echoDreamz
Aquarium Advice Regular
Krusty56
We have all been there!! I bought fish that would outgrow my tank "Clown Loaches"! Awesome fish, but I didn't read up on them nor did I do my research. Most of the people here do a lot of talking, like they are the only voice when it comes to fish tanks. Don't let that get too you. What they fail to tell you is how much fish they have killed over the years to learn the lessons they now know. I learned that upgrading after the fact is not always great, as the move stressed my fish and they died.
A lot of people here telling you to upgraded, but offered little advice on where to get a good deal. Go to Craigslist, you wouldn't believe some deals you can get. I saw one on my list for a 125 for FREE! No stand nothing, just the tank! I have seen 200 gallon tanks with basic stuff that will work until you can upgrade the equipment for as low as 200 dollars. It can be done and done cheaply!! If you know where to look. The petco $1 a gallon sale is great and all, but you still have to buy everything else, so you end up spending a lot more. Tanks are not the issue with prices, it's the equipment.
We have all killed fish, it happens. We have all rushed into buying a fish before we knew what to do. Don't let people tell you that you did something wrong, because you didn't. You saw a fish you liked and bought it. Now you know!!! Get others the information before they start a tank. Now you know to research before buying a fish, and now you know that each fish has their own needs. Now you can inform others, before they make the same mistake. Good luck with the upgrade and don't let others get you down.
Oh, so it is OK to stick a fish that requires a 50+ gallon tank into a 10 gallon tank? Knowing that you are not going to be able to accommodate him because of "other" issues? The fish is already stressed enough from the being caught, shoved in a tiny bag, then take for a car ride, then put into a tiny little tank that is WELL below their requirements...
Craigslist is great, but not always, you get a tank, say you pay $50 for it, then 2 days later it starts leaking, well you are SOL most of the time. If you pay for it from a retail establishment, you have a chance to drain it and return it. I would rather pay $1 per gallon and know that the tank is backed by the LFS for at least 30 days, and then I have receipts etc. to show to the manufacturer if something does break. To each is their own
I do not agree that it is OK to run out and get fish and cram them into whatever size tank you have. He did the right thing by returning it (assuming he did). I am no fish expert, which is why I joined this community, I inherited a 30gallon tank from a friend that was FULL OF FISH. It was way overstocked, I did the right thing and returned some of the bigger ones and bought a new 55 gallon tank, moved some to the 55 gallon, and kept some in the 30 gallon.
Fish are just like any other animal / pet. If you want a dog, you need to make sure you can support it and provide it with what it needs. Not just get it and feed it cat food for a month until you can afford to get dog food, or keep it in a tiny little room until you can afford to get it a bigger one.
It is one thing to buy a fish that "will" outgrow its tank, it is another to buy a fish that has already outgrown the tank. I have a Bala in a 55 gallon tank, I know he will outgrow it in a few years, and by then I will have a much larger tank (or 2), but for now, it fits him well.