Okay so I can’t really take care of my 2 bettas now. My anxiety and OCD is getting bad for some reason :(.
I recently got a betta with severe clamped fins and was starving but he’s improving a lot! I have a female betta who is suffering with fin rot that is getting treated right now.
I want to ask a small aquatic store if they take in bettas since their reviews and pics show they take care of their fish very well but I am scared for being judged harshly! What if I’m seen as a neglectful owner? Especially if I place my bettas for rehoming on Facebook :(.
Found a fish group in my area so if they don’t take in bettas I’ll place them up for rehoming in the group.
Have any of y’all surrendered your fish to aquatic stores though? Need advice.
Posted by anonymouslhidden
16 Comments
I would say facebook is probably a more guaranteed good home for the fish… The aquatic store may take good care of it while it’s in the store, but you have no idea who it’ll end up with and might end up in some child’s fishbowl to die of overfeeding. With Facebook you can at least ask for pictures of the setup and make sure it’s actually someone who knows how to take care of the fish.
And don’t be worried about how you’re seen, worry about the fish you’re trying to give to a good home. That’s more important right now
Not at all, it is often the best choice an owner has.
Might also suggest posting on [r/](r/fishswap)[aquaswap](r/fishswap) and on your local FB groups
The lfs most likely to help is *not* petsmart or petco but a small business
If you can’t care for them properly or care for yourself then no. Now if you are trading in pets weekly then I would call that a bad pet owner. Sometimes it’s best for both pet and owner.
I’ve done it once in the past because I had a fish that was bullying everyone and nothing i did would stop the behavior. My lfs took her were no question. They actually gave me a credit so I could replace her with another fish.
Its better for you to rehome if you know you wont be able to take care of them properly for any reason. My only advise would be to find a reputable store as opposed to a large chain. Reddit groups such as r/aquaswap or betta specific groups can also help.
Dont feel bad about rehoming and dont worry about what some random person might think. If you know you will not be able to take care of them properly, it is best for your fish that they be rehomed. You’re doing the right thing.
I’ve done this with common goldfish I’ve rescued from people that had no clue what they’re doing. Once they get five inches they’ve outgrown my tank so my only option is to take them somewhere they can stretch their fins.
Thats the correct thing to do. Or post it somewhere, free to a good home
Chain store no, mom and pop, yes
definitely not ! ive done it once in the past because my betta outgrew his tank & i had no other space for him
no matter your reason its always best to give your fish to someone who can care for them when you cant !
its a normal thing in this hobby , many have done it & will continue to ! dont be to hard on yourself , its a tough decision but it is normally the right decision ❤️
I’ve never given any back to my LFS. I had a Severum get too aggressive. He was beautiful and huge. They paid me $60 for him and sold him to someone else for much more 🤣. I’m not complaining at all- I only paid $20 for him a couple years earlier when he was very tiny.
sometimes you just dont like a fish. returning to a fish store is actually one of the best ways to “surrender” a fish. rather than letting it live poorly or die.
ive done it multiple times. when i moved after college, all my fish went to the fish store. when i recently moved cities, i didnt want to set up my 50 gallon again, and downsized to 20 gallon. so i took like 20 fish to the fish store. they even paid me in store credit.
Dassa nice fish
I think that sometimes the circumstances can’t be controlled, and you have to do the best with your choices in the ways that you can.
I think that nobody chooses their mental health problems, like I sure as heck never wanted to have OCD obsessions like I have before with my aquariums. And when depression got really dark, I felt pretty bad about rehoming all of my fish (guppies, Cory cats, and java loaches) as well as all of my plants to a friend’s mom.
But hey, that’s life sometimes. You didn’t choose to have anxiety or OCD. Maybe it’s time to step back from caring for fish and care for yourself for a little while.
You can always return to fishkeeping when the time is right and you’re feeling well enough to care for aquatic pets again.
I’m sorry you’re feeling down about this, it’s unfortunate since you’re making a heroic decision for the betterment of your fish’s lives here. I think that’s something to congratulate you on.
Hugs 🫂
Fish stores take fish all the time. It’s a regular occurrence when people need to break down a tank or when the maintenance gets too much. When I moved I returned some danios and the store was happy because they were big and healthy and could sell for more than the little ones they get from the breeder.
Nope
Awww don’t feel bad!! It happens and alot of fish keepers have to do this at some point. Everyone has times where they cant keep their routine up. If your fishies seem like they’re not doing as well because of that youre doing the best thing for them! The aquatic shop will NOT judge you and probably be happy you brought them there instead of letting them have a crummy life experience. When we have pets we have to remember the responsibility we have over them. We’re in charge of their quality of life. You saw that it was going down and did something about it! You’re the best kind of fish keeper! You really care about your fishies!! They’re going to have a good life because you cared enough to know they need more attention right now. You’re a good person!!!
I did so for my entire stock of tropicals because I was moving several hundred miles away and I didnt want to risk the possibility of them not surviving. I’d rather they went on to a good home.