If you get a "bad" fish, do you help it, or return

[grimlock3000]

One of my six new Cherry Barbs is much more thin than the other fish, and appears that his dorsal fin can not go up all the way. He is about 1.5 inches long. He tries to keep up with the other fish, but is too slow almost every time. He looks like he is moving his fins just as fast, but he is swimming much slower (if that makes sense). The Bard spends most of this time at the bottom of the tank, while the other fish swim all over the tank is group. I am pretty attached to the fish, because I feel really bad watching him try to keep up all the time. I was wondering what everyone else does if they get a fish that is less than expected and might be injured or sick. Do people try to help the fish, or is it common to return it for a better fish?

 

[Guest]

Do people try to help the fish, or is it common to return it for a better fish?

Tough call. If it was an expensive fish, I'd return it. Anything under 5 bucks, I'd prolly try to nurse it back to health.

Really hard to say what is wrong with yours, but I'd get him out of that tank and into a quarantine tank, or return it, ASAP. If it is a disease, you don't want to sicken the rest of your tank. I see from your sig line that you are currently cycling, he might not make it through the cycle since he's ill.

 

[grimlock3000]

If he is not better by the morning tomorrow I will see about returning him for another fish. I will not get home in time today to do anything with it. My 10g will likely be the quarantine tank once the 26g is established. I have toyed with the idea of buying a 5 or 6 gallon Eclipse hood tank at Wal Mart for $40 to use until then.

 

[lmw80]

It's all personal preference. I will almost always try and nurse the fish myself, because IMO, if I brought it back to the LFS, he would surely die anyway.

As corvuscorax said, your decision needs to be made soon. Quarentine him, or return him. If you choose to quarentine him, this site and the web in general is a great resource in helping to find out his ailment. It could be as simple as he is malnourished and weak and can't keep up with the other fish during feeding time, and gets even more malnourished. Or, it could be something complex.

Whatever your choice turns out to be, I wish you luck.

 

[SoCal]

Tough call, since you are cycling your tank your water sample will be a great excuse for the guy at the petstore to give you grief. When I return a fish I doctor the water sample and test it several times before returning any fish, that way the fish guy can't say anything.

 

[e-cat]

i agree with curvuscorax, if its expensive around $10 and up ill return it and if its just gibbled and nothing elese wrong it might end up food for bigger fish or returned

 

[Cherry Barb]

Well, I'm voting for making a Cherry Barb hospital If you put this little guy in a place where he can get some nourishment and medicine (depending of course upon the ailment) he might surprise you and turn out to be your favorite fish.

 

[madasafish]

He, he. I've thought of doctoring the water sample just in case, SoCal. How evil! (Albeit a little bit unfair to the store...)

 

[Allivymar]

Just a thought, but what ARE your water parameters? If levels are registering, could be that guy is more sensitive then the others.

Generally, I've been pretty lucky and get healthy fish for the most part. I had one clown loach keel over the day after I got it (the other 2 I got with it did and are doing phenominal; the bigger one has put on a good inch and a half since I got him in June), and I'm having probs with cardinals I bought over the weekend; 3 have already bit the big one (but I expected it; I know they are having problems with the current cardinal stock and took a chance). I've never had to return sick fish; only dead ones and always within 2-3 days of purchase.

 

[Oscar]

returning fish

SoCal, I'm sure glad I don't have deviant customers like you. I have a small local fish store and have a generous 10 day guarantee on all our fish. Unless the water paramaters are WAY out of line I honour the guarantee regardless. Believe me, all LFS owners are not cheats looking for an excuse to negate the guarantee. In my opinion shame on you for doing it and double shame on you for broadcasting it.

 

[madasafish]

Urg. It's good to remember that we have all sorts of members on this site! Even beneficent LFS owners. GOOD ON YOU Oscar for having such a generous guarantee--it's very sporting of you! (How English does that sound--"sporting"?)

Actually, I appreciate the trust and kindness of my LFS owners, and seldom even complain if a fish bites the dust within the 24-hour (not enough) grace period they promise. I know they try hard to keep the fish healthy and happy. So, I've never yet found myself abusing their trust, and don't think I will...

Also, keeping a small LFS in NYC is really tough. The competition from Petco is enormous, and the rent here is astronomical. All LFS owners in NYC should be given a real break, and props for opening a fish store in the first place!

