your takes on how to Rescue and Help fish

[marsh]

I work in dog rescue and have a Betta from ******** that I saved from certain death! He is my #1 fish.

I do not regret my purchase. Somebody on a Betta forum really opened my eyes to the controversy surrounding Betta sales and I have since decided never to Rescue a fish except from a local store, and hopefully I can ask to save it for little or no price as a favor to avoid euthanasia.

The problem with all the big pet stores is they are aware and happy to stock millions of fish knowing the survival rate before Salepoint is less than 95%.

Do you realize they are planning to let 8 or 9 fish die in store or in a stock room if you purchase one, because that will be a near pure profit rate of sale.

If there are any local shops, ask to rescue fish they have fall ill as it happens to some % of fish even at the very best responsible lfs.

The only way, in my opinion, to reduce the nation wide cruelty in this industry is to vote with your dollars and support only responsible establishments, and refuse to buy any products from unethical sources.

It is the reason I rescue golden retrievers. People would as soon buy a puppy out of an auto magazine if they were unaware that the parents of the puppies are near death! But the animals with fur we can protect, fish are still not anything more than product unless we can follow in the humane direction that backyard breeding and puppy mills have changed the current industry for dogs.

Respect and love(for fish AND people!), Lila

 

[GodFan]

I work in dog rescue and have a Betta from ******** that I saved from certain death! He is my #1 fish.

I do not regret my purchase. Somebody on a Betta forum really opened my eyes to the controversy surrounding Betta sales and I have since decided never to Rescue a fish except from a local store, and hopefully I can ask to save it for little or no price as a favor to avoid euthanasia.

The problem with all the big pet stores is they are aware and happy to stock millions of fish knowing the survival rate before Salepoint is less than 95%.

Do you realize they are planning to let 8 or 9 fish die in store or in a stock room if you purchase one, because that will be a near pure profit rate of sale.

If there are any local shops, ask to rescue fish they have fall ill as it happens to some % of fish even at the very best responsible lfs.

The only way, in my opinion, to reduce the nation wide cruelty in this industry is to vote with your dollars and support only responsible establishments, and refuse to buy any products from unethical sources.

It is the reason I rescue golden retrievers. People would as soon buy a puppy out of an auto magazine if they were unaware that the parents of the puppies are near death! But the animals with fur we can protect, fish are still not anything more than product unless we can follow in the humane direction that backyard breeding and puppy mills have changed the current industry for dogs.

Respect and love(for fish AND people!), Lila

I agree. I think the exception IMHO would be if you have one of the box stores under good management that takes better care of its fish department.

 

[marsh]

True, I do personally spend some of my income at the well known and oft criticized super stores.

It is sad when the quality pet stores, for example among countless types of small stored in the same predicament, are forced to close doors to an underpriced and lower quality service one-stop pet shop. However in my town, several lfs are below par and as ill-informed as the better chain fish departments. Truely support the best available option, that is fair and just.

I also know a family run store with all the integrity and passion for the hobby as their clients would expect. They are feeling the pressure of nearby nation-wide chains. I value customer care, and that usually comes down to staffing on the floor.

 

[Hholly]

Thanks for the info and thoughtful post. I'll definitely keep it in mind.

 

[ktomminello]

Hope for the hopeless?

Do I buy him to give him a better life? They'll just replace him with another one and probably one more on top of that because they sold the only one they had.... How do I walk away? How can I make them open their eyes?!

Most times you're darned if you do and you're darned if you don't. I've a suggestion that has helped me stop 2 walmarts from selling green spotted puffers.... If you can show them that their bottom line is red instead of black with their own return policy being the center and driving force there is a little hope for a few of the species they will sometimes carry- green spotted puffers, figure 8 puffers, dragonfish (I know them as rope fish), and specific varieties of gourami can be documented and charted in a 3 month timeline if you are willing to do the insane footwork, research into public records and math.

I guess we'll just have to keep hoping, though, because in todays compulsive and impulsive driven lifestyle there are, sadly, many creatures that get lost in the fray Life is hard, remember your helmet!!

 

[Fishperson]

I totally agree. I got into this hobby about 3 months ago, and started cycling my 20H 3 weeks ago, but I have learned enough on this forum to know that the ornamental fish industry is the most unethical and mistreated pet industry. I just get so angry when I hear people tell me that an employee at a chain store (that starts with a p and ends with a t) told them to put 3 goldfish in a 2-3 gallon bowl!!! Many chain store employees have no idea about cycling, bio loads, stocking, and water params. Sometimes I wish I could work at a chain store, just so I could give people the RIGHT information! I laugh under my breath when I ask an employee about cycling or stocking, to see how experienced they are, and they give a stupid answer, like putting a goldfish (or any fish for that matter) in a 1 gallon bowl, and I say that I thought that goldfish are messy fish and have a big bioload, so they need at least 10 gallons. Then they look at me like, "what does a 12 year old know about fish?"
It's really terrible what these chain stores do to fish, even fish tanks often have pictures of a COMPLETELY overstocked tank, like a 15 gallon with 5 dwarf gouramis and 5 platties and 8 rummynose tetras, or something like that!
I even saw a 20 gallon with like 5 coy fish, a common pleco, and a clown loach in it!!! And I go WTF!!!!!!!!

 

[Hholly]

I totally agree. I got into this hobby about 3 months ago, and started cycling my 20H 3 weeks ago, but I have learned enough on this forum to know that the ornamental fish industry is the most unethical and mistreated pet industry. I just get so angry when I hear people tell me that an employee at a chain store (that starts with a p and ends with a t) told them to put 3 goldfish in a 2-3 gallon bowl!!! Many chain store employees have no idea about cycling, bio loads, stocking, and water params. Sometimes I wish I could work at a chain store, just so I could give people the RIGHT information! I laugh under my breath when I ask an employee about cycling or stocking, to see how experienced they are, and they give a stupid answer, like putting a goldfish (or any fish for that matter) in a 1 gallon bowl, and I say that I thought that goldfish are messy fish and have a big bioload, so they need at least 10 gallons. Then they look at me like, "what does a 12 year old know about fish?"
It's really terrible what these chain stores do to fish, even fish tanks often have pictures of a COMPLETELY overstocked tank, like a 15 gallon with 5 dwarf gouramis and 5 platties and 8 rummynose tetras, or something like that!
I even saw a 20 gallon with like 5 coy fish, a common pleco, and a clown loach in it!!! And I go WTF!!!!!!!!

Yep, the whole industry including the equipment companies are responsible for the huge misinformation machine at play. I think people don't get as upset about massive fish abuse as they would about mammals. But it still needs to change. Thank goodness for this forum and others like it. I think slowly, things are changing for the better.