Oddballs & monsters

[SirMinion]

It seems to me that oddballs & monster fish that used to be so hard to get hold of are becoming more and more common in ordinary pet & fish stores.

This is a rather worrying trend in my opinion, as few people are prepared to house or keep these often demanding fish properly.

Last weekend, Swallow Aquatics in Colchester had about 20 three-inch Ornate Bichirs, 10 five-inch silver arowanas, and over 50 three-inch red snakeheads.

I find it hard to believe that the area around Colchester, has that many experienced fishkeepers with huge tanks prepared for these large and aggressive carnivores.

Today, SeaPets in Ipswich have a wolf fish, another monster that will eat the tankmates of the poor fool who unwittingly buys it.

I'm thinking that maybe it's time to start regulating the sale of large fish, maybe some sort of licencing scheme, or at least pass a law forcing fish shops to clearly advertise the nature of the fish that they are selling.

Your thoughts please....

 

[MAM]

i'm seeing the same trend here!! i hadn't been to my fav lfs in weeks but went in last week for some fishy zen time. they had a HUGE arowana, over a foot and a half in length, they had other arowana species, and they had wolf fish too!!! now when they had fahaka and mbu, they added labels to the tanks indicating size and care, and even pics of full grown to dissuade the unready and inexperienced. now this lfs if usually good about making sure you get enough fish of a type if they are schooling, check on your tank size and other inhabitants if its a large or aggro fish,etc. and i assume they will do so with these mosters, but you never know....... i was impressed at the increase in varied selection, but now that you've mentioned it, i only hope they are careful who they sell these fish to.....

 

[Dwarfs]

I would love a wolf fish...If they didn't get almost 2 feet long

 

[digital_run]

I was in a local Ifs the other day and they had a tank full of baby shovel nose catfish. There were at least 30 of them...i felt sorry for the little guys and wondered how many would actually go to good homes....not many im guessing.

 

[CFC]

I would love a wolf fish...If they didn't get almost 2 feet long

Not all wolf fish get huge, the rainbow wolf fish Erythrinus erythrinus only grows to around 10 inches and could be kept in a tank of 55 gallons upwards. Hoplias malabaricus is the one to avoid, this is the one that grows to nearly 2 feet and can take your hands off.

The growing availability of large and sometimes dangerous fish is worrying, in the last couple of years i have seen at least 4 electric catfish on sale and even a electric eel! But i think the most worrying fish i have seen is a store has 2 Wallago attu in stock, the common name for these is the Asian giant man eating catfish, they grow to around 8 feet and yes they have been known to eat people!
I personally believe that no store should be able to stock fish that have a larger full adult size than around 2 feet, housing a 8 foot tank is within reason for a dedicated fish keeper with a passion for large fish but anything above this is really in the realms of fantasy, i expect the number tanks over 8 feet long that are in private collections around the world can be counted in their low thousands if not hundreds.
But this blame cannot be placed squarely on the shoulders of the lfs owners, it is up to the buyer of the fish to do their research before buying a fish and making sure that they have the facilities to house the fish once it has reached full size or have made arrangements with a public aquarium or zoo. Fish keeping would become a very boring hobby if all we could get were small peaceful community fish.

 

[Clare]

Agggh, Red Snakeheads!! Richard Hardwick, the PFK expert describes the Red Snakehead thus; If you want the freshwater equivalent of a great white shark then the Red Snakehead is it!!!!

I don`t know if anyone read on my link a while ago about a small pet shop we went to in Liverpool, they sold a few goldfish, oh and a Mbu!! No information around about it, just a tiny looking cutie, swimming around shouting `buy me, buy me`!

I think the oddball shops are great and they advertise as oddball shops with properly labelled fish. You know to expect big, or fierce fish in these stores, but a little pet shop selling fluffy bunnies, budgies goldfish and mbus is ridiculous.

Anyone who buys a fish like that and can`t properly provide for it is sentencing it to death, it is no good saying you will re home it later because then the fish stores can`t take them back etc.

If there are no laws added then this will get out of control, like it did before there were laws on keeping wild animals when people kept lions and tigers etc.

