Pier Aquatics - Wigan

[benzonar]

Well I decided to pop along to Pier Aquatics this afternoon as I had heard good things about it.

Well fish wise the place is great with some really great South American species. Lots of very interesting plecs and some stunning Apistos. I was feeling really positive about the place , but then I spoke to the woman behind the counter.

I asked her if she knew when Tetra Safestart was going to be released as I needed to try and cycle my tank quickly. She then went on to insist that using fish was the best and only way to cycle a tank. I tried explaining about fishless cycling but all I got was "Well I've been working here 18 years, blah blah blah"

I then said that by using Ammonia you don't need any fish, all I got back was "I would never put chemicals in any tank, you need fish as they produce the bacteria".

She then said that by using fish you can fully cycle a tank in 7 days

I asked what about the Ammonia and nitrite spike damaging the fish, to which she said " Well if they are in from the start then they get used to it so it doesn't harm them"

I just find it so frustrating that people in a position of influence are so dogmatic, but then she might not be able to sell any Danios or Guppies if she gave out decent advice. I'm just glad I never asked for any filter squeezings Nevermind BAS were happy enough to give me lots of seeded filter material.

In two minds whether to go there again now.

 

[jarmado]

i like the quote on your signature:

In America the young are always ready to give to those who are older than themselves the full benefits of their inexperience.

 

[BigC]

I have been to Pier Aquatics in the past and I found the fish in very good health and would buy from that establishment again. In fact our Aquarist Society (Bradford and District A.S.) used to run trips out to shops and Pier Aquatics was one of them. Now for an Aquarist Society to plan a trip out to that shop speaks for itself.
I have been keeping, breeding and showing tropical fish for over 25 years now and I fear that the whole hobby in general has become too technical and has become a science rather than a pastime.
A great number of people on this and other forums seem to be preoccupied with problems and treatments to cure this and that, and adding chemicals that will buffer, clense, get rid off and inject all manner of additives to or dissolve & bind out of your water.
Setting up a fishtank for the first time should be a pleasure not a full-time occupation on the road to insanity. All I ever did was clense the tank and ornaments with luke-warm water and some cooking salts. Wash gravel and fill from the tap, Turn on and adjust the heater/stat, Start filters from their raw state (no new fandangled additives) and leave the whole setup running for seven days. I then add the fish albeit acclimatising them slowly over a period of an hour or so. The only thing I would stress is religious weekly water changes 1/3 out 1/3 in. You can if you wish add a little Stresscoat at this time. Feed a varied diet and above all do your homework when stocking a community tank. Buy fish only after doing this, Don't buy fish on impulse.
I am old school so to speak, and if you have a good aquarist shop locally that has proper credentials and is keeping happy vibrant stock with erect fins, displaying normal colours and are deporting properly, then these are the people to buy your fish from. You can see in the fish that they ( the owners and staff) know their stuff.
Summing up and to reitterate, I feel that this hobby has become too dependant on quick fixes out of a jar to solve problems that are being put there by the same person that is trying to cure them. Everyone needs to take a step back and get back to basics for the sake of the fishes.
Thanks for listening to an old moan.
Regards
BigC

 

[benzonar]

I appreciate what you are saying and I'm not necessarily one for sticking a load of chemicals in my tank. But things do move on and fishless cycling is a positive move as far as I can see, especially for the fish.

I come from the school that fishkeeping is 80% water management, the fish generally tend to look after themselves. Any advances in science to aid this should be welcomed as we better understand the processes involved.

Personally I would never use fish again to utilise a tank, but thats me.

Will get back later, have to go for a meal now.

 

[PinkyPerky]

OMG, I was in Pier Aquatics this afternoon! I've been doing a fishless cycle for 2 weeks now and decided to see if my testing kit was accurate, so took a water sample to PA.

Like you I explained I'd been doing a fishless cycle, the older guy in there looked blankly at me and asked exactly what I'd been doing, explained that I'd set up the tank, added the "cycle" and "aqua plus" and have been adding fish flakes and prawns to speed up the ammonia etc.

He shook his head at me and said that now I need to do a 50% water change and just add 2 capfuls of Tap Safe, wait til Monday, take another water sample in and if all is well I can add fish.

I will get my fish from there because they always look healthy and well cared for, but I'm going to continue with my fishless cycle.

 

[Fella]

To be honest though, with your basic aquarist who is new to fishkeeping, which is easier to understand, Fishless cycle, or cycle with fish? As advice goes, cycling with fish has less room for error.

I just clone my tanks but I can see advantages of both methods.

 

[benzonar]

To be honest though, with your basic aquarist who is new to fishkeeping, which is easier to understand, Fishless cycle, or cycle with fish? As advice goes, cycling with fish has less room for error.

I just clone my tanks but I can see advantages of both methods.

I shouldn't be about ease though, it should be about the welfare of the fish and using fish to cycle is cruel imho.

Its not rocket science!

 

[Fella]

To be honest though, with your basic aquarist who is new to fishkeeping, which is easier to understand, Fishless cycle, or cycle with fish? As advice goes, cycling with fish has less room for error.

I just clone my tanks but I can see advantages of both methods.

I shouldn't be about ease though, it should be about the welfare of the fish and using fish to cycle is cruel imho.

Its not rocket science!

Yeah I agree it should be about the welfare of the fish, I didn't say it wasn't, what I am saying is, when i first started out it took me some time to get my head round cycling a tank, and I found a lot of it confusing. Fishless cycling is less confusing, and if a store is to make any money, it's going to be best to not bamboozle them beyond comprehension.