When picking out fish at the Pet store...?

Question

........ Do you go for the biggest of the bunch?
........ Do you get the small cute ones?
........ Do you just pick the prettiest?
........ Or do you bring the funny-looking (possibly sickly) one home, because you feel sorry for him/her?

This could refer to anything from goldfish to Oscars, to bettas. I've bought fish for every reason listed above, at least once. Do you feel the biggest in a specific breed's tank is the strongest and healthiest? Do you feel the smallest are just babies and will live the longest, therefore you get them for that reason?

What reasons have you used for getting specific fish?
Tell me your techniques to picking and buying fish!

The most thought-prevoked answer will get the points!!!
Thanks in advance for your answers!
;o)

I've bought a zebra danio because of a curved spine, and now he's a giant danio, still alive and swimming fine in my mom's tank!

Also I've got a betta with a bent-over tail fin, and she's the healthiest betta in my tank - in fact, she's the alpha female! I don't think she even knows she's different!
;o)

Answer 1

LOL---when I was a teenager, a guppy breeder had the most incredible fish. He gave me a lovely female for free because she had a severely curved spine. She lived for a long time and was happy in my room :)

When I go for a fish, I already have a specific species in mind. Sometimes I have a color in mind. When I bought Charlie, my crowntail betta, I wanted unusual. CT was not a type any of my friends had and so he was "different". LOL--now they are everywhere. I bought Big Red whom is a halfmoon red betta. I went looking for a jet black betta and fell in love with a red one.

You just never know :)

Answer 2

First, find a clean store. Not necessarily a new shiny one, but a store that doesn't have dead or dieing fish in it's tanks. Look closely. Algae,OK,dead fish,bad.
Next look for tanks that appear to contain fish that have been in the store for a long time,because fish from wholesalers might not have had time to exhibit their symptoms(if any).
Then write down the Latin names of the fish.If the clerk doesn't know the proper name of the fish you need a different clerk,or store.
Next step,leave without buying that cute,or beautiful,or interesting fish that was waving at you.This is the very hardest part.
Next arm yourself with knowledge,go to your books,or the Internet,or your local Aquarium Society or fish club and research,research,research. Try to find out if the fish has special requirements(water chemistry,temperature,food) and if you can provide what it needs.You might also ask about prices. Many times you will find people that have the species you are craving from their private stock.
Next go back to the store and look closely at your chosen tank. Look for fish that are behaving in their typical way(bottom fish on the bottom,etc.). Look for clear eyes,fins and scales intact (mishandled fish have torn fins and missing scales). Don't buy from a tank in which you see the fish"flashing",that is, rubbing against rocks or decorations. This can indicate parasites or other disorders.
Also just buying the largest or most colorful will more than likely"net" you a tank full of one sex or the other of a given species. If you have done your research you will know what the different sexes look like.
A good way to start is to just go on fish store tours,with no money(to avoid the dangers of impulse buying,and look for reasons not to buy). Talk to the clerks,as a lot of questions,go home any study,think about your limited tank space,and how best to use it. Look for new answers to the questions that you asked in the stores,and grade the quality of the help you received. Then spend your money and precious tank space.
I hope these thoughts are helpful,I guess what I mean is to sort of practice purchasing fish before you commit. And if you find a fish that you can't possibly live without,a good pet store will hold your purchase if you don't mind paying and leaving the little guy for a few days.
Good luck.

Answer 3

Personally, I try not to get the biggest of the bunch. This way, I can get more small ones. Instead of one big fish, I would get two small ones. I preferably go for the small cute ones. The more the merrier! If I get big ones, I don't get as many and I like variety. I wouldn't ever bring home a sickly one (don't get me wrong, I LOVE animals and I would always try to help them) because it would get all my other fish sick and they would die and I wouldn't have any more fish! But, just as you said, I feel sorry for them. I really do! I just don't want to risk my other fish's innocent lives just because I felt bad about the weird looking (sick) one.

I actually do believe that the bigger the fish in it's breed is the healthiest and strongest, maybe the alpha. I sometimes get the smaller ones because I think they will live longer. I could be totally wrong. It could get a disease and die within the next week.

I like to pick the most colorful and active fish. The blues, yellows, vibrant reds, and bright colors are nice.


Hope I could help! :D

P.S Guppies and Neon Tetras are nice

Answer 4

Hi Sweets, Every one of those reasons is a good one! Picking the biggest probably means you will get a very agile, healthy, active fish extremely able to take care of itself, the small cute ones because they appeal to our caring natures, the prettiest so they will brighten our tanks every time we watch them & the sickly looking ones because fish in stores often get a bad deal out of life so what better reason than to give them a chance? If we manage to nurse them back to health then that's certainly something to be proud of but if not at least we will have given them some time in a happy, comfortable environment.

Three of mine were adopted quite by chance so I never got the opportunity to pick them out but I did buy 2 more lemon Comets, one because he was the biggest, brashest fish in the store & the other as she was the prettiest! Happily there were no sickly individuals in the tank as it was a quality store & the staff know how to look after their fish. If there had been someone poorly looking in the tank I'm sure they would have come home with me though!

