About the Rescue:

Our aquarium fish rescue opened back in 2001 in Hillsboro, Oregon.  Initially we received a fair amount of laughter, but the concept aught on quickly and we were soon serving customers from all over the states of Oregon and Washington.

The concept of the fish rescue came from my inquisitive nature and addiction to the aquarium hobby. My wife would laugh each time I would reach a point where I felt I had learned enough about my current fish and wanted to learn about new ones.  One of the problems with my addiction was that I could not always afford new tanks, so what could I do with my fish?  I spoke with a number of pet shops and found that many of them will not take fish from customers due to the risk of introducing diseases into their own tanks.  It was at this time that I decided that if dogs & cats can be taken to a shelter, then there should be something like this for fish also!  I purchased a few used tanks and started advertising my concept of the fish rescue.

The rescue provided me with a way to place my fish in good homes and take in fish that others no longer wanted. It gave me a way to study many different kinds of aquarium fish, meet other hobbyists, and protect our local waterways from people dumping unwanted fish due to the inability to re-home them elsewhere.  It also gave me an opportunity to both teach and learn from other hobbyists, which has been one of my greatest sources of relaxation and satisfaction.

We take in fish for many different reasons.  We often receive fish that have outgrown their aquariums or become to aggresive. Some come from individuals who are moving and cannot take their fish with them. And then of course there are many people out there like myself who enjoy learning about different fish but may not have the number of aquariums or space to setup multiple habitats.

When fish come into the rescue, I make sure that they are healthy and then find them new homes where they will be cared for.  People have been surprised when I have refused to sell them a fish due to them having incompatible tank mates or improper setup for the particular fish.  Instead, I educate them on the proper care of their fish and to be build a proper habitat.

We often have need for more aquariums and equipment, so if you have anything to donate, please let us know!  To learn what rescue fish are currently available for adoption, keep an eye out for our postings on Craigslist, view the list of currently available fish here on this page, or give me a call at 503-314-8253.

Available Rescues

We will try to keep the list on this page up to date, but our inventory changes daily due to the number of incoming and outgoing rescues.

Common Name

Description

Available

Date Received

Convict Cichlid I have a bunch of these guys including some albinos Yes 9/14/2011