Be careful of that label!

Why research is always needed before a fish purchase

When the average first time aquarium keeper walks into a pet store, they completely trust the employees there. Sometimes that trust is well placed, and the budding aquarist walks out with a 29 gallon (109 L) tank, some lovely X-ray tetra (Pristella maxillaris), and a water parameter testing kit. Other times, the new (and soon to be disappointed) aquarist walks out with a 20 gallon (75 L) tank, a pleco, an oscar, and—worst of all—a black ghost knife fish. (If you didn’t cringe at that, don’t worry, you soon will.)

In this particular article I’m going to be using Petsmart and Petco as examples simply because I know these stores best. They are the large chain pet retailers that I have closest to me. This is in no way intended as a stab at these stores because while there is a lot of bad information, they also have some proper information on the labels of the fish they sell. I am highlighting particular instances where the label is grossly wrong as an example of why research is needed or you may end up with more than you bargained for.

Clown Loach (Chromobotia macracanthus)

As adults, the vibrant colors of clown loach fade (Public Domain)

I’m going to start with my favorite fish of ones I’m highlighting today: the clown loach. Entertaining and active, these guys would make a great addition to your home aquarium, right? Wrong. Like so many of these tankbuster species, the little clown loaches you see at the store are babies. Probably less than a few months old. Now let’s compare Petsmart’s and Petco’s care advice for these species versus the advice from the loach experts over at Loaches Online.

	Loaches Online	Petsmart	Petco
Min tank size	180 gal (680 L)	40 gal (150 L)	50 gal (190 L)
Adult Size	12 inches (30 cm)	12 inches (30 cm)	12 inches (30 cm)
Hardness	1-12 dGH	NOT SHOWN	NOT SHOWN
pH	6.5 - 7.0	NOT SHOWN	6.0 - 7.5

As you can see there are some major discrepancies. Loaches Online’s veteran clown loach keepers recommend the smallest tank juveniles (which are what is sold in stores) be housed in is a 55 gallon (208 L) tank with biweekly water changes because these fish are active swimmers and any less will cause stress and stunting, but this should only be temporary housing. And the fact that some of the parameters such as pH and hardness aren’t even given in the Petsmart and Petco labels is also unsettling as the wrong pH and hardness can stress a fish to death. Sadly, I found this to be a constant with the Petco and Petsmart labels. Another surprising constant I found through the Petsmart and Petco care sheets was proper temperature for these fish, but this is only part of what is needed to keep a fish healthy. You can’t complete a puzzle without all the pieces.  

Fortunately, if you like the look of this fish there are some loaches that stay small enough to fit in the average home aquarium. The yoyo loach (Botia almorhae), angelicus loach (Botia kubotai), zebra loach (Botia striata), and Burmese loach (Botia histrionica) all have a similar shape and personality to the clown loach. If you search by the scientific name, you can find pictures of these cute, colorful fish. The only difference between these guys and the massive clown loach is that these guys can safely live their complete lives in a 50 gallon (190 L) tank which is a much more common and manageable size home aquarium.

Pleco, Plecothemus (Hypostomus plecostomus)

Mature pleco (Derek Ramsey @ Wikipedia)

The main reason people buy this fish is for its algae-eating abilities (I will go into why this is bad in a later article). Yes it does eat algae when small, but as it grows it begins to also eat lots of protein. This can easily mean small fish; it has also been known to attach to larger slow-moving fish like goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus).  Let’s compare what the expert fish keepers over at Tropical Fish Keeping.com have to say about plecos versus the Petsmart and Petco labels.

	Tropical Fish Keeping	Petsmart	Petco
Min tank size	55 gal (208 L)	55 gal (208 L)	10 gal (38 L)
Adult size	20 inches ( 50 cm)	24 inches (61 cm)	24 inches (61 cm)
Hardness	Less than 28 dGH	NOT SHOWN	NOT SHOWN
pH	6.0 – 8.0	NOT SHOWN	NOT SHOWN

While Petsmart did get the sizing right, I still see the associates selling these fish to anyone who asks for an “algae eater.” On the other hand, Petco falls very short here. Pleco need large tanks not only because of their size but also because they produce a lot of ammonia relative to body mass. They are comparable to goldfish in the amount of fecal matter and ammonia they produce. Again, neither of the chain stores mentions hardness or pH, two essential elements for keeping fish healthy.

