Loaches Online Forum

I just found the Pseudogastromyzon myersi I have had for about a month or so, dead. I picked this fish up from a Walmart and have had it in quarentine since that time. It was eating algae and the occasional spinach leaf and seemed to be doing well. I have no idea what happened, but I am glad I had not put it into one of my river tanks. So I am now 0 for 3 with hillstreams purchased from Walmart.

Sorry to hear this.

My Wui episode ended the same way, but that at least was not a surprise.

At least your loss is limited to this tank...you may want to bleach it really seriously, because the 3 weeks timing is consistent with worms.

That's not a pleasant thought.

Sorry to hear that.

I wanted to ask this for a while now.
How healthy and in what conditions are fishes in your "aqua stores" in USA and UK, considering all of this "fish industry" ( $$ ) ?
Over here it is totally crazy even to think buying fish from local store...two years ago we even had an outbroke of fish TBC, caused by Mycobacterium marinum, and few people got infected through cuts on their hands...).

So we mostly breed and sell fishes between aquarists, everything else is condemned to die. It is improving little, but it still bad ( and I am talking about stores in most of central and east Europe ).

Sorry to hear that Jim

The Gastro's that I got a while back got a full course of Sterazin from day 1 and so far only two losses, both G. scutulus. All the others are feeding well and look really healthy and it is now around 6 weeks after purchase

I did go back to the shop and they hadn't received anymore Hillies in but the ones from the same batch that I got were all either dead or dieing . I don't know whether or not the sterazin made a difference or if it was the difference in conditions but mine seem 100%

Ded1 - Conditions vary from outlet to outlet here in the UK but most places are fine, I have to admit that I don't buy much from local aquatics shops now really I get most of my fish through a friend that imports their own fish or from Emma and Steve's store. I will buy something locally if looks to be a good purchase but if I have the slightest doubt I don't touch it.

Bad luck Jim. Such a shame as these particular kuhlis seem quite hard to come by at the moment.

Emma

Emma: My fish was a PSEUDOGASTROMYZON myersi, not a pangio myersi. It basically looked like a cheni with finer markings.

Ded1: In the US, the quality of fish varies from store to store, but is generally not too bad.

That's tough Jim. I bet after this length of time you thought it was ok.

Martin.

Sorry Jim, I've not had enough sleep! Are there any other places near you other than Walmart that carry hillstreams or would be willing to order some in for you?

Emma

I am going to check out another two Walmarts in the next few days, but they are not my first choice for fish anyway.
I will just wait until my favorite lfs gets something cool.
I know them, trust their fish and they save cool things for me.
I have gone in the store after they have gotten white cheeked gobies and they already had the L. disparis separated out for me. Sound like anyone you know, Emma?

My local Wally just started with the "Fish of the Month" programme. It's Raphael cats this month.

Martin.

Ded1 wrote:Sorry to hear that.

I wanted to ask this for a while now.
How healthy and in what conditions are fishes in your "aqua stores" in USA and UK, considering all of this "fish industry" ( $$ ) ? Over here it is totally crazy even to think buying fish from local store...

IME: The fish that goes through slow distribution channels is relatively safe, the diseases had enough time to burn out. For me, this means that Petland is quite safe, even loaches carry only ich and skinny, nothing really dangerous. Now, the newly imported fish, and particularly hillstreams, are a real problem, perhaps half of the shipments contain some nasty surprise.

So we mostly breed and sell fishes between aquarists, everything else is condemned to die.

Does this mean you can breed Botia's?