i need advice for a common problem

[SeymourFRESH]

hello all. alright, here's my story. we've had a black iradescent shark for about 15 years and now it is 1.5' long, we have it in a 92 gallon corner tank. we have concluded it is time to get rid of it, but we have no idea what to do with it. i was wondering if any of you had a suggestion or 2 for me. i really regret not getting rid of the fish sooner, before it got so big, but we didn't

i have realized this is a common problem for many people, because they are not informed how big the fish actually get, and now that i realize they get up to 4', i think they shouldn't even be sold as pets.

but my problem is, they are from southeast asia, and i'm guessing that means they should be living in warm water all year round. if i was to get rid of it in a stream/lake, i would at least hope it would have some chance of surviving. i'm from st. louis missouri so there's definetely not anything around here, and i doubt anyone would want to take the fish for a pet.

what do you guys think?

 

[nomadofthehills]

NEVER realease pet fish. EVER. It will hurt the environment. If anything, call an aquarium, or eat him I guess lol...

BUT DONT RELEASE HIM!!!

 

[malkore]

Its very likely completely illegal for you to release a non-native fish in your local waterways.

That aside, even if you did that, he'd likely die within a few days. Not the right kind of water temperature, not the right biotope.

I'd check your local aquarium, if St Louis has one...or the zoo aquarium.

But do NOT release him in the wild.

 

[TomK2]

releasing tropical fish into the native waters causes havoc with local ecosystems at worst. Your pet fish dies a painful death at best. Local aquariums are often full with large tin foil barbs and other tropical fish that have outgrown home tanks, so your choices may be limited to either live with it or euthanize it.

And welcome to AA!

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The St. Louis Childrens World Aquarium at the City Museum may be someone that you could try calling (314 231-CITY or 314 647-9594 ). I have never been there (have lived around STL for 23 years and never knew they had an aquarium) so I can't attest to what kind of fish they have, but it would be worth a shot.

Something else that you could do is contact Shedd's Aquarium in Chicago and see if they would be willing to take it off your hands. I am from St. Louis and can not think of any stores that would be willing to take a fish of that size.

 

[Meredith]

My lfs takes in large fish that people cant keep. And they are usually bought pretty quickly. You may want to check with your lfs.

 

[TomK2]

The Shedd Aquarium has a sign in front of one of its tropical FW tanks that says they will not take donated fish that have outgrown home tanks. This sign was in front of the tank with monster tin foil barbs swimming around, which really got my attention when I had a few 3 inch tin foil barbs. I don't buy tin foil barbs anymore. I wuold think thay they had already filled up their tanks, and were tired of repeated requests to take fish.

 

[talloulou]

Check all the local and within driving distance fish shops, also check out all the companies that maintain tanks for businesses. They may have an idea of who in the area has a tank that would be large enough and suitable for your fish. Also check out colleges that may have large fish tanks, zoos, and aquariums. If you look long and hard enough you may be able to find the perfect home to donate the fish to. Releasing a fish into the wild isn't really a solution at all. It's unlikely that the fish will live long, it's almost always illegal, there could be environmental risks to the native habitat when you introduce a non-native species, and people who do it think they are solving a problem when really they are just taking an "easy out" and avoiding their responsibilities.

 

[CTD]

Check with Barnes Jewish hospital they had a large tank in the cafeteria in the children's wing that could easily house it.

 

[betta4me]

You could put him up for adoption on craigslist, but I would make sure the people adopting him know his requirements for a large tank. Some people keep really large tanks and might want to have him.
Agree with the rest, please don't release him, he will die.

 

[An t-iasg]

This thread was started three years ago

 

[betta4me]

LMAO, I blame CTD for bringing it to life, and me for not paying attention. hahaha *snort*
Well, I hope the shark found a home.