Fish you'd like to see less of...

[MegTheFish]

Ummm... Not likely. I very much doubt something with a lifespan of about 2 years will live to four years due to mistreatement.

What? I thought it was 3-4 years? My betta is 3 1/2 and he's been living in a one gallon his whole life. I think if you stick them in a tiny cup they will only live about 2 years (or not even that).

 

[OohFeeshy]

Hmm, I've always heard its an average of two years.... Well anyway, its highly likely that 4 years is an exagguration. I agree with the mixed cichlids though, its awful. If they put different sized fish in different tanks (I mean, its not difficult to tell the difference between large and small is it?), then I don't see why they can't pu different cichlids in different tanks.

 

[wrs]

I would just like to see some colorfull fish in my lfs! So, I change my numbers, to everything! Everything is basically 3 colors
grey
urine yellow
and orange.

what about some blues and nice yellows, and reds. The store has about 28 tetra tetanks, 20 live bearer tanks, maybe 50 african cichlid tanks. 12 tanks with nothing in them, maybe a cory from time to time. Though they usually have nice goldfish. They dont even have pretty discus or danios, all muted or rust colored ones.
They dont even have a plant section! Oh wait they do, 2 plants, all the way up on the celing where no one can see them

 

[cheekeyarab]

Hey, lets not tarnish all kids by the actions of a few. Please remember that their behaviour is a result of parenting. The fishkeepers of tomorrow learn to respect or disrespect all pets by the actions of those around them.

My boy is 4 and has a nice little selection of fish in our aquarium. He has named them all and understands that "hitting tanks scare fish"

Keeping fsih is an education for him, I just explained to him that the clown loach he wanted would be too big for our tank when it grew bigger and he chose platies instead!

Also my lfs stocks far too many guppies. There are always plenty of dead ones floating about and the surge of water across the top of the tank plays havoc with their tails, poor babies.

 

[troutfly]

1. I hate seeing "mixed african cichlids" in a small tank where there are at least 4 different breeds of them and 3 different sizes. Some africans are water specific depending on their lake of origin, and this just makes them appear to be community fish, which they are not.

2. Plain old "common plecos" in a ten gallon tank with no literature on them of how large they get.

3. Blue Acaras, Jack Dempseys, Fire Mouths and Convicts all housed to gether in the same tank marked "argressive" with nothing more to say about how big these fish get. We all know that these fish get different sizes and have different temperments, but to the common fish buyer, it again gives them the impression they are communal fish.

4. Oscars and Pacus housed in the same tank, usually undersized and unmarked about needs of adult fish.

5. Seeing puffers housed in tanks with fish that have long fins(clown, ghost, and african knife fish) they do nothing but harrass these fish usually to the point where the fish dies.

6. In stores like Petco, the have gold fish tanks and tropical tanks linked together by the same filter system, spreads disease and not the same tamperatures.

7. Salt water fish that grow large in the shop because they are too high priced for people to buy them.

8. Pet stores using live feeders on their fish in tanks(carcasses left in tank when not eaten because feeder was too big for fish) spreading disease to fish stocks.

9. Blue lobsters housed in small "critter keepers" in tanks full of small fish so they aren't eaten by the lobsters.

10. People being sold 5 or 6 Bala sharks, 3 or 4 RTBS and 3 or 4 raindow sharks who have a 30 gallon tank because they are all "sharks" and would look "neat" together.

I think I have made my point........

 

[Mr Miagi]

7. Salt water fish that grow large in the shop because they are too high priced for people to buy them.

10. People being sold 5 or 6 Bala sharks, 3 or 4 RTBS and 3 or 4 raindow sharks who have a 30 gallon tank because they are all "sharks" and would look "neat" together.

I think those two points are mainly the purchasers fault, and not the lfs stores. It would be painful and rude to ask evryone who came in, their tank specs. Just my opinion though!

I would like to see more plain informative information on the glass fronts. And betta care sheets.

Id also like to see less clownloaches! There evrywhere!

 

[xanthianacid]

I'd like to see less dead fish - there's little excuse. The large pet-chain stores are the biggest culprits.

This reminds me of being in a new lfs today. (just new because i'd never been there before).

I saw a dead swordie in a small tank with lots and lots of swordies. I told the store person straight away, and remarked I thought it was disgusting as the dead one was being eaten by the others. He laughed and told me at least they were getting some food!

Shameful!!!!

 

[Ben]

trimacs,Midas and RD's at 3 inches for $4

mbunas(not because i dont like them, because people think they're pretty and put them with their "neon fish" and their "fish that rhymes with puppy", should have African Cichlid specialist stores IMO)

DD

 

[dwarfgourami]

One interesting thing that comes out of comparing these posts is how different different shops must be.

Several posters have said they wanted to see less ordinary livebearers. My chain store lfs does not seem to sell guppies at all, never seen them in there. They occasionally have a couple of platies or swordtails but you certainly can't rely on it.

Exactly half the tanks are taken up with goldfish- and goldfish bowls seems to be their bestselling fish item.

In the tropical tanks, they have a few shoals of various tetras (a large nice tank with neons), and often some mollies, but most of the space is taken up by red sharks, algae eaters, plecos, and balas- these seem to be the best-selling items. Also, lots of corys (though I don't mind that so much as I think more people can look after corys). Also angels- and last time 2 gorgeous but extremely boisterous giant danios stuck in a small tank with a miserable-looking dwarf gourami; you could see that he only wanted to get away and nurse his headache!

