What do pet stores do with all the unwanted fish?

[Speakerman]

well?

Especially fish that grow way to large for normal aquariums. Like my new Pacu. That I will probobly have to get rid of within 6-8 months.

[tropicfishman]

sometimes they will sell them or give them away to other pet stores or just terminate the fish

[ChileRelleno]

Most LFS/LPS won't even take donations much less trade/buy.
Alot of larger fish (desireable fish) if taken are easily sold to someone who wants a big display specimen without raising it themselves.
Your Pacu is a undesireable and you'll likely be very hardpressed to get rid of'im.
Pacu's, Redtailed cats and many other fish shouldn't even be legal to sell without the buyer having submitted proof of intent and ability to house and feed for life and thereby hold a license to possess such monsters.

But alas I digress...

To answer your question simply... They die

[Fishyfanatic]

They are either sold, euthenized, or given to breeders.

[joannde]

I can't remember if it was this forum or not, but I read a post from someone who had two sizable Pacu and tried for months to find someone or a store that would take them. Since he couldn't find a taker he ended up euthanizing the fish. But since they were so large the only way he could think of how to do it was to drop a cinderblock on their head .....

Sorry Speakerman, nothing personal really but I HATE the fact that they sell any fish that gets larger than 10 inches or so anywhere. And I feel they should require licences or something to buy them.

Speakerman, I thought you were going to make space for the Pacu? That is what you said on your other thread.

Your Quote "...He'll be okay in there for a while...But I'll have to do something else once he gets bigger."

Your tank seems to already be WAY overstocked and you should try to be a little more responsible when buying your fish and research.

I am not trying to be rude, however your 150 has something like 2 Oscars, 1 JD(thinking of more), 1 Pacu, 1 Red Tinfoil Barb, a Green Terror, other cichlids

Just something to think about. Most people on AA do not appreciate people that buy fish knowing they will pawn them off soon after. Other people have told you that you were overstocking before you picked up the Pacu which will get even bigger than the fish you already had.

Again, sorry to sound rude, it's all IMO and trying to help. A 150 gal. is a great sized tank and would make a great home for maybe 2-3 Oscars max and a Pleco, or a lot of smaller cichlids, or ......you see my point

[Zagz]

Just a reminder, to keep this thread on topic please. The topic being a discussion on what happens to unwanted fish at the lfs.

I apoligize Zagz

We've all been there before, We see that new fish in the store and thank man that would look nice in my tank. Then we get home and do the reading and study up on the fish to besure we give it a good home. Only to discover it's going to get to big for our tank or it's going to eat the other fish. I've done it myself a couple of time. But I've learned my lesson and just wait til I do the reading and studding on the spice I want first.
Once we find this out we need to take the fish back to the store where we bought it either that day or as soon as we can. But when you keep that fish knowen it's going to out grow the tank and be unhealthy til it's to big or to late for the store to take this fish back. Then it's no longer a mistake, it's animal crowdie. Then when you do take it back to the fish if they do take the fish. Like the petsmart here the manager of the fish department will either call me or try to find a responsible person to take it.
She has found home just the passed 2 weeks for a 16inches knife fish and 6/ 11 inches paco's. I thank that finding managers like her at LFS is few and far between. I beleave most fish store's either wont take them or if they do they will find some places to house it til they cn sell it. Like I was saying the ladie at our petsmart houses the bigger fish she can't put in a sale tank in a show tank. They have like a 90g ,150g and a couple of 75g set up as displays in the the store.
I still say thou if you've knowenly got a fish you know is going to out grow your tank an don't take that said fish back to the store before it get's to big for the store to take back and resale. Then the fish has to be put down then your missing the point of being a fish keeper and have made a huges mistake thanking you are a fish keeper. when all you've done is sentance the said fish to a slow and painful and must unhealthy death.

[greenmaji]

When I worked with fish they sold or they lived untill they died (wich isnt hard considering the crouded condions of store tanks) Fish that got big (Oscars mostly) usually died within a couple of months if not sold (wich was strangely rare when I worked there)