Fact or Fishtales-Lets have fun!

[Cichlid_Man]

Many of us hear all sorts of crazy stuff when it comes to fish and aquariums. Some of that stuff is true, but a lot of the things we hear is just a bunch of Hogwash....so I'm creating this thread for people to post myths and facts about our hobby. hopefully people will benefit from this....

The myth I love the best is "the fish will grow to the size of the tank".
Tell that to the hundreds of people who buy baby oscars for a 10-20gal tank, only to find out they outgrow the tank very quickly.

I had a 15 gallon tank and put 6 small Oscars in there when I was a newbie.
You know? The old inch of fish per gallon?
Well, after a month they were so overgrown that they couldn't move. The tank looked more like an oil painting!

[jman]

1)"as long as the fish are the same size they are compatible". False

2)"flowerhorn cichlids are priced by there hump on the head and the color on there body". False


1 answer) depending on the type of fish, where it is from, and its temperament decides whether or not two fish are compatible.

2 answer) they are self profits by stores or cross breeders and they determine the cost. If deciding to buy a flowerhorn please consider this.

[Abbeys_Mom]

1- Green Spot Puffers are fine in freshwater (false)

2- An Oscar won't outgrow a 55g (false)

3- Goldfish are fine in bowls (false)

4- Bettas prefer smaller tanks (Has anyone asked a betta?)

[Slinky_Bass]

Practically every single book, actually, make that every single book I've read
says that Angel Fish are "peacefull community fish". Lies, utter lies, Angels are Cichlids and as they get older they get quite territorial and are also aggressive when mating/spawning/looking after eggs.

[Lady Hobbs]

I want to get my angel a Jack Dempsey to play with!

I like how angelfish are sexed by the hump on their head and their red eyes. NOT!

[Abbeys_Mom]

I love the whole "you can't sex a fish until". I just bought 2 dwarf gouramis and the guy at the lfs tried to convince me one was female. They were OBVIOUSLY 2 males, how can you NOT TELL with dwarf gouramis! When I raised guppies, you could tell the males from the females about a week after they were born (with a few exceptions). Most fish species I have found easy to sex, so I love when they try to sell you a male and call it a female. I had the same problem with pet stores that could "guarantee" the sex of their hamsters. Have you ever seen a male hamster? How could you NOT know!

[f1oored]

If you put a peace lily at the top of a betta bowl it will become its own closed eco system. You don't need to feed the fish or change the water because the betta will eat the roots and the plant will eliminate the fish waste.

- Big lie - Bettas like high protein food, not plants and the peace lily at the top usually just blocks the fish from getting to the air to breathe.

[jman]

not to keep going at the betta situation but so many people especially at fish stores telling false info. about them. How could you not know that bettas enjoy space --lets put some of those fools in a glass that is only 3 times the size of themselves. I think they get carried away at thinking they know it all because the fish does not technically originate from a specific place. (Kinda like flowerhorns)

[Cichlid_Man]

not to keep going at the betta situation but so many people especially at fish stores telling false info. about them. How could you not know that bettas enjoy space --lets put some of those fools in a glass that is only 3 times the size of themselves. I think they get carried away at thinking they know it all because the fish does not technically originate from a specific place. (Kinda like flowerhorns)

Good point Jman...
Pet shops, as I like to call them, really know next to zero about a lot of things.

They'll sell you anything to make the all mighty dollar.
For instance...and this may cause some controversy, but...
I have African Cichlids....
Not one of those cihlids, or anybody else's cichlids here have ever known the likes of Lake Malawi or any other African Lake...
They really don't need any salt or buffers or anything else but good clean water. I know people who have African cichlids living for many years and never used salt or buffers. Another Myth I think...
I guess there are some extreme situations like mine where my tap water is 6.0.
I have to use something to raise that up, but as for salt, there is a lot of mixed opinion on that.
Leave the salt for brackish and salt water fish.