How long do fish stores have fish in general?

common fish are usually only there a week or two.

there are several factors which make a store environmant a lot different from a home tank. first, the fish are pretty stressed anyway from shipping and adjusting to the new environment. the overcrowding and (usually) lack of decor in store tanks prevents most fish from establishing their own territory, which is a main cause of fighting. in the case of schooling fish under stress, rather than fight with each other they school up and that makes them feel a little safer. also, stores have large filtration systems and/or do large water changes often, which keeps the tanks chemically safe for the fish.

noticed here tetras go by fast, fish like africans stay in the store for month(s).. The store also will not feed them as much and as often to prevent the fish from growing much and pooping 2 much..

Yup^

My stores fish are their awhile I'd easily say more than a week. There tanks are almost always overstocked and the "large" filtration systems suck. I notice ALL the time that one or more tanks in a "pod" thats controlled by one filter has a diaeses of some sort.

Just yesterday lol petland has discus with body fungus and a HUGE lack of color. lol 110.00 for a adult my butt.

And petco has velvet and ich in a couple of there tanks ran in pods of 6 tanks to one filter. They all have it now lol.

Having worked in an aquarium shop, I can tell you from experience that disease can happen so easily in a store and has little or nothing to do with the care they are being given by the store. Many times the fish come in to the store sick and show no signs of illness for a day or two after they have been there.Of course that means they have now infected the system and the other fish in the system have the potential to get sick. If upon arrival it is observed that a certain fish is sick then they along with all of the rest in that bag are quarantined(at least they were in my store) in the back and treated. However, it is not possible to quarantine all new arrivals since there is not usually enough space for that.

Given the fact that in most pet stores or aquarium shops run their filteration system for many tanks all at once it is possible to have the tanks overstocked. The fish especially the fast sellers such as tetras and livebearers, sell so fast anyway that they are not in overcrowded tanks for very long.

Marinemom

Good question.
What if the store can't sell the fish. Let's say walmart has an ugly deformed oscar that won't sell. Does the fish stay there in that tiny tank until it dies?

from what ive seen they stay in the tank till they die.. (doesnt take long in some cases)

Wal-Mart has no business selling fish. They really do not know what they are doing in terms of the care for these animals they are trying to sell. They are better off just selling supplies if even that and leave the selling of fish to the aquarium shops. Everyone including the fish will be better off.

Marinemom