OT - But a hard lesson learned :-(((((

[Brown.Victoria@ic.gc.ca]

I just wanted to post my nightmare story,, for everyone to think about.

I have a 50 gallon tank, that was my pride and joy. I had 5 beautiful Clown
Loaches, who were 9 years old. These fish were 9 inches long, and were
starting to show spawning behaviour.

This tank also had 5 Botia Striata, (Zebra Loaches), who were also getting
to adult size and starting to display spawning behaviours.

Also 6 absolutely AWESOME Corydora Sterbai (From George, in Montreal,,
fellow lister here),, and 3 Black Lace Super Veiltail Angels, I was also
hoping to spawn.

This tank was stable,, has been running for 12 years with no problems,
disease or water quality issues.

Because Clowns don't spawn in captivity, I was hoping because mine were
reaching maturity, I may have had a good chance to try to spawn them. These
are long lived fish, and one reason for them not spawning in captivity is,
it's hard to keep them alive to maturity.

It was suggested to me,, to buy 3 small baby clowns, with the hopes of
stimulating my adults to think about spawning. My largest female was getting
gravid with eggs, and males were actively courting her.

So,, I decided to buy 3 small clowns to introduce to the tank. I went to my
local fish store and asked them if their clowns were healthy. They said they
were. I tracked the tank of them at the store,, for a whole month to  be
sure my closed tank would be safe, adding new fish. I even explained to the
fish manager how valuable my tank was,, and asked him to be honest and
forthright about this tank of babies. After checking every few days for over
a month,, the fish guy said  these fish would be safe to add to my 50 gallon
tank.

Unfortunately,, all my Apistos have spawned and I have Apisto Moms and their
babies in all my quarantine tanks, so,, no free tank to quarantine these new
baby clowns. But,, I believed the fish guy at the store, who said his fish
were safe,, and put these 3 clowns into my 50 gallon tank with the adults.

Well,,, within 2 weeks, all the fish in the 50 gallon tank have died.
Everyone of my beloved clowns has died.
Those new fish killed everything in the tank. I have since found out they
lied to me,, they had argulus, and colummnaris and ich,,  in that tank, and
didn't have the CLASS to inform me, about the problems they had.

I am heartbroken,, and furious! 

9 years of caring for these beautiful clowns destroyed, because some
lowlife, making mininum wage who doesn't care about intregrity lied about
diseases in their tanks.

Folks,, please, please, be careful buying fish from stores,, all they care
about is the allmighty BUCK, they don't care about the species, they sell,,
they only care about the money they get.

Major bummed here, I cannot look at the tank without crying. My heart is
broken.

just thought I'd share my nightmare, to give folks a heads up.

)0(
vickyb in ottawa, canada


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