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gahhhhhh i hate walmart!!!!!!!!! curse them! curse them curse them curse them a thousand times over!!!!!!!!!!!!
i went in with my dad today and went to check out the fish. i didnt really expect them to be in ideal condition but man. i was just sick to my stomach. each tank was very very overcrowded and lots of decorations were used so there was even less space. it was disgusting. i felt incredibly bad for a few of the fish and im thinking that as much as i hate to give wal mart the money i might be able to give a few of these fish a better home. the fish im going to try and rescue arent priced i dont think they even know they have them in the tank. i managed to identify one of the two i want to rescue. Im going to try and get this small rainbowshark thats in with a bunch of pictus. it seems to be in fairly good health but goodness knows how long that will last. and the other fish is some type of catfish and that one i cant really tell its health. its hanging in the back of the tank near the filter. its looks brown with gold lines. its pretty small and timid and its stuck with a bunch of cichlids. anyways any advice on this? tips on how to make sure theres as little stress as possible on the little guys? Im pretty sad i cant do more. the part that made me the sickest is the one thing i cant help with. in one small (like 10 15 gal.) tank there was something like 5 or 6 fairly big clown knifes all shoved into this one very small cave. there was nowhere else in the tank to hide. but i cant put a clown knife into my 55 or 30 for very long. anyways guys im going back tommorow or tuesday and id appreciate any tips. thanks!

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

Hmmm, I'm not sure what that catfish is... Is it the South American Bumblebee Catfish? This is one of the few brown and orange fish that would be appropriate in a small tank. The Asian Bumblebee Catfish could do fine in a 55 gallon, though tankmates should not be too small to eat.

You can submit complaints to certain local organizations which may help. Wal-Mart is pretty much known for not providing good conditions for their fish.

That said, "overcrowding" at an LFS is just something that goes with the trade, and they make up for it best they can with efficient filtration (hopefully). Keeping fish with incompatible species at the LFS, however, is not really good.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

hmm it might be. thatd certainly be an interesting addition. i know overcrowdings something lfs's gotta do this just seemed to take it to an extreme. the part that really made me mad is that while i was sitting there stareing in disgust this guy walked up and started talking about what pride they take in their tanks. it almost sounded like he had been paid to do it. well im off to look up the asian bumble bee and see if thats it. if not im going through planet catfish. thanks for the reply shinigami!

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

Well,
Not to be too ranty here! We have rescued two Bosemani Rainbowfish from Wal-Mart in 3 months. The first one, Wally, did great from day one.... no health issues at all. The second, Martina, had a mouth fungus that we seperated her for and treated over 14 days. She had a couple days that she looked iffy, but came around and was added to our 55G community tank this afternoon.
Wal Mart should not be selling fish! Most of the time they don't know the first thing about what they are selling!
Most of the time around here they are in bare bottom filthy tanks.
Good luck with the rescue! FYI if the cafish is haning around the surface by the heater, watch for Ich... that's how our Pictus Cats acted before they were felled by it.
Dan

55G -5x Bosemani, 3x Emerald Cory,3x Red Rainbow, 3x Turquoise Rainbow. 20G-Empty. 10G -4x Danio 3x Cory Fry 1 Gold Mystery Snail. 10G- 1x CAE, 2x Tetra 1x ADF

well, I hate to hear that about Wal Mart and those fish. Fortunately, the Wal Marts round here never hardly have many fish. But, I am glad you're willing and able to do something about it... Maybe some complaints to the general mgr...

Ok so ive managed to get one fish. went ought and bought the rainbow shark today. its pretty small. the other unidentified fish i first thought was an african bumble bee catfish but now im thinking its some type of synodtis. i think i spelled that wrong. whatever. anyways the point is that the new rainbow shark(as of yet unnamed stuci needs to get on!) is in and as far as i could see doing fine. thanks for the support guys! if anyone has more tips on makeing him more comfortable id appriciate it! i dont know to much abotu rainbow sharks.


The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/threads/36664.1.htm?10# RIGHT THERE! i was just browsing around the bottom feeder section and found this. that my friends without a doubt is the other mystery fish in the walmart tanks. should i go back and try to rescue one? there were several.

ps the rainbow shark has been dubbed.........oliver!/:'

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

Oh my, Synodontis eupterus? They get rather sizeable. As they grow into adults their coloration changes into brown with spots and the dorsal fin extends. Your 55 gallon would be a good home in the future for this fish.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

This is a problem a lot of fish keepers get into, buying fish that they don't know what it is and can not keep, as they get to big, for existing tanks, and when you buy from a place like Walmart you can't expect to get any info on them, as most stores don't have the knowledge to pass on to the customer.... My suggestion to all who are looking to add fish. DO THE RESEARCH, FIRST

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

One would think do the research first would be common sense. but sadly this is not the case. thats the main reason i didnt buy it till i could figure out what it was. im going back sometime tommorow i think to get it. wish me luck lol.

The true test of character is not how much we know how to do, but how we behave when we dont know what to do.

Last year, I rescued a fantail goldfish. The tank I have for him is not really big enough, but is OK for now - a 29 gallon with a 60 gallon filter... All the other fish that were scrunched up in the tank at said store, died within the following two months (sad). In a few more months I plan to order a 110 gallon livestock tank from Tractor Supply, for him and a friend.
Be careful when buying fish from this store because they are usually badly diseased from filthy water conditions and can spread a variety of nasties to your other fish - make sure to quarantine..........It is often hard to be sure if fish are healthy even when they come from pristine tanks.
I wish you luck.