Great link to start Sir Minion, if people want these fish then they have to be properly prepared and in my opinion it is the job of the LFS to do this.
Clare

 

[Paul_MTS]

It is getting nuts really, where the minions got there fahaka puffer- Sea Pets in colchester, i went there a while later and they had about 10-15 of the lil buggers all cramped in a 10gallon tank, although sea pets put up a label saying specialist fish ask for asistance i don't see how they can find 20 dedicated owners for them like the minions!

it's wrong but my boss put a RTC catfish on the order list just because they sell, although he was only 1 baby it's still wrong unless someone had specifically asked.

we also have a tiger shovel nose which has been there for months now, probable because no one can see it- it hides in it's cave all the time.

we also had a mbu puffer but that was priced up at £75 so would of put off any "that looks cute" buyers!! it sold sometime the week before last, when i wasn't in.

silver sharks are another one!! i see so many people just buy one and probable don't have a clue how big they get, no one asks questions!! although i let people know quite alot when buying fish and sometimes stop them from buying 1 as they already have something incompatiby, some people just don't want to know.

by the way any pictures of these wolf fish?

 

[CFC]

by the way any pictures of these wolf fish?

A bit off topic but oh well

Rainbow wolf fish http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Tanks/mytank15.htm

Hoplias malabaricus http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Tanks/mytank10.htm

 

[LadyMinion]

Rainbow wolf fish http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Tanks/mytank15.htm

Hoplias malabaricus http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Tanks/mytank10.htm

The one me and SirMinion saw was definitely a Hoplias malabaricus .

Incidentally, CFC, did you come up this way and get that toadfish in the end?

 

[CFC]

Incidentally, CFC, did you come up this way and get that toadfish in the end?

No, when we worked out the distance it was to travel we realised it would cost nearly as much in fuel as it would to buy the fish so decided not to make the journey. We will have to wait until one of the nearer shops gets one in

 

[SirMinion]

(the LFS) put up a label saying (fahakas are) specialist fish ask for assistance

Although, when we bought Martha, they didn't question us at all and no information was offered. And we were served by the head of the department, not by some zitty saturday boy.

Thos poor Fahakas are still there at SeaPets in the same tank and still two inches long & skinny, whereas Martha is now seven inches and as fat as mud..

in the last couple of years i have seen at least 4 electric catfish on sale

SeaPets in Ipswich also has about five of these at the moment at about six inches long together in a 15 gallon tank

- I wouldn't want to put my hand in there!

 

[Earthgirl]

I absolutely love that wolf fish, thanks CFC for the pic, I would have never know there was something in this world like that. On that point, I would definately never get one, because it does get so large!
For any of you that have been dealing with fish for some time (I mean longer than 5 years) you will agree with me that the fish are defianetly getting more exotic! The only real kind of plec I could get like 10 years ago was the common or sailfin, and they told you that "it will grow to the size of your tank". I still sometimes hear those part time teenagers that work on sat tell customers that, then you have go to the customer and tell them the truth. Back to my point, is that there are many more fish to choose from now a days, but people are still not completely informed, they depend on the help for that. Not enough reserach imo. I end up telling some of the employees at my lfs about their fish, except for the dude that does the ordering, he actually looks stuff up before he orders.
More and more people want the unordinary fish and lfs will do most things to bring those in for those people. Heck, look at all the people on this forum who have either lizards or another form of reptile, they are easier to get then they were ever before. I got my high yellow gecko from a breeder who couldn't have been more than 16 years old. That to me is awesome that she does this and new every answer to every question I had, very well informed young lady.
People just have to be informed what they want before entering a lfs and picking our something that is cute.
I read this poster on a ball python's tank once that read, "Will You Love Me When I Am Older?"

 

[Paul_MTS]

wow that wolf fish (Hoplias malabaricus) is sooo cool. thats on the wanted list!! and they don't actually suggest a that bigger tank for it, although a 36"x20" tank for 20-24" fish seems a bit tight even if it doesn't move too much.

 

[Dwarfs]

Hoplias malabaricus http/www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Tanks/mytank10.htm

That's the one I saw. If I ever saw one of the other species I wouldn't hesitate to buy it though

 

[SirMinion]

wow that wolf fish (Hoplias malabaricus) is sooo cool. thats on the wanted list!!

Well if you want it, it's only eleven quid!