Re: Is the aquarium hobby dying?
We have no fish stores in my area...NONE. There was a small pet store about 30 miles away but it closed a few months ago. Not a place you would want to get fish anyway.
I got my striped kuhli loaches shipped to me from 2 different eBay sellers, one in California and one in Ohio. The only fish I have that weren't shipped are 3 bettas that we bought at the local Walmart (thankfully that's the only type of fish sold there, as those are bad enough!), 1 goldfish that my son won at the county fair, and 1 orangethroat darter that my son caught in our creek.
I would much rather order my fish from an experienced seller who knows what they have and how to care for them, rather than from a pet store where their only priority is making money. The eBay seller in Ohio even cancelled a sale for me when I asked to make sure that Buenos Aires tetras would be okay with paradise fish! Not a good mix, and she fixed it. Most pet stores, even the mom & pops, would have been all "sure, no problem! You want to put 10 swordtails in a 5 gallon tank with no filter? They'll be fine"
I would much rather have there be NO fish stores. At least online sellers and breeders care about customers who come back because of a good experience and not because all their fish died.
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart
Bookmarks