Sapper, thanks for your reply. We as "responsible" aquarists try to keep, and keep as safe and "happy" as we can, our fish. But for every fish we get, hundreds or thousands die before they even get to a store. So we are not quite that responsible in the first place. Then many die in the store before we even see them. I realize that we try as hard as we can (most of the time) to keep these guys healthy for a few reasons. We are, as I said "responsible" and they cost money. But there are a lot of variables here as to what we consider proper care. "I" personally feel that if you quarantine a fish for 72 days you are being irresponsible and dooming that fish to a life of potential disease. I know that is a bold statement but it is how I run my tank. I keep my fish immune so they never get sick and almost always die of old age. Does that make me irresponsible? My fish are all old and all spawning and never get sick. I am talking decades, not years.
Sometimes I put tangs in smaller tanks than what is recommended by someone who calls themselves an "expert". They too die of old age and "never" get ich. I keep copperband butterflies and don't find them difficult at all even though my tank is only 100 gallons and that fish could get to about 9" in the sea. Am I irresponsible? I feel people are not caring for their fish if they allow them to get sick. Fish should "never" get sick. I feel that if you feed fish correctly and get them into breeding condition, you are doing the right thing and anything else if cruel. Does that make me a bad person? I feel that if you have paired fish and they are not spawning, you are not feeding them or caring for them correctly. I wish no ill will on anyone who has fish that are sick or not dying of old age. They hopefully will learn eventually. This hobby is run on rumors and most of them are laughable. HaHa, I am laughing now. Many people still feel that quarantining and treating fish after they get sick is the way to go. Most people actually feel that way. Just search for how many people lost all their fish from a disease after they quarantined. I am by far "not" an expert or the God of fish, but I have been doing this probably longer than anyone else so I have a few theories. I am one of the very few people who came about these theories on my own by spending time with the fish way before computers were invented and none of my theories come from rumors started by a researcher 40 years ago who probably never dove and kept a tank for a few weeks just to count the days that an ich parasite lives. Then we take that information and apply it to our tanks (which are not in a lab) and use that information as if it is the only way to go.
I have found, through many, many years of trial and error a way to keep fish healthy and spawning even if they are not living in the largest tank I can afford. Tank size is one aspect of fish keeping, but not the only one. If you keep a lipstick tang in a 500 gallon tank and then feed it flakes, is that responsible?
I feed my fish live foods every day, which is why they are spawning, but very few people do that, and then we have thousands of disease threads. I have never been on one, I think I know why.
It took many years but I have learned how to keep fish disease free and hopefully "happy". How do I know they are happy? They are happy because they are spawning and dying of old age. When I am "spawning" I am happy and if I die of old age, That will also make me "happy. Depending on who my care giver is near the end.
These points are why I wrote a book. On this and other forums thousands of people are now shaking their heads and saying "The Old Geezer lost it". Maybe I have, but my spawning 25 year old fireclowns are even now reading this over my shoulder and laughing. It is hard for them to laugh and spawn at the same time.
Of course my theories are not the only theories. Thousands of people get it and can also keep their fish for many years. There are many ways to do this but most of it is common sense.
As for LFSs. They are a business and not a very good business which is why so many fail. Their customers, like customers of almost all businesses should know that the LFS is there to make money. That is their first requirement. If they don't do that, they won't be there to long. We as responsible fish custodians need to research the creature we want to buy before we go into a LFS to see if we are able and willing to take care of it. How many posts read: I bought a mandarin and it doesn't eat flakes, what should I do? That guy in the LFS who makes minimum wage is more interested in texting his girlfriend than telling you not to put a tang in a five gallon tank.
Watchman gobi with her eggs.
LOVE IT, in your face 'Tang Police'!!
