I have been on the hunt for black neon tetras - a common, ordinary, easily available shoaler that I happen to really like. I haven't kept them in the last 20 years, and I don't know why.
Like many people here, I live in a place that isn't a hot spot in the hobby. We have two local stores that have half decent fish, but both overcharge outrageously for fish that don't look great. I buy all my dry goods from them to support local, but I can't bring myself to support the fish price gouge.
I priced online sellers, but with shipping, a starter shoal was still very expensive. I'd like to try to breed the fish, and for that, I need good ones.
This weekend, I travelled four hours to a larger city, and stopped into a couple of fish stores. One of them stood out as it had clean tanks, knowledgeable staff, a good variety of offerings and a simple good atmosphere. There were a lot of customers, and the staff knew a lot of them by name. I got into a conversation with the owner, and was really impressed. I also bought three species of tetras at a fraction of what I would have paid online. I was able to eyeball them, check for any signs of illness, watch them swim and see them interact. They were good, so I will now have a bread and butter fish tank - black neons (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi), unmodified, natural Pristella tetras (Pristella maxillaris), and Glowlight tetras (Hemigrammus erythrozonus). Common fish are common for a reason - they're really nice and people like them for that.
Because they are farmed fish, quarantine will be 3 months. They're always higher risk than wild caught fish, but these species I wanted have been farm only for decades.
When I buy fish, I consider I am going fishing. Not every spot is a good one. Patience is key to any fishing success. A lot of anglers will travel to good lakes, and fish buyers should consider travelling to good stores. Good fish come to those who wait. Sometimes, you catch nothing. Here, I visit the larger city on a regular basis to see family, and I have found a good, not exactly local store where I can support a business that supports the regional hobby. The fish are good, and importantly, I can observe them. That's priceless to me, as I'm not a trusting fish buyer, and I have seen some awful online fish - the same unhealthy fish you'd get at a box store.
If you aren't too far from civilization (ie, places with good fish!) it's worthwhile to explore a bit, and support local if you can.
Like many people here, I live in a place that isn't a hot spot in the hobby. We have two local stores that have half decent fish, but both overcharge outrageously for fish that don't look great. I buy all my dry goods from them to support local, but I can't bring myself to support the fish price gouge.
I priced online sellers, but with shipping, a starter shoal was still very expensive. I'd like to try to breed the fish, and for that, I need good ones.
This weekend, I travelled four hours to a larger city, and stopped into a couple of fish stores. One of them stood out as it had clean tanks, knowledgeable staff, a good variety of offerings and a simple good atmosphere. There were a lot of customers, and the staff knew a lot of them by name. I got into a conversation with the owner, and was really impressed. I also bought three species of tetras at a fraction of what I would have paid online. I was able to eyeball them, check for any signs of illness, watch them swim and see them interact. They were good, so I will now have a bread and butter fish tank - black neons (Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi), unmodified, natural Pristella tetras (Pristella maxillaris), and Glowlight tetras (Hemigrammus erythrozonus). Common fish are common for a reason - they're really nice and people like them for that.
Because they are farmed fish, quarantine will be 3 months. They're always higher risk than wild caught fish, but these species I wanted have been farm only for decades.
When I buy fish, I consider I am going fishing. Not every spot is a good one. Patience is key to any fishing success. A lot of anglers will travel to good lakes, and fish buyers should consider travelling to good stores. Good fish come to those who wait. Sometimes, you catch nothing. Here, I visit the larger city on a regular basis to see family, and I have found a good, not exactly local store where I can support a business that supports the regional hobby. The fish are good, and importantly, I can observe them. That's priceless to me, as I'm not a trusting fish buyer, and I have seen some awful online fish - the same unhealthy fish you'd get at a box store.
If you aren't too far from civilization (ie, places with good fish!) it's worthwhile to explore a bit, and support local if you can.
