Buying beat up fish

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R

rvadog

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Jan 13, 2012
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I found the fish I'm looking for (Pearsei cichlid) locally. For context, I can't find anyone with this fish, locally or online. The store has a bunch of them in with a bunch of black belts and they're all beat up. Some nipped find and what looks like white spots on the head or side. It's not ich, it looks like either an injury.

I'm severely tempted to buy two. At $20, they're cheaper than shipping would run even if I could find them online. What do you all think? How would I treat them if i do get them?

(In case anyone is wondering, for a currently unstocked 180 gallon tank)
 
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rvadog said:
I found the fish I'm looking for (Pearsei cichlid) locally. For context, I can't find anyone with this fish, locally or online. The store has a bunch of them in with a bunch of black belts and they're all beat up. Some nipped find and what looks like white spots on the head or side. It's not ich, it looks like either an injury.

I'm severely tempted to buy two. At $20, they're cheaper than shipping would run even if I could find them online. What do you all think? How would I treat them if i do get them?

(In case anyone is wondering, for a currently unstocked 180 gallon tank)
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I’ve bought beat up fish before without any issues, I think that’s fairly common since LFS keep aggressive fish in close quarters. As long as your tank is big enough and you have appropriate tank mates and good WQ, it’s usually fine
 
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DMD123 said:
Fish heal pretty quickly if its just minor scuffs. If they look bad let your local fish store know, have them give you a discount. Does not hurt to ask. Clean water a nice large tank and they should heal up nicely.
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This. ....
 
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Personally if i wasn’t sure of their condition or if they may have any diseases, i would put them in QT before putting them into my main display...

Other than that, i agree with the above, asking for a discount doesn’t hurt and worse they can say is no...
 
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Always, always, always quarantine.

As others have said, fish can heal up well if you give them good conditions.

Fat Homer said:
Personally if i wasn’t sure of their condition or if they may have any diseases, i would put them in QT before putting them into my main display...

Other than that, i agree with the above, asking for a discount doesn’t hurt and worse they can say is no...
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I rehomed a fish a peacock bass. The guy had a pbass, redtail catfish, oscar, and an alligator gar in a 55 gallon tank. The gar was huge and beat on the pbass hard. I took him in and less than a week he was all healed up. And that's even with my blackbelt picking on him.
 
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Charlied81 said:
I rehomed a fish a peacock bass. The guy had a pbass, redtail catfish, oscar, and an alligator gar in a 55 gallon tank. The gar was huge and beat on the pbass hard. I took him in and less than a week he was all healed up. And that's even with my blackbelt picking on him.
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Was there any room for water?
 
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