Before you jump at me, please know this is not directed at all members nor is it directed at anyone in particular.
Also, this rant came out bigger then I thought. Be prepared for a long read.
I'm not very happy with this site lately, since I've joined, its gotten harsher on some of the comments.
Me and my friend joined in hopes of meeting nice people who we could share our fish love with and learn from each other.
Looks like we pecked into the wrong site. My friends deleted her albums and is calling it quit, because several members I won't mention jabbed at her when all she really asked was if it was safe to put her pearl gourami in with her bettas.
Now I understand that everyone wants the fish to be happy and healthy, I do as well, and so does she. She has alot of experience with fish keeping.
Might I just add that what the people said about the pearl gourami is false, they are not aggressive, she's looked it up, looked in books, and even asked a person who breeds them. She has a female and they are shy and timid, only the males are aggressive, and that's dearing breeding.
This site has took a turn down harsh ally on the newbies who come in, and I'm not liking it. I can understand it if they do something stupid like put a male and female together to breed and then take off for a 2 week vacation or something.
But honestly, over a pearl gourami? Over 3 guppies and 2 female bettas? Not all fish have it drilled into they're brain to kill.
The two female betta inquired have kept together since the first of March, and then her grandfather has 3 in a 5gal tank, if there was anyone going to die it'd happen already.
Keeping the two girls together with three male guppies is the same as a sorority. By the time they think about fighting and square off, here comes a guppy and they forget. Chill out people.
Not all bettas attack guppies either, I kept a male betta and a male guppy together for over a year, and my betta never once tried to attack the little guy, even when he was a fry. Infact, they were buddies. Fish can form friendships, and thats what these two females have done.
Now for the ghost fish. Don't believe what the pet stores tell you. They'll most likely (90% of the time) do whatever it takes for you to buy either the biggest tank or whatever, because this means better sales for the shop, and probably a better paycheck for them. OR they just want to seem smart. (just because someone works in a video game shop doesn't mean they know alot about them)
Not all fish needs schools. I have two examples I have personally owned.
One, a corycat. They are supposed to be in schools of 3 or more? Maybe for most, but I've had two albino cory's (at two different times) who got on fine without any others, and they were quite happy.
Another was with a neon tetra, while I'm not certain on the schooling amount. I had ONE neon tetra, in a 50 gallon, with a giant angel fish, a giant pleco, and a good sized red tailed shark. And it lived for a good year and a half...then I moved away, so I don't know what happened after that, but still. A tiny neon tetra with those giant fish? They didn't pick on the little guy at all, infact, the angelfish adored him, and not in the food way.
Yes, fish can't tell us how they feel, but there is body language. I've grown up with many, many animals, and I've come to learn many different forms of happiness, illness, being frightened, and everything else.
Hamsters, gerbils, cats, dogs, several types of birds, goats, chickens, ducks, guinea pigs, fish and frogs. And even though I've never owned one, horses. (I lived next to some and helped take care of them)
I am familiar with the body language and expression of animals. Don't say I don't know what I'm talking about, though I could probably be proven wrong, I don't claim to be an expert.
I feel I've ranted enough to the members of this site.
I would really appreciate it if you guys would just say "No, <fishnamehere> can't be kept with bettas. Also, I would suggested getting a bigger tank soon, also separate the females or get 3 more females."
Don't just go "No, <fishnamehere> can't be kept with bettas, the breed is aggressive. Also, your tank is to crowded! Your fish are going to kill each other!!! You need to <insert stuff about seperating and bigger tanks or taking them back to the petstore here>"
There is a proper and non-proper way of telling people how to care for fish.
Now, I'm going to go cheer my friend up.
Not everyone on this site lives a money-filled life, living with fiancee', parents, or in college dorms. While there's nothing wrong with it. But some of us our on the edge due to reasons we didn't choose (I'm living in the poor house because my dad decided he didn't care about me and my mom and left us to starve and and freeze, I lost all of my precious fish to him)
And ALOT of us don't have petshops just in town or down the street. The closet pet shop that carries supplies and fish for me is over an hour away, and I can't go there.
We all raise our fish differently. Heck, people are breeding and keeping they're betta's in rubbermaid bins!!!! And people are fine with it! Which, I'm fine with it too.
But really, everyone who reads this, chill out for the sake of the newbies.
To people who found this harsh, mean, cruel, or whatever. I only spoke the truth the way I've seen it.
Side note: You can't save every betta fish in the world, I don't blame you for trying though, but this is the internet, you can only try so hard, any harder and you come off being mean.
