Siamese Shark. (iridescent shark)

**rangur1** · 01-14-2013, 11:02 AM

20 cm?? there are 2 pangasius species i heard of p. sutchi which grows to about 1 meter and p. sanitwongsi or gigas that reaches 3 meters.

**Aeonflame** · 01-14-2013, 12:17 PM

There are no pangasius species I know of that grows to 20 cm.

**Honey Badger 1** · 01-14-2013, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by andreahp

In the future, it would help if you check out fish 1st before buying them

Why is this the most difficult part of this hobby? Isn't it normal to research before you start any hobby and continue researching after you have started the hobby? I don't care if it's gardening, model airplanes, or stamp collecting, there is some research involved and people don't have a problem studying. So, why do so many people think it is ok to buy an animal without learning at the very least the minimum requirements it is going to need?

Tyler Scholz, 850R has given you an excellent suggestion of going back to the store and finding out the scientific name used to order the fish, please do this. After finding out what fish you actually have, if you are not able to properly house them then take them back to the store and find some fish you can keep properly for the duration of their life. Don't release these animals into and body of water that you personally can't control, you never know what might happen and the consequences might be much worse than you could anticipate.

**Tyler Scholz** · 01-17-2013, 05:35 PM

K i finally got time to go back to the store. They guy there did not seem to know the name of the species he sold and only told me that it was the smallest and my tank should be big enough to house it. (just like he said when i ascked him about the fish before I bought it). He did say he is willing to take the fish back and trade it in or give me a refund if it grows to big for my tank (I never actually knew that fish shops down here trade in) . So that was nice to hear. I do not think I will stress to much on it though. Just see what happens and if they grow to big I just return them. Also spoke and found out about those "private dams" in my area and do not think I could use them as it seems they actually do keep some fish in there(Carp and one other fish that i have seemed to forget the name). And alot of the smaller ones apparently dry up completly in the summer. I know I should always research fish before I get them but it is just such a mission to do so. They seemed to turn quite abit more colourfull in this tank and I have come to quite like them now. Think I will keep them and see how this plays out. They also seem alot more active now. One even started to shoal with the serpea tetra now and swim with them.( was really not expecting to see that)

**imma24** · 01-17-2013, 07:01 PM

Originally Posted by Tyler Scholz

. I know I should always research fish before I get them but it is just such a mission to do so.

A mission? I think it's called "damage control" and being a responsible pet owner. There are tons of articles right here or on other fishkeeping websites - just google a name and you'll find out what other names it might go by, how big it can get, how peaceful or aggressive it is and what is the minimum size tank you should keep it in - will probably take you all of 10-15 minutes once you know the name!

If your LFS can't give you the name of a fish to look up on your own, then you should really leave the store without it.

**phatchuck** · 01-17-2013, 07:43 PM

I have to come to the defense of Tyler for a minute here. As a newbie I fully understand what he is going through and yet I fully understand what the veterans here are too. Just my two cents and a little perspective --

I want you veterans to think way back to just how exciting it was for you to fill your very first tank with fish. I know exactly how it is exciting because I just went through it a few months ago. You can do all the research in the world and have the best plan as to what fish you want to be the first in your tank, yet when you get to the LFS and see all the amazing looking fish that you've never heard of, you are very easily taken off that track. Wow! Look at that one! That one is so cool! You soon forget what you were there to do and start thinking about how cool that fish would look in your tank. Your excitement precludes you from doing any real due diligence - so you ask the guy at the store. He works there, so he knows a lot more than you do. We all know that some workers are very informed and will tell you all you need to know and ask you all the right questions about your tank and setup to determine if that fish is right for you. On the other end of the spectrum you have the guy that has no idea what he is talking about and just wants to sell you whatever fish you want. (I bought my tank as a kit in a box and the guy at the LFS asked me if I wanted to get the fish at the exact moment while he was ringing me up) Next thing you know, by trusting the guy at the store because you don't know any better and he 'seems' to know a lot - you walk out with 3 cool looking irredescent sharks for your 10 gallon tank.

I'm just saying that while all of the advice from the veterans above is 150% correct - you should absolutely do your research before buying any fish - you have to realize how easy it is for a newbie to get caught in the moment and buy the wrong fish. I'm sure all of you made the same mistakes as a newbie. I know I did and I'm not ashamed. I was excited. I trusted the wrong LFS guy a couple of times. The key is to learn from your mistakes and keep expanding your knowledge. This site has a wealth of knowledge, but I think we also have to keep it in perspective why we're here. We enjoy aquariums and fish. They make us happy or give us some form of peace. Sometimes in that excitement we do the wrong things, but not for nefarious reasons. The fact that Tyler is on this site should be a testament to his excitement and we should remember that before scolding him for making a mistake. That's just what a few of your replies seem to be to me.

**Goes to 11!** · 01-18-2013, 12:39 AM

phatchuck

Here's the thing: If he didn't know better it would simply be a mistake.

One out of ignorance [Not knowing any better] & people make these kinds of mistakes all the time when entering a new hobby/activity, No doubt about that. It only takes some knowledge [and the application of that knowledge] to fix it.

That is clearly not the case here:

Originally Posted by Tyler Scholz

I know I should always research fish before I get them but it is just such a mission to do so.

Knowledge without application is useless.

**phatchuck** · 01-18-2013, 04:56 AM

Originally Posted by 850R

phatchuck

Here's the thing: If he didn't know better it would simply be a mistake.

One out of ignorance [Not knowing any better] & people make these kinds of mistakes all the time when entering a new hobby/activity, No doubt about that. It only takes some knowledge [and the application of that knowledge] to fix it.

That is clearly not the case here:

Knowledge without application is useless.

Well, I have to admit that that particular quote passed by me, and I do agree with what you're saying. Ignorance and laziness are two distinctly different things. In my defense, even before that statement was put out there I just felt a tinge of sanctimonious rhetoric in some replies. Maybe it's just me. Not looking to stir the pot or anything, but as a newbie that is just learning about stuff it seems that some people forget what it's like to make bad decisions even when you have the best intentions. Again, just my 2 cents.

**Goes to 11!** · 01-18-2013, 05:22 AM

Talking about fish?

Meh, Text interpretation is subjective anyway since everyone reads with their own cadence and tone that may or may not match the writers intent.

And speaking for me only, I don't forget what it's like to be a newb but I also don't call it a mistake [Or best intentions] when it is clearly something else entirely.

Something I don't can't promote because it will cause a repeat of this exact same scenario.