Kinda a silly question

Feb 5, 2010
48
0
0
In a big wooden box
#1
Well is Walmart an okay place to get fish, just because that is where my gift cards go? I've had friends withh fish from there and they were just fine, and personally I don't even know if they sell fish anymore. Any one know this?
 

Acepat

New Fish
Feb 5, 2010
5
0
0
WI
#2
most people say no, and i personally don't like to, i don't even like buying fish from Pet Smart and Pet Co any more. i just found some good local fish stores. i think they are the best.

but i would just look at the tanks and see how well the fish look and make sure they are well maintained. if its the only place to get them id say go for it. just make sure the tanks and all the fish in the tanks look good, if one looks sick i wouldn't get any.
 

Acepat

New Fish
Feb 5, 2010
5
0
0
WI
#4
they mostly just have the basics there, liveberers and neons, dwarf guarmis. assorted cichlids, gold fish, and other common community fish. how good all the fish are still depends on how that Wal Mart cares for their fish, use your own judgment.

i bought my first cichlid from Wal-Mart four years ago and i still got him today and hes my favorite fish i got :) hes some sort of peacock. all i buy from Wal-Mart are feeders for my oscar.

What kind of fish are you looking for?
 

Feb 5, 2010
48
0
0
In a big wooden box
#5
Yeah my own judgement will work because I'm a very critical person so hooray for that.

I might want to get one, fish just because I'm 14 and I have other things to do. So now my range in fish become more just because now I would like to have 1 fish.

Maybe getting a cichlid but how many can you have, and want tank size because I have no clue???
 

Acepat

New Fish
Feb 5, 2010
5
0
0
WI
#6
cichlids are a tricky fish to judge, cichlids are so diverse and each one can have its own personality. if you only want one fish a cichlid would be a good choice, one will fit in a ten gallon, you might even be able to fit some kind of algae eater in with it.

ive got a 55 gal with cichlids and i can only get six in there with two lace catfish. witch is plenty when it comes to cichlids. if you want a cat fish make sure you get a synoisis (spelled something like that) lace, there the only thing that cichlids wont tear up. and make sure you put in some caves for the cichlid they love'em

if i were you i would go get a dwarf cichlid, their not as aggresive and it wont get huge. but its your tank you can get what ever you want. but if you go get an assorted cichlid you might have to get bigger tank someday, or give him away if he gets to big.
 

Feb 5, 2010
48
0
0
In a big wooden box
#7
Yeah I understand, size is a bit of an issue. I don't want to have to give away or buy a new tank if the fish gets bigger, because I can't afford it and I can't watch my fish leave. Maybe there is another type of fish I can get, I like most of them but goldfish. Got any ideas?

By the way, I have a heater and filters for both tanks. :]
 

Aug 16, 2009
1,318
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SW Pennsylvania
#8
No! Absolutely not. Walmart abuses their fish, and anyone who buys fish from walmart is contributing to the horrible fish abuse. Every time I go to Walmart, their tanks are plagued with ich, and dead fish will sit on the bottoms of the tanks for weeks before they are removed. Do not even get me started with the betta and goldfish abuse at Walmart! Never buy fish there!

First, make sure your fish tanks are cycled. You can read up on fishless cycling on this forum or on google. A betta is alright for the 3 gallon, but I would recommend an air bubbler since that is a very small tank. For the ten gallon, you could place a solid tank divider in there and have one betta on each side. Or you could keep a pair of dwarf gouramis in there. But, no matter what, I strongly recommend that you do not buy fish from walmart. It seems as if you are somewhat new to the fish hobby, and you probably would not know what to look for as far as illnesses in the tanks.
 

Aug 16, 2009
1,318
0
0
SW Pennsylvania
#10
You might be able to put a pair of bolivian ram cichlids in a 10 gallon. However, it would have to be extremely heavily planted. I am not sure how territorial they are, so I am not sure how they would like such a small space.

Aqadvisor.com is helpful for knowing which fish you can stock.
 

Feb 5, 2010
48
0
0
In a big wooden box
#11
It sounds like your attacking me, please calm down. In recently years of having fish Walmart has been great, in my opinion. Those fish live longer than other fish from fish stores.

Now I'm not new to the fish concept and I do know what to look for in fish, for their health and such. I know you probably didn't mean any harm to your post but it did make me feel terrible, sorry just my opinion there.

I tried out that place, and I like it. So my decision falls into... just look in my signature for it :]
 

Bfish23

New Fish
Jan 30, 2010
6
0
0
#12
I usually use a local fish store like Fintique in San Antonio, it is de best fish store around.
But seriously fish from Walmart can be a pain in the *&# so i would recommend a local fish store.
 

lauraf

Superstar Fish
Jan 1, 2010
2,181
0
0
Vancouver, British Columbia
#16
You can always use your Walmart card for supplies, and buy your fish somewhere else if you have any concerns. If you don't already have them, you are going to need water test kits for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, and those can get expensive, so might as well use your gift card!
 

tom91970

Superstar Fish
Jan 2, 2007
1,305
5
38
Tejas
www.myspace.com
#17
There's a Walmart not too far from here that has nice, clean tanks. I have no problem buying fish from there, and do so from time to time (bought 5 cories several months ago, in fact).

People whine and complain about Walmart and tend to favor the local pet store, and that's great. On the other hand, I've been to some in the Tyler area and Houston area that are terrible. Some drop fish on the floor while catching them, and after a minute put them back in the tank; some are extremely rude to the customers, and others will tell new fish owners anything to make a sale.

Big chain store or little mom & pop LFS, what really matters is the ethics, knowledge and overall customer service in my opinion.
 

exhumed07

Superstar Fish
Apr 30, 2006
1,774
0
36
Illinois
#18
the 2 walmarts I do go to on rare occations (since I think all of what walmart stands for is pure evil and I think all walmarts should be blown up) the fish there are in horrid condition. a friend and I used to go to the fish section and play count the dead fish. once between the 2 of us counted over 100 dead fish in 12 tanks, thats just horrible. sure u can come across dead fish in any pet store but not like that. if I come across a dead fish at my LFS I tell them and they remove it right away and if they knew it was not illness that killed it, they will feed it to their oscars or something.
 

Dec 20, 2009
131
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Canada
#19
I think Wall-Mart is just fine. They would not be my first choice in buying fish needless to say I still would, just use your own good judgement, but for other things like food or deco. I think its all good. And I don't think they intetionally abuse there fish its not a fish store, hell its not even a pet store they kinda have other **** to do. I'm not defending wall-mart I'm just saying check it out for yourself. Also most wall-marts don't carry fish any more. At least in Canada. good luck.

P.s I like the single cichlid idea. Maybe a electric yellow or a green terror. Such cool names lol.