New Fish In Bowls...

[Rex740]

Today i went to the mall and saw an animal stand. When i saw it there were bowls of water, i figured they would be selling bettas. I was wrong. They were selling three things that made my mind spin.

1. They were selling Bala sharks in containers that were 5 inches in length, 3 inches wide, and 4 inches high. The balas were about 3 inches. There was a huge poster that told you info on the bala sharks. It say the scientific name, what to feed it, and someother info about the actual fish like where they come from and stuff (not requirements to keep it). They had a lot of info on the board but there was one thing that was missing on it...the size of the fish when full grown. So what was wrong? Tiny tank and they need to be kept in groups. They grow to 8 inch in length i think.

2. In bowls a little bigger than a softball, they would put one tiger barb. They treated them like bettas, in a little bowl with a bamboo shoot coming out and there was only one fish per bowl.

3. In bowls the size of a softball they put 1-3 baby apple snails that were only one inch in diameter. Problem is pretty self-explanatory since the apple snail grows to the size of the actual bowl...

What is happening to fish these days.......

 

[dizzied]

Balas actually grow to like 14" I believe. And I thought bettas had it bad.

This is actually the first time I've heard of an animal kiosk/stand at a mall. Doesn't sound like a good idea, unless they're selling just ant farms and triops kits or something.

 

[Rex740]

Usually animal stands at malls where i live sell one of the following; baby red eared sliders, hermit crabs, or bettas.

 

[Teelie]

I've seen Axolotls for sale before in mall kiosks.

 

[Aphotic Phoenix]

I'm fairly certain that the common species of Apple Snails Pomacea bridgesi sold in stores will not grow to the size of a softball. P. bridgesi is actually one of the smaller species of Apple Snail, but there are some other species that do grow that large. (Just a little fyi in case you were ever dissapointed that your Apple Snails didn't grow as huge as you hoped they would). Still, very dissapointing to see anything mistreated in that fashion. One would hope that those people were simply ignorant of how to properly care for fish, instead of purely selfish/negligant.

 

[Straydum]

they are probably trying to cut on down space needed. did you inform the lfs?

 

[Musho3210]

poor balas..... its like the turtles in my chinatown....

 

[tetraqueen]

I think Balas need to be banned from general sale. They are the cutest little fish almost a small scale of a shark and very pleasing. Mine have grown very quickly and although advised they will only grow to the size of the tank bought a larger tank. Now I am looking at buying a bigger house if I decide they will stay however I know deep down they are going to have to go to a lfs with good sized tanks etc. I had no idea it like catching a tidler at the seaside its then grows into a codling and then wow . I really think the importers get them as cheap as our cod or less or there would not be so many here.

 

[Rex740]

they are probably trying to cut on down space needed. did you inform the lfs?

It was a little mall stand so i didint know how to say it. The guy working there probably was hired and the manager told him that the fish are ok in those conditions. I think i should of complained but i didnt. I should of took a marker and wrote, Size: 14 inches on the bala poster board

Aphotic Pheonix: I went to one of my lfs once and they had apple snails at 4 1/2 or 5 inches in diameter.

 

[jayjay]

I think Balas need to be banned from general sale.

Why should people not be allowed to buy them? It's the persons responsibility to know what they are buying in my opinion. Though if people ask questions and the answers they get from people selling them are untruthful, then I think the blame is on the person selling them.

 

[Teelie]

They should be a special-order fish that isn't normally sold at least. Same for Arrowanas, Snakeheads, Red-tailed Catfish, etc. Anything that grows too large to live in a 100+ gallon aquarium shouldn't be sold to the general public IMO.

 

[Musho3210]

Arowannas arent really sold to the general public, my lfs has a gold arrowanna, cost 350 dollars and my lfs dont let people buy it unless tehy have a big tank etc.


JayJay, how many bala sharks have you seen for sale, now how many times have you seen people with a big tank (like 300 gallons)? There are so much bala sharks in the trade and only a small handful of people who can take care of them. So what happens to the extra, say 500,000 bala sharks that cant find a big tank to call home? They go to a small home, and will die premature.

 

[jayjay]

If we are doing fish that get big, all 12"+ shouldn't be sold?

On the subject of snakeheads they shouldn't be banned, there are dwarf species that are fine in a 20g after all.

How many common plecs do you see with the size tank they should really have? Oscars? etc. etc.

If people researched what they were buying before buying it, they would not buy the fish and then the LFS would get the idea and stop ordering the fish, no?

 

[Musho3210]

yes, i may sound crazy, i may sound like a hippie, i may sound like PETA, i dont care what you think i sound like but i think fish that get big (ones that cant fit in tanks under... 100-180 gallons) should be banned from the trade and only be able to be special ordered.

Its easier to stop the trade than to tell every single person who has one and/or is about to get one to get a big tank for it. Plus many people wont listen and will say "its just a fish". Mammals wont be able to, if baby elephants cost like 5 dollars, and not many people knew the size that they get, how many kids will be pestering their parents saying "mommy mommy, i want dumbo, please can we get an elephant" and the parent will say, ok, just an elephant, buy a small cage for it, and the elephant never reaches its adult size and dies. What do you think the government, animal rights companies etc would do about it? They would ban the trade of elephants and only sell elephants to special orders. But with pacus, bala sharks etc, its "just a fish" so barely any animal rights companies will do anything about it.

 

[kribensis12]

My lfs selles arowanna.