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The local fish store can either be a warm haven for tropicals or a dangerous bacteria factory...

Sometimes one whiff will tell the story.

Gazing into the holding tanks, trying to pick out the healthiest tropical is not a science, it's an educational guess.

I usually try to look for an active fish, full color, full finnage and sometimes, if the fish takes the time to look back at me, he's a candidate for my tank.

There's a certain stigma about buying fish from a tank with just one dead fish in it. Think of the stigma of buying a fish with many dead fish in it.

The help you get these days in fish stores may not be the best in the world. In fact, it may not be the best in any world.

Try not to ask a clerk for help if they're wearing a tee shirt exclaiming: "I love Piranhas". They may be the ones disposing of their dead/sick fish by feeding them to "Jaws".

Discovery tricks.

Always take a little flake food with you when in the mood to buy a new fish.

When nobody's looking sprinkle a little food in the tank of your choice. If the fish dash to the top to gobble the flakes, that's a good sign.

The fish that gets there first may be a candidate for your home tank.

Ask for a water test from the tank that holds the fish you're interested in. Most stores have the test equipment nearby.

Test for pH and temp. This will prove helpful when acclimating the fish to your home tank water.

Because of the amount of fish store holding tanks contain and unless their water is changed on a regular basis, the water may test extremely acidic. Perhaps a pH of 6.0, a bright yellow on the test chart.

You're looking for an aqua/light green color that would be 7.0, neutral.

Look out for clerks that claim the pH is low because the species of fish demand it. Balony. All fish, if properly acclimated, adjust to all kinds of pH, within reason, and do just fine.

Not only that, but the tropicals that are shipped into the store are in a neutral bag water, 7.0 pH.

The problem with buying fish from a low pH tank is trying to acclimate them to your tank which may be in the 7.2 range and up.

PH shock is well known. Some of my contemporaries say there's no such thing. Sadly, before I knew better, I lost a few valuable fish by taking them home and immediately dumping them in the tank.

NEXT: Sick fish contaminate.

--garyroland.

[span class="edited"][Edited by garyroland 2004-08-12 11:10][/span]

Look out for clerks that claim the pH is low because the species of fish demand it. Balony. All fish, if properly acclimated, adjust to all kinds of pH, within reason, and do just fine.

Sorry Gary,

This isn't always the case, sure with the majority of tanks but there can be exceptions.
My lfs takes the time to acclimatise some species of the fish with their own prefered requirements, discus / angels etc into soft, acidic waters, lake tangs into harder waters etc.
The reason they gave for doing so when I asked, if the fish are in the waters which they are more suited, they have less deaths, look better and sell faster.
And when it comes to selling these ones, the information of the conditions they are being kept in is always given.

Cheers

Kenny

When nobody's looking sprinkle a little food in the tank of your choice.

Good way to get kicked out of the store, LOL. Personally, I tell the owner of the lfs that I want to feed the fish I plan on buying a little, and that I insist on doing so before buying. Either the food I have or some of theirs, either way. If the answer is no, the fish can't go.

The problem with buying fish from a low pH tank is trying to acclimate them to your tank which may be in the 7.2 range and up.

http://www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/thread.asp?id=45202

About 99% of fish bought by fish stores are from commercial ponds where the pH is neutral...

There is no "natural waters" anymore that fish come from so don't believe the guy who told you that.

My Angels are in 7.6 pH, considered a bit hard but spawn and thrive in that level of pH.

If he's re-acclimating his fish to acidic values he's wasting his time and in my opinion knows very little about the fish he's working with.

--garyroland.