Fortunately if you like the look of plecothemus, it has some relatives that can easily fit in your aquariums. The bristlenose pleco (Ancistrus sp) is similar in appearance and behaviour but only grows around 4 inches (10 cm) long. A single individual can be housed in a 10 gallon (38 L) tank or a pair in a 20 gallon (75 L). Groups need a 50 gallon (190 L) or larger tank as males can be territorial.

Black Ghost Knifefish (Apteronotus albifrons)

Juvenile black ghost knife fish
(Derek Ramsey @ Wikipedia)

While this is an interesting and unusual fish, this is a fish best left to be admired in public aquaria. Due to its large size, timid nature, and unique biology, this is not a good home aquarium fish, but it is still sold as such. Let’s compare Petsmart’s suggested care to a knowledgeable fishkeeping site’s care.

	Tropical Fish Keeping	Petsmart
Min tank size	180 gal (680 L)	75 gal (284 L)
Adult size	20 inches (51 cm)	20 inches (51 cm)
Hardness	5- 15 dGH	NOT SHOWN
pH	6 – 8	NOT SHOWN

Due to the manner in which these fish use electricity, their spines are inflexible. They must have an aquarium that is at least three times its length and twice as wide as the fish is long.  A regular 20 inch (51 cm) fish could hardly fit in a 75 gallon (284 L) aquarium let alone a fish with an inflexible spine. As with so many other species, Petsmart is falling very short on its care. At least Petco doesn’t carry this species.

For those looking for an alternative fish that still maintains the strange look of a knife fish, the African knifefish (Xenomystus nigri) is a good alternative that can be housed in a 55 gallon (208  L) tank. As all knifefish are rather delicate, this fish is not for the beginner aquarist and should be housed in a specialized setup. It is not for your typical community tank. Extensive research is suggested before buying this fish.

Pangasius catfish (Pangasius sanitwongsei)

Adult captured in Thailand (Matt Leete @ Fishbase.org)

Sometimes sold as an iridescent shark or paroon shark, they may look cute as babies at the store, but this is a species that is wholly unsuited for even public aquaria. A close relative of the massive Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas), one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, any store that sells this fish and claims it can live comfortably in a home fish tank should be ashamed. This is a massive migratory and skittish species known for slamming into the tank walls when frightened. With specimens tipping the scales at 660 lbs (300 kg), a single fish could easily crack or break a tank wall.

	Seriously Fish	Petsmart
Min tank size	500 gal (1892 L)	75 gallons (283 L)
Adult size	48 inches (1.2 m)	25 inches (61 cm)
Hardness	2 – 30 dGH	NOT SHOWN
pH	6.5 – 7.5	NOT SHOWN

As you can see in this case, Petsmart falls very short of the care requirements of this species. Practical Fishkeeping is part of a movement called The Big Fish Campaign to spread awareness about this species and the other tankbusters like the tiger shovelnose catfish (Pseudoplatystoma spp), red tailed catfish (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus), and giant gourami (Osphronemus goramy). If you buy this fish and think you will just get a larger tank as it grows, think again. This species is known to live for 20 or more years and will need a tank as large as a medium moving van. And most public aquaria won’t take them when they outgrow your tank. This species is beyond their capacity to house long-term.

As you have seen, these two major pet retailers fall very short on their care sheets for these species. Many of these care sheets also cite the “gallon per inch of fish” rule which aquarists have known to be a poor stocking tool for a long time. Think about it this way, 10 inches of neon tetra aren’t the same as 10 inches of oscar. The 10 inches of neon tetra could easily be kept in a 10 gallon tank, but a 10 inch oscar would hardly be able to turn around. This rule doesn’t hold water when looking at fish larger than an inch or two because it doesn’t take into account the fish’s depth as fish grow in three dimensions, not just one. To be safe, I wouldn’t stock any tank based on this “rule.”

The only rule you can use to stock a fish tank is research, research, research. I hope these comparisons have opened your eyes to the need for it. I know there are many people who instinctively trust retailers, but as you have seen they cannot always be trusted to give you the correct information on your fish and in many cases are just trying to make a sale. In fact, telling you a fish needs a smaller tank that it should be housed in will cause the fish stress; stress leads to disease; and diseases are cured by medication bought from the store. See a pattern here? Always research before you buy!

Works referenced

Craig, Nicolette. 24 March 2011. “Who’s to blame for the big fish problem?”  www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk. Retrieved 11 May 2012.  

