to give up my sturgeon if people were to start a public education group that actually works.

 

[ksiaquatics]

Well, if you really think that responsibility is the key to it's "conservation" if you will, is not to argue over whether buying it is ok.

We should be spending time educating the public or at least educating the community, and possibly the government that we should take them out of the aquarium trade and make posession of live sturgeon illegal altogether.

I am willing to give up my sturgeon if people were to start a public education group that actually works.

THis is exactly what I am saying. THanks for taking the time to consider it. The good thing about these sturgeoun is that they are not US native species that are available. THe really bad thing about them is that these non-native species may be able to outcompete the already VERY poor stock of natives left if they are released by unscupulous aquarists. THese are the people that buy these fish, keep them for a while in a 20 gallon and then release them into their local waterway because they aren't interesting enough or they got too big.

THese are the reasons that I think the fish should be outlawed and this is why I would rather see these fish perish in a fish stores tanks rather than go home with someone. If no one buys the fish, they won't replace them and, hopefully, will disappear from the market on their own.

 

[Potts050]

i lost my baby sturgeon this afternoon, when i got home he was rather pale so i was a little worried. and when i got home from buying him some worms i saw every fish keepers worst nightmare, no gill movement......................

i knew he was gonna die when i bought him but i thought id try and give him a new lease on life, i tried my best.......................
ive never been this struk my a loss before, especially one i knew i was gonna loose.........

thanks everyone that tried to help, he went out in true ]v[ONSTER fashion, he held on till the end,he was actualy doing good.........

now excuse me while i go cry...... no really im kinda bummed...............

I feel the pain of your loss bro.
In spite of what others may say what you atempted to do was a good and noble thing.
I have always beleived that we should never miss an opportunitty to do the right thing and make others feel good. Although your efforts left you disapointed (this time) you can look yourself in the mirror and say "At least I made the effort". You have my respect.
Although other posters like ksiaquatics response leave you cold, dont lose heart or faith in the site. I think once your frustration and anger abates that you will recognise the benefit of other points of view and see the wisdom behind the message.

Having said that I think some of us are perhaps a little too technical in our criticism and lack sensitivity when dealing with others who are dealing with fish loss on a personal level.

 

[teleost]

What is so hard to understand here....
1. He bought the fish knowing it would die
2. He didn't have the room for the fish in the first place
3. Unless this fish went to a state run aquarium it was doomed for release or a long and slow death
4. Giving money to LFS for this fish only lines the pockets of the very people that will then sell another sturgeon to a different pet shop sine the first one sold
5. Any release of non native sturgeon would impact native sturgeon in peril

Stop telling this guy he did the right thing. He did the exact opposite of the right thing! Let the pet shop owner suffer the loss so he won't buy another fish!!!!