This is wierd
- Thread starter ospy
- Start date
OR...
You could always go to Target and buy a fake police badge and handcuffs, bust in there in the middle of dinner rush and yell...
Fish and Wildlife!!!! Did you know that you are keppeng a protective species?!?!
You are under arrest, and we are going to have to confiscate your fish. Put him in hand cuffs and walk him ang the fish out to a rented black crown vic. Position the owner infront of the passenger door (but dont unlock it)
Get in the driverside with YOUR new golden aro and zoom away with him still standing there.
sound far fetched?
I think you would have more chance doing this, that trying to offer him money for it. He knows what he has IMO.
You could always go to Target and buy a fake police badge and handcuffs, bust in there in the middle of dinner rush and yell...
Fish and Wildlife!!!! Did you know that you are keppeng a protective species?!?!
You are under arrest, and we are going to have to confiscate your fish. Put him in hand cuffs and walk him ang the fish out to a rented black crown vic. Position the owner infront of the passenger door (but dont unlock it)
Get in the driverside with YOUR new golden aro and zoom away with him still standing there.
sound far fetched?
I think you would have more chance doing this, that trying to offer him money for it. He knows what he has IMO.
illegal or not, what's the address and location of this place because next time I'm westside , I WILL finally see that! Please Please Please
As soon as I aproach this guy and see if he knows what its worth, I will let you know where it is Briana. I first have to decide how I am going to persue this. The fella that suggested that I bust in there with a badge....great idea, but a little strong for my personality. I think the guy who suggested buying more than one, what he was saying was try to appear a little indifferent about that specific fish. That was good advice. Remember, there is only a very small chance that he doesn't know what its worth. But I DO believe there is that chance. Obviously, if he origonally perchased that fish, he will know exactly what its worth. But what if the resteraunt has changed ownership since then.... then it is slightly possible that the previous owner (origonal purchaser) decided to leave the fish with the store and (for good reason) wouldn't tell the new owner anything about the specific fish as it could still get him in trouble. That, I think, is my one and only hope. Time will tell. Briana, next week I will have accomplished this and will definetly let you know where it is. It is definetly worth coming down from the mountains to see. I have been waiting 30 years to see one, and just by walking past this store on my way to another....there it was! I couldn't believe it. I marched through the front door past the hostess, through the dinning room, and straight too the tank. My face was pasted to the tank for about 3 - 5 minutes when I came up and turned around, the staff were all standing behind me, staring at me as if to say "can I help you?" . It did seem apperent to me that none of them had any idea why a stranger would come off the street to make such a big deal over the fish.
I highly doubt that the owner or "new" owner don't know what they have. You stated its a "chinese" restaurant, what's the chances they don't know its a red aro? Slim to none. Seriously, asian aro's are part of asian culture, especially chinese people.
Pose as a cop?
What will you do if you get caught? Tell them you were protecting the aro?
Not only will the poor aro get confiscated, you'll get tossed into jail on 1-grand larceny/or robbery depending how the complainant words it, 2-possession of stolen property, 3-impersonation of a LE officer while committing a felony..and whatever charges the local PD wants to add on.
Hmmm...looking at 5-15 there bud, do you want to take that chance?
Best options are, 1-attempt to purchase it the right way--ASK.
2-admire the fish from afar--hoping one day its allowed in the US, 3-call the USFWS and live with being a "rat" and hope that asian aro is not destroyed.
Pose as a cop?
What will you do if you get caught? Tell them you were protecting the aro? Not only will the poor aro get confiscated, you'll get tossed into jail on 1-grand larceny/or robbery depending how the complainant words it, 2-possession of stolen property, 3-impersonation of a LE officer while committing a felony..and whatever charges the local PD wants to add on.
Hmmm...looking at 5-15 there bud, do you want to take that chance?
Best options are, 1-attempt to purchase it the right way--ASK.
2-admire the fish from afar--hoping one day its allowed in the US, 3-call the USFWS and live with being a "rat" and hope that asian aro is not destroyed.
or...
Don the ninja gear, complete with battery powered canister equiped transfer tank, hang out in the lounge, making smalltalk with any number of Asian beauties collecting phone numbers and munching on hot hunan beef, till closing time.
Then slip covertly over to the aquarium checking your fortune cookie, looking for the one that says, "there is a golden arowana in your future", do the ninja transfer in the name of HoTai and slip quietly out the front doors.
