Unpopular Fish Opinions

catfishguy is rite bettas have been over inbreed and just to add to that it has weakend the betta strains in australia and I would say the same 4 over seas but the thaI people are doing there best to keep strong and hardy strains going

 

I think of you don't know what an acronym means you should ask.

 

catfishguy is rite bettas have been over inbreed and just to add to that it has weakend the betta strains in australia and I would say the same 4 over seas but the thaI people are doing there best to keep strong and hardy strains going

A lot of bettas (in Australia) are in fact shipped from Thailand... However to keep bloodlines and varieties pure (and increase chances of the offspring being similar in colouration, form and style) as the parents, its common and highly accepted practise for siblings to be crossed - a lot of breeders will even sell sibling pairs!

 

If your purchase a cat or dog from a humane society its still a purchase not a rescue it doesn't matter what the animal.

I think its actually quite hypercritical that humane societies usually have adoption fees for good looking pets but no fees for the old, ugly or those health issues. Just call it what it is, a sale to make money. I personally would have more respect for them if they just asked for a donation of any amount for any animal. Also a lot of places will just kill any animal they don't think is sellable and they still want to be called humane.


Also I have no idea what any of those acronyms are except isn't LV that brand my wive always wants to buy.

people who go out a buy a betta/goldfish/etc (especially healthy ones) and call it a recuse are problematic.

I've gone to PetSmart/Petco and picked out some of the worst looking bettas and adopted them. No money exchanged, got them for free. The most recent one was columnaris ridden, I fixed him up and found him a good home. Rescue or no?

 

I've gone to PetSmart/Petco and picked out some of the worst looking bettas and adopted them. No money exchanged, got them for free. The most recent one was columnaris ridden, I fixed him up and found him a good home. Rescue or no?

Rescue...

 

I don't know if this was mentioned or not but I don't think water changes absolutely NEED to be done every single week. If my tanks water parameters are stable after a week or longer, I won't do a water change. I will top off for sure but I will not do a water change.

 

It’s up to the writer to communicate clearly. Sometimes it takes being aware of who will be reading your post. If one uses acronyms towards a new member I think it’s best to write the word out first, followed by an acroynym inside a parenthesis, so for instance: beneficial bacteria (BB) or multiple tank syndrome (MTS). Each fully written out word is followed by an acronym within a parenthesis. This way the new poster will know what they mean without having to ask. And after that initial step, you can simply use the acronym without having to fully write it out.

 

I think of you don't know what an acronym means you should ask.

I think a lot of people wind up on fishlore through google searches as well. People googling a fish disease or breed or whatever. Google search will give a whole slew of links to fishlore threads that pertain to their search. In that case they're not members and most likely won't take the time to make an account to ask. It doesn't actually bother me, just a joking gripe of mine that used to drive me a little bananas before I knew what was what.

 

Bettas should either be kept in divided 10 gallons or a tank with fish IMO and angelfish swim weird

 

I have lots of unpopular opinions, apparently...

• I like the black gravel with the confettI colors mixed in the best of all substrates, even more than the black sand I'm currently using.
• I don't particularly care for a natural scape, I like my ornaments and my fake plants and even my fake fish (my real fish like them too because they're one more surface for algae to grow on).
• I hate real plants, they're just one more thing to worry about.
• My healthiest betta ever lived in a 5 gallon.
• I prefer to chemically alter my water rather than trying to adjust things naturally. I also think it's ok to top off a mature tank instead of a water change occasionally.
• I don't see anything wrong with naturally bred glofish, it's not like they know any different.
• I definitely think people are too conservative with stocking levels sometimes. There's nothing wrong with it, I'm sure fish love the extra room, but we shouldn't crucify other forum members (we should never crucify other members, as they will likely just stop listening).
• I also think some people confuse "social" with "schooling". Just because fish will socialize doesn't mean they have to have the same species of tankmates. Plecos socialize but I don't see anyone insisting you must have multiples.
• I don't think people should hold fish in their bare hands.
• I don't like cories or otos, fight me lol.

Mainly, I think a tank should be done with things you like. If you like pirate ships or pineapples or a quidditch field, go for it, as long as fish can get what they need from your design. I don't think fish care in the slightest whether the hiding spot looks like a real rock or not as long as they can hide in it. You're more likely to take proper care of a tank if you love everything in it.

 

I think a lot of people wind up on fishlore through google searches as well. People googling a fish disease or breed or whatever. Google search will give a whole slew of links to fishlore threads that pertain to their search.

That's how I got here!

Don't have a green thumb?

