What is your most regrettable fish purchase? - Page 3 - Fish for the Planted Aquarium

Aaron · 03-10-2005, 12:17 PM

QUARANTINE GUYS!!! Do it in a 5 gallon bucket if you have to!

Thaerin,
ripping out and replacing an entire battery of tanks isn't necessary, all they would need to do is sterilize everything with alcohol and bleach.

As for my most regrettable purchase, I don't really have any. I will however never buy Chocolate gouramis ever again as I have killed too many.

arellanon · 03-10-2005, 03:41 PM

I bought some plecos and cichlids and had to return them. The plecos were getting rather large and I didn't have room for a cichlid tank. I also had to return my monos. My monos were really nice; my mono sebae was beutiful in particular. I kept getting compliments while in the store I traded with. I hope they're in a better home now. I just don't have room for a large brackish water tank.

arellanon · 03-10-2005, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatPat

First: Siamese Algae Eaters! By far the most over rated algae eater in planted tanks. Once they get a taste for fish food (other than algae) they are worthless and they are very difficult to catch.

Second: Cardinal Tetras from a LFS. The fish had an initial mortality rate of 50% in the first week. Thought it was the GH of 10 that may have contributed to their demise. Moved the remaining 6 to an RO tank (GHand KH of 3 degrees) and returned the dead fish for 6 more and those died within a few days, taking 3 more with them. While the store has a decent guarantee, it does not apply to replacement fish. Now I have 3 Cardinal Tetras that ended up costing me $12 each!!! I like Cardinals, but not that much

Yes, SAE's suck! Mine is getting big and lazy; my ottos easily outgraze the guy/gal! All he does is harass my ottos while THEY try to eat algae! Doubt I'll ever buy one again; I'll just stick with a crew of ottos, shrimp, and snails.

JanS · 03-10-2005, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron

QUARANTINE GUYS!!! Do it in a 5 gallon bucket if you have to!

I whole heartedly agree. It only takes one little "bug" in a newly introduced fish to wipe out your entire tank of established (and sometimes priceless) fish to drive home the message.
A Q-tank doesn't have to be elaborate, or cost a lot, but it sure saves a bunch of headaches down the road. All you need is a 5 or 10 gallon tank with a sponge filter and heater to get by.

TWood · 03-11-2005, 06:20 AM

And once you have a new fish in a Q tank, then what? Watching it for a week may not reveal anything. How do you treat the unknown?

It's arguable that the trip through the Q tank introduces more stress than it's worth. It's also arguable that the new fish was the catalyst that set off a latent infection in the show tank that was just waiting for a stress factor. It's also arguable that the vast majority don't use Q tanks and we are only hearing of the few occassions when there was a problem.

It's also arguable that I'm completely wrong.

TW

Laith · 03-11-2005, 06:53 AM

Not to argue or anything

, but one week is not enough.

I quarantine for 4 weeks.

Porkchop · 03-11-2005, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron

As for my most regrettable purchase, I don't really have any. I will however never buy Chocolate gouramis ever again as I have killed too many.

Sorry to go off topic, but I have only seen Chocolate Gourami in LFS of NYC ONCE in my 20+ year here! I bought all three of them, and they are doing fine for about year now.

Have anyone seen them in your LFS

vancat · 03-11-2005, 07:09 AM

Anybody who has infected their entire main tank because they didn't feel like quarantining, KNOWS it's a worthwhile effort.

If you don't give a hoot, than go right ahead & dump 'em in there.

iris600 · 03-11-2005, 09:09 AM

Question, will ottos eat hair algae?

Error · 03-11-2005, 10:36 AM

I don't quarantine for the following reasons:

1. Fish who aren't showing any external signs of disease generally are safe.
2. I don't have the room for another tank.
3. Quarantining does not always reveal disease. It's the transfer between tanks (i.e., the stress of catching the fish) that does it the best.

I should probably start doing it, though. Especially after this mess.