LFS just got in some small 1'' dats, they weher still in the bag fresh of the plane I assume, Half of them in the bag looked dead but at least not moving, but my question is How long should I wait unitl I pick some up? I do think they will be bought up pretty fast, Should I wait for them to stableize for a couple few days at the store or should I just go buy them now. Just wondering if their chances of survival would greatly decrease being moved from tank to tank in sutch a short period of time. just would like to know your opinions & experiences.
need your opinions please
- Thread starter zanemgray
- Start date
i would always wait for a bit because if you buy them right away, and they die you are just throwing away money. But if you really can't wait, at least pick the strongest ones you see and see if you can ask the store employee to feed them lightly to see if the one you want will eat.
I typically don't but fish that have been in a store for less than a week. This way, the seemingly inevitable bouts with disease and death are overcome and I'm left with quality fish. As for dats, they grow painfully slow, so be ready to put in some work before they get big.
They are often shipped with a tranquilizer to reduce stress. (In my opinion, using tranquilizers is just trading one stress for another.) I wouldn't buy unless the store has a good return policy. Check back every few days to take note of their health and talk to the workers there to see how they have been fairing and selling.
I once wanted to buy a Lemon Spot Pleco that a lfs just got in an hour ago. I decided to wait it out even though I was afraid that they were going to be gone quickly because they were selling for $20 (that's pretty cheap around here). 2 weeks later, I see only a few left, but they all had ick, sunken eyes, and bellies. I was glad I didn't buy them. So IMO...I would wait.