Opinion on Rehoming Fishes

[PirateToast]

I've gotten into a large debate on this, so I was curious what ReefCentral's opinion was on rehoming fishes? Specifically, the act of buying smaller fish that you KNOW will outgrow your tank, with the intention of trading the fish in later.

 

[ncaldwell]

I believe my LFS has a couple panther groupers in a large bin for that exact reason. Nothing to do with them except sit in a large black box for the rest of there lives

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[lespaul339]

I personally plan all my fish purchases to my specific tank size. I just couldn't buy a fish knowing I didn't plan on keeping it long term. My opinion is if you can't meet the general care requirements for a fish than you shouldn't purchase it.

 

[snorvich]

I've gotten into a large debate on this, so I was curious what ReefCentral's opinion was on rehoming fishes?

Reef Central's opinion is don't do it.

 

[PirateToast]

Reef Central's opinion is don't do it.

Good. That was my opinion as well, just making sure I'm not completely insane.

 

[ca1ore]

Trouble is that it can be difficult to find that new home. Far better to buy fish that will fit the tank you have.

 

[hogfanreefer]

Trouble is that it can be difficult to find that new home. Far better to buy fish that will fit the tank you have.

Agree completely. Good intentions don't always get followed through.

 

[Silly clownfish]

Well, I have a box turtle that I found before my brother was born. My brother is now 40. When I get a pet, I keep it and care for it for the rest of its life. Two of my fish are old enough to get a drivers license.

Obviously the unexpected can happen and require a rehoming, but going into a purchase planning to rehome: no.

 

[cougareyes]

I have rehomed dozens of fish over the years, my situation may be a bit different. I live where there are countless hotel, restaurant, bar, and large home aquariums maintained by professional maintenance companies. I reach out when one of my fish will need a new home and usually get a few offers by the end of the day. I go over the situation of each offer and then rehome the fish to the best situation for the fish.

Do some research on what really happens to all the fish collected and you may rethink your absolute stance on not getting a fish with good intentions. Some statistics state 98% of the collected fish die within the 1st year, and 90% of them never even make it to a home aquarium.

My 1st tank was a 40 breeder that I put a niger, undulated , and humu triggers in; the undulated went to a 500g in bar I use to frequent. The niger and humu stayed with me over 10 years and 2 tank up sizes.

I believe in giving the fish a chance, there is not near the proper tanks available for all the fish being collected. If you can't see that you are either in denial or living somewhere where you have never seen the magnitude of what I am talking about. I have seen the buckets of dead fish at the wholesalers; and I see the amount of dead fish being scooped out of the lfs here, just 1 US city.

 

[Pericyte]

A pet is a family member, be it a dog or a fish. Don't buy it if you don't have plans on treating it as such.

 

[Moort82]

Stock for the tank you have not the one you would like has always been my advice. I also think that it's hard to judge when the time a fish has outgrown it's home and it's often far longer than it should have been in there.
from running a lfs who only stocked smaller community fish you see plenty of people who just don't care enough and buy monsters elsewhere but in truth they never seem to make it that long before they kill them anyway.

 

[gone fishin]

Along with all the other reasons mentioned, I just don't feel like wrecking my tank trying to catch a big fish.

 

[ca1ore]

Do some research on what really happens to all the fish collected and you may rethink your absolute stance on not getting a fish with good intentions. Some statistics state 98% of the collected fish die within the 1st year, and 90% of them never even make it to a home aquarium.

While I agree with your numbers, I fail to see why this 'justifies' a poorly consîdered or foolish fish purchase. It better justifies cessation of the ornamental fish trade.

 

[OrionN]

Rehome a large pet is a huge problem. That is why we have the invade species. Stupid people try to rehome cannot and just release them in the wild. The lung fish in northern US. The lion fish in the Atlantic, the python in Florida and ....
If you you are s...... enough to get a huge fish that will out grow your tank please do not release it into the wild.

 

[PatW]

My feeling is get fish that will have ample room in the tank when they are full grown.

 

[OrionN]

Recently a one spot foxface were seen in Florida water. This story have a happy ending because a knowledgeable diver seen and report this. In the result huge fish hunt this spot foxface was capture.

 

[kmbyrnes]

An argument I often have with my wife, even now that we have a large tank.
Always buy a fish that fits your current tank AND the other inhabitants.

 

[Moort82]

Wholesalers I think have a huge part to play in this. Over here they stock so many species that you'd never recommend due to their final size. Some may be a bi-product of the food trade but most are because they look cute when small and will sell. The same thing goes for aggressive species like humbug damsels. They might be cheap, hardy and easy to catch but does the number imported need to be so high when there are thousands of better small community fish out there.
The average tank isn't massive, at a guess, I'd say 3-4ft so why is every shop rammed with tangs. I put some of this down to the wholesaler offering them cheaply and some on retailer and hobbyist for lack of imagination.

 

[snorvich]

Wholesalers I think have a huge part to play in this. Over here they stock so many species that you'd never recommend due to their final size. Some may be a bi-product of the food trade but most are because they look cute when small and will sell. The same thing goes for aggressive species like humbug damsels. They might be cheap, hardy and easy to catch but does the number imported need to be so high when there are thousands of better small community fish out there.
The average tank isn't massive, at a guess, I'd say 3-4ft so why is every shop rammed with tangs. I put some of this down to the wholesaler offering them cheaply and some on retailer and hobbyist for lack of imagination.

Amen.

 

[OrionN]

Rehome a large pet is a huge problem. That is why we have the invade species. Stupid people try to rehome cannot and just release them in the wild. The lung fish in northern US. The lion fish in the Atlantic, the python in Florida and ....
If you you are s...... enough to get a huge fish that will out grow your tank please do not release it into the wild.

The correct fish is snakehead. Sorry.