Gay, Jeremy. 27 January 2012. “Will you support the Big Fish Campaign?” www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk. Retrieved 11 May 2012. 

Hill, Nathan. 8 March 2012. “Where do all the big fish keep going?” www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk. Retrieved 12 May 2012.

Monks, Neale. 2009. "Knifefish in the Aquarium." Tropical Fish Hobbyist (June): 86-90.

Fish Profiles referenced on 14 May 2012:

Clown Loach

• Petsmart
• Petco
• Loaches Online

Plecostomus

• Petsmart
• Petco
• Tropical Fish Keeping

Black Ghost Knifefish

• Petsmart
• Tropical Fish Keeping

Pangasius Catfish

• Petsmart
• Seriously Fish

Good fishkeeping resources

So you are thinking about getting a fish tank and believe that the people at the pet store will be able to help you with every single problem? Think again. Many of the large, chain pet retailers will hire anyone with little regard to their fishkeeping skills or knowledge. Small, local stores will often have someone on staff with knowledge about fish, but sometimes this person is old-school and isn’t up to date on current fishkeeping practices like cycling and regular water changes or they just specialize in a few fish like cichlids or livebearers.

For the most part, you are on your own. Or are you? There are a great many fishkeeping resources available on the internet for those willing to look. A simple search on google will bring up hundreds of sites if you type in something as simple as “betta fish.” Here I am going to guide you through a few types of common fishkeeping resources. 

Male dwarf gourami Trichogaster lalius (Public domain)

Fish profiles and biographies

One of the easiest ways to start researching for a fish is to simply type the fish’s name into a search engine. You will get hundreds of results and much more information than you could ever need. Since very little scientific research has been done on fishkeeping, most of it will be opinion. So how do you figure out whose opinion is best? This is the tricky part. You’ll want to look for pieces of information that overlap many sites. For example, if you consistently see that the ruby-throated dace had a temperature range of between 65F (18C) and 72F (22C) then you can feel pretty safe keeping your ruby-throated dace between those temps. For a beginner, this can be a bit overwhelming. Which brings me to my next point.

Forums

In my experience, forums are the single most-helpful fishkeeping resource. Here aquarists from all over the world can exchange ideas about everything from good plant lighting to breeding a fish that has never been breed in captivity before. My fishkeeping hobby really took off when I joined a forum. I could get answers to my questions fast instead of constantly googling all of my question. If I needed a very specific question answered, the fishkeeping gurus could give me an answer tailored to my situation.

Now how do you choose a forum? The first thing you want to think about is whether you want a general aquarium forum or if you want something for a specific type of fish. More often than not, the forums for specific species or types of fish will contain very advanced fishkeepers who have been focusing on this species for years. This is where you will usually find breeders. You will get a lot of great information from these people, but they will probably only be able to help you with that one species of fish.

What happens if you want to keep many different species or a community tank? Then you want to look at general fishkeeping forums. The way I found my current one was simply typing in “fishkeeping forum” into google. Now you want to look at how active the forum is because the more activity, the faster your questions will get answered which is very important when you run into a major problem. You can check the activity by looking at the number of users online in the past 24 hours, when the last post in a section was made, and the number of currently active users. Many forums have this information posted somewhere on the front page. Generally, the more users a forum has the more active it will be.

Now you want to look at the threads and posts. Are the signatures large and obnoxious? Do the posts look like thought out commentaries or short responses that don’t say anything of substance? Do the users appear to jump down each other’s throats at the slightest hint of a disagreement? You have to ask yourself, are these users the kind of people I want to talk with and get advice from for what could be years?

Another good tool (if it is available) is to look at the user’s tanks and posted pictures. While this isn’t always an accurate read of how reliable a forum is, you’ll get a good idea of what the users can do with their own tanks and how they could help you.

Guppy Poecilia reticulata (Prattflora @ wikipedia)

Magazines

There are a few renowned fishkeeping magazines available today, and the best part about them is that you don’t need a subscription to get a lot of articles. Practical Fishkeeping (a UK magazine) and Tropical Fish Hobbyist (a US magazine) are two of the best in the world. Aquarium Fish International is another good US magazine. Often times these will feature more advanced fishkeeping articles, but there is still a lot of information there that the beginner aquarist can use such as good and bad community fish and proper care articles for a lot of species. 