I think there must be something in the suggestion made in a previous post, that some of these fish are sold as tank sellers. Also, lots of people think that keeping"cool" fish is the way to prove one's expertise, regardless of whether you can provide decent living conditions or not. Personally, the concept of keeping any fish well, even the most everyday, impresses me more. Funny that we don't extend this "cool" concept to other pets; most people seem to think that keeping a common tabby is as valid an experience as keeping a more expensive Siamese.

 

[annka5]

Re: kids, I do agree that some are great / don't run round screaching and walloping the tanks. And it is cute when you overhear stuff like "I like those ones, but would they be freinds with <insert name of existing pet fish>?" from little kids.
Can I just see less of the kids that aren't like that?
Less (actually, NO) blind cave fish, as they give me the creeps. This is for my welfare, not for that of the fish!!

 

[beany_bot]

Less deliberate inbreeding of fish for certain traits, eg guppies with fancy fins - it makes them weak and in poor health and genetically screwed up.

 

[Sparnon]

Less long finned black widow tetras. Pointless imbred mutants for the sake of treating fish like ornaments.
Less large plecos.
Less goldfish marketed as tiny fish you can put in bowls. If you're gonna do that sell the much more impressive bettas. Goldfish are carp and grow big. They're practically indoor koi. Personally I'd love to keep some Shubunkin and Calico Fantails in a nice big 60 gallon. That'd be much more awesome than a little stunted half dead thing in a glorified jam jar.

Interestingly, one of my LFS's has a big tank.. I'm assuming it must be at least 50 gallons. It's been a display tank there for a very long time. One day they decided to sell all the fish in it. That was years ago. They're now left with two plecs in there, one is a goldish coloured one, the other one a common plec. They're HUGE. They're both 18" or more, and they just sit there basking under their tree roots and rocks. One is £20 the other £25. Despite their incredibly low price for their size, nobody wants to buy them.

If only people realised they got so huge.

What I don't understand is why LFS don't make a point of selling smaller ones. There are so many varietys of plec, many only reach 2.5". I know about the whole tank seller thing, but it seems so trivial. You'll sell tanks regardless of whether you trick people into buying certain fish. It's amazing to watch. People will come in to that LFS, see the big plecs, gaup at them, notice the price tag, walk on, and then go buy a SMALL plec. What they don't understand is that it's a juvenile version and will end up exactly the same as the one in the big tank! Nobody says, "hey by the way you might want to look at these two, this is how big yours will get".

Stupid stupid stupid stupid.

Also I'd like to see less "finding nemo" fish. That film has probably caused so many botched marine setups.
On a similar note I'd also like to see less 5/8 gallon tanks, with pictures on the box of clownfish swimming around anemones in the tank. Especially if they're not even marine tanks. Because it's just not happening folks, you'll be "finding nemo" floating lifelessly around the rotting hulk of an anemone on some now dead "living rock". If you've got that much money to throw away you might as well get a big tank and learn how to do it properly.

 

[kribensis12]

Argggggghhhhhhh. Why do people keep resurecting anceint threads? Ohh well, its already been resurected.

Goldfish
some tetras
guppies ( until they adopt a stronger strain, such as the one i have created)

Well, thats about it.

 

[kuruptedseed]

I agree with most of this ... Although fishkeepers should be doing their homework on what pets they want to keep! With the advent of Google nobody has an excuse not to be informed

 

[kuruptedseed]

Less long finned black widow tetras. Pointless imbred mutants for the sake of treating fish like ornaments.
Less large plecos.
Less goldfish marketed as tiny fish you can put in bowls. If you're gonna do that sell the much more impressive bettas. Goldfish are carp and grow big. They're practically indoor koi. Personally I'd love to keep some Shubunkin and Calico Fantails in a nice big 60 gallon. That'd be much more awesome than a little stunted half dead thing in a glorified jam jar.

Interestingly, one of my LFS's has a big tank.. I'm assuming it must be at least 50 gallons. It's been a display tank there for a very long time. One day they decided to sell all the fish in it. That was years ago. They're now left with two plecs in there, one is a goldish coloured one, the other one a common plec. They're HUGE. They're both 18" or more, and they just sit there basking under their tree roots and rocks. One is £20 the other £25. Despite their incredibly low price for their size, nobody wants to buy them.

If only people realised they got so huge.

What I don't understand is why LFS don't make a point of selling smaller ones. There are so many varietys of plec, many only reach 2.5". I know about the whole tank seller thing, but it seems so trivial. You'll sell tanks regardless of whether you trick people into buying certain fish. It's amazing to watch. People will come in to that LFS, see the big plecs, gaup at them, notice the price tag, walk on, and then go buy a SMALL plec. What they don't understand is that it's a juvenile version and will end up exactly the same as the one in the big tank! Nobody says, "hey by the way you might want to look at these two, this is how big yours will get".

Stupid stupid stupid stupid.

Also I'd like to see less "finding nemo" fish. That film has probably caused so many botched marine setups.
On a similar note I'd also like to see less 5/8 gallon tanks, with pictures on the box of clownfish swimming around anemones in the tank. Especially if they're not even marine tanks. Because it's just not happening folks, you'll be "finding nemo" floating lifelessly around the rotting hulk of an anemone on some now dead "living rock". If you've got that much money to throw away you might as well get a big tank and learn how to do it properly.

It all comes down to $$$$...LFS will sell whatever fish they will make the most money on.. Period... It sux for the consumer but until people stop buying the 5 for 5 guppies and neons nothing will change