Alice B
Fish Herder
I would not add any fish to this tank until you have determined what's going on, but that is just my opinion
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I like this advice.Had the same thing happen to me twice when I was trying to build up my little neon herd. In the end I opted to wait until warm weather because I found out that the fish arriving in these cold months are extra weakened. Neons are already a dicey bet due to poor breeding practices. Add the stress of the trip and handling, and you've got a recipe for disaster which you'll bash yourself for until you realize the poor fish had a slim chance to start with.
Try a different store, and also scope the place, find out when they get new deliveries, it's usually once or twice a week for most stores, be it mom n pop or chains, and check how the fish look upon arrival. Once o started doing that I saw many doing the "circle drain" swim, or the "separated from the herd" thing right off the bat. Unfortunately those are tell tale signs that those fish are not in their best shape and the trip to your home is probably their last hour on this world.
It's unnerving to see this. Sorry you're going thru it. I'd definitely ask for a credit and use it on other stuff, or wait until the better weather settles in and buy fish from there again. I've bought fish from chains and a local, hole in the wall, "dirty" lfs. I've had mixed results, but overall the lfs has more knowledge to share without pushing the sale (matter of fact after we discussed my tank he refused to sell me some ottos until I brought tank water for him to test and ensure it met the right parameters) so I trust their advice better and will get finicky fish from him, - like delicate ottos or more neons - rather than from the chains.Might have spoke too soon. The two survivors were swimming together pretty tightly. Now I just see the one swimming by himself.
The other one came back.Might have spoke too soon. The two survivors were swimming together pretty tightly. Now I just see the one swimming by himself.
One of these days I'm going to try a strategy of going to a new fish store and playing dumb. I'll ask them questions I know the answers to just to get an idea of how credible they are.It's unnerving to see this. Sorry you're going thru it. I'd definitely ask for a credit and use it on other stuff, or wait until the better weather settles in and buy fish from there again. I've bought fish from chains and a local, hole in the wall, "dirty" lfs. I've had mixed results, but overall the lfs has more knowledge to share without pushing the sale (matter of fact after we discussed my tank he refused to sell me some ottos until I brought tank water for him to test and ensure it met the right parameters) so I trust their advice better and will get finicky fish from him, - like delicate ottos or more neons - rather than from the chains.
To the chains credit, once I learned their routine and scoped their incoming shipments a couple of times, I completed my little neon gang with fish from them, and they are all healthy to this day. As long as your other fish are OK, it is, unfortunately; just the poor way these particular fish are handled, so waiting and/or paying a little more upfront by buying from an independent lfs pays off in the long run.
That could make a good YouTube videoOne of these days I'm going to try a strategy of going to a new fish store and playing dumb. I'll ask them questions I know the answers to just to get an idea of how credible they are.
"I have a five gallon tank..." *points to zebra danios* "... how many of these should I get?"That could make a good YouTube video
You're onto something here."I have a five gallon tank..." *points to zebra danios* "... how many of these should I get?"
My favourite test is simply to go in and ask if can have a look at some poecilia reticulata. 9 times out of 10 they will run off to find a manager or fish expert even if I happen to be standing at the guppy tankOne of these days I'm going to try a strategy of going to a new fish store and playing dumb. I'll ask them questions I know the answers to just to get an idea of how credible they are.