Why are these being sold????

[BIG-G]

A monster fish is no different than any pet really. Pet stores dont ask how big a yard you have if your buying a dog.

Plenty of labs are kept in apartments. Is it great ? No but whos to say whether the buyer can purchase one or not. No different than a fish. We cant expect lfs to question people about the aquarium size they plan on keeping a fish in. How do they know they would get a truthful answer ?

Clerk at walgreens doesnt inform me not to eat the whole bottle of tylenol. Its on me to take the time and read the directions

I think we are on the same page.
I don’t want or expect an LFS to be the Po Po!
But I would at least like for them to say.
Huh you know this fish can grow to 8 feet are you sure you want this? Then it’s on the buyer.
And in a perfect world the person would be responsible. But, I know that’s not realistic.
To your example. The pharmacist will say don’t take these medications together or more then prescribed. Then it’s up to you to listen or take the risk.

 

[jaws7777]

I think we are on the same page.
I don’t want or expect an LFS to be the Po Po!
But I would at least like for them to say.
Huh you know this fish can grow to 8 feet are you sure you want this? Then it’s on the buyer.
And in a perfect world the person would be responsible. But, I know that’s not realistic.
To your example. The pharmacist will say don’t take these medications together or more then prescribed. Then it’s up to you to listen or take the risk.

oh yeah man I totally agree it would be great if these pet stores or the sellers would throw in the extra information but I got the gist of this thread being that the big bad pet store is at fault. I just see it as another excuse to pass on responsibility to someone else. We always see these threads pop up and comments made about the Petco or PetSmart employees not knowing anything and blah blah blah but at the end of the day they're just people trying to do their job and for the most part getting paid minimum wage. I don't understand how a member of this fish form even needs to ask these people questions in the first place

 

[BIG-G]

I guess the title of this thread and the OP’s original comments have set the tone for the thread.
I do not believe that this or any other species should be banned based on size.
Heck I don’t think that every species of snakeheads should be banned. I can see banning the problem species but not all.
Anyway that’s here nor there.
In the end I believe thebiggerthebetter probably summed it up best.

You can't learn everything from books and internet and from hearsay. That'd be a mighty pathetic life. That's my answer to the OP. Your passion can be viewed as one-sided and narrow-minded.

[1] I agree with those saying we must minimize or better eliminate pet suffering.

[2] I agree with those who say we must not let our own government place us in a golden cage and give us dry wafels and water through the bars and change our diaper every now and then ... and only let us see an arapaima on National Geo and a pitbull on Home and Garden TV or The Best in Show...

[3] The answer is most clearly in the golden middle and is up to everyone's conscience.

 

[ReApEr666]

Its all relative sadly.... If the lfs doesnt get sales from the stupid people to stay in buisness....the smart/capeable people wont have anything left to buy either lol.. Stores are already closing and becoming a thing of the past.

I dont agree with little johnny having a pima in a 20gal either BIG-G .... laws are black and white tho... If we take his away then the good/capeable people are left without a choice to make.

If we have to promote the wrong keeping of fish by the masses for the good/capeable people to be able too. i think thats a cause worth fighting for. Its sad thats how it is, but i'll encourage any new comer to the "monster" part of the hobby i can to ensure i keep my right to do so also. we all gotta start some where.

No one berated me here when i started "going big" 10+ yrs ago... all i see these days is people getting attacked for trying. That will only end it all even sooner. no new comers = no future. we need to be positive and encourage people to keep it all going.

 

[FINWIN]

The real question is does the "one inch per gallon" rule apply...

Are these giant fish even that interesting or interactive? Or is it just because they're mammoth size? I'm trying to understand the appeal for those who can keep them.

 

[Warborg]

I'm down the fence on this

One side, I don't think 10 year old little johnny should get a 4 ft fish for his 10 gallon.

On the other hand I don't want government stepping in and banning fish.

 

[ReApEr666]

The real question is does the "one inch per gallon" rule apply...

Are these giant fish even that interesting or interactive? Or is it just because they're mammoth size? I'm trying to understand the appeal for those who can keep them.

Big fish are no different than a cat or dog... they wait for you to come home... they know your there... and they depend on you. There is nothing more rewarding in the hobby then to be in the presence of a true monster and interact with it for years.. They are not monsters tho... There affectionate and become "papmered" much like any other beloved family pet out of water. As others have stated in this thread. Large dogs are kept in small homes all the time.. whats the difference? Just because you have a small home does not mean you do not provide optimal care for your animal.

Big fish can live a long time... that is my reasoning and draw for keeping them. I dont want a small fish with a short life span. I want to enjoy it for 10,20,50+ yrs.

another big point is big fish do no get big overnight... If you dont have your stuff together you'll never make it anyway. it takes 5-10 yrs for most large fish to even surpass 3'. sure lots of people boast and over exaggerate and thats part of the problem. In 20 yrs of fish keeping ive only grown one reported "monster" over 4'... its not easy. when we see wild fish of massive proportion were looking at 25-50yr old fish. Who can say theyve ever even kept a fish alive that long. We should be able to try tho and enjoy it.

 

[Seedy J]

Large dogs are kept in small homes all the time.. whats the difference?

Apples to oranges. Even if you live in a small home, you can take your large dog out for walks and let it run around the dog park, maybe even several times a day. You can't keep a monster fish in a 20 gallon tank and take it to the pond by the neighborhood rec center for a swim whenever it gets antsy.

 

[BIG-G]

The real question is does the "one inch per gallon" rule apply...

Are these giant fish even that interesting or interactive? Or is it just because they're mammoth size? I'm trying to understand the appeal for those who can keep them.

First off the inch per gallon rule is crap. I’m sorry but it just doesn’t work out side of fish more then a couple inches.

Everyone likes different things. Keeping huge fish are no different then someone who likes snakes or keeping scorpions. Not everyone wants to just keep a goldfish they want the exotic something different.
This is straight for the MFK intro page.

We are a unique community of Fish Keepers who seriously take our hobby to extremes and the NEXT level. The majority of our fish collections include RARE & EXOTIC Species of all sizes, BIG FISH with BIG APPETITES and BIG TANKS. It's not easy for most people or other "regular" fish keepers to understand why we maintain this type of collection and spare no expense on this fascinating hobby.

 

[FINWIN]

First off the inch per gallon rule is crap. I’m sorry but it just doesn’t work out side of fish more then a couple inches.

Everyone likes different things. Keeping huge fish are no different then someone who likes snakes or keeping scorpions. Not everyone wants to just keep a goldfish they want the exotic something different.
This is straight for the MFK intro page.

We are a unique community of Fish Keepers who seriously take our hobby to extremes and the NEXT level. The majority of our fish collections include RARE & EXOTIC Species of all sizes, BIG FISH with BIG APPETITES and BIG TANKS. It's not easy for most people or other "regular" fish keepers to understand why we maintain this type of collection and spare no expense on this fascinating hobby.

Um, you know that was a joke...cheez. Punchline, dude about a giant fish, ya know?

Yeah its a free world we know it. Just asked a question, not lookin' for combat. The question about the large fish being interesting is legit. Obviously something attracts them to some fishkeepers, I'm just trying to understand what. Nobody said anything about everybody being the same.