View Full Version : The "return these fish if you just bought them" thread! (so that they dont die)
FishRfine
10-03-2007, 5:52 PM
hello newbies! I just wanted to post a thread that might save your fishes lives. I am also classifying the tank size. I'm going to assume that you all have tanks from 10-40 gallons, and then classify the fish.
Oscar:Buy a 75 gallon tank, they get to be a foot long
Pacu:RETURN, UNLESS YOUR TANK IS OVER A THOUSAND GALLONS
Irridescent shark: same as above
Paroon shark: at least five thousand gallons
Pleco:at least 100 gallon
Bala sharks: need to school, and get to 14 inches. 150 gallons at least
Red Tail Catfish: At least 1000 gallons
Any goldfish
If you have a fish bowl or a betta bowl, buy a bigger tank!
wataugachicken
10-03-2007, 8:58 PM
lol, a 9-poster addressing the newbies!
welcome to AC! you have some pretty good advice there, generally. all the fish you mentioned are often sold to unsuspecting people who don't know much about tank sizes and growth potential.
however, there are many varieties of plecos. the most common (read:cheap) ones will get big and should have 100g tanks at the minimum. some species, though, easily stay small enough for a more average-sized tank. the goldfish too. . . if you only want one fancy, a 30g tank is sufficicient for life. comets and other long-bodied goldfish are a different matter though. as far as the 1000g+ fish. . . . . you might be exaggerating a little, but tank size is really important and finding tanks large enough for these monsters to turn around in properly is a challenge for most people - the ones most likely to be suckered into buying them based on some employee's argument that fish only grow to the size of their tank.
Mgamer20o0
10-03-2007, 9:02 PM
its not the post count that defines what you know.......
southpaw
10-03-2007, 9:03 PM
lol, a 9-poster addressing the newbies!
Exactly my thought when I read it :laugh:
Welcome to AC !!!!!
southpaw
10-03-2007, 9:04 PM
its not the post count that defines what you know.......
I agree with this totally....but just the way it hit me when I saw it made me chuckle ;)
Malbri
10-03-2007, 9:05 PM
its not the post count that defines what you know.......
right, you can have 1 post and know a ton, or have 12,778 posts and well....you get the point...
wataugachicken
10-03-2007, 9:07 PM
either way i'm not putting the guy down, just funny how it seemed when i read the post. it's nice to have someone, obviously friendly and intelligent, who joins the forum and then makes an effort so quickly to help other people. I definitely agree with the last sentiment. . . . if you have a fishbowl, get something bigger, period.
right, you can have 1 post and know a ton, or have 12,778 posts and well....you get the point...
lol, Malbri, you just happened to pull that number out of thin air, huh?
southpaw
10-03-2007, 9:08 PM
right, you can have 1 post and know a ton, or have 12,778 posts and well....you get the point...
:lol: I think this was directed toward you Mgamer
Mgamer20o0
10-03-2007, 9:11 PM
:banher:
fishcatch22
10-03-2007, 9:13 PM
hello newbies! I just wanted to post a thread that might save your fishes lives. I am also classifying the tank size. I'm going to assume that you all have tanks from 10-40 gallons, and then classify the fish.
Oscar:Buy a 75 gallon tank, they get to be a foot long
Pacu:RETURN, UNLESS YOUR TANK IS OVER A THOUSAND GALLONS
Irridescent shark: same as above
Paroon shark: at least five thousand gallons
Pleco:at least 100 gallon
Bala sharks: need to school, and get to 14 inches. 150 gallons at least
Red Tail Catfish: At least 1000 gallons
Any goldfish
If you have a fish bowl or a betta bowl, buy a bigger tank!while this list is nice, its faliure is its brevity. you need to explain in more detail the fish and their requirements... especially the goldfish. most people are going to want good explanations IME as to why this cant go there.
Chele&Luke
10-04-2007, 2:11 AM
I actually like the brevity - it gives me specifics on what NOT to get down at the lfs!
I guess I just flat out trust you guys to not point me in the wrong direction - and if I want to know the 'why' of anything I just go ahead and ask...
It's funny how now when I look at the local aquariums being sold online here I'm like "OMG - that tank is SOOO overstocked". Six months ago I simply would not have known any better and gone "ooohhh - pretty!!"
And yep - post numbers just don't count, a couple of years from now and I'll probably have a fair few, mostly 'stupid' questions :laugh:
right, you can have 1 post and know a ton, or have 12,778 posts and well....you get the point...
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :bowing: :bowing:
cuticom
10-04-2007, 4:19 AM
As already pointed out theres many species of plecos, some suited to 30g tanks, and theirs many varieties of goldfish, plenty of which can be kept in tanks 30g and up...
Nolapete
10-04-2007, 6:37 AM
While I applaud the effort, the accuracy has much to be desired as mentioned above. In example, red tailed catfish get up to 5 feet and require far more than 1000 g. If you saw the monsters here at the Aquarium of the Americas, you'd pee your pants.
There are many fish which will never reach their maximum wild length in captivity. Whether we should or should not keep them temporarily will be an argument that will keep being debated as long as people keep fish in captivity.
There's more to this argument than just tank capacity; improper diet, inability to provide changing seasons, and so on all have a part. When we remove animals from the wild, we limit them in some way. When all is said and done, there's an argument for not keeping any type of fish in captivity. Some more than others as is the point of this thread.
Rather than post inaccurate numbers on gallons required, maybe say something like I did about red tailed catfish getting up to 5 feet long or that they like the monstrous pacu should be better left kept by public aquariums or in the wild.
Malbri
10-04-2007, 6:42 AM
either way i'm not putting the guy down, just funny how it seemed when i read the post. it's nice to have someone, obviously friendly and intelligent, who joins the forum and then makes an effort so quickly to help other people. I definitely agree with the last sentiment. . . . if you have a fishbowl, get something bigger, period.
lol, Malbri, you just happened to pull that number out of thin air, huh?
Definetly:grinyes:
Dwarf Puffers
10-04-2007, 6:55 AM
Ah, but you forgot piranhas and arowanas ;)
Arowanas: Silvers, 200g bare minimum, I assure you, a 40" fish prefers larger.
Piranhas: Be prepared for replacements if you don't buy 200, also they have need a 100g minimum
Squawkbert
10-04-2007, 10:23 AM
If you're going for commonly available fish that get waaay too big, include Kissing Gouramis - they'll get a foot long.
FishRfine
10-06-2007, 4:08 PM
yeah guys. I am a noob here, but I am a big poster on mfk