Also I think you may have the most unpopular opinion here- One of these is an aquascape winner, guess which one - Credit for the s: /ATTACH]

I grow land plants just fine lol but with aquarium plants it turns into worrying about the plants, why do they look the way they do, are they getting what they need, do I really need root tabs or CO2 or whatever, it's just more stress than I want to deal with, and I've never seen an appreciable difference in my fish regarding it.
As for winning contests, I'm not doing this hobby for anyone but me. Seeing a fish peeking out of my TARDIS makes me happy. My fake lionfish glowing at night make me happy. That's what this hobby, to me, is all about. If clown puke gravel makes me happy and it's safe for my fish, then I don't care who else likes it or not. If my fish are safe and happy in a Squidward house, I'm happy too.
If I want to enter an aquascape competition I can, and I can dedicate that time and attention to the natural perfection of that tank and more power to you if you do. That's just not my thing.

 

If clown puke gravel makes me happy and it's safe for my fish, then I don't care who else likes it or not.

Silly wabbit, Trix are for kids

 

I think a lot of people wind up on fishlore through google searches as well. People googling a fish disease or breed or whatever. Google search will give a whole slew of links to fishlore threads that pertain to their search. In that case they're not members and most likely won't take the time to make an account to ask. It doesn't actually bother me, just a joking gripe of mine that used to drive me a little bananas before I knew what was what.

Good point. I didn't consider non members,

I have lots of unpopular opinions, apparently...

• I like the black gravel with the confettI colors mixed in the best of all substrates, even more than the black sand I'm currently using.
• I don't particularly care for a natural scape, I like my ornaments and my fake plants and even my fake fish (my real fish like them too because they're one more surface for algae to grow on).
• I hate real plants, they're just one more thing to worry about.
• My healthiest betta ever lived in a 5 gallon.
• I prefer to chemically alter my water rather than trying to adjust things naturally. I also think it's ok to top off a mature tank instead of a water change occasionally.
• I don't see anything wrong with naturally bred glofish, it's not like they know any different.
• I definitely think people are too conservative with stocking levels sometimes. There's nothing wrong with it, I'm sure fish love the extra room, but we shouldn't crucify other forum members (we should never crucify other members, as they will likely just stop listening).
• I also think some people confuse "social" with "schooling". Just because fish will socialize doesn't mean they have to have the same species of tankmates. Plecos socialize but I don't see anyone insisting you must have multiples.
• I don't think people should hold fish in their bare hands.
• I don't like cories or otos, fight me lol.

Mainly, I think a tank should be done with things you like. If you like pirate ships or pineapples or a quidditch field, go for it, as long as fish can get what they need from your design. I don't think fish care in the slightest whether the hiding spot looks like a real rock or not as long as they can hide in it. You're more likely to take proper care of a tank if you love everything in it.

I can fight you on so many of your opinions. Like how do you know glow fish don't know there different? They told you?
Plecos are social? Mine stays in his cave all day and comes out at night to feed while all the other fish are sleeping. Just to name 2.

 

I can fight you on so many of your opinions. Like how do you know glow fish don't know there different? They told you?
Plecos are social? Mine stays in his cave all day and comes out at night to feed while all the other fish are sleeping. Just to name 2.

I mean, that's how they're born. It's not like those painted tetras where they were injected. And they live with fish who look like them, usually. It's not like a balloon modification, it doesn't affect how they swim and live. I don't have them, but that's how I've always viewed it.

And that exactly proves my point. Fish do have personalities. I've had plecos who liked to hide and chill and I've had plecos who always follow another pleco. I had a pair of dwarf gouramis who were like Jekyll and Hyde. There's a difference in fish who operate in schools and fish who don't. I would never keep a tetra alone, for example.

 

I mean, that's how they're born. It's not like those painted tetras where they were injected. And they live with fish who look like them, usually. It's not like a balloon modification, it doesn't affect how they swim and live. I don't have them, but that's how I've always viewed it.

And that exactly proves my point. Fish do have personalities. I've had plecos who liked to hide and chill and I've had plecos who always follow another pleco. I had a pair of dwarf gouramis who were like Jekyll and Hyde. There's a difference in fish who operate in schools and fish who don't. I would never keep a tetra alone, for example.

I like glow fish too. I keep glowfish tetras with blackskirt tetras. The black skirts stay with the black skirts and the glows stay with the glows. Even though there the same species. I can't tell you if they know there different, but I also can't say they do.

I do agree schoolers and social fish are 2 different things. I kept many Plecos over the years, but would never call them social. There not antisocial either, but I had 3 in a tank at 1 time and they never really hung out together. Bolivian rams.... Not a schooling fish, but at times they are very social.

 

I've gone to PetSmart/Petco and picked out some of the worst looking bettas and adopted them. No money exchanged, got them for free. The most recent one was columnaris ridden, I fixed him up and found him a good home. Rescue or no?

If no money changed hands then its a rescue as I said earlier

 

If no money changed hands then its a rescue as I said earlier

it makes me laugh too when people "rescue" a betta from the store. I say OMG did it jump out of its tank and was flopping around the floor?

