Just a little ranting about fish purchases....

iheartmypitbull

..... please please PLEASE make sure you research a fish before you get it! It drives me ABSOLUTELY NUTS when people go "oh, I just picked up a few of these today and don't know anything about them."

It's important that you know what you're getting yourself into, ESPECIALLY if you're getting into some of the bigger/more expensive fish. I might be a little biased but it seems to me that it happens a lot more with cichlids than any other fish. NOT ALL CICHLIDS CAN GO IN A COMMUNITY TANK WITH YOUR GUPPIES! NOT ALL CICHLIDS WILL BE FRIENDLY WITH EACH OTHER!

Please make sure you know the appropriate tank mates, water requirements, and tank size for the fish you want. I want to strangle people who go "um...... I just bough this baby oscar and put it in my five gallon tetra tank and now all my neons are dead.... what happened?" Working at a fish store I just want to smack both the people who come in like that AND the people who were dumb enough to sell the fish without asking about the tank first.

PLEASE MAKE WISE PURCHASES, THE FISH SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF YOUR IGNORANCE!!!

thanks.

kitten_penang

we'll it's the buyers responsibility to study bout the fish first before buying. can't blame anyone actually. as they say ask and you'll receive

Byron

Very sensible advice. I wish more would take it.

fryup

i totally agree with this thread :):):)....thank you hopefully ALOT!!! more people will read this :):):)

iheartmypitbull

I'm just sick of people thinking that water is water and that they'll all flourish in the same pH, temperature, salinity, etc. Fish are not all the same!

Have you guys ever noticed in fishtanks in movies a lot of the time they have thrown fish together with different water requirements that would probably kill each other in real tanks?

Mettalikatt

never noticed. I can only think of one movie that even gives a good shot of a fish tank. Deuce Bigalo? I think it was, not sure. I'll have to look for that now!

iheartmypitbull

I saw a movie one time (can't remember what it was) that had bettas, african cichlids, and bala sharks all in the same tank. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.

Mettalikatt

Wow! multiple bettas, balas with bettas, cichlids with them on top of that!

iheartmypitbull

I know. Don't get me wrong, the colors and everything were gorgeous together (which is what they were going for, I'm sure) but I'd hate to see how the fish looked after shooting all day, or week or whatever.

Calmwaters

I was helping out at the small lfs one day and a guy wanted to buy just one cory cat to go with one he already had and me and the other guy tried to tell him he really needed to get at least 2 more so the fish would not be stressed and he would not listen to us then had the nerve to say," There just fish if they die I will get more." I wish I could of smacked him.
Just want to add this should apply to any animal you get after all they don't chose us we chose them.