oh geez... I've done it again

[rubysoho]

ok, a few of you know about my soft spot for female bettas and how if I see one that nobody wants, I get them (three at the moment). Apparently I have that soft spot for ALL fish now. I was in walmart again getting face wash stuff, with NO intentions of going into the fish isle. Somehow I find myself darting into the fish isle, I head straight for the betta (no friends where there to stop me) and I was checking out all the fish and found a single female betta dead... and had been dead for some time. So I'm already a little upset about this, head to the fish tanks, see the usual mollies, acid dipped fish, gold fish, and in two of the bottom tanks I see the beautiful Sun Cats that I've been researching for a few months now. Here are the thoughts that were going through my head:

"WHAT!?!?! Those fish get WAY too big to be walmart fish. Where the heck is the identity tag...there is none. Great someone is going to buy them, not know how big they get, what they need, and they'll die. oh my god, that one doesn't have an eye! Ok, it was born without it... poor thing. He and his buddy seem to swimming around nicely... but nobody wants a one eyed fish. I bet he'll end up dieing. Well maybe... no, I can't. I have no room, and it would require getting that big tank which i've been planning on getting for a while, but my check hasn't come from the school yet, I can't... But it is less than two inches now... I could take him home, get him fat and healthy, and then find him a home... Maybe my friend at the fish store... Where's the pet help person... ok, no one here, I should just leave. Why am I looking for help, I don't have any room. There he is... I can't leave the other one, I should get both. They look very healthy... uhg... walmart water... what if I get my other fish sick... no, don't ask him to get me the fish (I ask him to get me the fish)... I can't believe I am walking out of here with two fish I can't have... But they have a better chance with me... I'm going crazy. Deffinately crazy... I'll be like that "cat lady" only with fish. I'm not allowed in walmart by myself ever again...


So yeh, now I just need to do extra water changes. My roommate is thinking of buying one of my tanks, and I get a paycheck in 3 1/2 weeks so I can certainly upgrade then to that huge tank I've been wanting... but I told my roommate to NEVER let me go to walmart by myself again.

 

[Bioworldmaker]

... that is why I don't go even anywhere close to the WalMart...
... I don't even go to PetSmart or Petco anymore either...

I think the best solution would be that nobody buy fish at Walmart, so they would have to stop selling them. But I am aware that some places don't have good LFS so Walmart may be one of the few options available for those folks...
I am so lucky that there is a great privately-owned (I try to stay away from chain stores) LFS less than 2 miles away, and the people there take very good care of the fish.

Maybe you should give the Walmart manager "the talk". ;P

 

[Devilishturtles]

Rubysoho,

Seriously, have a chat with the manager of the department, and do it WITH an assistant manager attending. If that doesn't work, the store manager. And if that doesn't work, go to the customer service desk, and fill out one of those comment cards. I've sadly had this done to me before with an upset customer. Somebody had fed an entire bottle of betta food (off the shelf) and fed the ENTIRE bottle to about 30 betta fish. Needless to say, all but one was dead in the morning. We had to go through security tapes and everything to convince this women that it wasn't us, and to prove to my store manager that it wasn't me either.

My point being, the big wigs at WalMart don't like upset customers, and they'll do most anything to make it right. Atleast at my store.

But, you have a great heart! Good luck with the fish!

 

[deeni0z]

I'll be like that "cat lady" only with fish.

Hahaha. Well.. at least with fish you can't put them in your lap and talk to them or spoon with them in your sleep.

OR CAN YOU?

 

[rubysoho]

thanks for the suggestions of talking to the managers, I might suggest to them they only sell more hardy, small fish because whenever I see types of fish that really shouldn't be available to the average "buy it for the kids and not care if they die" shopper. Oh, and stop selling those poor acid dipped fish. And they could list how big of tank all the fish need... so many things we could all come up with for suggestions.

btw deeni0z, I might as well spoon with my tanks. When I told my best guy friend about what I did, he just smiled and said "I love you." I've already started plans on peicing together my 45 gal tank on the budget I have. That should be enough room for these little-soon-to-be-big guys. I really don't think I can part with them now. BUT, if any of you guyd are in NC/close to Boone NC (because I am near the VA and Tenn lines) then I'd be more than happy to give them to you for free, so long as you have enough room for them. They deserve good homes and I know anyone on this board is more than qualified for that

 

[rubysoho]

just a quick update, these fish are sooooooo cool!!! I've already dropped some waffers in for them and they started slinging (like a dog with a rope toy) them around trying to eat them before they softened. That and the two are practically inseparable!! They just about sit on one another. I wish I could upgrade to a 1000 gal tank and buy a whole bunch of them just to see how they'd interact. So much personality and the one with only a single eye doesn't even seemed bothered by it. However, watching them tear at those waffers makes me a little worried. I hope they don't grow too big too fast and decide my danios look tastey. I can't wait until I can either get them another home with someone good or upgrade their tank.