What happens to the fish if anything happens to me?

[Trish]

Re-occuring dream .... now that I'm older, no let's not use that word, experienced sounds better.   What will I do with my fish if I move to a tiny home, worse still  get thrown in the old folks home, or if the Grim Reaper ever visits ...shudder?     My kids live on ⛵ boats, they're no help! I need to find a younger serious fish keeper "beneficiary" so I can sleep at night or quit eating pizza at 2 a.m.  Have you done your estate planning!    

[lefty o]

find a family friend that will take them. just went through this when my father passed in jan. mom did not want that fish tank in the house any longer, so it was either i take the tank back as i had given it to  him a few years back, or figure something out. well luckily a teenager with some special needs my father used to coach trap shooting, him and his family wanted them. so they went to a decent place. something to think about, just like what happens to the dog or cat if the worst happens. having a plan is a good thing, as the only guarantee we have in life is, no one gets out of here alive. 

[H.K.Luterman]

I told my hubby that if anything happens to me, to call up the LFS. They have a tank cleaning service, should I be incapacitated for a while. And if I'm dead, they can probably help dismantle and resell everything. Definitely put this kind of stuff in your Will, so that there's no question on what you would like to happen to any of your pets should you pass on; it takes so much stress off of your family. 

[Trish]

6 hours ago, H.K.Luterman said:

I told my hubby that if anything happens to me, to call up the LFS. They have a tank cleaning service, should I be incapacitated for a while. And if I'm dead, they can probably help dismantle and resell everything. Definitely put this kind of stuff in your Will, so that there's no question on what you would like to happen to any of your pets should you pass on; it takes so much stress off of your family. 

You are right it makes a lot of sense to account for the future of all ones pets in wills.  I also plan my fish life spans when getting new additions. 

[RealAlan]

Well I just had to deal with this sort of...  My neighbor 3 doors down passed away a couple of weeks ago, unexpectedly.  

I knew about his fish tank because he was inspired by mine to get his.  I left a note of condolences for his daughter and my contact if she needed help with the fish tank.  

I took all of the ~40 fish (mostly tetras) out and emptied the tank for her(him).  She offered me the tank 75 gallon, but I already have a 55 gallon and it wasn't an upgrade enough for me to swap out my tank, and I don't have space for it.  It will go into the estate sale.  

I was able to add some of his fish into my tank but there were too many.  I have the remaining fish in a temporary tank with  one of my established filters on it but it is a short term solution.  I finally found a LFS to accept them but now have to find the time to make the transfer again.  

It can certainly be challenging.  I know my wife wouldn't know what to do if I were to be taken unexpectedly. 

  

[RealAlan]

One thought I just had, if looking for a local person who could take over or be willed to.  There is a great local community driven forum called Nextdoor join the group if there is one in your area.  Start conversations about fish tanks and see who is out there, you might be pleasantly surprised by the whole experience.

One of the options I've thought about is checking with the local senior centers or family services centers to see if they would like the tank as a donation.  But unfortunately at this time I do not have the time to deal with it.  But again that could be an option too.  

I hope you can find peace about it soon. 

[Trish]

1 hour ago, RealAlan said:

One thought I just had, if looking for a local person who could take over or be willed to.  There is a great local community driven forum called Nextdoor join the group if there is one in your area.  Start conversations about fish tanks and see who is out there, you might be pleasantly surprised by the whole experience.

One of the options I've thought about is checking with the local senior centers or family services centers to see if they would like the tank as a donation.  But unfortunately at this time I do not have the time to deal with it.  But again that could be an option too.  

I hope you can find peace about it soon. 

You don't have to pass away to want to provide a place for ones fish.. merely having to make life style changes, downsizing a home if you lose a partner and finances change, or other medical issues not due to age that make it difficult to look after animals.  All things that should be considered.  An example, right now I would like to have another Blood Parrot or King Kong Cichlid, that could be a 15 yr responsibility... Should I move will the next stop even accept fish tanks?   Rather than re-home, not owning at all due to the life span seems sensible. 

Edited May 26, 2021 by Trish

[RealAlan]

I have seen on Craigslist (I'm newer to Facebook MarketPlace) listings for fish tanks at a great price with the caveat that one keeps the fish that come in it.   And it often is associated with someone who is moving or getting deployed.  Just saying. 

 

[Andy's Fish Den]

I thought of this last week as I was lying in a hospital bed getting ready for a heart cath to be done. I had to stay overnight because I had failed my stress test the previous day, and my wife asked me if I needed her to feed my fish or anything. I told her they would be fine for the time being. But, it did make me think, what if something happens during the procedure. I do have a son who is into the fish keeping with me, but he is only almost 9, so I know he cant or wouldn't be able to do everything with my 20+ tanks. Luckily, everything went good with my procedure and I was home the same day and was able to feed the fish and take care of what needed done, but it definitely made me think about it.

[Trish]

On 6/2/2021 at 9:54 AM, Andy's Fish Den said:

I thought of this last week as I was lying in a hospital bed getting ready for a heart cath to be done. I had to stay overnight because I had failed my stress test the previous day, and my wife asked me if I needed her to feed my fish or anything. I told her they would be fine for the time being. But, it did make me think, what if something happens during the procedure. I do have a son who is into the fish keeping with me, but he is only almost 9, so I know he cant or wouldn't be able to do everything with my 20+ tanks. Luckily, everything went good with my procedure and I was home the same day and was able to feed the fish and take care of what needed done, but it definitely made me think about it.

Happy all went well for you @Andy's Fish Den and wishing you a speedy recovery.