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Need some help please;
dyed fish, overstocking
2/3/08
Hey.
I just bought a 4 gallon fish tank (baby BiOrb) as I wanted to get more
fish. I already had a Fighter Fish so added him into there, but he's
getting really stressed out. I have an air pump in there, some fake
plants, some stones that came with the tank and a heater. There are also
3 other fish in there - 2 Diamond Tetras and 1 Coloured Cory (he seems
to be fine with them). Will he just get used to it, or should I do
something? If so what?
Thanks
Josie
<Hello Josie. No you can't add more fish! You are already criminally
overstocked. Diamond tetras (Moenkhausia pittieri) are medium-sized
tetras that are very active schooling fish, and should be kept in groups
of at least six specimens and in tanks 20 gallons upwards. So they're
already very unhappy. The Corydoras needs to be in a much larger tank as
well, and is also a schooling fish, so he's probably terrified and
definitely unhappy. Keeping these fish in this way is cruel -- there's
no other word for it. Another issue: how did you mature the filter? Just
dumping a bunch of fish into a brand-new aquarium is a death sentence.
Cycling a tank takes about 6 weeks the old fashioned way. In your case,
adding a single Betta is really the only thing you can do for that time
period, coupled with regular (likely 25% water changes every day or
two). I assume you have a nitrite test kit, because if you just dumped
these fish straight into a new aquarium the nitrite and ammonia will
soon be at toxic levels, and then your fish will get sick or die. Please
note that "letting the tank stand for 24 hours" doesn't do anything to
cycle the aquarium; cycling requires a source of ammonia, either
inorganic (from a bottle) or via suitable livestock (typically hardy
fish of some sort). Regardless, a 4-gallon tank is a bucket in terms of
volume, and while arguably adequate for a single fancy Betta, that is
all. I personally wouldn't even keep a Betta in a 4-gallon tank. If you
want something for a 4-gallon container of water buy some cut flowers
and take up flower arranging. Seriously, these micro-tanks are
incredibly difficult to run for inexperienced fishkeepers and almost
always end up going bad. Your Betta is probably unhappy because the tank
feels more like a cage filled with random animals, and he can't get any
peace and quiet. So no, he's unlikely to settle down any time soon. I'm
also concerned that you bought a "coloured" Corydoras. I hope you don't
mean one that was painted or dyed; this is a very cruel process where
dye is injected (without anaesthesia) into the muscle blocks under the
skin. Some fish die in the process, and those that survive have
increased mortality. No fishkeeping writer or vet supports this part of
the trade, and it is one aspect that I think brings shame on the
industry generally. It's been known for years that these fish are
effectively tattooed, so if your retailer says they were just "painted
harmlessly" he's probably lying and doesn't deserve your patronage.
Please do not support this sadistic practise by buying any more coloured
fish. Instead, go buy a book about tropical fish or borrow one from a
library. Read up on what fish need, and how to care for them. There are
plenty of articles here at WWM too. Hope this helps, Neale.>
Re: Need some help
please; dyed fish, overstocking 2/3/08
We went on the advise of our local fish stockist - so I will not
answer all your ranting about it being criminally overstocked.
<Hello Josie. A 4 gallon tank with all those fish *is* overstocked and
*is not* going to work in the long term. Whether you want to take my
advice -- as a professional fishkeeping writer and trained marine
biologist who writes for all the major magazines -- or not is up to you.
What you've got from me is honesty and the facts; what you choose to do
with them is your decision. But I will make the point that your fish
depend upon you, and their lives are at risk if you do the wrong things.
If the welfare and happiness of the animals you look after doesn't
matter to you, so be it, but it isn't my job to candy-coat the facts to
make them more acceptable to you. You already have problems now, and
they're going to get worse. What else can I say?>
All I will reply to is 'coloured' doras. Of course we did not tattoo or
dye it. I bought it from a reputable dealer and it is a coloured albino
Cory - just a coloured tail not coloured anywhere else and is natural.
<By definition, albino fish don't have coloured tails. Think about this
for just one second -- if you remember your biology from school, you
will recall that albinos don't produce any colours in their bodies. If
an albino fish has a brightly coloured tail, it's been dyed, or rather,
tattooed. This is a cruel practise, no discussion. The British RSPCA
considers it 'cruel and unnecessary' and various fish magazines around
the world have lobbied hard against it. See here:
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/show_article.php?article_id=72
But the only thing that will stop it, short of laws, is that people are
educated about the process and choose not to buy the fish. If you've
made the purchase out of ignorance, that's fine and you can learn the
lesson. We all make mistakes. But I would encourage you not to buy any
more. Hardly any shops in England still sell these fish, but a few do,
unfortunately.>
Thanks
Josie
<You're welcome, Neale.>
Re: Need some help please; dyed
fish, overstocking 2/3/08
It does look like this fish has been dyed - so I will not be buying
anymore and will ask the fish shop about it next time we go.
<That's all you can do. Live and learn. If the store owner genuinely
doesn't know about this issue, then perhaps you can educate them and
they will stop buying the fish.>
Do you think it is worth me reporting the fish shop to the RSPCA - if
this will help stop this practice then I will of course do it.
<The RSPCA are on the case already, but unfortunately importing dyed
fish isn't (yet) illegal. The 2006 Animal Welfare Bill only prevents
cruelty to fish that takes place within the UK, so while you could
(potentially) prosecute someone who tattooed a fish in the UK, there's
nothing in the Bill to prevent a wholesaler from imported fish that had
been tattooed in Southeast Asia (which is where this practise is rife).
If you're wondering why people like me get worked up about this issue,
it's because the people who dye these fish are also doing things like
cutting off the fins, even the tails, of fish (without anaesthesia) to
make them more "interesting" to the market that buys them. Thankfully
these fish don't seem to be sold in the UK, but they're certainly in the
Asian trade. If you have a strong stomach, see here:
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=957
Not pretty.>
We did not know that this practice even existed - why would people do
such a thing to any animal even a fish. To cause deliberate distress to
anything is wrong.
<Indeed. I think most aquarists would agree with you. I accept everyone
makes mistakes, and I still do stupid things from time to time (I left
the heater off in one of my tanks last night, for example). But the flip
side is when we find out about something bad we're doing, or something
bad in the trade, we act accordingly.>
We will certainly be more careful in our choice of fish in the future.
<Very good. A good aquarium book is helpful, and if all else fails, drop
WWM a line and tell us about what fish you've seen and what sort of tank
you have. Chances are you'll get a quick reply telling you whether or
not such a fish would work well for you.>
Thanks
Barb
<Cheers, Neale.> |
