"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot)
10/22/2015 at 08:00 • Filed to: Petlopnik
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"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot)
10/22/2015 at 08:00 • Filed to: Petlopnik | 0
| 11 |
Before you is a tv, a tv I’m giving away to make room for a fish tank we’re getting, for free, from MrsZtp’s older sister. We apparently aren’t getting any fish with it (those plans fell through), so we must buy some. My question is this, where is a good place to pick up fish for the future tank?
MrsZtp has heard that there are some places you really shouldn’t buy fish from. I frankly have no idea, but I figured the collective known as Oppo would most likely know. So does anyone know of a place where we can purchase healthy fish?
CalzoneGolem
> zeontestpilot
10/22/2015 at 08:05 |
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Everyplace I’ve bought fish from is hit or miss. Get them from a place that will replace them if they die in a week or something like that.
Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
> zeontestpilot
10/22/2015 at 08:05 |
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Hit up some local enthusiast forums and you’ll get some good recommendations, that’s usually the best way.
Master Cylinder
> zeontestpilot
10/22/2015 at 08:24 |
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I used to have a pretty big freshwater tank. In my area, there are a number of pet stores that sell fish, and a few places that just specialize in fish and aquarium supplies. That’s where I would go. Visit a couple before you buy anything to check out the overall vibe.
Alternatively, you may be able to source fish from a local enthusiast who breeds them. That would be my first choice. Most commercial pet fish are harvested from the wild and a large percentage of them die in the process before they even make it to the store. It’s not a terribly sustainable industry, for the most part.
Plus, you’re more likely to get healthy stock from an enthusiast that a shop, unless you’ve got a really good local shop.
BigBlock440
> zeontestpilot
10/22/2015 at 09:43 |
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Really, it doesn’t matter at this point. Since you’re asking, I assume you’re just getting into it so you’ll likely get something cheap, in the $1-2 range. Just shop around and if the fish look healthy in the tank, you’re probably fine, you don’t have to be as careful with starter fish IMO.
I’ve heard about not getting fish from Walmart, and a lot of their tanks do usually have a few dead ones floating around, but I just got 3 a few months ago and they’re still alive and well with no diseases that I could tell. The tank they were in didn’t have any dead or sickly looking fish in it though, so I assume the tank was clean, that week anyway. On the other hand, a smaller local pet shop will likely take better care of the fish, and I’ve yet to see any dead or sickly ones in their tanks.
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zeontestpilot
> Master Cylinder
10/22/2015 at 11:50 |
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Any idea on how to find an enthusiast?
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zeontestpilot
> Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell.
10/22/2015 at 11:51 |
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Didn't know there were forums for it. Huh.
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zeontestpilot
> BigBlock440
10/22/2015 at 11:53 |
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Well, it was a free tank, but I'm not crazy for fish because I'll somehow end up taking care of them. She really wants it. I just want the fish to be healthy, not dead on arrival.
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BigBlock440
> zeontestpilot
10/22/2015 at 11:56 |
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There’s forums for literally everything.
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BigBlock440
> zeontestpilot
10/22/2015 at 12:04 |
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Also, set the tank up without fish for a few weeks. There’s a process called cycling that happens the first few weeks before bacteria gets established to deal with the ammonia. You could google it and get a better explanation. I lost a few fish before my tank finished it’s cycle (I didn’t know about it until afterwards, i just jumped into it), only have 3 originals left.
As for having to take care of them, I just feed mine once a day and change the filter when I remember every 2 months or so. The tanks stays fairly clean as long as you don’t overstock it and don’t overfeed. I also have live plants which I think helps.
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zeontestpilot
> BigBlock440
10/23/2015 at 06:05 |
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Didn't know about the cycling, thanks!
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BigBlock440
> zeontestpilot
10/23/2015 at 08:41 |
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I didn’t when I set my tank up either. Luckily I started with $0.30 goldfish.