Keeping Fish

[oldhenlikesdogs]

X 2 - no one starts out knowing it all- and it takes experience, trial and, yes, error to get it all down and even then you still have things that happen where you have losses, issues, learn new things, etc.   I've been keeping fish for over 30 years and still have things happen now and then or have to learn something new.

One thing that can go a long way to help is to find a good Local Fish Store (LFS) - this is not your closest PetSmart/Petco, but an actual, honest to goodness fish store - a place staffed by folks with years of experience in fish keeping who share the passion you are developing - folks who are only too happy to share their knowledge and experience with newcomers to the hobby.  A good fish store/fish mentor is worth it's weight in gold!

We are rural here and small pet shops can't survive, my options are a petco 35 miles away or my Wal-Mart.

 

[politicalcenter]

We are rural here and small pet shops can't survive, my options are a petco 35 miles away or my Wal-Mart.

I have some very nice Koi that came from Wal-Mart. Two of them are about three years old and stuck in a small pond and I haven't figured out a way to get them into my bigger pond. They are about 16 inches long now and very nice fish.

 

[LeafBlade12345]

Always look for small, local pet stores when possible. I've found a couple, but beware, in the past I've been sold EXTREMELY aggressive fish by family owned stores out or make money. I was sold two African cichlids and a dinosaur bichir before I was experienced enough to know much about their temperaments. The family sold them to us because they "looked fine", but after ten minutes in our community tank, the bichir had literally chomped one fish in half... The cichlids weren't exactly great either. Sadly, we also bought a parrotlet and tortoise from this shop. The bird lived to be one year old, when its projected lifespan was twenty. The tortoise was quite sickly and we were sold inappropriate food. Luckily, we had another tortoise so we were able to take better care of him. He is still alive and thriving outdoors. Just do your research before buying anywhere.

Regards,
Leaf

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

We are rural here and small pet shops can't survive, my options are a petco 35 miles away or my Wal-Mart.

Belive me, I understand that as it is the same here with only a Walmart in the nearest town and the *good* store an hour away, I won't even buy fish food at Walmart, let alone fish, lol, so I make a point to stock up when I make the drive and don't go very often (which helps keep fish shopping in check, lol) or mail order good supplies.

 

[Varglet]

I was planning on starting up a betta sorority, but I found a local fish place (and by local, I mean in town which is 2 & 1/2 hours away) that had axolotls, so I decided on those instead. I know they aren't fish, but I didn't see any other active aquarium topics, so I hope it's okay to post here.

I have been doing research and have a 40 gallon breeder tank from Petco's $1 per gallon sale. It'll be quite a while before I'll actually have everything ready because I'm rather poor and using the pasture rent to buy everything (and I never know when that woman is going to pay me).

Going to get a long hose for water changes and make sure the tank holds water (never know, even with new tanks) and that the table it's on will hold the weight. Next is sand and a DIY lid, once I have more money.

Most of the fish in the LFS looked great, but the axolotls are kept in small tanks with too much lighting. Their gills look horrible (from stress).

 

[waddles99]

I know shipping is a drag and very costly for fish, but if you are planning on a large order for stocking a tank, why not order online? You get better prices, way more selection, and better quality.

 

[Shellybean02]

Unfortunately there aren't any nitrite or nitrate spikes in my aquarium yet, so my boys will have to continue with the ammonia(I'm actually not sure if the ammonia is high or low, because I find it really hard to match the results to the color guide). Hopefully by the end of tomorrow, or in two days, the tank will be cycled. Would it be okay for me to add a bit more bacteria, or will this disturb the process and hurt the fish?

 

[LeafBlade12345]

Unfortunately there aren't any nitrite or nitrate spikes in my aquarium yet, so my boys will have to continue with the ammonia(I'm actually not sure if the ammonia is high or low, because I find it really hard to match the results to the color guide). Hopefully by the end of tomorrow, or in two days, the tank will be cycled. Would it be okay for me to add a bit more bacteria, or will this disturb the process and hurt the fish?

You should just let it be at this point. The best would be to let this play out and replace fish if they do not survive. I wouldn't destabilize anything else by adding more bacteria, but it probably wouldn't hurt. Good luck and keep us updated on your boys' conditions!

Regards,
Leaf

 

[LeafBlade12345]

I have some very nice Koi that came from Wal-Mart. Two of them are about three years old and stuck in a small pond and I haven't figured out  a way to get them into my bigger pond. They are about 16 inches long now and very nice fish.

I have some very nice Koi that came from Wal-Mart. Two of them are about three years old and stuck in a small pond and I haven't figured out  a way to get them into my bigger pond. They are about 16 inches long now and very nice fish.

I've gotten great fish from pet smart. Some have lived for about ten years! And most of the employees are relatively interested in the animals' health, though I prefer nearby pet stores, which aren't chains, much more. Yet Petsmart can be expensive and it sickens me to see dyed fish there. I also hate the fact that they make no attempt to treat sick or injured fish. I've heard way too many, "they're just fish" comments from staff to truly trust them.

 

[politicalcenter]

I've gotten great fish from pet smart. Some have lived for about ten years! And most of the employees are relatively interested in the animals' health, though I prefer nearby pet stores, which aren't chains, much more. Yet Petsmart can be expensive and it sickens me to see dyed fish there. I also hate the fact that they make no attempt to treat sick or injured fish. I've heard way too many, "they're just fish" comments from staff to truly trust them.

We finally got a privately owned pet store in our area and when...and if..I buy aquarium fish I would rather do business with them.

But most of the fish I buy anymore I buy from a place that stocks ponds. Last year I bought 100 bluegill, 100 red ear sunfish, and 350 channel catfish.

It averaged out to about 45 to 50 dollars a hundred.I haven't had a dead fish in months and soon...as mentioned before I will harvest my meals from there.

Five pounds of catfish fillets go for 30 dollars at the local CO-OP. I should harvest over 400 pounds of live catfish from my ponds. They are small above ground ponds.

I have found that my catfish thrive on neglect. I just feed them.