One of my LFS sells tropical fish that are kept in coldwater tanks. Like for instance a Red Tailed Black shark. There was no heater or warm water circulating or in the tank. The store it's self isn't heated like a fish room, or anything. Does anyone know why they do this???? And are the fish they sell in good condition??? Or are the fish conditioned to live in coldwater?? Any opinions or help would be great.
LFS selling tropical fish that are kept in coldwater
- Thread starter Blue goldfish
- Start date
likely because they need to feed less, and the fish produce less waste.
Most fish can tolerate colder temperatures, but will be much more lively in a heated tank.
Most fish can tolerate colder temperatures, but will be much more lively in a heated tank.
Depending on their lighting, the lights may keep the tank warm enough.
Or they just don't care...
Or they just don't care...
Yeah I was going to ask that, all pet stores I know have a central filtration system, it simply doesn't make sense to spend the money on mechanical filters on every tanks and too much work (water change) if depending on biological filters. Usually petstore keep FW fish in cooler temperature than desired, for reasons that slipnottin pointed out.
probably just trying to keep costs down by scrimping on things they shouldn't. might be assuming "room temp" is fine.....
and you wonder why the fish are sick?
i have a couple places around here that seem to do that, i don't go often enough to know the death rate, but i think cheap is the key here. no heater to buy/break..... no electricity for it...... lowers the metabolism.... probably stops fish from getting ich right away too from bad shipping or at least delays seeing it somewhat. it doesn't hurt them if the fish die after you buy them, it just makes you a repeat customer with a chance to sell you extra stuff along the way........
sorry if this is cynical.......
and you wonder why the fish are sick?
i have a couple places around here that seem to do that, i don't go often enough to know the death rate, but i think cheap is the key here. no heater to buy/break..... no electricity for it...... lowers the metabolism.... probably stops fish from getting ich right away too from bad shipping or at least delays seeing it somewhat. it doesn't hurt them if the fish die after you buy them, it just makes you a repeat customer with a chance to sell you extra stuff along the way........
sorry if this is cynical.......
JohnMemorialHS, can you imagine how much money that would cost to put a mechanical filter in every tank! lol
EXACTLY.
Oh, if the store does have a central filtration system, usually there's a big heating device of some sort, so maybe that's why you don't see heaters.
Not every LFS has visible heaters. I work at a LFS that has one big heating system for all the tanks. We just changed stores, and we have the neatest state-of-the-art filtration system now! All tanks are divided into groups of 6 or 7 depending on fish kept in them, and those sections are each filtered by an individual sump. The system does an automatic 10% water change on each tank daily. Heat comes from tubes that run through all the sumps and is adjustable in back, although we also have individual heaters in the sumps in case the heating system fails, and also to fine-tune the temps (for example, the discus section is warmer than the livebearer section).
I'd ask the store if they heat the tanks and how the tanks are filtered. If the tanks aren't heated, I'd be wary of buying fish from there...
I'd ask the store if they heat the tanks and how the tanks are filtered. If the tanks aren't heated, I'd be wary of buying fish from there...
You do not need a central system.
We run bare bottom tanks 40ls or 40breeders
All have 4 small air driven filters.
And a heated fish room.
We have close to 400 tanks and only one tank has the NFS sign on it for a mild case of ich.
All our big tanks 8-90s 6-120s and 9-220s all have air driven UGFs that do a great job!
We run bare bottom tanks 40ls or 40breeders
All have 4 small air driven filters.
And a heated fish room.
We have close to 400 tanks and only one tank has the NFS sign on it for a mild case of ich.
All our big tanks 8-90s 6-120s and 9-220s all have air driven UGFs that do a great job!