Why do people buy fish...

[Bottomfeeder]

I think it's a situational thing. Most of the time, it's idiots who, as stated, have no actual plans to re-home them, and the fish ends up dying long before then, anyway.

I've attempted a watered down version of this in the past. I used to have a 30g tank with a yoyo loach pack, and a few times I brought home oddball clown loaches from Petland with the intention of growing them out and then selling/trading/giving them away. It wasnt the desire to flip them for a profit, just the desire to try to give that one individual fish a better home than it'd get otherwise, at Petland or in some idiot's undersized tank. However, I became that idiot when, both times, the clown loach randomly deteriorated and died, despite all the other fish in the tank being totally healthy. The clowns were accepted by and schooled with the yoyos, so it wasnt the fact that they were kept singularly... just bad luck on my part, I suppose.

 

[ehh]

I can see the allure of keeping these large fish but I do think it's a little irresponsible to buy it with the intention on only growing it out. I worked at a lfs for about 3 years and I can't even tell you how many people tried to donate pacu or red tail. And we were one of three stores locally that took donation fish. Our store has 13 stores city wide. The other stores were just one of each. And everyone one of those people was sent home with their fish because we didn't take pacu in. Now one of the other stores did but it is out of business now. So that leaves one store to take all these grow outs. That store is like the gathering place for us fish people so I've meet most of the serious keepers locally. I also admin for a local fish keeping group which is about 200 members. 50 of which are the regulars. And the majority of them do this grow out and rehome. But from the end of the person selling the fish and being asked to take them back I feel as if it's very irresponsible.

Also, killing the fish because it's too big is just ridiculous. What do you do with the carcass? Do you eat it?

 

[jlnguyen74]

I can see the allure of keeping these large fish but I do think it's a little irresponsible to buy it with the intention on only growing it out. I worked at a lfs for about 3 years and I can't even tell you how many people tried to donate pacu or red tail. And we were one of three stores locally that took donation fish. Our store has 13 stores city wide. The other stores were just one of each. And everyone one of those people was sent home with their fish because we didn't take pacu in. Now one of the other stores did but it is out of business now. So that leaves one store to take all these grow outs. That store is like the gathering place for us fish people so I've meet most of the serious keepers locally. I also admin for a local fish keeping group which is about 200 members. 50 of which are the regulars. And the majority of them do this grow out and rehome. But from the end of the person selling the fish and being asked to take them back I feel as if it's very irresponsible.

Also, killing the fish because it's too big is just ridiculous. What do you do with the carcass? Do you eat it?

Do you think where did those people buy those pacu or red tail, if not from the lfs or one same like the one you worked? I'm sure they didn't fish them out of their toilet and grow them out before donating them to lfs. I'm sure if lfs refused to sell pacu or red tail to those people, then they wouldn't bring them back later...

 

[chopsteeks]

There are lots of folks who buy fish with not information about a fish. I myself bought fish, only to find out later 1. Fish will be too big for the tank, 2.Fish not compatible with the other fish.

I see LFS/chain stores sell fish --- no questions asked, no information given to buyers, happy to make the sale. To Petsmart's credit, at least there is a 'maximum size' included with the label of the fish.

 

[ehh]

Do you think where did those people buy those pacu or red tail, if not from the lfs or one same like the one you worked? I'm sure they didn't fish them out of their toilet and grow them out before donating them to lfs. I'm sure if lfs refused to sell pacu or red tail to those people, then they wouldn't bring them back later...

Lfs can only refuse to sell something so many times. They are trying to run a business after all. My store did not rtc, pacu, or aros. But not to clear on what point you're trying to make. The lfs is to blame when it comes to people buying these fish with the intention on only growing them out?


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[ehh]

There are lots of folks who buy fish with not information about a fish. I myself bought fish, only to find out later 1. Fish will be too big for the tank, 2.Fish not compatible with the other fish.

I see LFS/chain stores sell fish --- no questions asked, no information given to buyers, happy to make the sale. To Petsmart's credit, at least there is a 'maximum size' included with the label of the fish.

I personally always tried to tell people how big a fish will get. Especially fish that got to a least 12". But most people don't care. I told everyone buying an oscar it will out grow a 55. Take guess at how often that stopped people from buying them...


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[ss720]

I'd like to add that at my store, we sell fish that are suitable for most tanks.

If they want a fish that grows so large it requires a 150 gallon plus sized tank, we tell them we can order one for them and have it within a week, and we make them pay a symbolic amount, just to make sure they pick it up so we don't end up with a fish that we can't store in the long run.


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[fibbingbear]

Imo even if people can house a fish, Most of us don't keep all the fish we buy for life. Look at the market place. It's popping with people selling or trading. We all get bored. It's part of the hobby.

 

[hooliganATV]

I have in the past done this, not on purpose but while i was learning. i was fortunate enough to find houses for all of these. now im older wiser (some might say) i stick to spec tanks and only keep what i set out to keep, but even so in a hope to get a pair of Dovii i brought 4, this is with no intention of keeping all of them but in hope of getting a pair. a tank is planed for there final home and will be brought in the new year once they are too big for the grow out tank (which they only share with a pair of convicts (permanent residents). how ever should something come up before i get chance to buy said tank (stand is already in construction) and the funds/space etc be needed i will re-home. some people just fall on bad luck. my last pair of dovii i had in 2006 had to be moved to small residence as i had to move a rescued snapping turtle into their tank temperately, it happens.

on another note, my wife has a little 70ltr tank in which she keeps guppy and such in and sometimes nicks a few of my 1cm JD fry to grow out in there. the other week she was buying some replacement fish as the dovii were 2-3cm when they arrived so spent two weeks in there before moving them in with the convicts and may have borrowed a few guppys for a snack. when she came home from the LFS she had brought a black ghost knife fish in fact it was two but one didnt make it, i didnt know anything about them at the time and when she was talking to the LFS she seen them and said she told the sales bloke she wonted them because they match her kitchen, he didnt even ask her if she new anything or even try to tell her any info. now we know it will need a bigger tank but once the dovii are in there big tank it can have that as it will not be used for anything but the convicts. again it happens.

the flip side is in the past i have picked up some awesome bargin fish from people who couldn't house them.

 

[Bottomfeeder]

^But, once the fish was yours, it was your responsibility. I hate seeing people turn around and try to flip their fish. I've only ever traded/given away a very small amount of livestock. It's something I do not take lightly, at all.

When I broke down my 30g tank to get my blue tongue skink, I had three yoyo loaches, two rafael catfish, and a clown pleco. Loaches aint cheap. But I gave them all away for free here on MFK, why? Because I dont feel comfortable turning my animals into business and I just wanted them to go to a good home with a good fishkeeper. Even though they werent mine anymore, I still felt that I was responsible for making sure they ended up in good hands.

When you're an animal keeper, you have a very serious responsibility to your animals, like it or not. I suggest taking it very seriously.