some of your fish have been dyed, which is what AMS is referring to. I don't know if you know that now (I'm assuming you didn't, and/or your sister didn't when they were purchased as usually the people who buy them are unaware of the fact). The process of dying fish takes several forms, but all are harmful and reduce the hardiness of your fish. Sometimes they are injected with the dye using hypodermic needles, which from a fish's perspective are enormous. These injections are usually in several places. Another method is to put the fish in a solution that will strip it of its slime coat, then dunk it in the dye. Many of the fish that are made to suffer through this process don't survive, and those that do are often more susceptible to disease and death - no to mention that the dye often fades eventually anyhow - but its not about lives or suffering, its about money.
AMS, I don't know if you meant to come off the way you did (at least to me) but maybe next time tell the person why you think they are going to get flamed, don't just tell them they are going to get flamed. And in all honesty, I haven't met a single person who wasn't horrified about the dying after they hear about it. The trouble is that most people never think that maybe those fish have been dyed, so why would they look for information on it? No pet store chain is going to tell customers that their fish have been dyed, that thousands, if not millions, have died during the process, and that the fish they are purchasing today will eventually fade, if they don't just die in a month. This is a case where commenting on the choice of fish would have been useful, keeping your mouth shut only perpetuates the problem.
hmm... more lecture-y than I meant to sound. sorry for that.
