Moral Dilemma

[donnie]

This should be an issue any pet owner has dealt with, the old "but that puppy mill dog is just so cute in the window, he deserves to have a good home..." I gained a 125 gallon aquarium a little while ago and was expecting to acquire the tank and stand only. Instead the previous owner included the fish the tank had formerly housed, an Oscar, a Jaguar Cichlid, and 3 Jack Dempseys. All but one Jack Dempsey are nearly full grown, and comfortable with the tank, their diet, and the decorations I've retained from the previous owners. My problem is that my wife loves the Oscar, and I'm a fan of the Jag, but niether of us particularly cares for the Jack Dempseys.

I got the tank with the idea of setting up my own vision for a large aquarium, but now I've got 3 fish I have no interest in, and 2 more I'd only mildly like to keep. All the tank's inhabitants are well nourished, seem happy, and I am providing that good home all displaced pets should have. But I'd appreciate y'all's opinion.

Do I postpone my own plans for the tank and care for the fish already in it, or sell or give them away (an often risky proposition with unwanted pets) and move ahead with my own designs?

 

[minxfishy]

I see no problem with responsibly re-homing the fish you dont want, preferably with people who have the tank size and knowledge to keep those species.

Failing that, give them to a good fish store, you know you can trust who have the capability to take care of them, until they find them a good home.

 

[Honeythorn]

If the fish are in good health and feeding well you could ask around your LFS' and see if they will take them off your hands. You may even get some type of store credit for them , or swap them for some fish that are more suitable . My brother did this with his huge plec that I convinced him to re-home. He got store credit which he used to buy plants for his tank ( Which he was unable to have before as the plec kept digging them up ) .

 

[donnie]

I suppose i'll add a corollary before too many people tell me how easy a decision it should have been for me to rehome the fish I'd rather not keep.

Any ideas on which species would get on well with both an Oscar and a Jaguar Cichlid? I know very little about these breeds, having never intended to own them, but since they are the two I would most likely keep around, if any, what could I add to the tank that would survive two such large and territorial fish, or would it be better to wait out their lifespan and begin rebuilding once they're no longer around?

 

[lordofthesea]

oscars and jaguar cichlids make great pets they can even become tame enough to hand feed.

 

[rabbut]

With large Teritorial Cichlids, you are looking at other large Teritorial Cichlids... Plecs should also be fine. I'm not really well up on larger SA Cichlids though...

All the best
Rabbut