# Advise on telling my son his fav fish has got to go..



## Holly (Feb 28, 2007)

You all know by now I have a monster pleco who's name is Plucky. He's about 9 inches long and I got a good look at him tonight since he nicely rearranged the whole right side of the tank and stirred up all of the substrate down to the bottom of the tank, and he's about 3 inches across. I thought getting the 55g would make him happier but he's grown so much since I upgraded that he's not happy in this tank. He likes the drift wood but he doesn't have room to really move and it seems like he stays in his little corner all the time. 

I have a lfs that will take him but I would feel more comfortable if someone from here would take him since everyone on here seems to know so much more than the average person in the hobby. And who knows who would buy this pretty fish! Any takers around NJ?? How do I expain to my 3 year old why he's not there anymore???


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## Holly (Feb 28, 2007)

There's probably a better place to post this but I wasn't sure where.


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## Falina (Feb 25, 2007)

What age is your son? Different ages will better understand different things but i think that the best thing to do is to explain the truth of what will happen to him.

It seems harsh to tell him "if he stays here he will die" but perhaps it's the best way for him to understand that he has to go. Explan what happens (the growth stunting, the lack of swimming space etc). Givehim examples of what it might be like to be locked in the bathroom (a small space) for the rest of his life and never allowed out into a igger room. if it's his favourite fish he'll prefer him to live somewhere else than to die with him.

Good luck, and well done for doing the right thing.


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## Holly (Feb 28, 2007)

The bathroom thing isn't bad. He's 3 so he won't understand much else.


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## herefishy (Dec 14, 2006)

Why not tell him he can take "Plucky" to the fish store and get a bunch more fish? Maybe he could even get a smaller "Plucky" that can grow up with him


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## Altohombre (Dec 31, 2007)

Planet Pets & Hobby World on route 27 in New Jersey has a huge tank of large plecos. I had the same problem and the guy told me I could just bring him in and they would take it.


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## Holly (Feb 28, 2007)

herefishy said:


> Why not tell him he can take "Plucky" to the fish store and get a bunch more fish? Maybe he could even get a smaller "Plucky" that can grow up with him


I tried that and do you want to know that childs answer?? "I don't want baby Pluckys or other fish, I love my Plucky!" He's way to smart!!!! 

I did get him to agree to letting me ask my neighbor if he would take Plucky. He said it would be ok if Plucky just went across the street. So I'm going to try to talk my neighbor into taking Plucky.


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## Cichlidmom (Jan 21, 2008)

Hi, sorry Pluky has to go !! I have little one's myself...If you can't get the person across the street to take him and you " need " to take him somewhere else....

** If he " HAS " to go and you want him to be involved, and if he is sad I would try and make it a positive thing...LIKE....

Guess what ?? You did SUCH a great job looking after Pluky and being such a good friend that he has grown big and strong and he's ready for his new home..his bigger home where he will have lot's more room to play. Pluky thanks you for doing such a good job and I wonder if we got a new little one if it would grow just the same ?? What do you think...
Maybe if he's goes along with this you could keep it going by whereever you bring Pluky to your little one can show him his new home so your little one feels invloved. 

No matter what you decide, good luck !!


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## tophat665 (Sep 30, 2006)

Well, you could take your three year old of to planet pet and show him the big tank and tell him that this wis where plecos go to college, and tell him that plucky's gotten big enough it's time to take him there and let him get his degree. Alternately, you colud tell him that plucky needs to go away to school, where the tank is big enough he can turn around, and there'll be lots of other plecos he can make friends with (the pathetic fallacy being a 3 year old's reality). Bottom line is he needs a 48x24 tank footprint, so unless you feel like getting a 2nd 55 and stitching it together with the first (which, BTW, can be done relatively easily), that pleco's got to go.


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## Holly (Feb 28, 2007)

Thank you to all. I sat down with him tonight and let him know that he did so good with Plucky that he's ready to go to big boy school. He asked where he was going and I told him that we would go to the lfs this weekend and he could see. We then looked online at other large plecos and their tanks and he told me Plucky's room was too small!!! YEAH!! I also posted him for free on some pleco forums so hopefully someone who knows about plecos will come through. Thanks again!


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## Holly (Feb 28, 2007)

Well he's gone.  Plucky went to big boy school and the guppies went too so he wouldn't be lonley. The baby came with me and watch the man but him in the huge tank. I must say..if the baby wasn't there I might have cried when we left! LOL I'm really surprised I fell in love with a fish but he's been my buddy and I raised him from 3 inches to 10 inches. The final measurment was 10 inches long and almost 3 inches wide. 

However on the bright side, they have blue rams, I got my rock and caves so I'm ready to start rearranging the tank for the new fish. I need to go and look for a new (smaller) pleco now.


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## tophat665 (Sep 30, 2006)

In a 55, get yourself a pair of Bristlenoses. There's enough space in a 55 that two males will be able to set up their own territories, if you get two females, you won't have a problem, and if you get a male and a female, there's a distinct possibility that they'll breed (just feed live blackworms). They max out around 5" and are totally compatible with any community fish - so rams shouldn't be any problem to keep with them. If you want something more unusual and you can find them there are also albino and albino veil fin forms that are just gorgeous in an HP Lovecraft sort of a way.


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## okiemavis (Nov 10, 2007)

There's lots of REALLY cool plecos. You could go online with your son and have him help you pick them out. Lots of funky colours, polka dots, stripes, etc.

Glad Plucky's found a larger home!


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## crazy4fish (Dec 31, 2007)

sorry plucky had to go but you did the right thing! :wink: rams sound like a great choice for your next fish!


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## willow (Sep 9, 2006)

aww,i'm glad it worked out for you,and the little one was brave.


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