Petco employee's stocking advice on Yahoo Answers

[kimmisc]

I was googling "29g planted aquarium" looking for pictures of aquascapes and ran across this on Yahoo Answers.

Someone asked, "What are some good active fish for a 29g planted aquarium?"

One of the responses:

You should get,
5 neon tetras
http://members.lycos.nl/petervanbrunscho...
5 glowlight tetras
http://allabout.co.jp/pet/aquarium/close...
5 guppies
http://guppyman.files.wordpress.com/2006...
5 Bottom Feeders
http://www.aquamojo.com/catfish/Cory%20S...
3 Marble Hatchets
http://www.peteducation.com/images/categ...
1 Betta
http://www.bettaboys.com/blueangelsmall....
1 Frog
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/Amphibians/Hy...
2 Black Mollies
http://www.liveaquaria.com/images/produc...
3 Peppered Mollies
http://www.****************/images_01/da...
3 Mickey Mouse Plattys
http://www.tropicalfishintl.com/images/e...
5 Black Neon Tetras
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pf...
There's a good mixture of fish that you could put in your tank your total will be about $50.00-60.00.

• 2 months ago

Source(s):

I work in the fish department at petco.

So there it is in black and white, why it's not wise to listen to most pet store employees. It's too bad this Petco employee isn't using her internet connection to gain knowledge rather than spread ignorance.

 

[Mgamer20o0]

just cuz one person has no idea means they all dont. its unfair to lump them together...... just as bad at lfs no need to single out the one..... why not spend more time looking and talking about the people who get it right then wasting time bashing on the ones who dont.

 

[Arakkis]

It's not too bad of a mix but not my choice either.
Then again it's probably according to what PetCo stocks.

 

[kimmisc]

I said "most." I didn't say "all." It's just as important for people to know they should be cautious and not listen to someone just because they work at a certain place as it is to spread praise. This isn't just about praise and bashing. It's about people who don't know any better being mislead, and I always find that a little annoying. I don't see it as a waste of time to say anything about it. It certainly wastes no more time than threads discussing getting drunk or getting the last post in the thread. But I feel much better about posting anything now, so thanks for that.

 

[wataugachicken]

i have to disagree here. i was expecting a lot worse for this to be made into a post. while too many fish were suggested, they were all entirely appropriate for that size tank and most of them would be compatible. the betta is the only thing that screws up the compatibility issue. no recommendations for plecos, chinese algae eaters, kissing gouramis, bala sharks, pacus. . . every one of the fish mentioned was a good choice. all of them together is the bad choice. i'd probably give this employee a pat on the back for being 90% right.

 

[Arakkis]

The betta is ok, the mollies will become punks.

wataugachicken is right it is entierly too many fish unless they had a nice filtration or sump with it. =P
All in all at least they chose relatively small fish.. except for the molly. but theres no single correct answer.

And you're right about having major no no's for such a planted tank:
Chinese algae eaters are bad other than the fact they will get too big and mean, Kissers aren't very easy and many young ones that you see in stores are still in thier planktonic feeding stage and just plain a pain, Plecs are a nono unless a borneo sucker or something tiny, Balas and Pacus are too big

 

[kimmisc]

The main things that popped out at me were the overstocking, the betta, and the frog. Nope, no pacus. Actually, I made out worse on my first trip to buy fish. I came home with 3 red belly pacus, gouramis, and a columbian shark for a 29g. A Walmart employee helped me pick them out. It was my mom. Shhhhh... I'm leading her towards the light.

 

[Arakkis]

Lol, I had one lady in my area stick a finger in a pacu tank.. The pacus were over 10lb each. Yes a plant eater, but a plant eater that cracks seeds and nuts for a living. Sadly to say she lost the finger. Ahh the sound of Darwinism. Kinda crunchy if I don't say so my self

 

[Lady G]

The main things that popped out at me were the overstocking, the betta, and the frog. Nope, no pacus. Actually, I made out worse on my first trip to buy fish. I came home with 3 red belly pacus, gouramis, and a columbian shark for a 29g. A Walmart employee helped me pick them out. It was my mom. Shhhhh... I'm leading her towards the light.

LMAO...gotta love Wal-Mart and their suggestions!! They are the reason I found AC actually!! Funny the article was about a 29g too, that was my (well my sons) first tank!

My Mom took my son to pick fish out for the tank my Aunt gave him. I told them to just be sure the fish would be compatible...and well I knew nothing about fish myself. He came home with (which the employ did tell them WOULD work in a 29g tank) a...ready for this......Rainbow shark (which I actually still have), 2 irridecent sharks, 3 bala sharks, 2 columbia sharks, 1 powder blue gourami, and a sunset gourami!!! The columbians died...found a home for the irridecents, the balas went to a 55 and lived until the ice storm last year, the Gouramis killed each other and well I still have the rainbow.