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Arapaima

pixelpixi

pixelpixi

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I was in the Emeryville pet club today. I never buy fish there, but it's a couple blocks from work and they have cheap cat litter. I was shocked to see that they had an arapaima gigas for sale. It was a baby, probably 12-16". In all likelihood it'll end up in someone's tank who has no idea how big it gets or that it's a threatened species.

So sad! :(
 
:(
it sucks to because if you bought this to save it they would go and buy another to take it's place. I saw this at the petco by my work years ago, they bought 4 big Corcea clams that died in their tanks.
 
pixelpixi said:
I was in the Emeryville pet club today. I never buy fish there, but it's a couple blocks from work and they have cheap cat litter. I was shocked to see that they had an arapaima gigas for sale. It was a baby, probably 12-16". In all likelihood it'll end up in someone's tank who has no idea how big it gets or that it's a threatened species.

So sad! :(
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They are farmed Arapaima, not wild. Wilds are illegal.
 
Good that they aren't illegal, but there is still an ethical responsibility part here. Why on earth would these be available at an LFS. People buy Pacu and RedTail Cats for 30-50g tanks at home were bad enough..now this monster is added? Beautiful fish which has no right to be distributed to the normal hobbiest.

arapaima.jpg
 
Yup and they sell farmed baby sturgeon as well. Hell Jim is selling baby groupers that get 4' and will outgrow just about every hobbyists tank in no time at all.
 
It's cool that they can captive breed these monster sized fish. It's cool that they have a way to help counter an endangered list when it exists. It's cool when captive breeding allows for a captive fish farm for food. It is not cool when these are offered to the public with such haphazard ease. I was a bit miffed when Jim had those bass. I know they fit in with the idea of captive bred. I will however note that I personally overheard Jim warn people who were interested in them, on just how big they would get. I don't think he sold any on opening night for this reason (people warned. Heck, my wife wanted one lol) This doesn't mean I think he should have had them on stock. On the other hand, I have been to LFSs where the store staff would willfully sell red cats to a kid for his newly setup 20g. Pacu are also frequently sold (witnessed many times) to people wanting something piranha like.

I'm sure there are some people out there with private multi thousand gallon systems which can properly house these types of fish, and that is awesome :) ...and I'm sure that these people could get these guys (legally etc) even if they weren't LFS offered (which they shouldn't be)

/pet peeve
 
Never said you did and I don't think I implied it :)

I must say that I am guilty of having owned a "common" pleco for a 29g (ignorance at the time)
 
Gomer said:
Never said you did and I don't think I implied it :)
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;) Nor was I implying you did. Not everything centers around your posts :p
 
but...my posts do have their own gravitational field!
sequential posts just made it seem like you may have replied to me.

..but back on topic :-D
Do these fish end up in LFSs purely to make a quick buck? Is there no real mechanism to keep them out of the LFS?
 
Do these fish end up in LFSs purely to make a quick buck? Is there no real mechanism to keep them out of the LFS?
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Yup for the most part on #1 and #2, nope other then an outright ban, then they'll just be sold behind the scenes as someone will always smuggle them in. The sad fact is the trade won't self regulate so it's waiting for the Fed's to drop the hammer.
 
HR 669 is still out there. If passed, bye bye ALL imported fish/corals/inverts/plants!!!
 
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