I do wonder, the petco also has the same water as me ( since we both are in ny ), how come they still insist on selling these fishes knowing the water isnt very well suited for them? How do they even manage to have them in their tanks as the water is the same?
Several comments on this important issue.
First, I do not know Petco (none in Canada) but from what I've heard from others, I suspect it is much like PetSmart and similar chains. Which means, the employees usually do not know anything about fish, unfortunately; now there may be exceptions, but I have been in PetSmart and similar stores enough to know that most staff are not hobbyists and thus not knowledgeable in fish. I will never buy fish from these chains, due to serious inherent disease problems; fortunately I have a couple of good locally-owned stores and one importer, and I've never had problems with fish from these. I was lucky when I entered the hobby seriously (in the 1980's) to have a hobbyist owned and staffed store, and they taught me a great deal. I have since done extensive research. One never stops learning. It is a lesson well learned, to always research a fish species before acquiring it; ask on forums like this one, check reliable sites (like Seriously Fish), and know what the fish requires and how it is expected to behave.
Second, on the store fish/water point. Some stores will set up a bank of tanks with specific water. I have one here that does this, for livebearers. But many like the chains do not intend the fish to be with them for long, and if the fish lives long enough to be sold, that is the end of their concern. And fish can "manage" for a period, which varies depending upon the species and the parameters involved.
This brings me to the reason that water parameters are so important. Freshwater fish have evolved to function best in very specific parameters. Fish are more closely tied to their aquatic environment than almost any terrestrial animal. The fish's physiology means that the water in which they live is brought directly into their bloodstream and internal organs quite unlike anything terrestrial animals must contend with. When this water varies from what the fish was "built" to live in, it causes serious problems for the fish, from stress which weakens the immune system very rapidly, to far more serious issues involving the functioning of organs and systems. The fish can sometimes tolerate this for a time, before it becomes exhausted and just dies, or succumbs to various diseases which it can no longer fight off naturally. The second problem is that even if the fish survives and is then placed in a more suitable environment, the internal damage that has been done is usually sever enough to be irreversible. A shorter lifespan always results, and more frequent health problems along the way. Aggression usually increases, as this is about the only way the fish has to fight frustration.
Let me end with a simple example. We had an exceptionally dry and warmer than normal summer this year; the heat began in May and continued to late August, well above normal; temperatures in June for example were a full 10 degrees C above the normal for the month. We humans, along with the land animals, managed with few issues. But the fish did not; there have been reports of a serious decline in salmon stocks this year, solely due to the slightly warmer water in the ocean. The fish simply cannot adjust to such things. And it doesn't take much.
Byron.
So my son decided on getting these, the worker said they will fit nicely in the tank and so far they have been peaceful but I totally forgot to get their names.... can someone give me a name for them??
