Idiot at the pet store....

If you cant accomodate the fish Id return it.

:iagree:

you should had done research too before you head on any get a cute fish.

partmemjustin said:

Okydky... I knew I should have stuck with the gurami (bad spelling I know)
I do have one other question people have suggested the gurami and betta with a 5gal... what about an Up-side-down catfish? Just one, with maybe a few shrimp.

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I would either put a dwarf gourami OR a betta in a 5g. Up side down catfish need a much bigger tank than 5g, they also need to be kept in groups.
A 5g tank is also big enough for a single dwarf puffer (dwarf puffers ar a freshwater puffer).

I have found that it is SO important and FUN to research what you are going to buy before you get it. If you google the name of the fish, you can read all sorts of information and after that, go to your favorite forums and search for their name there and read what you can find.

This will often tell you things you NEED to know before you buy your fish. Things like what type of water is required, which parameters they like best, their behavior, what you should look for when choosing your new fish so you know you are choosing healthy fish. Sometimes knowing if you should choose one that is wild caught or bred in certain countries or domestically bred....all of these things matter and should be known before you walk in to purchase your fish.

Knowing all of these things makes it much more fun at the fish shop because you know what to look for, you can ask informed questions, you can make sure you get a healthy fish for your money, etc.

Even after doing all that, you'll still have questions about your new creatures once you get them home and will have more research to do.

AquaParadise12 said:

you should had done research too before you head on any get a cute fish.

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:duh: what, you mean you never heard that before??!

it is important to quash the impulse to buy the fish as soon as you see it. yes, you may lose the opportunity to get the fish right away, but you will be able to find them again. knowing what they need so that you can take care of them properly is a lot more important. then you can anticipate getting them knowing full well how much of a pain in the prat they are

for the record: i have a green spotted puffer. they need minimum a 30 gallon tank for just one. they do need brackish water which means you need marine salt, a hydrometer and to be thorough. they also need alkaline water conditions so you need to provide a crushed coral or aragonite substrate. they wont eat flake food, so you need to keep lots of meaty frozen stuff around. and they are poop machines and messy eaters, so if you are the kind to occassionaly take a week off of water changes, these are not the fish for you

I would definitely not put a betta in the same tank as a gourami (especially if it is a colorful dwarf variation). Bettas will attack anything that has long flowing fins like itself or if it is more colorful. I agree with the posts before.......you should put in a betta OR a gourami but not both.