Fish Rescue

[thelaw]

i am a 13 years old and i have fish and all and but when i go to the pet store i see all these pore sick and dying fish there and i feel bad so i want to start a small scale rescue team with my friends so i was thinking getting some food safe storage tubs and gravel sponge filers and heaters and stuff but can you give me any advise on how to get this started. thanks
 
 
experiences. 3 years of fish keeping, one jaguar cichlid, 4 bettas. goldfish, and all different types of  tropical fish,           

 

[star4]

Are you planning on buying up all the sick and dying fish from shops?. The downfall with this idea is that shops will continue to not improve if people buy sick/dying fish, which in the UK is actually illegal to sell a sick fish. Most shops will not give away a sick fish either, if you stand looking at a pathetic fish feeling sorry for it, the staff will know you are going to buy it. Only once have I been given a fish from a shop and that was because they knew me and knew I would keep it and take care of it.
 
Fish rescue is hard work, VERY expensive and you need huge amounts of space to quarantine and hospitalise fish I am afraid a few storage tubs just wont do.
 
What do you plan on doing with the fish you have rescued? re-homing once sick/deformed fish is near impossible, you would end up having to give them away and trying to keep track of those fish you would have to rely on the owner keeping in touch, many promise this with a smile on their face as they walk out with a free fish, but most you never hear from again.
 
While I think your heart is in the right place it is something you really need to think about and discuss with your parents mainly for the cost side and where you are going to put the fish you intend to rescue.

 

[fluttermoth]

I'm afraid I have to agree with star I've been involved with animal rescue of various kinds for many years and I can tell you, it eats money, space and a heck of a lot of your time and trouble.
 
I don't want to put you off altogether, but it is a huge commitment to take on and you need to think about it very carefully. And, don't forget, you'll have exams/college and that sort of thing coming up in only a few years time.

 

[star4]

One thing you can do if you have a particularly bad shop near you is to contact the local authorities and complain about the conditions the fish are kept in and keep going back to the shop to see if they have improved. While you will not actually save any fish in distress straight away, improvements would be made for fish in the future. I do not know how it works in the US but in the UK pet shops obtain a licence from the local council, it is their duty to make sure any complaints are followed up. Maybe contact your local ASPCA see if they can point you in the right direction regarding putting in complaints

 

[thelaw]

Are you planning on buying up all the sick and dying fish from shops?. The downfall with this idea is that shops will continue to not improve if people buy sick/dying fish, which in the UK is actually illegal to sell a sick fish. Most shops will not give away a sick fish either, if you stand looking at a pathetic fish feeling sorry for it, the staff will know you are going to buy it. Only once have I been given a fish from a shop and that was because they knew me and knew I would keep it and take care of it.
 
Fish rescue is hard work, VERY expensive and you need huge amounts of space to quarantine and hospitalise fish I am afraid a few storage tubs just wont do.
 
What do you plan on doing with the fish you have rescued? re-homing once sick/deformed fish is near impossible, you would end up having to give them away and trying to keep track of those fish you would have to rely on the owner keeping in touch, many promise this with a smile on their face as they walk out with a free fish, but most you never hear from again.
 
While I think your heart is in the right place it is something you really need to think about and discuss with your parents mainly for the cost side and where you are going to put the fish you intend to rescue.

thanks for the help this is something i plan to do in a couple of years i just wanted to get your opinion on it thanks.