As you listen to Pet Fish Talk, you can also follow other underlined links to related web pages with pictures, videos, and more information about the topics being discuss during the show.
Fish in the News. Each week the Bailey Brothers start the Pet Fish Talk Show with some fun and interesting stories about fish in the news.
Jan van der Meer's Video
Beauties from Two Oceans
Click on the white triangle ► in the image, shown above, to watch this video. Click here to see the original larger video on Vimeo. Tom and Nevin talk about this video and these fish during Pet Fish Talk Show. Don't miss it.
Links to "Fish in the News" from Robert in NJ.
Hi Tom and Nevin, Here is this week’s fish in the news. Hey Tom you didn’t talk about the new tanks you were getting in last week’s show! Did you get them? How are they doing? Have they cycled yet? What are you going to stock them with? Are you getting the idea we want to know yet? (LOL) Did you ever get the trial unit from Ocean GEOtronic does it work? Was it easy to setup? After you read my rant you will see where I am coming from with the above questions. Your friend, Robert in NJ
Special thanks, as usual, to Robert in New Jersey for emailing us these links.
Robert's Comments about The Current State of the Pet Fish Hobby
Tom, nice editing of the show I bet Nevin has that cattle prod ready if you talk about the not ready to be released news (LOL) or he might just pull the plug. I can just see Nevin saying things like what are you doing and being frantic in the background.
But I got to thinking after wards. I think that part of the problem is this is the only industry that I can think of that doesn’t have a rating system which seems very odd. When you think about it form a newbie stand point the amount of money they waste on chemicals drugs food etc that is not necessary. I just bought an aquarium for a guy and the bag of stuff he had that was just plain garbage had to be at least 200-250 and the tank is a mainland eclipse 12. I think he must have gone down the shelf and bought one of each.
I have had this idea of a web site that would list all products and allow for reviews and ratings for each product. As well as linking to all the advertisers sites for the product. Ultimately get demo units to test for reviews and ratings.
The other thing that got me thinking was the Georgia Aquarium article new wow fish every 90 days. That was like wow someone gets it. Now if we could get mom and pop LFS to do something similar they might be able to turn the hobby round where it was back when I was a kid you could go in every couple of weeks and see something new. IMHO that’s what this hobby needs.
I found that this guy get’s it (so I) copied (his comments) from his site. Plus he tells it better than I do.
Frank Greco Comments on The Current State of the Pet Fish Hobby
I've been a fish nut for over 35 years. What can I say ... I like fish keeping (and collecting). I remember when Malawi cichlids were "the newest thing", and auratus cichlids were $75 each (now they're $4 each, or less!). Back then (starting in 1970, when I got my first "official" pets hop job, working for Discount Pets and Supplies in West Babylon, NY (when it closed, a beauty salon moved in. It recently closed, and now it's a pet grooming parlor)) being in the hobby was VERY exciting. Almost every week there was some new import. Always a new challenge. Then, the hobby slowly but surely began to change. New imports were pushed to the side in favor of painted monstrosities, man-made color variations, and malformed hybrids. Fishes that were once common in the trade simply dropped off the radar, which was a great loss to the hobby as a whole. The hobby was "dumbed down". In came the chain stores that further dumbed down the hobby by helping to drive the Mom and Pop stores, often the last bastion of the rare and unusual, out of business.
I started Frank's Aquarium simply because I was tired with the state of the aquarium hobby in the United States. Simply put...it's BORING! As a hobbyist, I'm tired of the same old same old I see in every shop and wholesale establishment I visit. It's just so difficult to get wholesalers and retailers to carry new items (except for those hideous parrot cichlids, painted glassfish, and a host of other man-made monstrosities). So say goodbye to anything new and unusual (in terms of real species). And New York used to be THE place to go if you wanted to see new and exciting creatures! It's a real shame what has been done to the hobby, not only here, but in other areas of the USA.
While I am a firm believer that a hobbyist should support their local fish store (providing it's a good shop worthy of the support), more often than not the local LFS doesn't carry the selection of animals that keep the hobbyist interested. As one retailer and one wholesaler put it: "I carry only fish that people buy, not anything I have to sell." It is this short-sighted attitude that has really hurt the hobby.
Hence my starting Frank's Aquarium.
I know that many hobbyists are leery about ordering animals online, sight unseen. This is a legitimate concern, and one I have experienced myself as I too have ordered livestock online (and yes, I was burned...once). So, why buy from Frank's Aquarium? Simply put, I am a hobbyist first, and understand the concerns of other hobbyists. I ship only the healthiest animals I can get. And if they don't look good in my tanks, I will not ship them. Period. If the weather is not amiable for shipping, I will not ship. Period. I'd rather lose the sale (and have, on occasion). I'll also let you know if what you are ordering is worth the shipping cost, and let you decide. Basically, I am your eyes, and I will do my best to ensure you are happy not only with your purchase, but with Frank's Aquarium. I'd like you back as a repeat customer. And I'd like you to tell your friends about me.
While I carry a large variety of freshwater shrimp, crabs and crayfish, along with brackish water fishes, hill stream loaches and catfish, and other critters, there may be animals that you are looking for that I do not have in stock. I will do my best to get them. It may take time, perhaps weeks, perhaps months. But I will try.
Anyway....I'm glad you stopped by and took the time to read this. I know there are a lot of business out there, some good, some not so good. Here at Frank's Aquarium, you'll be dealing with the original online site for freshwater invertebrates with over four years dealing with these animals. I'll do my best to make your buying experience go smoothly.
Frank M. Greco - Owner
Frank's Aquarium
Call us live during the show and tell us what you think about Robert's and Frank's comments about the current state of Pet Fish Hobby.
Special thanks, as usual, to Jourdan in Connecticut for emailing us these links.
Click here to send us an email and report interesting stories about fish in news.
Callers during this Show
Heather from Point Loma in San Diego, California, calls and talks about her planted tank, Seachem Flourite, plant fertilizers, and Cherry Shrimp.
Robert in New Jersey calls and talks about recommendations for aquarium equipment for new aquarists. Click here to read about Tom and Nevin's recommendations.
The Bailey Brothers encourage YOU to call Pet Fish Talk
during the show and talk about your pet fish.
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