Cheap Aquarium Residents

[theotheragentm]

I don't if it's the same at all the stores, but the local Petco had more than just goldfish in the feeder fish tank. There were a handful of Cichlids, which I didn't take, but there was one critter I did grab. There was a blue crayfish in the tank. I got it for a total of twenty nine cents. Has anyone had any luck doing some "bargain bin" shopping?

 

[zenkatydid]

why on earth did they have cichlids in the feeder tank? were they deformed or something? i can't imagine most cichlids would make very good food...

 

[theotheragentm]

Nope, they were completely healthy looking and swam very well. I don't know if this is the pet store's mistake or something to do with how feeder fish are bred and shipped to the stores. Crayfish I can understand, but I don't know about the tropical fish.

 

[DepotFish]

A feeder fish is a feeder fish. Some cichlids are just as cheap as goldies. I know of a store that has tropical fish in the feeder tank occasionally. Sometimes they are breeder culls, sometimes they are sick. Feeder fish aren't nutritious so its not like you can't feed cichlids just as well as goldfish.

 

[Aquarium Freak]

Well just last weekend I actually picked up some medium sized Oranda Goldfish for my fancy goldfish tank for a whopping $1.99 CDN ea. They also mislabeled the fish their loss, my gain lol...

 

[theotheragentm]

The funny thing is that the feeder tank is just deeper than the net they use at the tank and the Cichlids are smart, so to get at them you have to get your arm wet. I knew after I told my friend that there were cheap fish there, he would be all over that. I called him and said, "I bet your elbow deep in feeder fish, huh?" He was, but he now has three Cichlids for under $1.00 total.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I was at Petco last week, and they had some good sales. I didn't take advantage of it though. They had their tiger barbs, large ones for .99 each. The lfs here sells them for 2.59 apiece for the large ones, about an inch and a quarter to inch and a half. I should have loaded my tank with them, lol.

 

[garth7]

Wow sounds like you guys and gals got deals.... I have never seen the cichlids in my pet store's feeder tanks. The only thing he give out is cheap bad advice.