Err...lfs

[CKutz]

I just went to the local petsmart to exchange my "retarded" dwarf gourami and finish my stocking off. I have 4 harlequin rasbora, 1 cherry barb, and 1 balloon molly in a 10 gal. i wanted to add 2 rasbora and 2 cherry barbs. i think this makes it pretty full, but in a previous post in here i was told i could have up to 6 cherry barbs and 6 rasbora with the current stock and it would be ok because they don't add very much to the bioload. so i thought i'd just get 2 female cherry barbs, not 5.

I go to the lfs and i guess i got the only employee that knows anything about fish. i over heard him telling another costumer they couldn't get a plec or a kissing gourami (i couldn't tell which) for their 10 gal tank which already had some fish in it.

so the guy comes to help me, and i tell him i'd like to get 2 rasbora and 2 cherry barbs, plus the new DG. he asks what tank i have and what's in it, and then he won't let me get the rasbora or cherry barbs cause he said my tank is already pushing it....eeerrrrrr

I didn't want to debate it with him, because he's one of the few lfs employees that seems to even think about asking these questions so that is good to hear. I also heard him mention to the other costumer that they have a policy of setting people up with 1" per gallon of fish. This was all good to hear...but now i'm frustrated because i've gotten expert advice on here telling me it's ok..and the lfs employee is finally doing something right by asking this stuff...but it doesn't really apply.

do you think he's right? or the advice on here was? go figure i finally get a good stocking and stuff and now this haha.

 

[kribensis12]

I think he was right. Your tank doesnt have enough swimming space for tetra's and barbs. It's not the bio-load.

 

[CKutz]

do you think i'm overstocked as i am now then? because two people on here said i could do more fish. and they know what they are talking about.

 

[Loony Fish]

NEVER GO TO PETSMART/CO AND IF YOU MUST, QUARENTINE THEIR LIVESTOCK AND IGNOR WHAT THE EMPLOYEES TELL YOU!

 

[CKutz]

hahahaha

believe me if i had a choice i wouldn't...i've had so much bad luck with keeping fish, and i believe it's mostly just because of going there...i've been there and seen ick on almost every fish. lately i've been noticing how they have oscars together, and the bigger one will literally be killing the smaller one right there in front of anyone...and no one thinks hmm maybe we should seperate them.

they have so many unhealthy fish...i wish i didn't have to shop there, but at the moment i don't have a car and must rely on other people, and they are the only thing around.

however this employee did give good advice to the other customer 1" per gallon, and not letting him get that fish..w/e it was it got up to 5" and i'm sure it wouldn't have been a good fit for his tank. and i acknowledge that based off that rule this employee was right and i shouldn't be adding more to the tank..so i didn't want to argue with him about it since in general it is very good that he is using that rule with people. but it's just ironic that finally a lfs employee has good advice, but won't let me get fish that experts have told me would be ok. i guess i could have explained it to him...but i'm not a very confrontational person, and since had and just had to debate with this other guy about the kissing gourami or w/e, i felt bad for him.

 

[wullie187]

NEVER GO TO PETSMART/CO AND IF YOU MUST, QUARENTINE THEIR LIVESTOCK AND IGNOR WHAT THE EMPLOYEES TELL YOU!

haha thats so true thay`ve no got a clue

 

[CKutz]

i wish i could go to that fish place, that pet place. but i'm at school now..if anyone reading this is in the PA area. that is a GREAT store. they have very knowledgable employees and healthy fish. haha, i like to go there just for fun all the time (when i'm home from school).

 

[kribensis12]

do you think i'm overstocked as i am now then? because two people on here said i could do more fish. and they know what they are talking about.

I know what I'm talking about( atleast, I'd hope I know!). I do not think you are over stocked at the moment. You could add more fish, just not of the type you want. Adding the ones you wan't in your tank will not mean certain death to any fish, they just will not be very happy. Fish like barbs, get good sized( 1-4 inch range) and need alot of swimming space. Tetra's/ rasboras are smaller, but still need alot of swimming space. The decision is up to you.

 

[Amunet]

Have to agree with krib. We had danios for a short while... and seeing how active they are, even though they're small fish. I would never put them in to anything less than a 20gallon tank. We had them in our 29gal and they def took advantage of the entire tank and loved all of the room.

 

[CKutz]

why didn't anyone comment about this when i was looking for stocking advice??

i don't see these barbs getting bigger than 1.5" though.
i agree with you they would like a bigger tank, who wouldn't. but right now my rasbora seem pretty happy, they are exhibiting spawning behavior. the cherry barb is fine and i wish two add two females since the one i have is a male. i thought it would balance things out more.

what advice do you have...i'm kinda dissapointed as i've received one direction of advice on here..and now another

 

[vinylman]

why didn't anyone comment about this when i was looking for stocking advice??

i don't see these barbs getting bigger than 1.5" though.
i agree with you they would like a bigger tank, who wouldn't. but right now my rasbora seem pretty happy, they are exhibiting spawning behavior. the cherry barb is fine and i wish two add two females since the one i have is a male. i thought it would balance things out more.

what advice do you have...i'm kinda dissapointed as i've received one direction of advice on here..and now another

With most fish, it's the length of the tank that's important. Think about it this way; if you watch a 60 metre sprint on the box, all the runners take the first third of that length to get up to top speed, with approximately the same length to slow down - it's exactly the same with fish. The less tank length they have, the less happy they'll be. Speedy, active fish like Danios and some Tetras really need long tanks. In a 10G (and this is ONLY my opinion) I'd have around 8 Harlequins and three or four Otos or Dwarf Corys (eventually) and maybe a couple of Shrimp. In the end, the length of the tank is the limiting factor. Of course, you could always buy a bigger tank....................

 

[kribensis12]

^agreed

 

[CKutz]

so you guys think the rasbora are alright, but the cherry barb would be better off in a bigger tank?

See i got the cherry barb because i wanted to let the person that drives me around pick a fish, and she wanted the cherry barb. That seemed fine, i didn't know much about them but that they were fine community fish and didn't get real big. so i got it. then i learned they prefer to be in groups..although it's seems it's not as serious as with tetras...they kinda just like having a few around so i thought i'd get two females to keep him company. and i wanted to put my group of rasbora up to 6 since that is preferred...i should have looked that number up off the bat but i wasn't entirely settled on getting them..i just knew they liked groups so i got 4.

thanks for that analogy..but which fish are you saying it about? the rasbora are definately the more active fish but you're saying you would keep 8 in a 10 gal. the cherry barb doesn't seem like he'd need much space. he's usually just lounging around, not half as active as the rasbora.

Thanks for the input guys...i'm going to be stocking a 30 gal around easter..me and my brother are having a tough time deciding what we want to get for that..but maybe i could put the cherry barb in there eventually and then up the numbers