Made A Fish Caresheet For My Job At A Pet Store...

[rothenb1]

You all have been very helpful in giving me advice on fishkeeping!

I have made a fish caresheet for customers to use when thinking about purchasing fish. I'm tired of people thinking they can put oscars in a bowl.

Please take a look and tell me if I am incorrect about some things, if some things should be changed, et cetera. Constructive criticism is always good!


Thanks so much.


PS Couldn't upload a Microsoft word file so I just copied and pasted it.


General Fishkeeping Rules

1. Two gallons per inch of fish, for each fish. If you want two cichlids, you need at least a 25 gallon tank (2 fish x 6 inches = 12 x 2 gallons = 24). A bigger tank is always better (wouldn’t you want to live in a bigger house?)
2. All fish need a filter. Tropical fish are susceptible to ammonia levels in the water, which a filter takes out. Goldfish need a filter because they have extremely dirty feces. If you do not want to use a filter, you will do lots of water changes, at least 3 a week.
3. Never mix goldfish and tropical fish, simply because goldfish have such ammonia-filled feces. This is deadly to a tropical fish.
4. Feed fish small amounts twice a day. Use different types of food.
5. Tropical fish need a heater. There is a reason they are called tropical fish; they need warm water. Between 75-82˚F is perfect. Goldfish do not need a heater, they can do fine in room temperature water. Use an air pump, tubing, and some sort or apparatus to add oxygen to the water.
6. It is best to mix similar-tempered fish together. Aggressive fish with other aggressive fish (try to stick to the same species, same size—otherwise, the smaller fish will become dinner), community fish with other community fish (egg-layers with other egg layers, livebearers with other livebearers), and semi-aggressive fish with other semi-aggressives.
7. Make sure you have plenty of spots for your fish to hide. Decorations or plants are fine.
8. Use water conditioner, read the label carefully. Check your water frequently. Use test strips or a more elaborate kit.
9. Change 10% of your tank’s water every week to keep up with algae growth and water conditions. Use Nutrafin™ Cycle to keep good bacteria in the tank.
10. Add bacteria (or use Nutrafin™ Cycle) to a new tank. Fish will die from “New Tank Syndrome” without good bacteria in the tank.


How Large Will My Fish Get?

Tropical Fish

Aggressive
Chichlids: 6 inches
Oscars: 1ft+

Community Livebearers
Mollies: 5 inches
Platies: 3 inches
Swordtails: 5 inches with sword (males)
Guppies: 3 inches

Community Egg Layers
Tetras: 3 inches
Other danios: 3 inches
Blue, Gold, Opaline, Banded gouramis: 5 inches
Pink kisser: 9 inches
Dwarf gouramis: 3 inches
Plecos (algae eaters): 20 inches
Corydoras catfish: 3 inches
Striped Raphael catfish: 6 inches
Ghost glass catfish: 3 inches

Semi-aggressive
Giant danio: 6 inches
Silver dollars: 7 inches
Red pacus: 2 ft+
Paradise fish: 5 inches
Iridescent shark: 3ft+
Blackfin shark: 5 inches
Bala shark: 1ft+
Knife fish: 1ft+
Barbs: 2 inches
Dwarf puffers: 1.5 inches

Goldfish

Sarassa/Shubunkin/Comets: 3ft+
Fantails/Black moor: 10 inches

 

[GAB99]

put a website that eplains cyclingon there instead of saying "use this product."

stripped raphs IME have reached 12" with lots of room and great care. normal is 8" i think

if every one around you that uses this stor is dumb just tell them to feed once a day to be safe.

for#8 put that it is for waterchanges.

overall, nice caresheet, might want to be specific that they do lots of reasearch and that if they go against your judgement that they will be completedly responsible for the fish and will not be reimberesed if said fish dies.

 

[OldMan47]

Your temperature target is too high. Most of the common livebearers you will see in the store are fine above 72F.
The Nutrafin Cycle is a product looking for a purpose, it does nothing useful in a tank.
Goldfish don't mix well with tropicals mostly because of temperature requirements. The waste problem is often greatly overstated and the idea that they produce more ammonia is just wrong.
The advice to use test strips is wrong, they are almost completely useless. You need to encourage use of liquid type test kits.
The idea that you need an air pump and air stones is wrong again. Plenty of oxygen will be present in any tank with good water circulation to prevent dead spots near the water surface.
2 gallons per inch is overkill in typical smaller fish. Even an inch a gallon can be exceeded with small fish. Large fish do not have any equivalent number to even try to use. Big fish simply need big tanks, and a 29 is a small tank, not a big one.

