Trading larger fish for credit at petsmart, petland, etc.??

Question

I realize that in a year or so, I will have to either buy a larger tank, or donate some of my tropical fish that will outgrow their current tank. Will these pet sores take a larger size fish in exchange for a smaller one, store credit, etc?

I always did plan on investing in a second tank for the larger creatures, just wondering if there was that option if people could not upsize their pet..

Answer 1

I can tell you petsmart won't.

Most stores that are not specifically aquatics will not take fish for trades.

1. they have a specific set up that is condusive for very young fish that are not near their full sizes. They wouldn't have the facilities to keep larger fish

2. they worry about your fish bringing in diseases or bacterias that can harm/kill their fish.

3. Some people want to trade saltwater fish... most pet stores deal with freshwater.

An aquatics store is better equipt to take in a larger fish as fish is all they deal in, and they have the facilities to take care of it and get it sellable and living in the proper habitat.

Answer 2

Chains wouldn't take the fish, not even for nothing. Most tanks in Petland are 20 longs, 29's or 30 breeders. They'd have to way to squeeze a big fish in...
A locally owned pet store might... but I wouldn't count on it.

I remember a Pterygoplichthys multiradiatus http://nas.er.usgs.gov/XIMAGESERVERX/2005/20051104142551.jpg
that was easily a foot long and still growing languished at a locally owned fish store for months. Their largest tank was a 38, all their tanks were generally 30 or 36" long, I saw it suffering terribly in a 29 and eventually a 38. NOBODY would take this fish, not even for $10!!! The owner of the store told me it cost more than $10 to feed this monster in a month.
Eventually he was given away for free to someone who ordered a 120 long Perfecto that is 60x18x26. I Would guess that fish isn't even happy there!

Answer 3

Don't know what the larger pet shops do but we do not accept any fish back in store tanks for buy or trade. We have a separate tank set up for give away fish. This guarantees no extra unwanted disease or parasites in our store. We keep a list of people wanting various kinds of fish that are typically donated. Generally the donated fish find a new home within 24 hours. This helps to keep unwanted fish out of streams and lakes also.

Answer 4

Some stores may take them, but this will be the manager's decision. You might have better luck in trying a privately owned pet store. These are usually more supportive of fish owners than the chains. If there are any aquarium societies in your area, their members may be able to help you out. Their members who breed fish will probably have a good idea of who will take them and who will offer credit. Clubs also have their own auctions where people can buy fish, so maybe you can find someone who will help you sell them.

Answer 5

The best I could do with my 7" iridescent shark I couldn't house anymore was donate him to the bio dept. at our community college. They had a 300 gallon tank for him. I was going to sell him to the tropical fish store but they had about 6 monsters (some 2 feet long) in a 600 gallon tank and one was on the bottom with a big hunk bitten out of him. I just couldn't do that to my fish!

Answer 6

You would have much better luck at a smaller pet shop (the privately owned ones) than you would at a chain pet store.

Usually Petco will only take donations, PetSmart doesn't take larger fish (at least the one I asked when I wanted to trade), and I have never heard of Petland so I can't say about them.

Your best bet would be to call them, ask for the fish dept., and ask their policy on trading or donating, or if they can give you information on where you can take them.

I take my overflow to a local 'mom & pop' pet store where I get store credit. Then I can use it to get food or other fish.

Answer 7

Most chain stores dont, unfortunatly, but i think that most local stores do. If not then you should buy a bigger tank. Not trying to be mean, but next time you buy fish, make sure they won't outgrow the tank, usually petstores tell you how big the fish will get. Hope this helps!

Answer 8

i personally were given my dogs from Petsmart....they enable shelters to go back to their keep and help the dogs to be followed. My dogs develop into from a preserve about 20 miles away yet they presented some dogs from there and housed them at Petsmart for some days till they were given followed. My dogs got here with all her photographs and develop into fixed. Shes the perfect dogs Ive ever had. No medical issues or something and Ive had her for about a three hundred and sixty 5 days. i imagine inner most puppy shops or those on the shops get their dogs from doggy turbines and my sisters pal had 2 dogs from a puppy save at a mall and so as that they died about 2 years after she were given them because of medical issues.

Answer 9

Independant aquarium only shops most always will take it back. When I owned my store, we took anything back and gave store credit. It only made good business sense, and there were always customers with large tanks looking for large fish.