Oh my gosh, gotta share my story

[Musket]

I went to the local Meijer store yesterday for a craft shirt for my son for school. Well you know how we just can't pass the fish section... They were re-arranging the store and had set up the new fish area with all the new pretty tanks and such. There were 4 old tanks 1/2 full of water and full of fish that said .50 each.
OH MY GOSH!! I freeked out.. I can stock my whole other 30g tank!
They had opaline and golden gourami's, fire mouth meeki's, black kuli loaches, mollys, platy's, black skirt tetras, 2 that look similar shape wise like black skirts but have white or red skirts, rosy barbs, 3 kinds of cory cats, pleco's, oto cats, harlequins, golden algae eaters, goldfish, guppy's, neons, hatchet fish, and several others I know by site but not name. I was getting so many, the lady just marked the bag $3.00. - there was at least 20 fish in that bag... mostly kuli's for me and my dad.

I got at least $85.00 worth of fish for $8.00. *I had 2 bags marked $3 and went back later that night and got another for $2.00* They were in the process of catching the fish and putting them in their proper new homes and would rather have sold them.
I was getting some kuli's for my dad, then some for me, and she just handed me the net and let me catch my own. Therefore getting far more than if I had to stand around and let someone else do it. I'm so excited.. and a little nervous. I know I over bought. They are currently in a holding tank with melafix NONE of their original water and a BIG filter. 6 losses, 2 died in the store before getting them home (I came straight home) 2 kulis got in the sink and down the drain before I could catch them. Trust me I tried, I had my hand in the grinder trying to get them, and a neon jumped in my hand (I didn't even know she was down there) and she is fine! But the kuli's got away, I added water with my hand down the drain so it would come in slow and fill up, thinking that I could then get them, but they were already gone. I tried, I did. I still feel so bad for them. That is how I got 6 deaths, 2 in the store before getting out of the store, 1 on the way home, 2 escapes presumed dead. 1 jumped out of the tank and found dead on the floor when I got home after leaving for an hour. (I believe this is the same fish that jumped out of the little bucket before being bagged and fell 4 feet to the floor of the store - maybe he just had a mission)

Anyway, I had to share! Now I need to make sure they are all healthy before rearranging them into my various tanks. I'll clean all the tanks prior to introduction and do a slow acclimation. They have been stressed enough, but I will give them a good home, and set up another tank if necessary - yeah MTS!

[55gallons]

to bad that "sale" is over by now - i would ask ya to pickup some fish for me and ship em hahaha dang .

[hc8719]

i have a kuhli story too...

getting rid of the orginal water from the fish bags, i just knew that God wanted me to put the sink drain down, and i did, and then let my mom drain the bags, only to hear here scream when the kuhli wiggled into a soapy sink. it took a bit to catch him, but he made it. despite swimming in soapy, tap water for a good 30 secs, we got him to the tank, and he made it, still alive today

now when i get new fish, i have a 1 gallon bowl some friends got me, and when draining store water, i just pour it in their, no risk of loosing anything. bottom line, kuhlis are squirmers, and can escape your pinching the bag, even when you think its impossible

[TwoHobbies]

Ok Musket....take a breath ...can anyone be to happy, talk about being in the right place at the right time....WOW....Oh, buy the way.........did your son get a shirt?

[Burks]

Wow that is quite a deal. I would have bought every Kuhli and Cory they had at those prices.

[Musket]

I did get all the kuhli's too many to get an accurate count, but at least 18, those were in the first 2 bags at $3 each. I've never had cory's before so I only got 2, they look to be grayish green... they also had white *albino* and some bigger black w/white spots.
Yes TwoHobbies, I did get the shirt. I get to see it on Friday when he wears it for *Applefest* at his school. There will be all kinds of "apple" things to do and they will end up making applesauce from fresh apples the parents send in, in their classroom and having some with their lunch. Sounds like fun to me.
I asked the lady that handed me the net what they were going to do with the tanks, she said she wasn't sure but thought they might clean them up and sell them. They were suppost to be empty by last night, but I stopped in to check and they were all still there. Trust me it was very hard to walk out without picking up a few more. She said she might be able to sell me the 20 long with light, filter, heater for something like $5.00 but she really wasn't sure. I'm going to go back tomorrow if I can *hubby will have the car, the other one died on him when he got to work-alternator* so I may not be able to get there while she is there. I'm tempted to go in and if it is still set up, to offer $10 for the fish in it too. Grab a clean bucket and pour the little guys in that so I can carry it upstairs. just a thought ..... Can't remember what that particular tank has in it. I'll let you know..