 

[AdAndrews]

why would you need an airpump for a goldfish tank in particular? There is more dissolved oxygen in lower tempteratures, eg.. what goldfish live in

As OM said i think the 2 gals per inch of fish is ridiculous aswell, its fine to have 1 inch per gallon, and 2 inches per gallon when mature, but none of these stupid rules matter anyway, becuase everyone's sutiuation is different, different filters, different lengths of tank ratio compared with height, etc.. many things are the factors of what degrees we keep fish under.

 

[dave_oddballs]

from a fish store workers and customers point of view it is always better to give basic information on a label on the tank with basic information on every single fish, you can't just say that cichlids = 6" because lots don't reach 6" and lots get plenty bigger.
i am always impressed when i go into a fish store and see on every tank a lable something like this;

Common name;
Scientific name;
Max size;
Min. tank size;
ph;
temp.;

it is simple and gives most information that a general customer would need to know, and if and when a customer needs to ask further questions you should be able to answer them.
the labels can be kept on a computer as a template and just filled in as and when fish are coming in and put out on sale.

Dave

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Yeah, the two inches thing is overboard. According to your sheet, I would need a twelve gallon tank to house two guppies (at your stated three inches), yet a twelve inch oscar would only need a twenty four gallon tank, which makes no sense.

I would definetely agree with Dave's suggestion on having things stated directly on the tank, and in my personal experience people seem to do better if instead of just stating the size i.e. 6in, you instead put a strip of brighter colored tape that is actually 6inches long so, it gives them something tangable instead of just 'oh, six inches' and they don't always grasp the actual size.

Most people can picture a great dane, but until one is standing next to you, you don't realize just how big they are.

Also, Mojo and Oldman are right,, don't mention a product when it comes to cycling, not only do they not really help, but in no way does it explain what cycling actually is, and it may seem as if you are pushing one product, which may make people think that its just a ploy to get them to buy it. Also, if someone who knows a little about cycling sees that, they may think the rest of the article is not that knowledgable.

And absolutely tell them to research.

 

[rothenb1]

Your temperature target is too high. Most of the common livebearers you will see in the store are fine above 72F.
The Nutrafin Cycle is a product looking for a purpose, it does nothing useful in a tank.
Goldfish don't mix well with tropicals mostly because of temperature requirements. The waste problem is often greatly overstated and the idea that they produce more ammonia is just wrong.
The advice to use test strips is wrong, they are almost completely useless. You need to encourage use of liquid type test kits.
The idea that you need an air pump and air stones is wrong again. Plenty of oxygen will be present in any tank with good water circulation to prevent dead spots near the water surface.
2 gallons per inch is overkill in typical smaller fish. Even an inch a gallon can be exceeded with small fish. Large fish do not have any equivalent number to even try to use. Big fish simply need big tanks, and a 29 is a small tank, not a big one.

thank you very much!

from a fish store workers and customers point of view it is always better to give basic information on a label on the tank with basic information on every single fish, you can't just say that cichlids = 6" because lots don't reach 6" and lots get plenty bigger.
i am always impressed when i go into a fish store and see on every tank a lable something like this;

Common name;
Scientific name;
Max size;
Min. tank size;
ph;
temp.;

it is simple and gives most information that a general customer would need to know, and if and when a customer needs to ask further questions you should be able to answer them.
the labels can be kept on a computer as a template and just filled in as and when fish are coming in and put out on sale.

Dave

Unfortunately, my manager will not agree to do that. I don't even know if she will agree to the care sheet.

Yeah, the two inches thing is overboard. According to your sheet, I would need a twelve gallon tank to house two guppies (at your stated three inches), yet a twelve inch oscar would only need a twenty four gallon tank, which makes no sense.

I would definetely agree with Dave's suggestion on having things stated directly on the tank, and in my personal experience people seem to do better if instead of just stating the size i.e. 6in, you instead put a strip of brighter colored tape that is actually 6inches long so, it gives them something tangable instead of just 'oh, six inches' and they don't always grasp the actual size.

Most people can picture a great dane, but until one is standing next to you, you don't realize just how big they are.