Answer 5

I don't go for sickly fish, just the unusual. And of course what would go well in my aquarium. Seeing so many people putting that cute little tinfoil barb in the bowl (true story) is what you get when people go for the cute, pretty, or just feel sorry for them. When choosing fish, like I said I love little zippy things like neons and danios but the unusual like kuhli loaches, hatchetfish, and all manner of catfish. When looking at a tank full of lets say, Otocinclus, I go for the medium sized ones with a full, round stomach and no discoloration. I also take in considerations the species. Neon Tetras, should be swimming around. Not too shy and shouldn't be dull in color. They should stick with the group and not be hiding in a corner. If I'm looking at plecos, which fish is big and sticking to the glass. If it is sitting on the bottom, if probably isn't a good choice. You can't choose a fish based on a generalization of how they should act. Their temperament in the store is also based on the enviroment (bare tank, decorations, lots of people tapping the glass.) Of course and stressful and busy store leads fish to be more tense and not act as they would in a home aquarium. All there things have to be taken into consideration when I buy new fish. It's definitely worth it!

Answer 6

I don't bring the sickly one home, ever! Stores that sell fish generally will treat sick fish and it is good if you point out the sickly one so they can quarantine it from the rest of the tank and if needed treat that tank and the sick fish. I wouldn't buy a fish from any tank that has a sickly fish in it.
I get the ones that I like the way they look the most. I love the way puffer fish look and the way they move- they are so cute, but I don't get them because they are harder for me to maintain.
What I have always wanted is sea horses! I love them. But they are very difficult to keep and expensive to feed because they need to be fed live brine shimp. Also, the tank set up is quite expensive and needs a lot of maintenance.
I love the colorful cichlids.
I pick fish that can get along with each other and if I am not sure, I ask the people that know a lot more than I do about fish and which make good community members. I have seen fish get along that are atypical to mix, but there is a real risk to that. (like having one group of fish bite off the others fins and tail).
I like to get fish that are similar to the size that I have in my tank and I like colorful ones and unique looking ones (to me).
I look and if I see a dead fish in the tank, the water looks goopy, any fish have sores or white spots, I leave that store. period.
I look at how the fish are swimming- are they swimming normally? Or are they moving up and down and up and down, differently from the others of their kind?
I had a tank with a great blend of fish. I had painted glass fish, neons, plecos, assorted tetras and they had plenty of room and stuff in their aquarium to make life interesting for them.
I even had them all named!

Answer 7

I'm concerned about getting healthy fish, so I look for the most active fish with the brightest colors, and for the fins and tail to be intact. Size is at least partly determined by age, past availability of food, and the size of the fish's previous and current environments. The fish's size will change in accordance with its new environment if I take it home, so in this case size really doesn't matter.

However, if I have a community tank with other fish who are small or not aggressive, I might look for smaller fish. The strongest and/or largest fish are the most likely to be aggressive and bully the fish I already have.

Answer 8

I'll be buying this afternoon for the first tank I've had in a while. I've already done some looking. I'm probably gonna go for pretty. At the moment, I'd be nervous about getting any I feel bad for. Although, I saw some guppies yesterday with ragged tails and had to force myself not to get them cause the tank wasn't ready. I'm a sucker for the underdog. But, today I will be looking for bright colors, activity, and maybe something funny looking if it really "speaks" to me. I'll probably end up buying for every reason on the list at some point, but my biggest reasons in the end will probably tie between pretty/fancy and the sympathy factor. I call it the "Charlie Brown" syndrome. Remember that sad little Christmas tree? Yep, I'm a sucker for anything that might need some extra care.

Answer 9

1 - Look for good coloration. Bad coloration is often a stress or sign of ill health and the extra stress bringing it home will make things worse.

2 - Look at fin quality. If the fins are frayed along the edges then this is signs of stress or ill health and the extra stress of bringing it home will make things worse.

3 - Look at interaction with other fish. If one fish is left out of the group or being picked on, it is usually do to ill health.

4 - Look at the shape of the body. If it is deformed then it is a sign of end stage disease or severe interbreeding and the fish will probably not live as long.

5 - Most important - You want the fish that's hard to catch. If it has to be chased around the tank a few times and can avoid the net and really make you (or the person catching it) work to get it, then you can be pretty sure it's a healthy fish.

Hope this helps your next selection :-)

Answer 10

well i always get my fish from those little tanks filled with like 100 fish that are 12 cents from petsmart thats the best place ive found the fish are active their top fins are up(sign of good health) and their scales are shiny i would never recommend get a sickly fish especially is its sluggish fins down dull scales never ever EVER get a sickly fish cuz you feel sorry for him even if he has green stuff on him and the other fish a picking on him and most importantly if you have other fish at home and are planing to keep them in the same tank never!!!!!! i did that once cuz he had green and the fish were picking on hjim so i got him took him home put him is my 10gal. tank with 4 other fish and the next week all of them were dead !!!!! healthy cheap ones i find are always the best deal cuz they grow huge!!!! and live for about 5 to 6 years