Oscars

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Jfussell

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Nov 6, 2017
Messages
37
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Oscars are like the pet dogs of the aquarium world. They’re actually intelligent, know their owners. Mine follows me around the room and presses against the glass swimming side to side when sit in front of him.
 
Stop buying fish from walmart????



Hahaha...where I live there are no aquarium shops within 60 miles. Besides 45 years in the hobby Walmart can’t give me anything I can’t handle. Plus I consider an act of mercy to get the Oscar out of there.
 
Hahaha...where I live there are no aquarium shops within 60 miles. Besides 45 years in the hobby Walmart can’t give me anything I can’t handle. Plus I consider an act of mercy to get the Oscar out of there.
Fair enough... it does look way way better:)
 
Sounds like the market is ready for a new lfs in your area.



If you catch Walmart when they receive a shipment of fish that’s the best. The staff there does not know fish so after a couple of weeks I find them malnourished. Thanks are clean enough but too small. I was surprised at the price $4.34 for African Ciclids, $12.34 for Oscars, got a sweet red fin black shark for $4.95. Finally their warranty is 90 days money back if fish dies (with receipt and dead fish.) here are some I’ve bought from Wally World.IMG_2091.jpgIMG_2110.jpg
 
You have taken very good care of that Oscar. So colorful.



Thank you! I feed him beef heart (ground and pressed) freeze dried shrimp he likes Terra Min too...hell he eats anything! Lol
 
I'd drive the 60 miles or order fish online.... Walmart is the devil.



So I drive to Asheville, paid three times the price? Ain’t happening. They probably get their fish from the same suppliers. I’ve gotten 10 Ciclids and 4 catfish from Walmart, and though they underfed when I bought them but all are thriving in my 75. . I’m confident in my knowledge of tropicals to know what to acquire and what to avoid. Plus few to no dedicated shops can match their warranty.
 
I don't want to start an argument, but why would a fish store have a 90 day guarantee on fish? If they die more than a week or maybe two after you get them it wasn't their fault. I just don't agree with supporting a store that probably kills more fish than they sell. Even if the fish are coming from the same supplier I'd rather pay a little more/drive a little further to someone that cares about the fish's well being. I've driven 110 miles to get fish before, but it seems we'll have to agree to disagree here.
 
IMO, WalMart likely has a huge contract with reputable fish farms in Florida. Their fish are probably as good as any generic fish bred in that manner. The problem with Wal-Mart fish is what happens to them once they are delivered.
Handlers with no experience combining inappropriate species together, over / under feeding, filthy water, medicating without a clue.
Obtaining healthy fish from Walmart is entirely possible by simply talking with the store manager. Learning the date of delivery for the next fish order and being present when the fish arrive. Get the fish still bagged, right out of the box.
I also live in a small town, with one super Wal-Mart. It has a very big aquarium section that is always quite busy.
 
I don't want to start an argument, but why would a fish store have a 90 day guarantee on fish? If they die more than a week or maybe two after you get them it wasn't their fault. I just don't agree with supporting a store that probably kills more fish than they sell. Even if the fish are coming from the same supplier I'd rather pay a little more/drive a little further to someone that cares about the fish's well being. I've driven 110 miles to get fish before, but it seems we'll have to agree to disagree here.



It’s all good... how do you know how many they kill... and how do Know know some dedicated shops don’t kill as many comparing-ratio to ratio. I know there is a “Walmart is the devil” faction out there. Fine. It’s a free country. I’ve bred Ciclids of all types and always dreamed of running my own aquarium shop. But 26 years in USMC was my path until retirement. If I could raise the capital I might give it a try.

Yes we’ll agree to disagree. Profits motivate both the big and the small business. My thoughts about how I think the shop owner “feels” about the fish has no bearing. I have a tank full of beautiful fish because I care enough to choose wisely. I won’t stress my purchases driving “110 miles” when I can drive 12. I won’t pay $15 when I can pay $4 for the same thing. I was able to talk to the Walmart manager and give him tips about his fish. He listened and was receptive to what I had to say, thanking me for the information, promising to educate his staff. Seems they weren’t the devil after all they were just uneducated.
 
IMO, WalMart likely has a huge contract with reputable fish farms in Florida. Their fish are probably as good as any generic fish bred in that manner. The problem with Wal-Mart fish is what happens to them once they are delivered.

Handlers with no experience combining inappropriate species together, over / under feeding, filthy water, medicating without a clue.

Obtaining healthy fish from Walmart is entirely possible by simply talking with the store manager. Learning the date of delivery for the next fish order and being present when the fish arrive. Get the fish still bagged, right out of the box.

I also live in a small town, with one super Wal-Mart. It has a very big aquarium section that is always quite busy.



You’ve hit upon a valuable truth. I think we aquarium hobbyist should educate rather than criticize. As I posted earlier I had a talk with a Walmart manager who was receptive to the points I made on better his fish dept, a few of the things I observed to him were:
+ how I observed staff bagging catfish in the same container as other fish and using a mesh net instead of “no snag” net or cup.
+ aggressive fish populating tanks with docile fish.
+ drawing different water than what fish were in at purchase.
+ inadequate aquarium size and overcrowding.

He was very interested and did put in some of my recommendations that week that were possible and admitted he had not considered these issues before. He told me he did want his fish dept to be a success and I believe him. After all he said the fish were hooks for larger purchases and the healthier they were the better. I’ve seen nasty setups in private shops as well as chain stores. The nasty private shops usually won’t survive, Walmart will but least I feel it we the hobbyist are the ones who should educate them.
 
Independent breeders routinely euthanize a substantial percentage of their fry with the goal of providing only the best quality fish to customers. If Wal-Mart or the mom and pop stores inadvertently kill stock due to ignorance, that's just how things go.
On another note and without revealing too much about myself, you would be surprised how many soldiers, fire fighters and policemen are active, even advanced fish keepers.
 
Independent breeders routinely euthanize a substantial percentage of their fry with the goal of providing only the best quality fish to customers. If Wal-Mart or the mom and pop stores inadvertently kill stock due to ignorance, that's just how things go.

On another note and without revealing too much about myself, you would be surprised how many soldiers, fire fighters and policemen are active, even advanced fish keepers.



When you are on constant deployments it’s hard to properly care for my aquariums. Back then I had 11 tanks 6 were display tanks the other were medication and breed tanks. I was Force Recon so eventually I could not care for my tanks because of deployment and training scheduling. I never stayed in one FOB more than 2 years until after Desert Storm. In retirement I have finally set down roots in a remote area of the mountains of NC. Life is slow paced now...
 
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