# what to do about unwanted fish



## NateFank (Jan 2, 2009)

take him to another lfs, u might be lucky to get some store credit but i would just give him to them, most lfs will take fish


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## EdTheEdge (Jan 25, 2007)

Sushi?


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## elihanover (May 15, 2008)

SnS RAOK or WTT locally roud:


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## Franzi (Dec 7, 2009)

I heard that a humane way to end a fish's life is to put it in a little tupperware container with some tank water, then put it in the freezer. As the water temperature slowly drops, the fish will go in to some sort of suspended animation, then unconscious, then die without enduring any pain. 

I've never tried it cuz my wife would kill me if I put a fish in the freezer.


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## jreich (Feb 11, 2009)

Franzi said:


> I've never tried it cuz my wife would kill me if I put a fish in the freezer.


 many years ago i had a ball python (still have it actually) and i decided to buy frozen mice in bulk. to say the least my mother was not happy finding 50 frozen mice in her freezer! it was kind of fun when guests came over and i threw a bag of rats at them.


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## GTR (May 27, 2009)

I tried for about a month to give away 5 silver tip tetras here and a couple other fish boards. Since I didn't want to ship they ended up in my 3g to help cycle it. They all made it through the cycle. Yesterday I took them back to the same store and one of the girls that works there said she was gonna take them home. Said she'd never seen them look so fat and colorful. I'd had them for about 3 months. lol
I have a couple tanks here at the shop that I keep new fish in. You can call it a QT but it's really so I can see how they behave. I'm not fond of chasey (is that a word?) fish.

Any of our independent stores will take fish of my hands but I don't expect anything back in return.

SteveU


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## elihanover (May 15, 2008)

I ended up giving my parrot back to the LFS. I don't think euthanizing a fish is right at all.


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## rasetsu (Oct 11, 2007)

I would never put down a fish just because I don't want it. Only time I euthanize is to end suffering. Every LFS I've encountered will take fish for free. Some may give store credit in exchange.


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## wkndracer (Mar 14, 2009)

Hand him off to a LFS is the best way to go. Of the three in my area I chose the one which showed the best consistent tank care and hand off plant trimmings, extra spawn off spring I'm not keeping that sort of thing. Once when I had an issue with a pump the owner 'loaned' me one until I got mine fixed. Goodwill has value too, not just a small store credit when trading back and forth.


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## CichlidFL. (Oct 13, 2009)

thanks guys, im going to put him in the freezer now. (softly hums taps) LOL JK JK JK im going to try to take him back today or tomorrow lol. i found another lfs that will probably take him :icon_bigg


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## Honky Magoo (Dec 29, 2009)

lol! You got me! I read the first half of this and thought, "but, but, thats not what they said!!" Well played.


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## CichlidFL. (Oct 13, 2009)

the only fish in my freezer is a 1/2lb of sashimi grade ahi tuna, some salmon, and a 1/4lb chilean seabass :icon_mrgr lol not eco-friendly but i dont get it often. i wasnt able to go to the lfs today, went to IKEA


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## stpeteplanter (Dec 30, 2009)

Just to further the notion, take it to a pet store. I asked my LFS (petco) if they'd take my un-wanted critters, just to be safe, and they said if it's something they can't sell or don't keep in stock that they'll take him if they have a tank suitable, and that if it's something they have in stock they'll give me store credit equal to it's resale value. 


Would be cool if they had RCS in stock, I could just breed those like crazy and sell em' to petco for store credit, at the rate they'd breed I'd have 1,000 worth of store credit and a brand new tank in no time! haha.


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## python (Mar 21, 2007)

jreich said:


> my mother was not happy finding 50 frozen mice in her freezer! it was kind of fun when guests came over and i threw a bag of rats at them.


I have a few pythons and go the frozen route as well. One time in college, we had a huge party at our apartment. The next day we found 10 thawed jumbo rats in the hallway.:angryfire


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## jreich (Feb 11, 2009)

python said:


> I have a few pythons and go the frozen route as well. One time in college, we had a huge party at our apartment. The next day we found 10 thawed jumbo rats in the hallway.:angryfire


 did you ever defrost them on top of your heat lamp and forget about it? lovely aroma when you find it the next day!!


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## nickcamp12345 (May 2, 2009)

I actually have 2 tiger barbs left in my tank when i decided that only having 4 in a 12 gallon would be fine. It was good for a couple months, but I woke up and one was missing a stomach, and then another one went through the same thing. My biggest guy is getting hit by karma and is getting destroyed by the smaller one. I don't want the tiger barbs anymore because I want to add either apisto's or bolivian rams to my 29, but the Petsmart and Petco and Aquarium Adventure will not take them because they could be diseased. What would you guys do in this situation? I'm capable of euthanizing the one getting beat up constantly because he is slowly dying, but the new bully will be by himself destroying the other fish in my tank. I feel bad killing him, but I really don't know what to do with him. Someone helpp!


