# Why are certain fish STILL for sale?



## welok (Jul 20, 2015)

Why do people still sell fish for aquariums that get too bloody big for an aquarium? 4 of my LFS sell Red Tail Catfish, and the local facebook group always has someone looking for a new home for theirs because it has gotten 2 feet long. 

Playing around on Aquabid, there was an expensive fish that I didn't recognize, so I googled it. It turns out this Arapaima Gigas being sold at 5-5.5 inches gets 6 1/2 feet long, with the largest recorded being 15 feet... Of course, there is no mention of this in the auction listing.

Why do people think it's a good idea to sell these behemoths to people who don't do their research? :crying::crying::crying:*Mad*


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Sad, isnt it? It is a shame that some of these are still allowed. Easy answer, money. People want large oddballs and will pay large amounts for some.


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

It's all about what is easiest to obtain and turns the most profit, sadly.


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## henningc (Apr 17, 2013)

This has been going on for years and I don't see it getting any better. The stores should avoid these animals or offer them for special order only. Maybe then people will educate themselves and decide not to buy.


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## brads (Mar 23, 2013)

Yes, I'm sure it's all wrapped around money. A very sad situation. Even sadder for the fish. I think the only answer is to require fish stores to display information on min/max fish size, tank temps, food, aggression level... etc. Of course, some do so kudos to them.


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

henningc said:


> This has been going on for years and I don't see it getting any better. The stores should avoid these animals or offer them for special order only. Maybe then people will educate themselves and decide not to buy.


I dont see it making a huge difference, honestly. You hear it time and time again, "I had/have a RTC in a 55 and its perfectly fine" "I keep 12 goldies in a 10 gal and they are fine!" People just dont get it.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Basic answer: as long as people buy them they will keep selling them.


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## welok (Jul 20, 2015)

I took one of my friends to the LFS yesterday for the first time. He went to Walmart (let's not even start the discussion on Walmart selling fish...) and they had Black Finned Sharks around 3 inches. He loved them, and wanted to get ~5 of them along with a 30 gallon tank... After I explained and showed him how big they get (and same for Bala Sharks), he realized he needed a 75 gallon tank for just 1, and was downhearted. Most of the fish he liked required at minimum a 55 gallon tank (thankfully, the LFS I took him to has stopped selling/ordering RTC and the like, and the biggest fish they now keep require 75 gallon tanks once fully grown, with anything larger they will special order upon request). So I guess now I need to create a stocking post to find out what all there is that he could keep in a 30 gallon tank that would be similar to the larger ones that he liked.


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## fgilliman (Apr 5, 2016)

Uh, they're still for sale b/c many of us can handle a 15' fish, or two, or three.


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## Summer (Oct 3, 2011)

15" yes, not 3-4 foot like some of these fish should get.


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## henningc (Apr 17, 2013)

Well at least they got rid of snake heads and other invasive types. I've had a few critters that over the years have been banned. I understand the reasoning, but sometimes the reasoning is completely wrong. I have two species that can't survive a mid-west winter and likely could only survive in a few states yet they are banned. Since I raise fish outdoors in summer I have tested each species and they didn't make it. I did however test a non-banned protentially invasive aquarium species and they were still kicking last weekend. So it make you wonder who comes up with this stuff. 

I do agree things such as irridesent sharks and red tail cats should not be sold.


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