Which fish should I buy

[itiwhetu]

I am sorry my last post turned to custard. Hopefully this one won't.

I would like you to consider what fish you buy. A common thread on this site is sick Betas and sick guppies. When I operated my LFS I didn't stock either, told my customers they were no longer genetically stable enough to survive in a tank. Some fish have been around for years, I see the 10 year old saying don't buy neon tetras buy cardinals. Couldn't agree more, I didn't stock neon tetras either. There must be a huge number of fish out there, that as hobbyists we consider too unstable or problematic to keep. Come on tell the new bees and the rest of us what to avoid at our LFS.

 

[Fishmanic]

Panda cories... I tried them and didnt live long even though my tank was cycled and very stable. Others here have had the same issue with panda cories.
I never had luck with neon tetras. They all died within a year or so except 2 that are very healthy. Neon tetra disease is a known issue with them.

 

[itiwhetu]

Panda cories... I tried them and didnt live long even though my tank was cycled and very stable. Others here have had the same issue with panda cories.
I never had luck with neon tetras. They all died within a year or so except 2 that are very healthy. Neon tetra disease is a known issue with them.

Panda cats are nice but are on my list as well, Thanks for your reply

 

[BoomerXIV]

I am sorry my last post turned to custard. Hopefully this one won't.

I would like you to consider what fish you buy. A common thread on this site is sick Betas and sick guppies. When I operated my LFS I didn't stock either, told my customers they were no longer genetically stable enough to survive in a tank. Some fish have been around for years, I see the 10 year old saying don't buy neon tetras buy cardinals. Couldn't agree more, I didn't stock neon tetras either. There must be a huge number of fish out there, that as hobbyists we consider too unstable or problematic to keep. Come on tell the new bees and the rest of us what to avoid at our LFS.

what to avoid or what i will consider to buy? im considering another school of black neon.

 

[itiwhetu]

what to avoid or what i will consider to buy? im considering another school of black neon.

Love Black neon tetras, hardy and easy to keep, under rated!!

 

[BoomerXIV]

Love Black neon tetras, hardy and easy to keep, under rated!!

Yep, they're overshadowed by neon tetras and cardinal tetras lol

 

[itiwhetu]

Yep, they're overshadowed by neon tetras and cardinal tetras lol

Love glowlight Tetras to. The best Tetra in that class is pristella. Just feed them and they will breed

 

[AilyNC]

Not experienced enough to add much more than this - RESEARCH. Hop on www.seriouslyfish.com & check your tank dimensions (not just water capacity), the water hardness, and read about fish compatibility in a community tank. Also read about the fish's environment so you can make sure your tank set up is suited.

Finally - neon tetra are so boring.

 

[Lajos_Detari]

Actually Bettas are ok.
They are killed/weaken mostly by the fish stores which keep them in small containers and they rarely change the water.

I think you will have to visit the fish farms to know which are the weaker fish.
Most of the time, the fish are killed by the fish stores which kept them in crowded tanks and tanks with diseases.

But some fish probably like the Neon Tetras and Guppies may be weaken by the mass breedings.

 

[itiwhetu]

How do we end up with betas the way they are. I have breed them and have never managed half the results these guys do !!!. Has anyone on this site breed betas to the standard of the betas found in the shops. If so how have you done it??

 

[itiwhetu]

I will say don't blame your LFS blame the breeders. We are not stupid but don't manage half the standard of the fish supplied to our local LFS

 

[Stefan3289]

I think that emperor tetras are also underrated. I plan on having a group of them with my honey gouramis and cories

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I concur about the Panda Corydoras... they are very weak, and die easily.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

I started with guppies because I'd known them by their old reputation for being super hardy, and great beginner fish. Had I known then what I know now, I never would have started with them. Or at least, I might have sprang for a trio of fancy, hobbyist bred guppies rather than store bought mutt guppies. I had way too many losses, and too many experienced people guiding me who couldn't find a flaw in my husbandry to account for the losses, and warned me how poorly bred they are now. When you discover how in bred and mass produced they are, and how often they're infected with round and flat worms long before they'd made it to a store, it makes you realise the impact poor breeding has, and even the best husbandry can't make up for it.

I've had a better track record with keeping otocinclus - wild caught and famously delicate and sensitive- than I have with shop bought guppies, and that's even with keeping the otos in harder water than they should have for the first nine months I had them. When a wild caught, delicate species that was likely caught by stunning via cyanide is hardier than a pet store guppy, there's a real problem.

 

[The Lumpfish Guy]

See, the issue we have is there is little incentive to breed any fish for robustness. From the major breeders/importers. Most would focus on speed, colouration and numbers, that brings in the money.
I find the best fish can be from people who breed at home, most will select for robust healthy fish, limit their inbreeding, reduce deformities as well as select for colour/ quality ect.
If you LFS gets regular stock from local breeders I find them to be the best fish, whatever the species.