Also, Mojo and Oldman are right,, don't mention a product when it comes to cycling, not only do they not really help, but in no way does it explain what cycling actually is, and it may seem as if you are pushing one product, which may make people think that its just a ploy to get them to buy it. Also, if someone who knows a little about cycling sees that, they may think the rest of the article is not that knowledgable.

And absolutely tell them to research.

Alright, thank you very much for your input. Can you tell me a bit more about cycling, then?

 

[Honeythorn]

Your manager won't agree to put basic information about the fish you are selling on the tanks? How are people supposed to know what they re buying, how big it gets, and what temperature and requirements it needs? How can you expect to sell fish properly if people don't know what they're paying for?

 

[Tolak]

To make it easier on yourself, as well as your manager, why not give them info for this website? Stocking, tank size, temperature ranges, products and so on are incredibly varied, many books have been written on these topics.

Newer aquarists are going to gloss over care sheets, you're lucky if they will read tags on tanks. They see, they like, they want. The advantage you have is your own knowledge, and the ability to convey this info when they start to discuss purchases. Your backup for the information you give them is this website.

To most shops, from what I've seen, everything they sell is considered product, living or not. To most people buying fish at a shop they are considered a pet. You are the bridge between these two opposite views of living things.

You obviously understand the pet aspect, from a business point of view try to put that pet idea to the side, and see it from an owner's point of view, with a family to feed, bills to pay, and so on. Yes, it can be difficult to walk in their shoes, but by at least trying to do so it will make your working relationship with them easier.

 

[rothenb1]

Your manager won't agree to put basic information about the fish you are selling on the tanks? How are people supposed to know what they re buying, how big it gets, and what temperature and requirements it needs? How can you expect to sell fish properly if people don't know what they're paying for?

Well, unfortunately it is not a fish store, its a chain pet store-- it's about profit rather than animals. I'm the only person there who actually cares about the fish, so I try to let people know what they're getting into.

 

[fry_forever!]

Also, ammonia is toxic to ALL fish - you make it sound like ammonia is only toxic to tropical fish. Ammonia is produced by all fish, not just goldfish, and it is harmful to all fish, not just tropical fish, no matter what the amount.

Weekly water changes of 25% are better than 10% weekly.

Oh, and you don't NEED Cycle. It doesn't necessarily do anything, and you are only promoting a brand name.

You have to state that you need to cycle your tank before getting fish, and get fish slowly once your tank is cycled.

Otherwise, you did pretty well.

 

[Kayjay]

Your temperature target is too high. Most of the common livebearers you will see in the store are fine above 72F.
The Nutrafin Cycle is a product looking for a purpose, it does nothing useful in a tank.
Goldfish don't mix well with tropicals mostly because of temperature requirements. The waste problem is often greatly overstated and the idea that they produce more ammonia is just wrong.
The advice to use test strips is wrong, they are almost completely useless. You need to encourage use of liquid type test kits.
The idea that you need an air pump and air stones is wrong again. Plenty of oxygen will be present in any tank with good water circulation to prevent dead spots near the water surface.
2 gallons per inch is overkill in typical smaller fish. Even an inch a gallon can be exceeded with small fish. Large fish do not have any equivalent number to even try to use. Big fish simply need big tanks, and a 29 is a small tank, not a big one.

Do I need a heater, I live in Fl & people tell me I do not. I have a 55 gal. livebearer tank & a couple fish have died on me latly. My tank is about 74-75. I have an established tank but got rid of my tetras & got all live bearers. Thanks for any advice you can give me.

 

[Tolak]

As long as your room temperature can maintain that tank temperature there's no need for a heater. My warmer tanks keep my fishroom in the mid 70'sF, so on some tanks I run no heaters, depending on the species.

 

[rothenb1]

As long as your room temperature can maintain that tank temperature there's no need for a heater. My warmer tanks keep my fishroom in the mid 70'sF, so on some tanks I run no heaters, depending on the species.

Well, I'm in Buffalo so it's pretty cold here, and most people keep their heat at around 68 or even lower in the winter, so I'm going to keep the heater thing on there.

 

[OldMan47]

I live in a home that I only heat to about 63 F but, as Tolak said, the fish room runs warmer because of the tanks that have high water temperatures. The fish that only need mid to low 70s can well do without their own heater.