Aquatic Clubs

If you live in a populous area, you have another option: aquarium clubs. If you want to keep a specific fish like guppies or koi or cichlids, you can often find clubs devoted to these fish. The best way to find aquarium clubs is simply using a search engine because they don’t usually advertise much. Once a month most clubs will hold a meeting where members can bring in excess fish or plants and either trade or sell them to other members. Like the magazines, clubs tend to be for the more serious fishkeeper.

My favorite sources

Since this is a lot to digest, I’ll give you examples of my favorite resources to get you started. By no means are these the only good fishkeeping resources.

Practical Fishkeeping (website, magazine, forum) http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk

I have a subscription to the magazine, and I am constantly browsing the website. I reference articles here all the time. The website has information about keeping the common species as well as more advanced information about setting up biotypes and breeding. Many of the articles and blogs take a light-hearted approach such as the “Which type of fishkeeper are you?” and “It’s me or the fish.” There was even an “advent calendar” of colorful and common fish last Christmas. It’s not worth subscribing if you aren’t a serious fishkeeper as it is expensive, but the website and forum are certainly good resources for the beginner.

Tropical Fish Hobbyist (magazine, website, forum) http://www.tfhmagazine.com/

Another excellent (and a little cheaper for those of us on this side of the pond) fishkeeping magazine is Tropical Fish Hobbyist.  I find the website a little hard to navigate, but the magazine is great (I also subscribe to this periodical). Like PFK it also has a forum that is stocked with wise fishkeeping minds, and the writers from the magazine will periodically post there, too.

Seriously Fish (website and forum) http://www.seriouslyfish.com/

I visit this site for the fish profiles. The authors have added thousands of them and have gone out of their way to provide the best information. If I can’t find a fish here, I can’t find it anywhere. The profiles have everything from water parameters to breeding information (if any is available for that species). They also have a wealth of articles ranging from aquascaping (the art of making your plant arrangement look gorgeous) to conservation to ichthyology. And this website is constantly growing, so every day more and more information is added. This website also has a forum, but it is geared more towards European users. Don’t let this discourage North American readers from joining. But you might have to get used to a few phrases you aren’t familiar with. ;)

Tropical Fish Keeping (website and forum) http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/

I came to this forum after my old one went inactive. The wide range of users here can help you with everything from the basic problems of cycling an aquarium to setting up and maintaining beautifully aquascaped tanks. Not only does this site have a forum, but there is a large section for freshwater and saltwater (but I never look there) fish profiles. Unlike Seriously Fish, they also have some invertebrate and plant profiles.

Up until now, all the resources I have posted are general fishkeeping sites. In the forums there are subforms devoted to specific species if you are interested, but the majority of the forum encompasses a broad spectrum of fishkeeping. Now on to the specialist sites.

TheGAB  (website and forum) http://thegab.org/

This is a goldfish specialist forum. I am also part of this community. Great people here. It is much smaller than the TFK community, but still as active. There are a few breeders here and people who have been keeping goldfish for as long as I have been alive. Very smart people. The forum is rather international with many users from places such as Canada, the UK, Australia, and Italy. On top of the forum, the users there have written many articles through the years on goldfish-specific care including quarantine procedures and how to make medicated food.

Bettafish.com (forum) http://www.bettafish.com

This is just a forum that is devoted to betta fish (Betta splendens). I am also part of this forum. They have many dedicated and knowledgeable betta keepers and breeders. With forums devoted to betta care, compatibility with other species, and breeding, it is a great resource for the budding betta keeper or a good community for the experienced keeper looking to expand the hobby.

Loaches Online (website and forum) http://www.loaches.com/

Unlike the previous two websites, this is not just devoted to a single species. Loaches encompass two families of fish: Cobitidae and Balitoridae. This website has care requirements and a profile on almost every single loach species found in the hobby today. This is the first site I go to if I have a question about loaches (some of my favorite fish). 

Planet Catfish (website and forum) http://www.planetcatfish.com/

Just like Loaches Online, Planet Catfish is devoted to a class of fish (Siluriformes) instead of just a single species. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to keep a catfish. From the cute cories (Corydoras spp) and the common pleco (Hypostomus plecostomus) to the twig catfish (Farlowella vittata) and bumblebee catfish (Pseudomystus siamensis), this website has them all. 

Bronze cory Corydoras aeneus (Ude @ wikipedia)