 

it makes me laugh too when people "rescue" a betta from the store. I say OMG did it jump out of its tank and was flopping around the floor?

I rescued a cichlid once that did that... but I left him at the store.

 

I rescued a cichlid once that did that... but I left him at the store.

That is a true rescue.

I "rescued" a tuna sandwich from the convenience store once. They wanted to throw it in the garbage. Just because it was old. Can you believe that. Lol

 

If no money changed hands then its a rescue as I said earlier

If you buy a fish from a store to rescue it, then you contributed to that stores profit and they will continue to do what they’re doing.

 

aussiejjdude your right mate but breeding bettas from brother and sister is a risk of deformaties forming in the young its the same in guppys I breed both but never brother and sister for that reason but it is perfectly fine to do it its just some thing I won't ever do cause of the risk but I agree with u mate some fighters come from cambodia and loas

 

1 I actually kind of like tacky ornaments
2 I think a lot of people in the hobby are way to uptight with how they think things should be done.

 

I just thought of another!

Some fish are more likely to cause elevated nitrates (and more likely to poo).

(Reasoning: All fish poo, but some poo more frequently than others of the same size. A goldfish that's roughly the same size as another fish will still have around the same waste output...

I've seen a lot of people mention that their plecos and goldies are 'poop machines' but I have rarely ever seen anyone actually compare the waste that these guys produce to other fish of a similar nature or diet)

aussiejjdude your right mate, but breeding bettas from brother and sister is a risk of deformaties forming in the young. Its the same in guppys, I breed both but never brother and sister for that reason, but it is perfectly fine to do it.its just some thing I won't ever do, cause of the risk; but I agree with u mate, some fighters come from cambodia and loas.

Yeah, the risk is marginal if done properly. If you do related crosses (inbreeding) but then outsource to increase genetic variability, its fine and the resulting offspring will be fine genetically. The problem comes into play when a small gene pool is used, and it kept of being used without any significant outcrossing... that's bad!

I tend to breed related stock of guppies in order to solidify the desired characteristic(s), and then from there out cross to maintain diversity. No harm in doing so.

And in Aus, the majority of bettas from from overseas... Very rarely have I seen local betta for sale - and usually you can tell some bloke down the road did it, as the fish look very poor in general.

 

well said aussie jj dude

 

I just thought of another!

Some fish are more likely to cause elevated nitrates (and more likely to poo).

(Reasoning: All fish poo, but some poo more frequently than others of the same size. A goldfish that's roughly the same size as another fish will still have around the same waste output...

I've seen a lot of people mention that their plecos and goldies are 'poop machines' but I have rarely ever seen anyone actually compare the waste that these guys produce to other fish of a similar nature or diet)

Only question is what part of that pooh is ureum / ammonia (digestion of protein??).
I expect carnivores to have more influence on nitrates than herbivores / omnivores.
Not all pooh will be converted in nitrates only the nitrogyn-part.

 

Yeah, the risk is marginal if done properly. If you do related crosses (inbreeding) but then outsource to increase genetic variability, its fine and the resulting offspring will be fine genetically. The problem comes into play when a small gene pool is used, and it kept of being used without any significant outcrossing... that's bad!

I tend to breed related stock of guppies in order to solidify the desired characteristic(s), and then from there out cross to maintain diversity. No harm in doing so.

And in Aus, the majority of bettas from from overseas... Very rarely have I seen local betta for sale - and usually you can tell some bloke down the road did it, as the fish look very poor in general.

Breeders call it line breeding, but it is in-breeding. You can only do a few generations before your kulling more then your raising due to the genetic flaws. At that point (like you said) you must broaden the gene pool with new stock.

Believe it or not the albinos, and the electric blue ,and all the other wonderful colors so prized by keepers are flaws. There's a reason these colors don't exist in nature.

I too love the colors I have a few in my tanks.

 

With most species of fish, there is minimal risk by breeding siblings together. Fish are not like mammals, or birds, or even reptiles. If you go about 5 generations without seeing any deformities, then the line is proven viable, and would probably require a mutation for something genetic to be altered. I maintained a population of Rivulus leulingi for 7 or 8 generations by keeping one pair of siblings from each generation, and selling off the parents. I know someone who went over 50 generations of breeding a line of show quality Hifin Swords starting from a single pair. He stopped counting after 50, but the line was still going strong for years after that. The biggest problems that Bettas have right now is the excessive amount of hybridization that is occurring. Hybrids rarely breed true in the first couple of generations, sometimes more.

Outcrossing can cause as many or even more problems than line breeding, as it introduces the risk of a new genetic problem. If there are no known genetic problems, it is foolish to introduce that risk.

