I believe there are 3 very important step requirement to keeping and getting healthly fish.
1. Know the fish and their requirements. IE captive track record, feeding, etc. If you feel you can handle the requirement to keep it then go to step 2. If no leave it be and hope they stop collecting these fish if they have poor captive track record.
2. Inspect the fish your planning to buy and its follow tankmates. How does the fish look? Healthly? If yes look at their tank mates. Are they healthly? If yes look at other tanks that use the same water system are they healthly? If yes, you then and only then you should really think about buying the fish. If no to any in the step 2 then you should really leave the fish be at the store but if you MUST MUST buy that fish then step 3 is important. *NOTE even if the tank water is not directly linked the net or the containor might/would link the tanks.**NOTE: some fish like a regel angel I had I visit the shop 4 times in 1 week on day 5,6,7 I went the LFS every day to see if it was healthly and FEEDING everytime.*
3. QT up to 6 weeks to make sure the fish is eatting and healthly. Just because you inspect the fish and it was healthly along with their tankmates doesn't mean it didn't have something unseen or did not show signs yet. If you picked up that MUST MUST have sick fish you better QT it until its healthly. IF you don't QT and place it in the display tank don't blame the LFS you got it because it died from the extra stress you added to the sick fish. Also don't blame the store you lose other fish in the display because you didn't inspect or QT a sick fish.
NOTE:
Not all fish handle QT well IE Regel Angle (maybe Morrish Idol I have no experience with these fish). Regel Angle fall into the MUST MUST have fish and its up to you to decide if the risk is worth it. I will NEVER buy a fish that looks sick and dump it into the display. A matter of fact I will NEVER buy a fish that show sign of illness or a "healthly" looking fish with sick tankmates.
I can say that I like this process and it works for me fairly will with very low lost in fish but I do spend a lot of time and money visiting many LFS till I find the prime fish I want. Even with the time spent and cost of gas and time is far less then the cost of replacing loses in fish.
1. Know the fish and their requirements. IE captive track record, feeding, etc. If you feel you can handle the requirement to keep it then go to step 2. If no leave it be and hope they stop collecting these fish if they have poor captive track record.
2. Inspect the fish your planning to buy and its follow tankmates. How does the fish look? Healthly? If yes look at their tank mates. Are they healthly? If yes look at other tanks that use the same water system are they healthly? If yes, you then and only then you should really think about buying the fish. If no to any in the step 2 then you should really leave the fish be at the store but if you MUST MUST buy that fish then step 3 is important. *NOTE even if the tank water is not directly linked the net or the containor might/would link the tanks.**NOTE: some fish like a regel angel I had I visit the shop 4 times in 1 week on day 5,6,7 I went the LFS every day to see if it was healthly and FEEDING everytime.*
3. QT up to 6 weeks to make sure the fish is eatting and healthly. Just because you inspect the fish and it was healthly along with their tankmates doesn't mean it didn't have something unseen or did not show signs yet. If you picked up that MUST MUST have sick fish you better QT it until its healthly. IF you don't QT and place it in the display tank don't blame the LFS you got it because it died from the extra stress you added to the sick fish. Also don't blame the store you lose other fish in the display because you didn't inspect or QT a sick fish.
NOTE:
Not all fish handle QT well IE Regel Angle (maybe Morrish Idol I have no experience with these fish). Regel Angle fall into the MUST MUST have fish and its up to you to decide if the risk is worth it. I will NEVER buy a fish that looks sick and dump it into the display. A matter of fact I will NEVER buy a fish that show sign of illness or a "healthly" looking fish with sick tankmates.
I can say that I like this process and it works for me fairly will with very low lost in fish but I do spend a lot of time and money visiting many LFS till I find the prime fish I want. Even with the time spent and cost of gas and time is far less then the cost of replacing loses in fish.
