what is this fish??(pics inside)

Originally posted by Mantis_22
some stores just call it a glass fish...:cool:

There's a slight difference...glassfish are not catfish at all, and catfish are not members of the genus Chanda.
 
I highly doubt they would sell this at any LFS Sharyl C and you were a bit of on spelling it is arApaima. I wounder if this would do good in my 60gal with my jag. Hmmmmmmmmmm.:D :cool: :rolleyes: :p :)

Art231_3_thai-185-kg-Arapaima.jpg
 
You'd be surprised at what can be sold in LFS in other parts of the world, but, GER, you would be right in saying that they should not be sold at ones in the U.S. (It is actually illegal to do so.)

Yeah, why don't you throw that and a Wels Catfish in there...I'm sure your Jag will be nice and cozy...:rolleyes:

(Note to those with no grasp of sarcasm: Arapaimas and Wels Catfish are a little large for aquaria. Don't put them in aquaria, and don't buy them unless you have a dechlorinated, Olympic-sized, heated swimming pool, and, even then, do so at your own risk.)
 
GER - thanks for the spelling correction.

Aarapaima are sold in the US. I have seen them personally in shops and also been at a public aquarium when 6 (10") confiscated arapaima were brought in. That was about 2 years ago - those little guys are now well over 4' and happily swimming in a tank filled with redtail cats and pacu (among others) that have all been donated by hobbyists or LFS who were either shamefully naive or irresponsibly ignored how large these fish get.

My earlier post, sarcastic as it was, was an attempt to illustrate the need to research and learn about the fish before they are stocked into an aquarium. The LFS industry is consumer driven - meaning if we buy animals that are inappropriate for home aquaria, they will continue to be imported and sold. This inturn makes it our responsibility as hobbyists/consumers to educate ourselves so we can make informed and hopefully conservation-minded decisions.

My apologies if my earlier statement was seen as rude or mean - it was not intended as such.
 
I, personally, saw it for what you intended--a comment on what happens when underinformed hobbyists purchase a fish about which they have little to no information (or, possibly even worse, incorrect info). I figured, though, that I would make sure that my post was a little too easy to be misinterpreted, so I added the sarcasm note. Yours was easy to interpret, IMO, so I think it was fine and a good commentary to boot.
 
Like the LFS that "recommended" the following fish for my 10gal I was setting up:

Pleco (the plain ones that get HUGE)
Ropefish
2 Bala Sharks

Gotta love it :D
 
heres a full grown glass cat. Its about 5 years old and is 6 1/2" and is one of two remaining glass cats from a group of 5 back when i purchased them. Youll see they dont keep that transparent look there whole life they darken up with age. mine eats everything from flakes and spirunella to mealworms and raw jumbo shrimp.

fc542862.jpg


here it is agian next to a full grown 4 year old Male Convict and a full grown red hook silver dollar, notice the glass cat isnt much smaller.
fc542731.jpg
 
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