What's wrong with keeping a...

[SkyDiv3r17]

small fish that will grow to be a large fish in a 75 gallon?
So I love the clown sweet lips. And its grows to be like 2 feet. But as a juvenile, what's wrong with keeping it for a while? I understand it will outgrow the tank. But at about 4 inches, what's the problem if it takes years to get big?

Le fish

 

[aztecdreams]

What are you going to do with him when he gets too big?

 

[Munch]

Well, nothing, just need an exit strategy when he grows up.

 

[Smiley]

Tarter sauce comes to mind

 

[Mav]

That thing is sweet!

 

[SkyDiv3r17]

I would offer him to anyone on here and then take him to my LFS, he'd be happy in their 180g I'm sure. And then they can sell him to someone else with a bigger tank.

 

[goslugsgo]

I'd clear it with the LFS, personally, before I assumed a course of action. If they be cool I be cool.

 

[Haulin Oates]

I would offer him to anyone on here and then take him to my LFS, he'd be happy in their 180g I'm sure. And then they can sell him to someone else with a bigger tank.

While I agree with you in theory, I just want to make a few points;
-Your LFS may not be around when you are ready to let him go.
-many people on this forum that have tanks big enough to house an adult sweet lips have several thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars wrapped up in their reef, and thusly probably would be very hesitant to take a fish off you, even for free.
-same goes for the aquarium... they rarely take donation animals.
-are you prepared to tear your entire reef apart when you have to catch him?
I would think long and hard about grabbing this fish while you have a 75. Believe me, I've been there and even bought a few fish I knew weren't a good idea. It has always ended in disaster for me.

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[Fitz19d]

Bad idea. I was looking at these new sweetlips and such on LA. Even they advocate like 300g tank which is often under sized for most things they state. So again you'd have very few members with that kind of tank and even fewer that would want it. (It is 2ft I imagine it would eat some small fish or something else desirable.)

I want to say like Groupers, they probably also each large sizes rather fast. There's a reason on every fish forum everywhere people vehemently tell people not to do things like buy tangs small in their 30g imagining they'd upgrade later etc. It just doesn't happen. At least with the tangs most of them are fine for 125 to 200g tanks and more people that would take them. But the truly big things like groupers and your sweetlips is a whole different story.

 

[SkyDiv3r17]

Hmmmmm :/ Thanks for the advice guys. I might just have to pass then

 

[sethsolomon]

I would chat it up with the aquarium in denver and see if they would be your exit plan. If they are ok with it I would say go for it.

 

[aztecdreams]

I have been around a few LFS that won't take large fish. Most times it gonna sit in their big tank for months or longer with no other fish being able to be housed with them

 

[jahmic]

I have been around a few LFS that won't take large fish. Most times it gonna sit in their big tank for months or longer with no other fish being able to be housed with them

Exactly. I hate to see these fish pulled from the wild only to be stuck in a tank barely large enough for them to turn around in at the lfs after outgrowing a hobbyist's tank.

If you love the fish and need to own one...wait til you have a tank big enough to house one...or at least have immediate plans for a sufficient upgrade. I've always been the type that hates trading fish to the LFS...you never know where they're going to end up Unless you have solid plans I'd try to avoid it. Just my 2 cents

 

[ialtalal]

Exactly. I hate to see these fish pulled from the wild only to be stuck in a tank barely large enough for them to turn around in at the lfs after outgrowing a hobbyist's tank.

If you love the fish and need to own one...wait til you have a tank big enough to house one...or at least have immediate plans for a sufficient upgrade. I've always been the type that hates trading fish to the LFS...you never know where they're going to end up Unless you have solid plans I'd try to avoid it. Just my 2 cents

+1

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[Cherub]

Exactly. I hate to see these fish pulled from the wild only to be stuck in a tank barely large enough for them to turn around in at the lfs after outgrowing a hobbyist's tank.

If you love the fish and need to own one...wait til you have a tank big enough to house one...or at least have immediate plans for a sufficient upgrade. I've always been the type that hates trading fish to the LFS...you never know where they're going to end up Unless you have solid plans I'd try to avoid it. Just my 2 cents

+1000

If you love a fish then love it. Know it's limits and respect that. Many argue that they buy them to save them from a LFS but all that does is validate the LFS in the first place. If a LFS is wrong then let them live with that and don't bring that damage to yourself.

Just my opinion. I am not the "tang police"