Fish rescue rainbow shark

[Colin_T]

Would you buy back a fish that you hadn't sold to the customer in the first place?

Yes, we used to all the time. If we had space and the fish looked healthy, we would take them and give the customer cash or credit.

 

[Fishfinder1973]

Nothing wrong with a rainbow shark.They aren't tank wreckers and hide away most of the day.
Now a black shark,that's different in my experience.My Otto's and Cory's were happy living along side two rainbow sharks.
The plecs were more wary of them.

 

[DoubleDutch]

My friend on the other forum is now leaning towards all three being different species! That is based on my terrible photos though, so will be trying to get clearer photos! It's interesting that the previous owners wound up with three very separate but very similar species of cory. I'm not surprised when someone has all different species of cory that are obviously different, where they shopped for and bought one bronze, one peppered, one panda etc etc. Disappointed, but not surprised when people throw together 'Noah's Ark' tanks. But these being so similar to each other suggests they probably didn't buy them all from the same tank at the same time, and at least tried to get the same species, but wound up with three different ones. I might have to ask them about it, we're in email contact.

We'll probably never know. These spotted ones show so many appearances within the species itself (C.agassizii is normally a bit elongated). That counts for size, (head)shape, coloring, spotting, etc etc....
Most are only to ID by the place they were caught. The fact that wholesalers often sell them as C.puncatus (meaning spotted) doesn't help either. C.punctatus isn't in the trade.

Hahahah Arc of Noah tanks. Then there should be 2 of.each hahahaha.
I call them Corycollections instead of shoal.

 

[ClownLurch]

Maidenheads don’t buy fish back anyway. They have a policy of accepting unwanted fish though. They must be getting sick of bag after bag of MrsLurchs unwanted juvenile endlers by now though.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Maidenheads don’t buy fish back anyway. They have a policy of accepting unwanted fish though. They must be getting sick of bag after bag of MrsLurchs unwanted juvenile endlers by now though.

Well, oscars gotta eat too!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Maidenheads don’t buy fish back anyway. They have a policy of accepting unwanted fish though. They must be getting sick of bag after bag of MrsLurchs unwanted juvenile endlers by now though.

Apparently they don't have a set policy - it seems to vary by store and who is managing it, their stocking at the time, etc. When I called my local Maidenhead, the guy flat out said we won't take a six inch rainbow shark, didn't seem to want to discuss it at all.

So hypocritical aren't they?!
I don't buy from Maidenhead as I can get better quality elsewhere. This puts me off ever buying from them
Glad you have the LFS's to rely on.
Everyone use your LFSs as much as you can or they'll be gone!

After I posted about that and we talked about it, I'd got my back up about them selling them for just a tenner each, the person I adopted them from got them from Maidenhead, so I called back again and asked to speak to a manager (Karen moment) who deal with their fish stocking. The manager tried to blame the employee being new, said that they sometimes take fish, and might take the rainbow "if they have space". That there isn't a set policy about what they will take in, it depends on the fish, the current space in QT etc, but that they try to when they can. Others here have had fish they've taken in, so clearly it varies.

He was more reasonable, and willing to explain, so I'll give them credit for that. But at first I told him I thought it was vile to sell these large, semi-aggressive fish to beginners for just a tenner each, the fish grows and tank erupts into chaos, then they won't take back the fish. He said they try to inform buyers about the fish they're getting, which I believe on the whole, some employees do - but clearly not all. He also tried to shift blame to Pets at Home - that people buy unsuitable fish there, then try to dump them on MA, that they once took in some African cichlids that had an illness that wiped out their whole African cichlid stock - but that even then, someone had their tank burst recently, and they agreed to house their whole stocking in a QT tank.

I did calm down a lot, I understand their position, up to a point. That point being that the three independent stores I've been to/talked to/given fish I've bred to - have had no problem taking in unwanted fish. I've never had them so no, so how do they manage it, while the big, profitable chains can sell these fish into the local market, but are so leery about taking them back once they're no longer so tiny and easy to flog?

Hahahah Arc of Noah tanks. Then there should be 2 of.each hahahaha.
I call them Corycollections instead of shoal.

I think of them as "Noah's Ark" tanks or "pick N mix" tanks. Where a beginner wants ALL the fish, and the attitude is "how many can I fit in there until it's full?" Sometimes they get them in twos "so they have a friend", so they'll have two cories, two loaches, two of one tetra, two of another, two barbs etc etc. That's your Noah's Ark tank. When it's one of everything in the store, or a few of one thing, a few of another, and some randoms, it's a pick N mix tank. Depressing in reality, have to try to find some humour somewhere!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Update since they've been in QT since midday Sunday. Have been doing 75% W/Cs daily on the QT which is currently housing the rainbow shark, three cories and oto. All look healthy, eating well, the rainbow shark has been an angel actually, since the gourami was moved. Spends nearly all it's time in the slate hide that came with him, he clearly thinks of it as his safe zone. The cories don't appear afraid of him either, they eat near his cave and he doesn't seem bothered by them that I've seen - but of course he's likely to be more active at night when I'm asleep.

A FB fish friend with a beautiful six ft tank might be taking him and the blue gourami. I'm really hoping for that, While I trust my local fish store to find the right home for him, it would be even better to move him directly to a perfect set up for him, and know he's settled with less moves. Plus if I have to take them to the fish store, I'm likely to come home with more fish.... and I'm not ready for them, lol.

Cories stick together closely when eating, resting and when swimming around. They don't seem to care that they're different species One of my favourite things about cories is how sociable they are. No signs of illness with them or the single oto - I can't wait to add the cories to the big gang, and the oto to the group of seven I have - he's been alone for so long, will be wonderful to see him meet other otos again!

Concerned about the blue gourami though... will write about her in another comment.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Nothing wrong with a rainbow shark.They aren't tank wreckers and hide away most of the day.
Now a black shark,that's different in my experience.My Otto's and Cory's were happy living along side two rainbow sharks.
The plecs were more wary of them.

This one does seem very chill - spends nearly all his time in his slate cave, I haven't seen him harass the cories or oto - but I still think too many bottom dwellers in among a large and territorial fish isn't a good idea. There are way too many tanks where it goes horribly wrong, and the bullied fish die from the stress.
I really like this rainbow. If I had the space and money to set him up, I'd keep him. But I'd want a 5-6 ft tank, river type set up, with him as the only bottom dweller and larger, more robust fish in the top/middle levels. Why make him feel his territory needs to be defended all the time, or risk the stress to the other fish who can't escape a large fish chasing them around? Beautiful fish in the right tank, they're just so rarely in the right set up.