deepdiver

Anything from Arizona Aquatics Gardens. 40% DOA both times I ordered from them.

crystalview

I got a bait and switch Juvi Discus and don't have the heart to put him down. So his stunted ugly self lives with the other 3 discus and always reminds me buyer be ware.

JanS

Gee, I hadn't checked into this thread for a while. Lot's of interesting stories, and lessons to be learned.

gunnerx

This thread actually helped me with a purchase decision. There was a sale on Chinese Algae Eaters and was contemplating on getting them until I saw how many people listed them in this thread! I changed my mind and got Otos instead.

Jareardy

Well the fish was given to me so I didn't necessarily buy it but it would have to be my albino cory. He was fine in my other tank but when I transferred him to my new tank all he does is root through the sand I put in there and break loose all of my plants. I have to replant every day. Anybody want an albino cory??

davemonkey

My biggest regret was a pair of Green Severums. After years of cichlid tanks and seeing them as "calm" cichlids, I tried two juveniles in my first "planted" tank. They destryed a few of the plants and uprooted the rest, daily.

Sandman

I don't think I've ever had fish that I didn't like but I do regret getting twelve Buenos Aires Tetras for my planted tank. Within a few weeks they had stripped most of my plants clean! If you don't have a planted tank, they are great fish to have - very fast swimmers and nice schooling fish.

nkambae

I've been keeping fish for many, many years and I have learned a few hard lessons as well as a number of slightly less painful ones. I have three basic rules which have helped me to cope with the sometimes steep learning curve one can encounter in our hobby. The first rule of fish keeping is :

* Fish die and the second rule, like unto the first is:
* Big fish eat little fish, and the third, like unto the first two is:
* Many, many fish are aggressive toward their own kind and others.

If I find I am missing fish, I refer immediately to stu's three rules of fish keeping.
There are, of course, many corollaries and addenda.

- Do NOT anthropomorphize your fish. They are wonderful creatures but they are fish.
- Water changes can be very beneficial.
- Testing the water can be instructive.
- Disease happens. Some, like ich, are easily curable and some are not.
- The incidence of disease can be mitigated somewhat by proper quarantine methods.
- Know which fish BEFORE you purchase.
- Knowing which fish includes but is not limited to: maximum size, diet, habits, aggression, proper water parameters, et cetera ad nauseum.
- Do NOT EVER release your unwanted fish into the wild. (carp, walking catfish, snakeheads, cichlids, birds, lizards, and pythons in Florida, disease, hybrids... need I say more?) Trade 'em, sell 'em, euthanize 'em but NEVER, EVER release them into the wild. It is not more "humane" to release them in to the wild.

This is hardly a complete list but it might be a way to somewhat lessen a bit of the heartbreak I have read in this thread. I would be happy to hear others' inputs in this matter. I apologize if this is viewed as a thread hijack. I needed to express myself.

stu

dawntwister

Sounds like stories I have heard about dogs tearing up things, like a car, when they are not happy.

I have 4 albino cory’s in my tank, which has a sand substrate. They use to swim around in circles. They were probably eating the algae on the glass. They never dig up my plants.

Why not trade him in at a local pet store for another fish.

bear24

The worst fish I ever added to a tank was some green corys. They attacked all my shrimp and uprooted small C. wentii daily. They were also lazy, never really searching for food that was a little hard to get to.