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## rasetsu (Oct 11, 2007)

In this case, if absolutely no one wants him and he has killed your other fish, I think I would make an exception and send him to the freezer.


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## GTR (May 27, 2009)

Bag him and leave him at the front door of a LFS BEFORE they open. With it leave a note that you lost your job and can't afford fish food anymore for "Teddy the Tiger Barb". lol

Really, we have both Pet-Giants in our area and they won't take fish back. But four independents within 15 miles would all take them for free. I took 5 Silver Tip Tetras to one last week and the girl said they looked so nice she was going to put them in her tank at home. lol

SteveU


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## nickcamp12345 (May 2, 2009)

GTR said:


> Bag him and leave him at the front door of a LFS BEFORE they open. With it leave a note that you lost your job and can't afford fish food anymore for "Teddy the Tiger Barb". lol
> 
> Really, we have both Pet-Giants in our area and they won't take fish back. But four independents within 15 miles would all take them for free. I took 5 Silver Tip Tetras to one last week and the girl said they looked so nice she was going to put them in her tank at home. lol
> 
> SteveU


I have one independent pet store which is on the verge of closing down and I called before asking and they said the same thing. I guess im just unlucky.


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## blackandyellow (Jul 1, 2009)

Can you post an ad giving him away in this forum and in petfinder or somewhere else, just offering him for free?

I wouldn´t freeze a healthy fish, but have done it many times with fish that are beyond cure and just agonizing.

When a friend gave me a 3" red hook silver dollar as a gift I went over and over thinking what to do with him, since he couldn´t stay in my 100 gal tank (he didn´t know any better when he chose the fish, very well intentioned). I ended up setting up a tank just for him (and now 3 more) and now he´s become one of the show guys at home at 5".

I will have to get a 150 gal tank for him once he outgrows his 60 gal tank, but hey, it´s a gorgeous animal.

Can you get a tank and a school of 6 to 10 tiger barbs? They are nice fish after all


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

CichlidFL. said:


> the only fish in my freezer is a 1/2lb of sashimi grade ahi tuna, some salmon, and a 1/4lb chilean seabass :icon_mrgr lol not eco-friendly but i dont get it often. i wasnt able to go to the lfs today, went to IKEA


There is no such thing as FROZEN sashimi grade ahi.


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## nickcamp12345 (May 2, 2009)

blackandyellow said:


> Can you post an ad giving him away in this forum and in petfinder or somewhere else, just offering him for free?
> 
> I wouldn´t freeze a healthy fish, but have done it many times with fish that are beyond cure and just agonizing.
> 
> ...


Unfortunately, my parents went crazy when I came home with a 29 gallon tank the other day, so there's no way they'd let me set up another tank, nor do I have the time to maintain both at once. I'm 17 and a senior in high school so I'm constantly doing college stuff and what not. If I get in contact with my uncle, he might take them since he has a couple with some rainbows. I don't think he'd want two beat up tiger barbs, but I have to try anyways. I really feel terrible this is happening because I decided to not listen to what everyone was saying about them. Sorry about totally stealing this topic. I swear I didn't mean to.


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## daijoubu (Dec 7, 2009)

nickcamp12345 said:


> Unfortunately, my parents went crazy when I came home with a 29 gallon tank the other day, so there's no way they'd let me set up another tank, nor do I have the time to maintain both at once. I'm 17 and a senior in high school so I'm constantly doing college stuff and what not. If I get in contact with my uncle, he might take them since he has a couple with some rainbows. I don't think he'd want two beat up tiger barbs, but I have to try anyways. I really feel terrible this is happening because I decided to not listen to what everyone was saying about them. Sorry about totally stealing this topic. I swear I didn't mean to.


Why not a random act of online kindness? Pass him on to a loving home for the cost of shipping.


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## steve_dowg2001 (Aug 4, 2009)

can you say cat food lol j/k if i did have a cat and a fish died. id prolly feed it to the cat though.


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## Fish4Fun (Jan 4, 2010)

Franzi said:


> I heard that a humane way to end a fish's life is to put it in a little tupperware container with some tank water, then put it in the freezer. As the water temperature slowly drops, the fish will go in to some sort of suspended animation, then unconscious, then die without enduring any pain.
> 
> I've never tried it cuz my wife would kill me if I put a fish in the freezer.


 
that made me laugh so hard!


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## CichlidFL. (Oct 13, 2009)

wow, i thought this thread died. the only way to have sashimi grade fish is to deep freeze it, to kill off any nasties. The apollo shark wound up healing and is doing great in the mbuna tank. lol he actualy gives them competition for food.


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## elihanover (May 15, 2008)

over_stocked said:


> There is no such thing as FROZEN sashimi grade ahi.


Nu?


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## Phoenix-cry (Dec 25, 2008)

You can freeze sushi grade fish...it just ruins it when you thaw it back out. But putting in the frezzer doesn't automatically change what kind of fish it was.


If you can find a local fish board there is always someone willing to take a free fish!


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