Are all fish stores disgusting??

[J double R]

remember, lets not get TOO specific in our fish store bashing.

Something everyone needs to think about, is that ich, parasites, aggression, etc etc.. more often than not DON'T originate at the store.. if you think fish stores are disgusting, you should see the breeders that supply them. the fish stores can't control what their stock looks like.. they have 3 choices. Refuse the stock because it's sick, and lose money (since theyre not going to get any money back on that order) Take the stock, and sell it, advising customers that the fish have an illness (or perhaps treating them while in stock), or switching to a different source (which some lfs' can't afford anyway)

getting fish in the wholesale market is pretty much a crapshoot. preventing disease in a mass breeding/supply environment is like walking through the jungle and not getting bitten by a single mosquito: aint gonna happen, no matter HOW much 'off' you use.

 

[leighasnana]

I think all of these stores should quaranteen their new stock and treat them for parasites. I know of one store here (chain) which always has fish which aren't ready for sale yet because they're new shipments. Now why can't they take that one step further and treat them? I've never seen them quaranteen the cheaper fish but they do all the others. I think it would be a good investment on their part to treat. If they can get meds in bulk it wouldn't cost that much would it?

 

[root81]

In my area there are 3 places within a half hour drive (plus a walmart) that sell fish. all 3 are owned by the same guy, and are well kept (walmart is not). Depending on the day, some of the help are really good, others don't have a clue.

 

[LornaFaire]

Not all fish stores are that bad, though MANY are. I found a fish wholesaler in CA thats fantastically maintained. It's not common, but it does happen.

I too have had lots of trouble with fish dying shortly after purchase from my local store. My strategy has been to treat for ich as soon as I introduce a new fish to the community tank, whether they show signs or not. Often the change in conditions spurs an onset of fungal growth even if they had no symptoms before. I only use this method because, living in a dorm, I have no means of quarantining new fish. If you can, I think thats the best plan.

 

[Star_Rider]

It is very difficult for the LFS to not get a bad batch in on occassion.
particularly the chainstores.
some smaller lFS will pick up some of their fish from local breeders..but some are picked up thru wholesale outlets.
many cannot QT the fish properly as time is money for them.
some do but even then it is a meager attempt at proper qt.
occassionally, some will actually keep the qt fish in a seperate section of the store and keep them for a minimum of 3 weeks. or place sick fish in isolation tanks.
many use a community sump..some for the whole store..others for banks of display tanks but with several isolated sumps to try and reduce cross contamination.
research your LFS..
I usually get my fish from local breeders or reputable LFS I have also purchased online.
all of my fish go in qt tanks for a minimum of 4 weeks.

like it was mentioned..it's still a crap shoot.