What are our "responsibilities" when we sell fish?

[hollyfish2000]

If you are selling fish (or offering fish to someone who is looking) what do you feel your responsibilities are in terms of making sure the fish will work for their tank/what they're stocking for? Do you ask questions about tankmates, etc.? Would you decline to sell if you thought the circumstances wouldn't work?

Just curious as to different thoughts on this . . .

 

[daninmd]

i sell a few fish here and there if i happen to decide to keep fry and grow them out. since i am not raising fry for income i am very attached to my fish and their well being. I always find out what size tank they are going into and tank mates. I am also a little bit leary of selling to people that i think are just buying them to sell off the fry and/or have a history of buying/selling a lot of fish. I want my fish to go to a tank where they will be happy and well cared for and not have to keep moving from house to house because someone gets tired of them after a few months or wants to make room for the next "it" fish.

wow, after ready what i just wrote, i guess i am a little bit of a fish selling snob! lol

 

[Tony]

First off, I make sure that the fish I am selling are healthy and of a good size. Have bought fish from club members before and they show up to the meeting with a bag of bug-sized fish. Completely ridiculous. Even if they do make the trip, that natural selection process has not had a chance to occur.

'Natural selection" meaning - in every batch of fry, no matter the care they receive, you have losses.... weak fish, deformed fish, runts, etc. By growing out, you sort of weed them out. Folks should not be selling African cichlids under 1" for this reason. In my opinion, 1.5" is pushing it.

When I'm selling a group of 1.5"-2" fish, do I ask to see their 75 gallon tank? No. Most people don't have their fish's final home available when they still have a year's worth of growth to do.

I'm more picky with adult fish that I sell. You put a lot of time into growing them out and want to see them go to a decent place.

Heck, after recent transactions, giving fish away or trading them to friends is more likely the path I'll be going. One of the reasons I haven't been pulling holding fish lately - easy to get a bad taste in your mouth.

 

[jonclark96]

It's a tough question, especially when it comes to certain fish you are trying to sell/rehome. I have to admit that I have an addiction and tend to buy more fish than I can house for their entire life. I've had a few times where I've tried to sell adult fish and literally had to give them away in order to find anyone who was even interested. I take the responsibility internally for the most part - I sell fish the way I want fish to be sold to me. I don't sell sick fish. I don't sell tiny fry. I tell people exactly what the fish are, and usually will tell you how/where I aquired the fish (or the parents when selling fry). I tell people what I have been feeding them and what tanks they are being kept in. Do I make sure that every person that I have sold fish to over the years has the means/intentions to give the fish a good life? Not every time, but in most cases you get a gut feeling when dealing with people and I have walked away from some deals that didn't feel right.

 

[Andrew]

Generally speaking, try to sell good quality, healthy fish that are properly identified. If the buyer has questions, answer them. If the buyer says something that makes it clear that the fish will not be cared for properly you can walk away from a deal but in the end you have very little control over what happens once they are out of your hands.

 

[mchambers]

I've certainly told folks that I don't think that the fish I was selling will thrive under the conditions proposed by the buyer. For example, I've told people not to buy certain types of Corydoras if the tanks they were going to go in were too warm.

Beyond that, I haven't ever rejected a buyer. In 90% of cases, folks take my advice and that's the end of it.

 

[zackcrack00]

I ask about water parameters, temperature, tankmates, and most importantly: tank size. I have turned down 10-15% of my buyers because of tank size and ph level.

 

[cabinetmkr39]

Generally speaking, try to sell good quality, healthy fish that are properly identified. If the buyer has questions, answer them. If the buyer says something that makes it clear that the fish will not be cared for properly you can walk away from a deal but in the end you have very little control over what happens once they are out of your hands.

I agree with Andrew, In the many transactions that I've done over the years I only felt that one person did not have a good environment for the fish that they wanted to purchase so I didn't go though with the deal. I talk with all of my buyers and help them get the rite fish for there tank even if its something I don't breed..and I always direct them to this website for more Info.

 

[dshaffer3]

I'll have to give it to @cabinetmkr39, great person to buy from. Very informative, and very hospitable. Better selection than Pristine Aquarium. Lol!

 

[hollyfish2000]

I"m not a breeder by any stretch, but do sometimes end up with fish that are more often than not given away or traded. But the few times I've actually sold fish, I've usuallysold them to very experienced folks (I did not ask Sam or Jesse about housing for my BNs, for example!) But with folks I don't know, yes, I've asked questions. I'm a little bit "mother henn-ish" about my fish!!

 

[Avatar]

Do no harm.

Primum non nocere.

It's good enough for physicians/first responders, and if fully considered pretty much fulfills obligations by and to all concerned (including the fish).