Well guys I took back the gourmi today and got another female guppy so that the male would not be harassing that one female. So is my tank ok now with the fish i got except for the fact that I need a 20 for the angel?
My gourami gotta go :(
- Thread starter computerman0219
- Start date
:thumbsdown: Getting a bigger tank "in the future" is never good advice. You never know what is going to happen in the future. And his parents are already saying he can't have a bigger tank. PetCo and PetSmart always do this, For years we have had people coming onto the internet boards saying "My first fish!!! I went to (put major chain here) and I got this little guy called an oscar (or comet, angel, etc.) for my 10 gallon. The guy at (major chain) said it would be OK."
And we might sound mean spirted or "put off"ish saying take the beloved fish back.
Perhaps we should start a petition to to urge these stores to have either a required training coarse about fish and/or change the corporate selling policies. And God forgive me, becuase I hate them so, but get the PETA involved to stop them from selling these fish to customers, that common sense (to vertern keepers) rules, don't work. Who knows what else ill-fitting enclosures they are selling to newbie bird and rodent owners.
Just a thought...
the birds and rodents have it made compared to the fish (at least in my experience through the customers i deal with). people have no issues with buying a huge cage for a small hamster, but tell them that they need to put a goldfish in more than a half gallon bowl and boy do they pitch a fit.
Every big chain store is different, just as every independantly owned LFS is different. The Petsmart and Pet Supermarkets near me are both very good as far as employee knowledge, always asking about tank size, other fish, trying to steer people towards buying appropriate fish, and even asking me if my tank is cycled when i buy a fish, and making sure that the tetras i just got bagged up aren't going to live with my goldfish that i had been telling them about.
Even when someone gives bad advice. . . . . people do it all the time, all over the world. In the end, the customer is ALWAYS responsible for doing their own research, because if they do nothing but trust that LFS owner trying to make a buck, or that appliance salesman who promises that the fridge they are buying is completely functional, it's the customer who is going to lose out. You have to learn things for yourself, and not blindly trust everything that you see or hear regarding something you want to purchase, whether a fish, a new car, or a computer. NO ONE needs a group like PETA messing around with in their business.
I personally wouldn't keep an angel in anything smaller than a 30g, which is the minimum tank size requirement on most sites I've visited, including liveaquaria.com which I trust the most. Sure it may be able to survive in smaller tanks, but it sure won't have much room when it's grown out.
I agree that stocking with the intention of getting a bigger tank sometime down the road is a bad idea, especially for a kid who has to go through parents to obtain tank upgrades. If you got a 10g, you should stock accordingly for a 10g. If you get a bigger tank, stock the bigger tank when you get it. You should go by a fish's adult size when stocking, not by how big they are when purchased.
I agree that stocking with the intention of getting a bigger tank sometime down the road is a bad idea, especially for a kid who has to go through parents to obtain tank upgrades. If you got a 10g, you should stock accordingly for a 10g. If you get a bigger tank, stock the bigger tank when you get it. You should go by a fish's adult size when stocking, not by how big they are when purchased.
