Whats up with blood thirsty aquarists?

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madhatter27;4710149; said:
Its the people buying mean fish based on their reputation just to take them home, poke at em with a stick, starve them, and then throw in some feeders when their buddys are over just to see the scales fly. The whole things a little too primal for my tastes i guess.
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Why are you assuming that's the reason they want the meanest fish?
 
Madding;4710168; said:
Why are you assuming that's the reason they want the meanest fish?
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I've seen it about a hundred times, no kidding, and most of them ended up dead or returned in very poor health. I can't count the number of people who came in gung ho for RBPs and oscars only to decide against getting fish at our store when I explained how bad goldfish are for them (also that ours were not fed live food) and that a 20g would NOT suffice.
I had several customers that came in every week or so looking for the next "big mean fish eater" I might have (we were the oddball store).
I nursed some very large RBPs back from emaciation just to see them sold off and dead as soon as I took them out of "ICU tank".
Watched the same kid and his friends kill 4 different kinds of gar, a school of RBPs, an ornate bichir, several pictus, several polys (most jumped), a large tiretrack eel, 2 BGK, and countless things they bought at other stores. Half the customers wanted big mean fish killers and the rest want 200 kinds of colorful active community fish that can all live in their 10-29g.

Never ceased to amaze me how often someone would buy the "meanest" fish they could fit in their tank and as I ring them up ask if they'll be okay with the neons/platys/tetras/other common community fish they have and decide "they'll just see" if everyone will live peacefully together.. Even had people that wanted just one or RBP hoping they would join the other schooling fish and "only eat the feeders" if they put it with their other fish. UGH.
 
most of the people around here know what oscars are cause of feeding feeders or whatnot. i dont feed my oscars feeeders anymore. ( use to in the past with my old oscars ) but i wanted to start fresh with new ones. got mine about 5 months ago at 3 inches. now there 8 inches. alot of people around here like oscars for there aggression ( well mine hasnt even became aggresive YET *knock on wood ) and hope they get along for the time being.
 
I think it is because fish are the only socially acceptable pet to keep that can and will tear apart other pets. Since it is illegal to keep lions, the Napoleons keep wolf fish, piranhas, and snakeheads instead.
 
There's a primal instinct in me that loves to see my florida gar chase and eat the baby snakehead feeders i give her.
 
dlobom;4710152; said:
Many people start of like that, eventually it gets old though.

For my first tank I just wanted monsters, mice eating, flesh tearing beasts. After a while you get tired of your RBPs doing a number on any fish you try to keep.

Now I just keep whatever fish I like, Im even thinking of getting some loaches, they're awesome
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Yes! Maynard rules
 
I will not lie, I am guilty of wanting blood thirsty fish. I love watching my dats stalk and eat feeders, however, two hundred feeders a week plus knowing I must maintain my tanks purity for the health of my fish, I am switching their diet.

So in the end, I am a changed man - well, maybe.. Until I get my hands on a goliath tiger fish.. Muwhahaha
 
Oh, and I don't want to make it seem like I think it's wrong to keep big aggressive fish... As long as they are well cared for.
 
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