Don’t trust the staff in the fish store!

This may sound like a provocative suggestion but it still remains true. You shouldn’t automatically trust the store keeper when you visit a fish store. Only trust those who have proven themselves worthy of your trust and there are a lot of trust worthy persons working in and running fish stores. Unfortunately however there are also large amounts of less than trust worthy people who work in fish stores. The reason that they shouldn’t be trusted can sometimes be that they want to sell something to you but might more frequently be a lack of knowledge about the fish species they sell. The fact is however the same regardless of the reason behind the often less than value advice, that many store keepers can’t trust: evidence of this is the fact that I get emails on an almost daily basis telling me about that advice that people have gotten from fish store personal and are starting to doubt after reading more info online. Examples on such advices that been mailed to me include:
- Yes, You can keep an alligator gar (a fish that grows 6 ft long) in your 40 gallon tank.
- Yes of course you can keep a N. managuense (a 1 ft long very predatory cichlid) with your zebra Danios.
- Yes you can keep a Malawi cichlid in your Amazon aquarium. The fish want very different water values.
- Yes. You can keep discus fish and Frontosa cichlids in the same aquarium.

All of these advices are extremely poor and shows n extreme lack of commitment to the fish welfare or an extreme lack of knowledge. So what does this mean for you the consumer?

It means that you can’t depend on the judgement of the store keeper unless you for some reason know that they are knowledgeable and trust worthy and that you have to make some research before buying a fish. If you se a fish in the so store, remember the name and search for information about it on the internet or in a book and se if it suits your aquariums. Make sure that you find out which water values the fish needs, how large it grows, (never buy fish that will outgrow your aquarium in a matter of months), how aggressive the fish species is, what it like to eat and what kind of decoration it needs.

If a fish want the same water condition you have in your aquarium, have about the same temperament as the fish you have now, can be feed the same food, does well in your setup and don’t grow to big for your aquarium you can consider buying the fish. And only then should you consider this.

Millions of fish dies each year because people don’t make research before they buy them and we should do what we can to make those numbers shrink The fact that people due to bad research and bad advice purchase fish that isn’t suitable for there aquariums also leads to that fish gets released in native waters (which is illegal) and that new population of tropical fish species gets established. This problem is especially large in Florida and other southern states.

In conclusion! Don’t implicitly trust your store keeper and make your own research before buying a fish.

Didn't find the info you were looking for? Ask your question in our Aquarium forum !
Our knowledgeable staff usually responds to any question within 24 hours

Other Aquarium Articles

Aquarium Cycling - A guide on how to cycle your aquarium.
Aquarium Lighting - Learn the basics of aquarium lighting
Breeding Fish - Overview of How To Breed Tropical Fish
Beginner fish - Great Beginner Fish for the Beginner Aquarist
Bad beginner fish - Horrible Beginner Fish for the Beginner Aquarist
The beginners tank - A guide to your fist aquarium
Cleaning your filter - Basic filter management
Carbon and aquariums - Information on the effects of using carbon in your aquarium.
Cycling - A guide to aquarium cycling and how it works.
Don’t trust the staff in the fish store! - A text about why you shouldn't alway trust your fish store.
Dry and Rainy Seasons in the Tank - A detailed account of how to simulate seasons in aquariums
Electrical Safety and Aquariums - How to prevent electrical accidents.
Filtration pro and cons - thoughts about filtration
Fry Growth rate - Thoughts on how to optimize growth in fry.
Fish keeping for beginners - An introduction for beginners.
Aquarium Filtration- Llists and describes the different methods of aquarium filtration, and then discusses their benefits and drawbacks.
Finding the Triggers - Information about how to find breeding triggers in different fihs species.
Fry Savers - Information about fry savers and how to construct fry savers.
How to Buy Healthy Fish - A gew tips on choosing healthy fish.
Making a Pebble Cave - A guide on how to make your own pebble cave for your fish.
Modifying Water Chemistry - A technical article about modifying hardness, alkalinity and pH.
Optimizing Growth of Fishes - The factors affecting fish growth - some may be manipulated, others not.
Setting up a tropical freshwater aquarium - Detailed guide on how to setup a freshwater aquarium..
Reverse Osmosis and aquariums - RO is a way to get very pure water in which fish such as dicus and neon tetras can breed and raise their fry.
Safe Rock and Wood Aquascaping - How to make sure that the materials you use in your aquascaping are aquarium safe.
Selecting Community Tank Fish - A guide that will help you choose the right fish for you based on tank size and experience level.
Setting Up A New Aquarium - Help beginners setup their first aquarium
Slime coat - Protecting your fishes vital slime coat
Snails in Aquariums - The biology of snails. Their advantages and disadvantages in an aquarium. How to keep them in check.
Amazon Biotope Aquarium - How to set-up, stock and maintain an aquarium that replicates the Amazon watershed.
Wall mounted aquariums - Information about Wall mounted aquariums
Water chemistry in the aquarium - Hardness, alkalinity and pH are discussed technically, from a chemistry point of view.
Water Chillers - Introduction to water chillers.