 

[SoCal]

Oscar

I am an honest person. I just recently lost about 20 dollars worth of fish with in the return policy time limit and because I was at fault for their deaths I did not try to return them, I never do. I wasn't sitting in front of one of my tanks and just decide I was going to CHEAT the store owner. I have had many cases over several years in several different states where the guy working the fish department gave me grief and made the exchange/return a very undesirable experience because my levels where a little less than perfect. So when I am In the right for bringing back a fish that has died I don't give the store the benefit of doubt unless I have bought from them several times. It's just easier for me to avoid the confrontation however big or small. If you are affended by my post I apologize, But shame on you for thinking you know me and judging me from a single post and double shame on you for thinking that I am the only person that has tried or thought of this, and that posting it here is going to change anything.

 

[Terry]

SoCal, I dread to think how many store owners are on here. but like oscar i'm glad i don't have any customers that do that, ( i don't think i do ). You will be suprized, LFS owners are not out to rip you off, but i do say that you can tell a good store by it's aftersales. I am a believer that if you treat your customers good they will come back. I to give a guarantee ( 48 hour no questions asked, 7 day if they bring a water sample for me to check ) but if i start to believe they doctor there water i will ask for a postmortem as well hahahahahahaha. and 9/10 times i don't ask any questions at all i just replace the fish. As for the problem with the cherry Barb i would remove it from the tank either to a QT tank or back to where you got it. If a fish is showing signs of distress and the other cherry barbs pick up on it they will go in for the kill themselves, it is a natural thing for a fish to do. To them it will just be another meal, and if there is a problem with the fish the others might get it when they eat it.

 

[grimlock3000]

Last night my sick fish was looking better and swimming all over the tank instead of swimming at the bottom. He was moving a bit faster too, and was able to chase down some food with the other fish. I was glad to see the fish getting better. Then I woke up this morning and the fish was dead at the bottom of the tank

Water parameters are at 0, or very close to it, on ammo and nitrites. The fish have only been in the tank for 36 hours as of right now, and i tested the water after they were in there for 24 hours.

 

[Cherry Barb]

Sorry about the fish Grim! Its never fun to lose one! But, I hope the others do well for you.

 

[grimlock3000]

Lost another male Cherry Barb this morning which brings me down to four total. This one was floating up near the top of the tank last night and dead when I woke up. The water tests out fine, the fish looked mostly healthy when I got them, they all eat the food that goes into the tank. It is more frustrating than anything, I can not think of anything that I have done wrong yet I have lost two fish already.

 

[Cherry Barb]

Hmmm....Two questions, first how old is your test and what kind is it? Just makin sure your test is ok, because I would think (someone correct me if I'm wrong) that your water should be having some sort of nominal reading after 3-4 days. Probably not large ammonia or Ites reading but something none the less.

Second, what kind of aeration do you have? I didn't see that listed on your description, sorry if I missed it.

 

[grimlock3000]

I use the Aquarium Pharm. test kits with Doc Wellfish on the test tubes, they are all about three months old, and have all given consitent readings on my 10g tank while that was cycling. Did another test today and got no detectable ammonia reading and the nitrite tube had a tint to it, but nothing that registerd on the test scale. I took a well used filter sponge from the 10g and put it in the 26g after the fish were in for 24 hours. I did not rinse it off or anything, just shook out the big stuff and put it in the 26g.

I have a Bio Wheel 30 on the 26g that is driven off a surface disfuser attached to the HOT Magnum. The disfuser keeps the water surface constantly moving and the Bio Wheel dumps in a lot of bubbles as it splashes water back into the tank. Other than that, I have no air pump or anything. If the power were to go down, I would use a battery power pump on it.

 

[Cherry Barb]

ok, so we know the aeration is good. The test is also good. that happens to be the same kind I use and it doesn't sound old, so...... here's what I think. I think maybe two things.

First, the cherry barb you initially lost obviously had some problems to begin with so that's pretty self explanatory. I think the second one was lost just because it was probably stressed from the move to the tank from the lfs. (Unfortunate, but I lost a danio the same way when i began cycling my 20 gal.)

Second, I think your tank is probably going to be fine from here on out. I think adding that water from the sponge was a good idea, never hurts to get a good jump start on cycling. Just keep testing and watch those other cherry barbs. If they keep acting ok, that says alot about their tank. 3-4 fish is usually the best way to cycle, and of course it will take a bit, but that's ok.

Just keep up the good work!