I was at an LPS today and in the back, they had about 150 TINY guppies in a thirty gallon. It was dark, no heater or filter, scum was all over the sides and there was nothing in there but fish and an airstone. They had no color and were smaller than the baby bettas at petsmart. they were all about this big:
----------, some even smaller. They were so small, they must've just hatched or something. The staff called them "feeder guppies". I felt really bad and wanted to rescue a few. I know the chances of survival are extremely low, and that fish eat other fish and no one can help it, but I just can't help it but ask, do you think it would be a good idea to take, say, five or six home and try to help them? I didn't get a picture of the tank but it is something all of you would rant about(including me). The other tanks were clean, equipped with heaters and filters and healthy looking fish.
If your heart can't take it, do it! Does your LFS have a return policy for deceased animals? If they don't make it, you can take them back, and try again or save the money.
I think I'll go do it. I can't ever stand looking at animals treated that way. When my class did a lesson an animal cruelty, I hid in the bathroom. I couldn't look at all. Wish me luck!
If you go for it, I would keep them away from other fish for awhile. I have heard that the feeder fish - goldfish and guppies - alot of times are sick.
I'm sure the guppies would tank you if they could. Its much nicer to go to a loving home then ending up as food for a snake or bigger fish
Yeah. Does anyone have tips on how to make the car ride less stressful? It is going to be, like, 30 minuets because the bridge is broken so we have to take an annoying lot of random roads to get there.
Also, are there any guppy sites/forums that I should go to for more info? I heard that guppies will thrive in room temp water (in my case, 74-76 degrees.) Is this true? Do you think it is possible that the guppies are adults just with stunted growth? How can I tell? If they really are adults, could I just feed them the stuff I feed my neon tetras (flakes)? How would I care for them if they are fry? I've tried to do research but the sites all give me different info. One said that fry will do best in 80 degree water, while the other site said they will do best in 75 degree water. I'm very confused.
Thanks!
A 30 minute car ride shouldn't be a problem. You can wrap the bag in a towel or coat to help insulate it so the water temp doesn't fluxuate as much and it also keeps the bag dark - both of which help reduce stress.
Guppies are remarkably hardy fish. They can be kept at temperatures from 64*-82*F, so room temperature would work, but they should have a heater as temperature changes can be stressful (if not deadly). Fry are pretty easy to care for, I just feed mine the same food I feed the adults, only powdered, 2-3 times a day and they do pretty darn well. Here's a link to TFK's Guppy care sheet, put together by some very good fishkeepers - http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/profiles/guppy/
As for other forums, I'd check out this site's sister/parent site, TFK. The username/password you use here works there, so you don't technically have to join it. They have a "livebearers" subforum under the "Freshwater and Tropical Fish" section. The people there are awesome - they can tell you everything you'll ever need to know about fishkeeping, and then some
Last edited by pittipuppylove; 12-02-2012 at 03:37 PM.
The thought of "feeder" fish always made me sad :< Yeah, big fish and such need to eat too but they always look so sad. I have the hardest time in pet stores avoiding the fish all together.
More often than not they are unhealthy. They're mass bred just to live long enough to feed another fish. The goldfish my Mother in Law kept in the fountain were feeders and the sole survivor lives in my tank and he's lovely. But that's one fish out of like 20 that were bought.
Good luck and post pics :D Even if they only live awhile you gave them better conditions in that short time than they would have got at the store.
Check out the eBook Betta Fish Care Made Easy
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