Getting And Getting Rid Of Fish In Australia

[helenf]

Hi everyone,

I am just setting up my first fish tank since I was a kid, and enjoying it hugely. I've got 3 small goldfish in it at present, its been running for a week and the water is testing out fine so far, etc. Fish are happy, though I now understand that the woman in Pets Wonderland shouldn't have sold them to me for this tank (and certainly shouldn't have suggested I get 8!). So I'm planning on moving the goldfish to the pond, in due course, and settling for a community tank of little guys, starting with some cardinal tetras (they are so pretty!).

Anyway, this raises a couple of questions:

1. Where do you source your fish from? I have been told by the guy from livefish.com.au that most of the tropical fish in Australia are caught wild from overseas and then imported here. This worries me on a few counts: firstly how damaging can that be to the overseas ecosystems these fish come from. Secondly that must mean that when you buy these fish you have no idea how old they are, and you do know that they have been subjected to even more stressful moves than if they were bred in a tank and just shipped to you. Using wild fish to put into aquariums just seems all wrong to me.

Luckily the cardinal tetras are available from breeders also, apparently, and I am definitely willing to pay a little more to get these ones.

2. What do you do with a fish that you don't want any more, for whatever reason? I ask this because I might end up moving overseas in a few years time (my partner is Spanish) and I am worried about taking on a pet of any type that might still be alive then and might be hard to find a good home for. If you personally saw an ad somewhere (where?) saying: "10 cardinal tetras free to a good home in Melbourne" would you take them, or would they end up in the hands of someone who couldn't be trusted to at least try to care for them properly. (Note: I am not offering anyone my hard-won tetras just yet, this is purely a hypothetical question).


Anyone got opinions, comments on either of these things?

Thanks!

Helen

[wombat1100]

G'day Helen, can i firstly ask how big your tank is? is it heated yet as I'm sure you are aware the Cardinals require heating.
I generally purchase my fish from my LFS but the last couple of lots i have sourced from Livefish.com.au and other than some delivery problems i would say the fish were in good condition.
As for fish i don't want anymore, I generally sell them at a low cost on this forum in the classified section, or trade them in at the LFS for supplies or other fish.
hope this helps
Dazz

[helenf]

Hi Dazz, thanks for your reply :)


G'day Helen, can i firstly ask how big your tank is? is it heated yet as I'm sure you are aware the Cardinals require heating.
I generally purchase my fish from my LFS but the last couple of lots i have sourced from Livefish.com.au and other than some delivery problems i would say the fish were in good condition.
As for fish i don't want anymore, I generally sell them at a low cost on this forum in the classified section, or trade them in at the LFS for supplies or other fish.
hope this helps
Dazz[/b]

My tank is 10 gallons (40 litres). I have a heater ordered that should be arriving tomorrow, and I was planning to heat it to 21 degrees, since that's on the cool end of what I read somewhere the Cardinals like, and then warm it up through the summer. Does that make sense?

Glad to know it is possible to sell or trade fish. Hopefully that means they go to people who genuinely want them.
Do LFSs here take fish back often? I have assumed they wouldn't since the fish might be diseased, but I haven't actually asked mine yet.

Helen

[wombat1100]

HI Helen,
40 Lt is a pretty small tank so be careful of the water parameters changing quickly, less water more susceptible to ammonia and nitrite spikes.
I run my tanks at about 23 degrees and in the summer u need to be careful , once again because of the small tank, you need to be careful of overheating, I have heard of some people putting ice blocks in their tanks to bring the temp down in the summer.
I haven't had any problem taking fish back to my LFS for credit or exchange, BUT you will only get a fraction of what you paid for them and a fish wort 50 dollars u might get 10 dollars for, thats why i sell them on here, i still get alot less than what the LFS would give me but I'm helping out fellow aquarist's and they pick them up from your home too!
Dazz

[joz]

Hi Helen and welcome to the Fish tank.

Just to ease your mind pretty much 99% of fish for the hobby are tank bred.Either by entusiasts or breeding farms usually in Asia.
Due to labour cost and ambient temperature Asia has some of the largest breeding farms throughout the world..They actaully pond breed tropical fish in massive numbers.Wild caught fish are about but tend to go to specialists at a higher price premium.

[helenf]

Hi Helen and welcome to the Fish tank.

Just to ease your mind pretty much 99% of fish for the hobby are tank bred.Either by entusiasts or breeding farms usually in Asia.
Due to labour cost and ambient temperature Asia has some of the largest breeding farms throughout the world..They actaully pond breed tropical fish in massive numbers.Wild caught fish are about but tend to go to specialists at a higher price premium.[/b]

Hi Joz,

That is a relief, actually. Thanks for that information :) I will feel better about the fish I'm not buying in my LFS, as well as those I see in tanks elsewhere.

Helen