...then again, maybe just visit occasionally and they might be able to hook you up with their supplier...
Don the ninja gear, complete with battery powered canister equiped transfer tank, hang out in the lounge, making smalltalk with any number of Asian beauties collecting phone numbers and munching on hot hunan beef, till closing time.
Then slip covertly over to the aquarium checking your fortune cookie, looking for the one that says, "there is a golden arowana in your future", do the ninja transfer in the name of HoTai and slip quietly out the front doors.
...then again, maybe just visit occasionally and they might be able to hook you up with their supplier...
Prophets obviously didn't understand. Read again what you replied too. the guy that suggested posing as a cop was just joking and I stated (joking right back) that it wasn't my style (ha ha). What I DID say was that I WAS considering the suggestion of just appearing interested in buying one of his arowanas and seeming a little indifferent about wich one at first. This, just to feel him out. I was just talking to a friend who suggested that if all does not go well, I could remind him that the fish was illegal. I immediatly told him that I wouldn't do that as it could spook the owner of the fish into moving it hastily. While I do NOT think that the living conditions in that 300+ gallon tank are suitable for any of those fish (10 - 15 arowana's at anywhere from 18 - 26 inches) is a great situation, I do believe the golden arow is better there than being hastily removed and perhaps rushed to a lesser scenerio. Plus, we wouldn't be blessed with being able to see it when we wanted too. here is something funny.... I immagined, what if all DID go well and he offered to sell this fish to me. That would be great!!! Right guys?!?!? But then I thought, I know arowana's, the moment I stick that big net in that tank and try to fetch the gold one, I have a feeling it will be like BAGDAD during desert storm. Remember the footage? Scud missiles firing off in all directions. I'd have to have a good plan. Here it is. Three guys, me with the net getting the golden, the other two guys running around picking up the scud missiles as soon as they hit the floor and throwing them back to bagdad. Shoot maybe I'll need more than 2 guys for that job
No, I understood. Kidding around or not, I do take offense to someone posing as law enforcement, doesn't matter whether its a cop, fbi, usfws. I just take it personally. 
My apologies.
Anyways, yeah 300 gal and the amount of aro's he's got there is not good for that asian or any of them, unfortunately the owner doesn't realize the problems that will arise in that tank or simply doesn't care.
As someone here posted, if you can befriend the owner, maybe he can hook you up with that "special" someone that can get you one. But be leery.
Also if by some miracle the owner does sell it to you, you're gonna need a big plastic bag, I'd visit your LFS and ask for the biggest fish bag he's got, and use it to "bag" the fish without any nets, this way you'll swoop up the bugger with water and less stress on him and yourself. No doubt you'll be drenched when all said and done.
Hey its XMAS eve, maybe there'll be a Miracle On 1849 Street! (USFWS)
BTW Happy Holidays all!
My apologies.
Anyways, yeah 300 gal and the amount of aro's he's got there is not good for that asian or any of them, unfortunately the owner doesn't realize the problems that will arise in that tank or simply doesn't care.
As someone here posted, if you can befriend the owner, maybe he can hook you up with that "special" someone that can get you one. But be leery.
Also if by some miracle the owner does sell it to you, you're gonna need a big plastic bag, I'd visit your LFS and ask for the biggest fish bag he's got, and use it to "bag" the fish without any nets, this way you'll swoop up the bugger with water and less stress on him and yourself. No doubt you'll be drenched when all said and done.
Hey its XMAS eve, maybe there'll be a Miracle On 1849 Street! (USFWS)
BTW Happy Holidays all!
Just a HINT. IF you end up getting the aro, Please do not post pics or brag about getting it.
Just my O2.
Just my O2.
XXblwn has posed a very good point. Would it be dangerous for me to mention on this forum if I did get it? Prophet, I understand, I would never pose as a cop. Nobody would buy it anyway.
IS IT LIKELY THAT TROUBLE WILL VISIT MY DOOR IF I POSTED PICTURES OF THIS AROWANA ON THIS FORUM IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT I SHOULD SECURE IT?
This is the new question I pose to all you monster fish keepers
IS IT LIKELY THAT TROUBLE WILL VISIT MY DOOR IF I POSTED PICTURES OF THIS AROWANA ON THIS FORUM IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT I SHOULD SECURE IT?
This is the new question I pose to all you monster fish keepers
