Buying New Fish ? Options

[goldrush]

Hello everybody

It is the time of the year(esp with the Chinese New Year a month away)when we are tempted to reach deep into our pocket to buy another goldfish or two to add to our collection. The Chinese believe that to add some auspicious feng shui enhancement(goldfish being one of them)will usher good fortune and prosperity in the coming year. So before you go down to your favorite LFS haunt a pause for a cause may help to reduce any mortality in your precious find.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR BEFORE YOU BUY

1)Look at how the fish swims. From its swimming movement, one can easily tell of its health. Healthy fish are the ones that are always busy , looking inquisitive and ever ready to find and follow your finger or two and awaits for any morsel of food in the housing tank. So look for one that is busy busy busy.

2)Skip those tanks that have floating corpse .Its just not worth the risk to buy a presumably unaffected fish living in the same quarters! It just goes to show the LFS keeper does not care one bit and the floating dead are actually releasing diseases with the aid of the current in the tank. Please assume all tanks to be affected as these are either centrally processed or else the net are used from tank to tank oblivious to the well being of its inhabitants.

3)Ask the LFS keeper the time of arrival. It’s a bit tricky here as most of us are drawn by the urge to purchase new arrivals the minute they touch down and these run into risk of fishes being not acclimatized yet to their new surrounding and living out their stressful travel. Such fish are highly susceptible and mortalities are inevitable if inexperience handling are on the cards .If these fish have been for a while chances are that they are strong and have developed immunity to most frequently encountered diseases

4)Inspection 1 .Look at the gill movement(Remember the most vital organ visible )Rapid, open gill movement with listless physical stature points to gill diseases that are usually fatal .So stay away from these if you want to save your pockets!

5)Inspection 2.Please do your homework on the requirements of a structurally sound fish. Each variety may differ on their criterias of an acceptable standard. Dorsal fish should have erect dorsal. Pectorals should be paired and even in size(the absence is a severe handicap)There should be two anals but if there is one it should ideally be at the center Look at the edges of the fins. Uneveness usually indicates presence of fin rot or history of it. Look at the body structure.If the head to body proportion is too big for your liking you may have cachexia(wasting disease)in your company and these will succumb eventually.


When you have decided and bag the fish,do a final visual assessment of

a)the gill area:look for any gill inflammation and thicken edges and unilateral opening
b) the anal port check whether it is inflamed and any redness. Female may show slight protuberance and this is acceptable.
c)The mouth area check for redness or whitish strings(usually columnaris)both outside and inside of the mouth.
d)Finally the eyes; look for cloudiness and opacity(may be sign of eye worm or cataract)

It is not my intention to discourage spending on fish during this festive season.This article serves to remind ourselves not to buy on impulse but buy them only after careful evaluation are made with regards to their health and status, for one lapse of security will bring about morbidity or even mortality to the new as well as the old existing population. So bros usher in the year of the rooster with a crow but not with unnecessary COCK-Ups………………Cukooookoooo…………..

Regards

goldrush