Don't trust fish store employees too much...

[Essjay]

If zebrafish are zebra danios, she may or may not have broken the first rule - she may have listened to a shop worker or she may have just gone out and set up the tank without talking to anyone. But she has broken the second. If she had done her research, she would know that the tank is too small for zebra danios which, despite being small need a long tank because they are such active swimmers, and they need a larger group.

 

[elephantnose3334]

If zebrafish are zebra danios, she may or may not have broken the first rule - she may have listened to a shop worker or she may have just gone out and set up the tank without talking to anyone. But she has broken the second. If she had done her research, she would know that the tank is too small for zebra danios which, despite being small need a long tank because they are such active swimmers, and they need a larger group.

They are zebra danios. You can read about it here:

Former Year 8-9 science teacher's zebrafish in 28 litre tank: Any advice you would give to her?

My former Year 8-9 science teacher at my high school keeps 3 (formerly 4) zebrafish in what I think is an average 28 litre aquarium starter kit with barely any space for them to swim in. I asked her many times to get a bigger tank for them and she said no. She said they are fine in that 28 litre...

www.fishforums.net

 

[Essjay]

I've just seen that thread and posted in it

 

[elephantnose3334]

I've just seen that thread and posted in it

I understand your reply and I wasn't bashing the teacher over the classroom tank, I do need to give her some advice to prevent the danios from getting stressed in a too-small tank. These fish do need a bigger tank because they are fast swimmers. But space is a problem and some science teachers may have no choice but to get a small tank for certain fish. I also understand that some members on the forum are teachers or ex-teachers. Thanks for your understanding.

 

[elephantnose3334]

I've just seen that thread and posted in it

Also @Essjay, I also want to ask a question: why do you put an asterisk on the golden rule of fishkeeping sometimes?

 

[Essjay]

I don't remember putting an asterisk I'll have to look at my posts........

 

[elephantnose3334]

I don't remember putting an asterisk I'll have to look at my posts........

Did you have a look into the posts with the asterisk leading to the golden rule of fishkeeping?

 

[elephantnose3334]

I don't remember putting an asterisk I'll have to look at my posts........

I found them for you, so you will remember them. Nevermind... Here are the posts where you did the golden rule of fishkeeping with asterisks:

* The most important lesson in fish keeping is never believe anything a shop worker tells you. Most of them have not been trained in fish needs and care, only in how to make a sale. We are not trying to sell you anything and between us have kept just about every fish in the hobby.

* Never believe anything a shop worker tells you until you have researched it for yourself. The majority of them haven't a clue and will say anything to make a sale.

*Never believe anything a store says until you have researched it for yourself. The site in the link that AdoraBelle gave you is the best site for research.

2 in 2021 and 1 in 2020, all with slight variation.


Oh, and I just forgot you commented about the golden rule of fishkeeping twice in one post in 2013.

 

[GaryE]

Oh, and I just forgot you commented about the golden rule of fishkeeping twice in one post in 2013.

How much does this matter? Not at all, I'd suggest.

 

[Essjay]

If you read those posts you'll see the comments about fish stores are at the bottom of the posts and further up on the page there's another asterisk in the text. That's because I didn't include the comment in the main text of the post as it would have made the text confusing to read so the asterisks were a sort of link to the comment at the end. Like a footnote in a book.

 

[elephantnose3334]

How much does this matter? Not at all, I'd suggest.

Okay, I think she did post the same rule twice in one post. I was counting through a search how many times it was mentioned throughout the years.

 

[elephantnose3334]

If you read those posts you'll see the comments about fish stores are at the bottom of the posts and further up on the page there's another asterisk in the text. That's because I didn't include the comment in the main text of the post as it would have made the text confusing to read so the asterisks were a sort of link to the comment at the end. Like a footnote in a book.

Yes, that would be good to know. How would it feel when you finally realised you mentioned the golden rule of fishkeeping 60 times in total throughout the years?

 

[Essjay]

How many times I post it is not important. I have never counted how many times and it doesn't matter to me. What is important is letting new fish keepers know that so many fish store workers give poor, sometime terrible, advice. A newcomer to the hobby would think that fish store workers are experts, so they need to be warned, especially if they've already been given poor advice.

 

[elephantnose3334]

How many times I post it is not important. I have never counted how many times and it doesn't matter to me. What is important is letting new fish keepers know that so many fish store workers give poor, sometime terrible, advice. A newcomer to the hobby would think that fish store workers are experts, so they need to be warned, especially if they've already been given poor advice.

Oh, right. I wanted to check. I agree on you however.

 

[GaryE]

Writing something once answers one question. The internet is a mind with dementia - it forgets. So the same questions will appear time after time, and the same answers, if they are true, will be supplied. We have people here who cut and paste answers in, like Colin sometimes does, because the info is valid and very few people look at past threads.
If your goal is to contribute to the success of others, you'll see the same questions over and over. The poor advice from petstores, awful online videos, can I buy huge fish for small tanks, is my cycle in trouble, why is my aggressive fish acting aggressively type threads pop up again and again and again, always asked by new people who need info. So the same answers also return.