This is something i have been thinking about lately. It seems that there are many supposedly "common" fish that i have never seen in almost any aquarium store i have been into. Some of them i would really like to get my hands on without dealing with the hassle and expense of buying online. I was wondering if this is a similar situation for other people here.
Common fish that are hard to find
- Thread starter Supergeorge123
- Start date
I’m assuming by common you mean like the typical neon tetra, powder blue gourami, common pleco, Bala and other sharks, etc? I’ve never been to a store that doesn’t have these and many other commons. There’s a family owned store I go to a lot by where I live and if I really want really cool fish (BGK, cool plecos, class cats, more uncommon gouramis and tetras) then I go to a store that’s and hour away that’s 5 times the size of my local one. And I know some will cringe but my local Petsmart is actually pretty good about their fish never had much problems with them. The local pet supplies plus on the other hand is trash. Your lucky if you get two weeks out of a fish.
I agree most stores won’t stock some of the more common species because they won’t make much money off of them and they take space they could use for more profitable species.
But if you ask most stores will bring something in for you.
But if you ask most stores will bring something in for you.
I'm impressed with my local Pet Smart also. They seem to take good care of their tanks. Many of the folks working that department keep their own aquariums and always love to talk fish with you. I've overheard them on many occasions helping potential customers with their purchases and the advice I hear is always spot on. Kudos to Pet Smart.
And most of the time I go in there they're usually making wise cracks about how often they're sent Red Devils. They say: "Don't they know how nasty these guys are?". LOL On my last visit they had three of them all in their own tanks.
But unfortunately, the store won't order fish for you.
And most of the time I go in there they're usually making wise cracks about how often they're sent Red Devils. They say: "Don't they know how nasty these guys are?". LOL On my last visit they had three of them all in their own tanks.
But unfortunately, the store won't order fish for you.
Monsterfish keepers are not really the norm and so most LFS's will be catering for a market where smaller tanks are more common. So we have tetras, gouramis, guppies, swordtails, mollies etc etc. However, the classic three fish which they always sell though, and indeed to these people with small tanks, are plecos, oscars and bala sharks, all cute and tiny, but we know better and we could have a seperate thread to discuss the rights and wrongs of that.
My LFS is no different and so if I want something a bit more oddball or chunkier I just ask him. He's basically told me he can get me whatever I want, unless it's banned, and not many are banned in the UK because they haven't got a cat in hells chance of surviving the cold if someone was so stupid to release something into the wild.
He got me a flagtail a couple of years ago which he's never stocked before and when I quizzed him about frontosa he just told me to give him a shout when I want a group.
So before having to go down the route of ordering online and all the potential grief that can entail, i'd just ask at your local LFS. If they're half decent they should be able to help you, and even better, if you do live in a warmer climate they should also be able to tell you if the fish is legal in your area and offer you advice on keeping said fish etc etc.
My LFS is no different and so if I want something a bit more oddball or chunkier I just ask him. He's basically told me he can get me whatever I want, unless it's banned, and not many are banned in the UK because they haven't got a cat in hells chance of surviving the cold if someone was so stupid to release something into the wild.
He got me a flagtail a couple of years ago which he's never stocked before and when I quizzed him about frontosa he just told me to give him a shout when I want a group.
So before having to go down the route of ordering online and all the potential grief that can entail, i'd just ask at your local LFS. If they're half decent they should be able to help you, and even better, if you do live in a warmer climate they should also be able to tell you if the fish is legal in your area and offer you advice on keeping said fish etc etc.
I was thinking more of fish like flagtails, moonlight or pearl gouramis, dicrossus, kribensis and julidochromis species. All supposedly common fish that i can almost never find at a store.
I see that sort of thing where I am at. One store gets unusual fish regularly but still misses some more common species, Black Belts come to mind. I haven't seen a BB for a couple years now. If I wanted them I could ask for them and they would bring them in.
The other store only ever keeps the most common fish. The same thing you can get at Walmart or PetSmart. The owner can and has ordered fish for me too. I just don't understand why he only gets the same thing his competitors have. I think he would do better if he got other things in. He is the only game in town for marine fish though.
The other store only ever keeps the most common fish. The same thing you can get at Walmart or PetSmart. The owner can and has ordered fish for me too. I just don't understand why he only gets the same thing his competitors have. I think he would do better if he got other things in. He is the only game in town for marine fish though.
When I asked him how much my flagtail was going to be he said it'll be between £30-£40. I was happy with that, to be honest i'd have paid more i wanted one that much. I had to wait a few weeks as it was coming from south America. When I eventually paid him for it he charged me £35. There wasn't exactly a receipt splitting it down into fish price, shipping price and a % for the LFS owner. I just looked at the £35 and was happy.