Nasubi77
- #1
I posted earlier about the new Walmart selling fish. Today I composed a letter to the editor and submitted it to our local newspaper. It's a pretty small town, so I hope I reach at least someone.
Like everyone else, I was excited to visit the new Super Walmart when it opened. However, I was VERY disappointed to see they sell live fish! Not only do the employees lack even basic knowledge of fish care, the store has been open only a week and already the tanks are littered with dead fish they don’t bother to net out. The way they keep fish is disgusting and inhumane.
Most people have the idea that fish are low-maintenance creatures that you put in a bowl or small tank, feed every day until it inevitably dies and that’s it. This conception could not be more wrong. There is a lot involved in properly keeping even the simplest of fish, and even though you may consider fish “disposable” pets, to keep them in anything but ideal conditions is tantamount to cruelty and neglect. Ignorance is no excuse.
First, a tank must be cycled before it is suitable to house your scaly friends. This involves a several week long process so your tank can build up the right amount of bacteria to counteract the Ammonia and Nitrite waste produced by your fish. Ammonia and Nitrites are toxic and will kill some of the more delicate fish species so it is best to use just a couple hardy fish or no fish at all to do the cycle. Adding a lot of fish at once, especially in an uncycled tank makes the Ammonia and Nitrite levels spike to lethal levels. A good test kit is essential for monitoring these during the cycle and beyond and frequent partial water changes are a must to keep a tank healthy. Ask a Walmart employee how to cycle a tank and notice the blank look you get.
Believe it or not, a smaller tank is a lot harder to keep than a bigger tank. A small amount of Ammonia in a small tank can be lethal, while in a bigger tank it is more diluted and can be tolerable to most fish. Any tank 10 gallons or smaller can be tricky for a newbie to fishkeeping to maintain. Most fish species need more than a 10 gallon tank, yet Goldfish and Bettas are frequently kept in small 1-2 gallon bowls or even smaller! Goldfish, even the “feeder” goldies (known as comets) can grow to over a foot long! Goldfish also produce a LOT of waste, and need double the filtration a tank normally requires. Does they boy netting out your five .38 Goldfish know to tell you that you need a 75 gallon tank with 150 gallon filtration to keep that many goldies? Nope!
You may see the cute little Bettas in the little cubes, but they, too, need at least 2.5 gallons to thrive and be healthy. Walmart sells a HALF gallon cube that claims to be a “Complete Betta Kit”. Would you put your dog in a cage just barely big enough for him to turn around and make him live in his own waste without heat? No, so please don’t do that to a fish, either!
Most species Walmart sells are tropical and need heat, including Bettas. Some are schooling fish and need to be in groups of 5 or more to thrive and be happy. Some are aggressive and have to be kept alone. Some fish are herbivores, while others are omnivorous and all need a variety in their diet, not just flakes. Some need lots of hiding places and some need driftwood to rasp. Do you know which is which? Neither do the Walmart employees.
Overstocking a tank is a common mistake for new fishkeepers. A very general rule is one gallon per one inch of full grown fish, but this rule does not always apply, like with goldfish who produce more waste than most other species. So, those adorable Bala Sharks? They need to school in groups of no fewer than 5 and grow to be 12”, so they need at least a 60 gallon tank, and that’s with no other fish added in! That cute little common pleco (algae eater)? He gets to be 18” and also produces a lot of waste and should be in nothing smaller than a 55 gallon. Those kissing gouramis? They are aggressive to each other and get to be 6”. So when you go pick out a few goldfish, a bala shark, a few gouramis and cichlids along with a couple different kinds of tetras for your 10 gallon tank, is anyone at Walmart going to stop you from making that mistake? Nope, you’ll learn it won’t work only when all your fish end up dead.
I would love for everyone to boycott the live fish section at Walmart so they would be forced to stop selling them. Even employees at chain pet stores rarely have correct care information on most animals and you can expect much less from Walmart employees. However, I know that attempt would be nothing short of futile. So, I implore you, RESEARCH your fish BEFORE you get them. Please do not buy fish or supplies on impulse. Browse the fish, take note of which species you like, and then go home and read everything you can about the fish so you will know whether caring for it is within your budget and abilities. There are several great fish forums on the web filled with tons of useful information. If you would like to join me in a boycott, there is a pretty good mom n’ pop fish and pet store in Forest City and several in Asheville, so you don’t have to drive too far to get your fishies from a better source. You should research any animal you decide to bring home as a pet, even dog breeds, but especially exotics BEFORE you buy them to save a lot of headaches and heartaches and to provide the best possible life for the living creature for which you have chosen to be caretaker.