List of freshwater fishes to avoid for beginners

Non puffer freshwater discussion. Don't tell your puffers, they'll be jealous!
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SAPpyPuffer
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Location: New Jersey

Re: List of freshwater fishes to avoid for beginners

Post by SAPpyPuffer »

I completely agree with listing the bala shark, pacu, and leporinus.
Petsmart markets the balas as beginner fish, when from much experience and loss of these fish, I know that they are neurotic messes!
As for leporinus, I haven’t seen them at petsmart in a while, but when they were sold there, I got three.
I wound up giving them away — they were monsters! However, now that I’m more aware of their aggression, I got one at the LFS, and now he’s 9 inches in a 60 gallon tank, with a 5.5” red belly piranha! He’s awesome! Just not for people who don’t know better.
For pacu, I strictly believe that they do not belong in aquarium care. Though some know how to care for them, most people see them as a $6 fish that looks like a piranha, and say “hey, that’s cool!” I was once that person when petsmart sold them (claiming they were slightly larger silver dollars). I wound up giving them away with the leporinus when they were the only things left.
Note that both the pacu and leporinus can wipe out entire tanks! From experience, I know that Pacu, the "vegetarian piranhas" ate whatever could or couldn't fit in their mouths, and the leporinus are highly territorial, and will kill anything that poses as competition.
I believe anything can be kept, with experience. Don't rely too much on what you are told. Do the research, commit to that fish, and DO IT RIGHT!!!
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