Think of all the betta fish and other pet fish that died in Japan this recent week.
Also, this rant came out bigger then I thought. Be prepared for a long read.
I'm not very happy with this site lately, since I've joined, its gotten harsher on some of the comments.
Me and my friend joined in hopes of meeting nice people who we could share our fish love with and learn from each other.
Looks like we pecked into the wrong site. My friends deleted her albums and is calling it quit, because several members I won't mention jabbed at her when all she really asked was if it was safe to put her pearl gourami in with her bettas.
Now I understand that everyone wants the fish to be happy and healthy, I do as well, and so does she. She has alot of experience with fish keeping.
Might I just add that what the people said about the pearl gourami is false, they are not aggressive, she's looked it up, looked in books, and even asked a person who breeds them. She has a female and they are shy and timid, only the males are aggressive, and that's dearing breeding.
This site has took a turn down harsh ally on the newbies who come in, and I'm not liking it. I can understand it if they do something stupid like put a male and female together to breed and then take off for a 2 week vacation or something.
But honestly, over a pearl gourami? Over 3 guppies and 2 female bettas? Not all fish have it drilled into they're brain to kill.
The two female betta inquired have kept together since the first of March, and then her grandfather has 3 in a 5gal tank, if there was anyone going to die it'd happen already.
Keeping the two girls together with three male guppies is the same as a sorority. By the time they think about fighting and square off, here comes a guppy and they forget. Chill out people.
Not all bettas attack guppies either, I kept a male betta and a male guppy together for over a year, and my betta never once tried to attack the little guy, even when he was a fry. Infact, they were buddies. Fish can form friendships, and thats what these two females have done.
Now for the ghost fish. Don't believe what the pet stores tell you. They'll most likely (90% of the time) do whatever it takes for you to buy either the biggest tank or whatever, because this means better sales for the shop, and probably a better paycheck for them. OR they just want to seem smart. (just because someone works in a video game shop doesn't mean they know alot about them)
Not all fish needs schools. I have two examples I have personally owned.
One, a corycat. They are supposed to be in schools of 3 or more? Maybe for most, but I've had two albino cory's (at two different times) who got on fine without any others, and they were quite happy.
Another was with a neon tetra, while I'm not certain on the schooling amount. I had ONE neon tetra, in a 50 gallon, with a giant angel fish, a giant pleco, and a good sized red tailed shark. And it lived for a good year and a half...then I moved away, so I don't know what happened after that, but still. A tiny neon tetra with those giant fish? They didn't pick on the little guy at all, infact, the angelfish adored him, and not in the food way.
Yes, fish can't tell us how they feel, but there is body language. I've grown up with many, many animals, and I've come to learn many different forms of happiness, illness, being frightened, and everything else.
Hamsters, gerbils, cats, dogs, several types of birds, goats, chickens, ducks, guinea pigs, fish and frogs. And even though I've never owned one, horses. (I lived next to some and helped take care of them)
I am familiar with the body language and expression of animals. Don't say I don't know what I'm talking about, though I could probably be proven wrong, I don't claim to be an expert.
I feel I've ranted enough to the members of this site.
I would really appreciate it if you guys would just say "No, <fishnamehere> can't be kept with bettas. Also, I would suggested getting a bigger tank soon, also separate the females or get 3 more females."
Don't just go "No, <fishnamehere> can't be kept with bettas, the breed is aggressive. Also, your tank is to crowded! Your fish are going to kill each other!!! You need to <insert stuff about seperating and bigger tanks or taking them back to the petstore here>"
There is a proper and non-proper way of telling people how to care for fish.
Now, I'm going to go cheer my friend up.
Not everyone on this site lives a money-filled life, living with fiancee', parents, or in college dorms. While there's nothing wrong with it. But some of us our on the edge due to reasons we didn't choose (I'm living in the poor house because my dad decided he didn't care about me and my mom and left us to starve and and freeze, I lost all of my precious fish to him)
And ALOT of us don't have petshops just in town or down the street. The closet pet shop that carries supplies and fish for me is over an hour away, and I can't go there.
We all raise our fish differently. Heck, people are breeding and keeping they're betta's in rubbermaid bins!!!! And people are fine with it! Which, I'm fine with it too.
But really, everyone who reads this, chill out for the sake of the newbies.
To people who found this harsh, mean, cruel, or whatever. I only spoke the truth the way I've seen it.
Side note: You can't save every betta fish in the world, I don't blame you for trying though, but this is the internet, you can only try so hard, any harder and you come off being mean.
Think of all the betta fish and other pet fish that died in Japan this recent week.