what to do with your pet fish if you can no longer look after them
Tropical fish or inverts – freshwater and marine
These species need warmer waters to survive so please NEVER release them into native waterways. They will not survive. Please also do not flush them down the toilet!
- Try rehoming them with friends and family. Offering equipment and food – and some handholding to get them up and running – might make it more attractive for them to take them on. And you might still get to enjoy them when you visit!
- Try rehoming them through selling sites – use Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) approved selling sites such as Pets4Homes, Preloved, Gumtree, Friday Ads and Freeads and include plenty of information to help their new owners keep them successfully. Offer collection only (never post through Royal Mail) and include care information (find free caresheets here), food and equipment.
- You could ask your local aquatics shop if they would be interested in them. But shops are only likely to be interested in the more unusual species. Always contact the shop first to ask, never just turn up with fish. They will not have room to quarantine them.
- Contact the Fish Rescue and Welfare Society or Fish Orphans which might be able to help.
Coldwater – pond (fish, snails, clams)
- Try rehoming them with friends and family. Offering equipment and food – and some handholding to get them up and running – might make it more attractive for them to take them on. And you might still get to enjoy them when you visit!
- Try rehoming them through selling sites – use Pet Advertising Advisory Group (PAAG) approved selling sites such as Pets4Homes, Preloved, Gumtree, Friday Ads and Freeads and include plenty of information to help their new owners keep them successfully. Offer collection only (never post through Royal Mail) and include care information (find free caresheets here) food and equipment.
- Contact the Fish Rescue and Welfare Society or Fish Orphans which might be able to help.
Why shops won’t take coldwater fish or other coldwater aquatic species
It is very unlikely an aquatics shop will take your coldwater (pond) fish and other aquatic species, even if you offer them for free. Coldwater fish can carry notifiable diseases (eg SVC, KHV) even if they appear healthy.
Outbreaks of these diseases must be reported to the Fish Health Inspectorate and all fish destroyed. It would close down part of their business so understandably shops will not risk this happening by accepting customer’s coldwater fish.
Euthanasia
Unfortunately, if you cannot move your fish or other species to a new home you may need to humanely kill them. This is understandably upsetting but it is the kindest thing to do. Please never release them into native waterways. You might think they will survive but they are more likely to face a slow death or be predated by otters, herons etc. It is also illegal.
