What Size Do You Purchase Your Fish At?

[ccg]

Just curious. What size do you purchase your fish at?

Not to often do I buy full grown fish. I was just wondering if I am the only one who tries to do this? One reason is I seem to save a little money buying younger fish. I also like to see the fish grow and develop. I purchase most of my fish from a small private lfs and at least half of his stock are fish not even close to being full adult size… do most lfs only carry young fish or do the bigger ones try to stock adult fish?

Colen.

 

[IovaykInD]

I'm same with you..I like to see my fish grow up. I get my fish from a fish warehouse as my friend works there. They are usually juvis so I get them for less. No point in buying full grown fish, you miss the point of seeing there entire life. You will only be able to enjoy what's left of their lives, which isn't too fun in my opinion.

 

[rdd1952]

I usually buy small although tetras and corys are pretty small anyway. I have bought some SAEs and angels though that have grown a lot. Since a lot of fish don't live a great length of time, if you buy larger fish, you won't get to enjoy them for as long.

 

[CallMeJoe]

Buy young and keep them longer. Also less expensive. Why spend big $ for an adult fish with few years left?

 

[rdd1952]

Buy young and keep them longer. Also less expensive. Why spend big $ for an adult fish with few years left?

Someone mentioned in another thread (the one about buying fish small and selling them when they get older and too big for your tank) that they preferred to buy adult fish for breeding purposes rather than taking the time to raise them to adult breeding size. In that case it is very reasonable to buy adults. Otherwise though, you are much better off buying juvies.

 

[fish_keeper2]

one example of that would be with clown loaches............take for ever to grow.

i personaly just buy what i like and whats available to me.

beggers cant be chosers and chosers cant be beggers.

 

[dwarfgourami]

Some fish are going to be pretty unavailable as adults; let's face it, what lfs in their senses would stock adult clown loaches, CAE's or bala sharks? They'd never get them sold and they'd take up a lot of tank space.

 

[CFC]

I purchase most of my fish at sub adult size as smaller fish would be eaten by by adult fish which are mostly predatory by nature, although i sometimes buy juvinile fish which have to be grown out in seperate tanks till they are large enough to be moved on.

 

[Animation]

I buy mine as they come, My pleco's i find easier to nuy big as they are more hardy so less chnace of dying

 

[Chri$]

why not buy a couple of adults breed them and watch a fish grow up from birth to adulthood.

 

[CallMeJoe]

why not buy a couple of adults breed them and watch a fish grow up from birth to adulthood.

For the fish you can breed in captivity. Many aren't suitable or will not cooperate.

 

[Durbkat]

I buy my black widow tetras at about medium to full grown size because all my other black widow tetras are almost full grown and I don't want a tetra getting picked on because its to small to defend it self. But when I get my angels I'm going to get them as small as I can so they can grow up together and hopefully I can keep all the ones I get in the same tank without having to rehome the others once a pair forms.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

i try to get the ones that are just big enough to eat normal foods. get a better deal that way, because i will have it for longer and smaller fish are cheaper

 

[Ethos]

I usually either buy the biggest one or the smallest one. It depends which one has charectoristics I want.

 

[Inchworm]

Since I already have all the commonly found corys, I'll be happy to buy the more unusual species at whatever size I can find. For the most part, these are wild caught fish and are usually sold as adults.