Should I get it

greenmonkey51 · Post by **greenmonkey51** » 10 Dec 2005, 04:45

There is a 7" royal plec at my lfs that Im interested in. I thought everything was good till I reserved it today. I noticed that its belly was starting to sink in. I can get a 7" one online with my shipment for 20$ more. I dont know which one to get.

Post by **Janne** » 10 Dec 2005, 08:32

It's always better to buy a fish you can see in real, if the belly was starting to look sink but just a little can the reason also be it has not been fed properly, was there soft wood in the tank at the lfs? Pleco tabs and lots of wood will probably get him in good shape, also ask the owner of the lfs what he/she feeds the Panaque to get a hint of if it eats the right stuff.
You should see waste after the Panaque in the tank if it's so big...thats a good sign.

Janne

MatsP · Post by **MatsP** » 12 Dec 2005, 13:38

I would probably try to go for a local fish - there's no guarantee that the fish will be in any better condition from a remote shipped location. Added cost or not, the 'Net sales are definitely not able to show you the fish in the same way as the local shop where you can look at the fish in the bag before you hand over your money, unless of course it's a friend that can show pictures of all sides of the particular fish you're gettign shipped...

However, if you have reservations (and the answers to Janne's questions aren't satisfactory), then I'd give it a miss. There's little that is worse than getting a fish that you REALLY want and find that they aren't well.

The Panaque Nigrolineatus isn't REALLY rare, so there'll be others...

--
Mats

djw66 · Post by **djw66** » 12 Dec 2005, 21:56

To my experience, most Panaques come in pretty much starved from their importation and are almost all hollow bellied. Getting them beefed up is the priority. I've always used leaf spinich leaves with the stem rubber-banded to a sutible stone. You'll know the Panaque is eating when the leaf is skeletonized when you turn on the lights every morning. A week or so of this usually fills them out. Lots of driftwood is essential for these fish.

I agree; go for the fish at the LFS. Its always the devil you know than the one you don't . . .

Dave

greenmonkey51 · Post by **greenmonkey51** » 13 Dec 2005, 08:05

Well I decided to go with the one on the net. The main fish Im getting price went down so the comparable cost was equal. I've got a better feeling about the one on the net. Also I trust the net seller more than the lfs. Hes done everything he can to be accomadating and you can tell hes a good guy. I also have faith that the plec won't be starved. Im getting a big black piranha and he won't let it be shipped till a cut on its lip is completely healed, even though its perfectly ready for shipment. I can also pick between a normal royal and a watermelon royal.

Kana3 · Post by **Kana3** » 15 Dec 2005, 22:34

Janne, and Greenmonkey,

Both of you made reference to feeding... I bought some Tetras many years back, and used to delight in throwing in a one tiny granule of food at a time, and watching them all dart to be first. And they were so greedy they'd spit out what was in their mouth to win the next morsel.

Anyway, a short time passed, I returned to the Aquarium, and they still had many of the same Tetras in the tank. And I made mention that the shop Tetra's had hardly grown, yet mine were at least double if not larger in size.

The reply was: 'Yeah, but you probaly feed yours!"

So, there you go...Cheers!