Just sad

[Dorkhedeos]

you should change one thing though

3) Proper dechlorination
Unless you’re planning to age your water in a bucket for a couple of days before using it in your tank, use a chemical dechlorinator such as Aquasafe. Chlorine is harmful for fish, and even store-bought spring water contains it.

you should compare it with humans and how it eats your lungs, skin, and eyes

 

[pica_nuttalli]

ADD THE NITROGEN CYCLE!!! i can't even begin to tell you how many kids/couples/parents i've had to mention this to in walmart. i cycled my first tank by accident because i couldn't decide on anything more than a single guppy; the brochures that come in the kit just say "run me for 24 hours" and they don't even include a little packet of three-year-old expired cycle!

:ant, pant:: sorry, just had to go off on that one. its just one of those crucial things that doesn't get mentioned until waaay too late.

(spectacular painting btw; you must get lots of practice )

 

[Synirr]

you should change one thing though

3) Proper dechlorination
Unless you’re planning to age your water in a bucket for a couple of days before using it in your tank, use a chemical dechlorinator such as Aquasafe. Chlorine is harmful for fish, and even store-bought spring water contains it.

you should compare it with humans and how it eats your lungs, skin, and eyes

I think the bit about fish eating one-another's eyes was graphic enough for one care sheet, don't you?
I'm trying to keep this thing short and sweet.

Anyhow... here are the .doc files. Just Right click and save :
Fish Care Sheet
Betta Care Sheet

Edit: Explaining the nitrogen cycle could easily take up a full page by itself, and seeing as how I'm going to be printing these things myself, I'd rather keep them short. I think the info I included is enough for a beginner, since most of the fish my Walmart sells can survive cycling anyway.

Re-edit: The fish care sheet has been edited to address the issue of overstocking.

 

[littlefishie]

I am so saving those and bringing them to the WalMart in my hometown. You have no idea how many times I've had to call the SPCA on them.

 

[Synirr]

I am so saving those and bringing them to the WalMart in my hometown. You have no idea how many times I've had to call the SPCA on them.

Does that help any? Fish aren't protected by law?

 

[littlefishie]

It did a bit, actually. Plus, the conditions were just gross.

They used to order 20 or more bettas a week and the majority of them died on the shelf. Since calling the SPCA they've started ordering ten bettas a week, and I've rarely seen one not get sold.
They also clean the cups and the tanks more often, too.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Synirr

Why not speak to the person in charge of the fish department at your Walmart? They are not all bad people, but I suspect most of them just don't know a thing about fish. Perhaps they would be happy to have something to pass out.

It might be a good idea to put TFF's address on it too. If the new fishkeepers can find their way here, we will all be happy to get them off to a good start!

 

[Synirr]

Hi Synirr

Why not speak to the person in charge of the fish department at your Walmart? They are not all bad people, but I suspect most of them just don't know a thing about fish. Perhaps they would be happy to have something to pass out.

It might be a good idea to put TFF's address on it too. If the new fishkeepers can find their way here, we will all be happy to get them off to a good start!

Why not speak to the person in charge of the fish department? Because, to my knowledge, there isn't one!
Employees from the garden center or the toy department "take care" of the fish. I'll talk to the manager one of these days, though.

Adding TTF's address would be a great idea!

 

[littlefishie]

That's the same way it works at my WalMart.. toy department people bag the fish.

 

[DarkSide]

Hey you should also make one up for the procedurea of how people dye fish, get your LFS to have them on a hook ro something so that people can be advised of whats happening, oh make sure the LFS doesn't sell dyed fish though..

Other than that. Awesome job very infomative.

 

[SuckerLove86]

Hey you should also make one up for the procedurea of how people dye fish, get your LFS to have them on a hook ro something so that people can be advised of whats happening, oh make sure the LFS doesn't sell dyed fish though..

My local walmart stocks "mixed fruit" tetras, though in all honesty I think they've all either lost their color or the label is outdated and they aren't dyed to begin with....

 

[Nospherith]

around here mom and pops are hard to find, poorly stocked, over-priced and under-staffed. its the college-town curse -- not enough business and everyone looking for that primo deal.

really...

There's only one LFS around me within 25 miles and everything is marked up, plus they specialize in SW and could really care less about me and my unsophistocated enough to be as sophistocated as a SW tank, FW tank. Even though they treat their fish well, they got threatened with a lawsuit becuase they were selling hamsters that got diseases or something. The ignorance deal works both ways, I guess.

As for Wal-Mart: you know it's a bad place when it has a McDonald's in the store.

 

[canarsie11]

I was in line to check out at Walmart the other day, buying a new 5 gallon, and there was a couple buying a 10 gallon aquarium right in front of me. They also had a bag containing two large fantail goldfish. I'm thinking to myself "oh great, they're not going to cycle it and it's too small... but it could be worse." That's when I saw the OTHER bag, filled with 5 or 6 common goldfish. It can't possibly get worse than that, can it? They'll probably have less than two of those poor fish left within a week.

This has inspired me to finally take action, write up some fish care sheets, and seed them on the Walmart fish aisle. I'm planning on writing two separate sheets; one for bettas, and one for the other fish. Any suggestions as to what specific items I should include? I'll post the finished product later

How do you know if they had a larger tank at home?

You know what they say bout assuming.........

You should have asked if it bothered you so much. You had the perfect oppurtunity to spark convo because, "YOU WERE BUYING A TANK ALSO!" You could have tried to extract some info.

Also it kills me when people say they support mom and pops over chains.

Our whole purchasing career we are taught to look for the best deal, why must this change cause we speak of fish. With the amounts we spend in this hobby, that should be number one rule, "THE BEST DEAL POSSIBLE"

I may not purchase fish from walmart, however with everything else they are cool with me. If I can shop there for myself, my fish can get thier food from there also

 

[corbypete]

would you mind me taking a copy for our lfs?

these things should be sent to all fish shops by the rspca!