[hc8719]

$5 for a 20 gal set up?

this miejer isnt in ohio is it?

[Musket]

nope, we're in Michigna, not that long aof a drive (depending where in Ohio you are). But like I said, she didn't know. It may or may not happen. But it sure is a "sweet thought" isn't it?

[toddnbecka]

Buy 'em all if you can, and make a few $$ reselling what you don't keep. You'll end up with free tanks with any luck.

[plecoperson]

Oh, buy the way.........did your son get a shirt?

"What son? What shirt?"

-Musket

[Musket]

Originally Posted by plecoperson

"What son? What shirt?"

-Musket

What son? We have a 4 year old, come on Pleco, you knew that didn't you? My 4yr old son (Rion - pronounced with a "long I" sound) had "Apple Fest" at school today. I got him a white sweatshirt to decorate at school Wed for todays festivities. It's very cute actually, red and green apples (looks like they sliced one in half and used it as a stamp) all over the front and sleeves.

We had to pick up our car for across the state, so I have not gotten a chance to see if the tanks are still available. We may go hang gliding tomorrow so I may not get a chance then either. But I'll try. I wanted to stop on the way home, but I needed to get my dad his car back - which we borrowed to do the trip.

Anyway, if I get a chance to go back up there and check it out this weekend, I'll let you know if they sell it to me or not.

hahaha - get them all... the other 3 tanks are 10g. but yeah, just for the filters and heaters alone it's worth it. Knowing me, I'd want to keep all the fish if they gave me those too.

[trotty]

Hanggliding Vs Practically free fish and equipment? No brainer for me, u can hang glide any day!

Or is it just me suffering from a bad case of MTS 8O

[Musket]

hahahahaha bad case of MTS. If I wasn't so exhausted from driving all day, I'd go tonight... but I don't think the manager is there anyway. I think I need to find that one woman who marked my bag $3 in the first place. If the tanks are still there, I might be able to talk her into just giving me the fish too to get them out of her hair. If they are still there, they are probably being ammonia poisoned. *dead fish floating, low water* though, the filter was still running, at least they are doing that for them. The heaters may be burned out since they have only the bottom in the water... we all know the "water level here" mark is way way above the current water level.

[guppy12]

Where IN MICHIGAN???

[Musket]

It's the Roseville, Meijers. Didn't get there over the weekend, not sure if it is still going on. I keep looking to see where I can fit that 20 long... Hey I can just spend oddles on one of those flat thin monitors and hang it on the wall and use my desk for the tank..

[hc8719]

we really how to pry what meijers out of you...

is that near toledo?

[Musket]

probably 3 hours (approx) from Toledo. Well.... that is a guess. It takes 3 hrs to get to Buckyrus (I know I spelled that wrong). So, if you know where that is, then you can figure it out. I think it is more sideways, so perhaps the same or a little less... hahahaha you're so silly...with gas, it'd be cheaper to get some at home.
Unless of course, you want to see the beautiful fall foliage!

[hc8719]

yeah, when i read 3 hrs, im like nevermind.

i go up to jackson and hillsdale all the time, though i dont think i'll go out of my way for meijers

[Musket]

hahahaha
well, all of the meijers are switching over to the new layout, so you never know what you might find.
I went today and all the tanks were gone. The original lady I spoke with was nowhere to be found. I don't even think the lady I spoke to today knows her. All she told me was that the tanks were gone and she didn't even think they were in the back anymore, but she didn't go check.
To ease my pain I bought to new male bettas who had just arrived. One looks like a rainbow (blue, teal green pinkish purple), and the other is white, with a touch of teal near his tail and head, then with brownish/burgandyish fin near the body and white on the ends.

[WaterPond]

arrg, i am on the border of michcigain(sarnia ontario) and i wish i could take fish over the border, they are so much cheaper over there!!

Thats an awsome deal. I'm glad the Khuli lived!

sorry for the losses