What happens to the big fish?

[GigaFish]

I have always wondered what happens to tangs, lion fish, puffers, etc. when they start reaching their maximum size and people dont have the room anymore to house them. I know there are alot of people out there that have 55 gallon tanks and such and they buy puffers because their cute or lion fish because their cool, etc, and if they do keep them alive their whole life, they end up having to turn them in to an lfs because they never considered what "maximum size" really meant. But what does the lfs do with them? There obviously isnt alot of people with 300+ tanks that just come in on a regular basis to buy fish like this right?

 

[JHemdal]

Gigafish,

That is a HUGE problem (pardon the pun) for the public aquariums who ultimately get many of these calls. The pet stores rarely take back these outsized fish. Many of the fish die along the way from this or that. Those that are kept too long in small tanks often develop chronic issues (rubbed chins, bent fins, etc.) that make then unfit for display at a public aquarium. Then there is the fact that public aquariums have finite space and their exhibits are usually filled with pretty much the exact fish they want to display - adding one more lionfish or eel just isn't in their collection plan.
So - I average around one call a week from people asking to donate their oversized fish (usually freshwater though). Another common reason people need to unload fish is when they are moving and can't/don't want to take the fish along.
The problem for me is that as their "last resort" when I say no (and I have to do so about 99% of the time) they tend to take it out on me - we receive some public funding, have lots of big exhibits, so some people just cannot accept that their local public aquarium won't take their fish. Thus it sometimes becomes a game of hot potato - you don't want to be the last one to tell them no, so you refer their call to another aquarium....and hope that that aquarium didn't just refer them to you!
So what happens to the fish? Some get euthanized, some are kept in the crowded tank until they die, some are released to the wild (a horribly bad idea!) and some do find homes in pet stores and public aquariums.

JHemdal

 

[lesleybird]

This is a good argument for people not buying fish that cannot live out their entire life span in the size tank one has. One should not buy tangs for these smaller tanks. It also makes me very upset when people think they can keep a fish like an Emperor angel in a 100 gallon for it's entire life because they think a 100 gallon tank is sooo big.....in saltwater terms a 100 gallon tank is not very big at all and most tangs and angels cannot be kept in there for long periods as they grow to adult sizes. Lesley

 

[LauraCline]

The problem for me is that as their "last resort" when I say no (and I have to do so about 99% of the time) they tend to take it out on me - we receive some public funding, have lots of big exhibits, so some people just cannot accept that their local public aquarium won't take their fish.

You have to love the type that insists on getting fish that they cannot house for life, many are told here on RC and from other sources such as LFS and refuse to listen. Then when it finally occurs and you are unable to accept their fish, suddenly you are the bad guy. It's hard to imagine that something like a tiny Vlamingi tang will one day be 2' long and very thick so, I try to see an adult fish for any species that is questionable. I was suprised the first time I saw a full grown hippo tang. A group of 3 made an 8' tank look small.

 

[jjcrim]

As to the original poster's question, a vast majority of these fish die before they have a chance to get big. In fact most fish, big or little, survive for less than a year in home aquaria. Large, tank raised, older fish are a minority in this hobby.

 

[ladyshark]

I think this thread should be a sticky, up top, for all posters to read first before posting. I hate the thought of pulling perfectly happy fish out of the ocean, sticking them in glass boxes, overcrowding them when they are too big, and facilitating an early death because we didn't plan well, or think of the fish.

 

[tbittner]

A responsible reefer and saltwater fish keeper buys a bigger tank so the big ones have a chance to live a long, happy, healthy life.