Will aquatic pets be abandoned after the pandemic?

[SWilson]

Hey everyone.  I hope this is not a controversial topic - I don't mean it to be.  And I hope it's appropriate for the forum. It's just something that's been on my mind and I'm posting this in the spirit of learning and hopefully being useful to my own community if the future. 

I'm new to aquatic petkeeping, but with other types of companion animals - there are many booms and busts in terms of the number of people aquiring animals.  In the bust, many pets end up surrendered to shelters.  I'm sure everyone's seen that throughout the pandemic many many people have been getting new pets, given that many folks were spending much more time at home (to put it mildly).  I'm sure there are many new "pandemic fishkeepers" like me out there.  

Do we expect that, after the pandemic, there will be some number of aquatic pets surrendered back to the stores or even to animal shelters?  It would be understandable.  When that happens, does anyone have experience organizing with local fish clubs/stores/friends to try to help find new homes for as many of these animals as possible?  I would think that this would be beneficial to the animals -- as they could end up in experienced homes -- and to local fish stores, as they wouldn't have to bear as much of the burden of taking in these animals. 

I imagine a local fish club could set something up with a fish store where, when a store recieves a surrendered fish or tank or whatever, then emails or calls the club who sends out a notice among members for a "foster" or forever home.  Basically like how dog and cat rescues work.  Maybe there are places that are already doing this...  

I recently joined my local fish club (San Francisco Aquarium Society) but I don't really know anyone and don't really know how to get in touch since they're not doing meetings currently.  

Anyway, again, I'm sorry if this is not appropriate for the forum - but I just thought that this could be something that affects the hobby more broadly, and there are many experienced folks here who have probably seen the booms and busts.   

[Chiclid addict]

I do think that there will be a surge of abandoned animals after everything returns to normal many of the fish that have been hard to find will probably be easy to find due to everyone abandoning them.

[Kirsten]

I don't think I've ever seen a fish at the local animal shelters, but I am starting to see a few more "complete tank, fish included" sales on craigslist recently, but more often due to people moving and not feeling like they can take the fish with them.

Sadly, I think people fall out of fish keeping more when their single betta or goldfish dies, they're heartbroken, frustrated, their kids are crying, they want to erase the memory and recoup some of the money they've spent on it. Yes, I'll buy your 5 or 10 gallon tank, filter, heater, water conditioner, fish food, net, and gravel siphon for $50. I'll be there today after work!

Also, sadly, I think people may stop short of their goals, especially for big marine tanks with sumps and corals and whatnot, when they lose their jobs due to the pandemic and have to look at their budgets. So I'll see a lot of monstrous marine tank equipment for sale for hundreds or thousands of dollars. Good luck, bro! Too rich for my blood.

[FrozenFins]

Lets just hope there not releasing their fish into the nearby ponds/ lakes. 

 

[Tanked]

There are a lot of reasons why people get in or out of this hobby.  Depending on what their new normal is, There will be a lot of pandemic fish keepers dropping out but there will also be a lot staying in,   Those who were interested before the pandemic finally had a reason to give it a try.  I think a lot of them will stay.

As soon as the novelty wears off, those who jumped in because you don't have to walk your fish, or because the YouTube videos looked really cool will be standing in line trying to sell their setups for full retail.

I'm looking forward to a lot of curb finds