The reason those colors don't exist in nature is because they make the fish stand out, and those young get eaten first by predators. Albino is a relatively common mutation in wild populations; it is just extremely rare that such a fish survives to adulthood. Electric blues are the result of aquarium hybridization, not genetic mutation within a single species. The word "flaw" suggests a deleterious effect of the change, but if the fish are in a situation (aquarium) where the change is not bad for their survival, it can't really be called a flaw. A flaw would be a deformed spine that causes the internal organs to be out of place, and a deformed mouth that makes it hard for the fish to breathe or eat.

 

I find any other type of goldfish other than regular comets absolutely abominable. I mean Ranchus, bubble eye, telescopic eye; the fancy types, just awful. To me they look totally disfigured, but I guess that's just me.
I also hate GloFish, totally unnatural whatsoever.

I never got to weigh in to the OP's original question. Just wanted to say I am in complete agreement - I have a serious issue with humans breeding any type of deformity that causes health and movement issues in animals. Not because they look awful and unnatural, but because it breaks my heart to see defects that affect a normal life purposely being created for enjoyment. That goes for goldfish and bettas who cannot even swim normally due to growths and excess finnage. It also applies to dogs who can no longer reproduce without c-sections, or cats and dogs who cannot breathe properly. The way these congenital birth defects are rewarded with high prices, and that the general public is generally unaware of the severe health risks that accompany that "cute" nose or ear or short legs or whatever is disturbing. It's even more disturbing when people know and continue to cause more animals to be born into the same life of pain and early death. The arguments I've seen of "my expensive dog/cat isn't like that" drive me nuts. No, it's only a year old, wait another year or two until it's discs start slipping, or it's jaw breaks, or the arthritis sets in so it can't move, or it dies from a cold because it can't breathe, or it's hips give out and you can't afford surgery to correct it, or it's a fish and it can no longer swim at all. And then they inevitably do end up having an animal that needs put to sleep or dies an ugly death at a vert young age, and they get all sad and mopey and ask why, but then purchase the same thing from a breeder and start the cycle all over again.

 

Getting back to an unpopular fish opinion....

5 neon tetras can thrive in a 10 gallon.

 

Unpopular fish opinion? Live plants with needles ARE THE ABSOLUTE WORST .
I still have needles from the dead hornwort.
Its been four months.

 

Getting back to an unpopular fish opinion....

5 neon tetras can thrive in a 10 gallon.

Yup I'm doing right now with lots of plants, a betta, and 6 neons. Super colorful every time they're ready to eat.

Sorry CatfishGuy I never got notified that I had been tagged, totally would have joined in on the topic

 

Yup I'm doing right now with lots of plants, a betta, and 6 neons. Super colorful every time they're ready to eat.

Sorry CatfishGuy I never got notified that I had been tagged, totally would have joined in on the topic

A betta and neons don't work well. Not much temperature overlap.

 

A betta and neons don't work well. Not much temperature overlap.

It's been working well at 76 degrees for 5 months. We'll have to disagree

 

It's been working well at 76 degrees for 5 months. We'll have to disagree

Another unpopular fish option.

Many others have parroted - myself included - about the while temperature thing...

 

Another unpopular fish option.

Many others have parroted - myself included - about the while temperature thing...

I'm in the betta are highly adaptable group, if it was a different fish than I wouldn't have done it, but he's been doing fine, shows no lethargy, and plays with my finger often

 

Yup I'm doing right now with lots of plants, a betta, and 6 neons. Super colorful every time they're ready to eat.

Sorry CatfishGuy I never got notified that I had been tagged, totally would have joined in on the topic

yeah, how well a fish does in a tank depends on where the fish come from, their genes, the water they are acclimated too, their food, the décor and plants etc. Sometimes a tank that someone does was a complete disaster from the start last 10 years under the control of another person with the same stock and decorations.

 

Here’s one for you guys, and I hope it stirs the pot, but high quality activated carbon is useful and healthy for aquariums.

 

Here’s one for you guys, and I hope it stirs the pot, but high quality activated carbon is useful and healthy for aquariums.

Definitely, unless you're medicating. There's no reason not to add it!

Got deja vu while writing this for some reason

 

I just thought of another!

Some fish are more likely to cause elevated nitrates (and more likely to poo).

(Reasoning: All fish poo, but some poo more frequently than others of the same size. A goldfish that's roughly the same size as another fish will still have around the same waste output...

I've seen a lot of people mention that their plecos and goldies are 'poop machines' but I have rarely ever seen anyone actually compare the waste that these guys produce to other fish of a similar nature or diet)

Plecos are poop machines tho, the one I had was very messy. He’d leave veggies everywhere and the seeds on the sides of the tank

 

Plecos are poop machines tho, the one I had was very messy. He’d leave veggies everywhere and the seeds on the sides of the tank

Not really. I find my plecos poop as much as any other fish....? (Given if they were the same size)