Bala - Silver Shark Question

[qwikimpss]

OK. People are People and thats all they will be too but would you be that cruel to a 2 year old kid? I don't think so! That's a bad outlook on your chosen hobby. Your primary goal should be that the fish are healthy and happy, you are the "parent" of these fish and what you are doing and your outlook is, honestly, horrible. Return them and get something suitable for your tank. Just because the LFS keeps very over stocked tanks doesn't mean you can, the fish rotate out of these tanks VERY quickly, some go to experienced keepers who care about their fish and other go to hobbyists like you. I feel bad for your fish.

 

[qwikimpss]

Please excuse my harsh words but soemtiems they are needed to try and shape new hobbyists into shape.

 

[xamdarb]

would you be that cruel to a 2 year old kid?

a fish is not the same aa a human if i went out and killed my fishes today i might lol might get animale abuse charges but thats like a 0.1% chance but lets say i go out and kill my two year old then i could get the death sentance in many states.....do you see my point fish should be treated humanly but not every one has to spend a billion dollars on ewuipment. fish are important but not so important i mean SOME..(some not all you guys) guys are treating your fish like there billionaires keep fish but just because someone doesent have the right sized tank or the right filter or the tank has not been cycled dont get all mad at them and tell them to take them back to the lfs because lfs are worst than almost anything unless your keeping it in a gold fish bowl. I tried hard to get my point across im not sure how good i did it but its just my opinion so no offence to you guys and this forum is very very helpful. Thanks alot

 

[OohFeeshy]

Well, I had no idea what that said so I put it into better English

A fish is not the same as a human. If I went out and killed my fish today, I might get animal abuse charges, but there is about a 0.1% chance. But lets say I go out and kill my two year old, then I could get the death sentence in many states.....Do you see my point? Fish should be treated humanely, but not everyone has to spend a billion dollars on equipment. Fish are important, but not so important. I mean some..(some not all you guys) are treating your fish like billionaires keep fish, but just because someone doesn't have the right sized tank or the right filter or the tank has not been cycled, don't get all mad at them and tell them to take them back to the lfs. Lfs are worse than almost anything (unless your keeping it in a gold fish bowl). I tried hard to get my point across but I'm not sure how good I did it, but its just my opinion so no offence to you guys and this forum is very very helpful. Thanks alot.

Riight.... If you went out and killed your fish (on purpose), not only would you be an idiotic berk but TBH also rather.... touched in the head. In a 'mad axe murderer' way. Unfourtunately we have no say in the law about who you kill and what happens for it, but I could also go out and kill people and have nothing done about it. You only get caught if theres evidence OK, to put this in your style of thinking..... Say I was a tramp. No money, have to resort to eating out of dustbins etc. Would it be right for me to have kids when I can't afford to keep them, or should I have them anyway and watch them suffer all because I wanted kids? Umm... not in my book. A life is a life, whether its a polar bear, a gnu, a gnocerous or any other species of animal, including human. I say, if you wouldn't do it to your own species, you have no right to do it to other species. By taking the shark back to the lfs, you are giving it a chance of actually finding a good home.

 

[xamdarb]

in my honest opinion not all species are equal tom me they would be if they were smart enough to build towns and become as advanced as humans and argue wether or not they are as important as humans ...but they are still important to me in a way im just saying that you guys are overdoing it and at a lfs how many people with 50 g tanks willl take there iredescent shark back cause there tank is to small so the next person goes into that fish store at sees that shark and puts it in with there goldfish in a 10 gallon tank see my point

 

[qwikimpss]

I just pity your fish and tried to help you see the error of your ways but youre too thick-headed to do whats right...I'm sorry for trying to help you and your fish.

 

[xamdarb]

so far i dont think there is anything wrong with my fish not over stocked and theres no fish that will out grow it so dont say anything tell you no what your talking about

 

[WILDER]

All we can do is try and give the best advice possible, then it's down to the fish owner, if they take the hobby seriously and are a responsible fish owner, they will do the right thing for the fish involved, instead of keeping fish that look cool in the tank but not giving the fish the life it deserves.

 

[Synirr]

xamdarb, it's not about how much respect fish deserve as animals or how much you value their lives and well-being, it's about the fact that you shouldn't keep an animal if you aren't going to be responsible enough to do what's best for it. You shouldn't buy a great dane if you are going to have to keep it in a small apartment and never walk it or take it to the park for the exercise it needs, and in the same way you shouldn't keep a fish in a tank that is too small for it. I don't care if you think of fish as nothing more than decorations, but at least keep them the way they should be kept.

If you stay at this forum long enough you'll soon realise that almost every single member here cares very much about the hobby and see their fish as pets and living things rather than "just fish", and therefore try their hardest to do what is best for their pets. You don't have to feel the same way, but critisizing that point of view isn't going to get you anywhere.

 

[andywg]

Just to drift back on topic...

What size is the bala? Two of my 6 were very small when purchased and were extremely white. As they grew they darkened up and now they have the regular colouring.

Other than this it could be stress-induced. Don't worry about it for a little while yet.

Andy

 

[Dangerousdan]

I know you say it'll be fine for a while - and I do agree - but what will you do with 8" balas down the road? It'll be rather difficult for adult balas to find new homes and it's unfair on them to force them to move when they've settled down and grown up in your tank. .

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This point always makes me wonder. Not having a go at anyone because i agree with the theory behind it but if its hard to rehome a medium sized 8" silver shark then why do lfs have them stocked in such large numbers for people to buy because ultimatley they will become the large fish that cant find homes. I know im not doing a good job of making my point clear but hopefully some of you will understand what i dibbling on about.

 

[qwikimpss]

It's because most of them don't get good homes and die at a miserably young age, usually due to a lack of knowledge on the part of the aquariast. I'm not saying this is always what happens (I myself am guilty of putting a single Bala in a 10 gallon) but it does a lot. It's supply and demand, they sell so stores carry a lot of them

 

[andywg]

Balas are one of a number of fish that shouldn't be so readily available. Others include puffers, clown loaches, common/sailfin plecs and other fish that grow either huge or need brackish once adult.