Need some help please; dyed fish, overstocking    2/3/08 Hey. I just bought a 4 gallon fish tank (baby BiOrb) as I wanted to get more fish. I already had a Fighter Fish so added him into there, but he's getting really stressed out. I have an air pump in there, some fake plants, some stones that came with the tank and a heater. There are also 3 other fish in there - 2 Diamond Tetras and 1 Coloured Cory (he seems to be fine with them). Will he just get used to it, or should I do something? If so what? Thanks Josie <Hello Josie. No you can't add more fish! You are already criminally overstocked. Diamond tetras (Moenkhausia pittieri) are medium-sized tetras that are very active schooling fish, and should be kept in groups of at least six specimens and in tanks 20 gallons upwards. So they're already very unhappy. The Corydoras needs to be in a much larger tank as well, and is also a schooling fish, so he's probably terrified and definitely unhappy. Keeping these fish in this way is cruel -- there's no other word for it. Another issue: how did you mature the filter? Just dumping a bunch of fish into a brand-new aquarium is a death sentence. Cycling a tank takes about 6 weeks the old fashioned way. In your case, adding a single Betta is really the only thing you can do for that time period, coupled with regular (likely 25% water changes every day or two). I assume you have a nitrite test kit, because if you just dumped these fish straight into a new aquarium the nitrite and ammonia will soon be at toxic levels, and then your fish will get sick or die. Please note that "letting the tank stand for 24 hours" doesn't do anything to cycle the aquarium; cycling requires a source of ammonia, either inorganic (from a bottle) or via suitable livestock (typically hardy fish of some sort). Regardless, a 4-gallon tank is a bucket in terms of volume, and while arguably adequate for a single fancy Betta, that is all. I personally wouldn't even keep a Betta in a 4-gallon tank. If you want something for a 4-gallon container of water buy some cut flowers and take up flower arranging. Seriously, these micro-tanks are incredibly difficult to run for inexperienced fishkeepers and almost always end up going bad. Your Betta is probably unhappy because the tank feels more like a cage filled with random animals, and he can't get any peace and quiet. So no, he's unlikely to settle down any time soon. I'm also concerned that you bought a "coloured" Corydoras. I hope you don't mean one that was painted or dyed; this is a very cruel process where dye is injected (without anaesthesia) into the muscle blocks under the skin. Some fish die in the process, and those that survive have increased mortality. No fishkeeping writer or vet supports this part of the trade, and it is one aspect that I think brings shame on the industry generally. It's been known for years that these fish are effectively tattooed, so if your retailer says they were just "painted harmlessly" he's probably lying and doesn't deserve your patronage. Please do not support this sadistic practise by buying any more coloured fish. Instead, go buy a book about tropical fish or borrow one from a library. Read up on what fish need, and how to care for them. There are plenty of articles here at WWM too. Hope this helps, Neale.>

Re: Need some help please; dyed fish, overstocking   2/3/08 We went on the advise of our local fish stockist - so I will not answer all your ranting about it being criminally overstocked. <Hello Josie. A 4 gallon tank with all those fish *is* overstocked and *is not* going to work in the long term. Whether you want to take my advice -- as a professional fishkeeping writer and trained marine biologist who writes for all the major magazines -- or not is up to you. What you've got from me is honesty and the facts; what you choose to do with them is your decision. But I will make the point that your fish depend upon you, and their lives are at risk if you do the wrong things. If the welfare and happiness of the animals you look after doesn't matter to you, so be it, but it isn't my job to candy-coat the facts to make them more acceptable to you. You already have problems now, and they're going to get worse. What else can I say?> All I will reply to is 'coloured' doras. Of course we did not tattoo or dye it. I bought it from a reputable dealer and it is a coloured albino Cory - just a coloured tail not coloured anywhere else and is natural. <By definition, albino fish don't have coloured tails. Think about this for just one second -- if you remember your biology from school, you will recall that albinos don't produce any colours in their bodies. If an albino fish has a brightly coloured tail, it's been dyed, or rather, tattooed. This is a cruel practise, no discussion. The British RSPCA considers it 'cruel and unnecessary' and various fish magazines around the world have lobbied hard against it. See here: http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/show_article.php?article_id=72 But the only thing that will stop it, short of laws, is that people are educated about the process and choose not to buy the fish. If you've made the purchase out of ignorance, that's fine and you can learn the lesson. We all make mistakes. But I would encourage you not to buy any more. Hardly any shops in England still sell these fish, but a few do, unfortunately.> Thanks Josie <You're welcome, Neale.>

Re: Need some help please; dyed fish, overstocking   2/3/08 It does look like this fish has been dyed - so I will not be buying anymore and will ask the fish shop about it next time we go. <That's all you can do. Live and learn. If the store owner genuinely doesn't know about this issue, then perhaps you can educate them and they will stop buying the fish.> Do you think it is worth me reporting the fish shop to the RSPCA - if this will help stop this practice then I will of course do it. <The RSPCA are on the case already, but unfortunately importing dyed fish isn't (yet) illegal. The 2006 Animal Welfare Bill only prevents cruelty to fish that takes place within the UK, so while you could (potentially) prosecute someone who tattooed a fish in the UK, there's nothing in the Bill to prevent a wholesaler from imported fish that had been tattooed in Southeast Asia (which is where this practise is rife). If you're wondering why people like me get worked up about this issue, it's because the people who dye these fish are also doing things like cutting off the fins, even the tails, of fish (without anaesthesia) to make them more "interesting" to the market that buys them. Thankfully these fish don't seem to be sold in the UK, but they're certainly in the Asian trade. If you have a strong stomach, see here: http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=957 Not pretty.> We did not know that this practice even existed - why would people do such a thing to any animal even a fish. To cause deliberate distress to anything is wrong. <Indeed. I think most aquarists would agree with you. I accept everyone makes mistakes, and I still do stupid things from time to time (I left the heater off in one of my tanks last night, for example). But the flip side is when we find out about something bad we're doing, or something bad in the trade, we act accordingly.> We will certainly be more careful in our choice of fish in the future. <Very good. A good aquarium book is helpful, and if all else fails, drop WWM a line and tell us about what fish you've seen and what sort of tank you have. Chances are you'll get a quick reply telling you whether or not such a fish would work well for you.> Thanks Barb <Cheers, Neale.>