# Can't believe they are selling these



## convictkid (Jul 28, 2004)

http://www.somethingsphishy.com/product ... cts_id=966

Look at the price, for no tail!!


----------



## PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn (Dec 26, 2005)

> This is a rare new strain that has been bred to not have a tail. It swims fine and is not hampered at all by the lack of a tail. It actually is extremely friendly and eats out of your hand.


thats a Load of bull****

there is a reason fish developed the various fins, they all serve a purpose, admittedly some fish have extreme variations in the way they are, but they only get screwed up like you see in the shops by humans.

as for this selectively bred statement, dont believe a word of it, look at the following link (though not if your squeamish 
Magazine publishes guide to cosmetic fish surgery


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Neither "rare" or "new" THis is how FH were origonally marketed. Sad...


----------



## renegade545 (Jul 4, 2008)

Why anyone would want such a fish is beyond me. Its sad to see them producing a fish in such a way to remove parts of its body.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Their excuse would be the same as cropping a dogs tail.... dumb...


----------



## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

TheFishGuy said:


> Their excuse would be the same as cropping a dogs tail.... dumb...


But a fin is a basic mode of transpertation... so it would be more like cropping a dogs leg...

You guys really need to stop looking at fish as living beings and you will understand these people's thinking much better...

Just because they are alive doesn't make them living creatures :? :? :? :? :? :? :? :?


----------



## NYjets51 (Feb 10, 2008)

I don't even know why someone would want a flowerhorn, never mind a flowerhorn with no tail.


----------



## Mustang Boy (May 2, 2008)

if you click on the link now they apparently dont carry them anymore


----------



## renegade545 (Jul 4, 2008)

It does appear that it has been removed.

I do notice that they carry the lipstick parrot, which to my knowledge is a version of dyed parrot fish.
http://www.somethingsphishy.com/product ... cts_id=691


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Yes, it is.


----------



## gutstench (Mar 17, 2007)

Not surprising that these originate out of East Asia. Considering it's track record on animal welfare, I'm surprised they aren't being eaten while still alive and considered an aphrodisiac. These are the same cultures that have asiatic black bears in cages to harvest their gall bladders to "increase health" and drink snake blood thinking it cures cancer. Not all are like that, but it is very pervasive.


----------



## SLIGHTLY STOOPID (Dec 23, 2004)

Dude, talk about Downers Grove. :lol: :lol:


----------



## spotmonster (Nov 23, 2006)

I wasn't aware of these. After a quick search not too hard to find them all over. Note the comment

" nice fish...very human friendly

well done~!


----------



## spotmonster (Nov 23, 2006)

Here's an interesting article though apparently genetic.

http://www.theangelfishsociety.org/arti ... _norton(18).htm


----------



## iceblue (Apr 27, 2004)

spotmonster said:


> " nice fish...very human friendly


 :lol: I would be human friendly too if someone cut off my ability to make a quick getaway.


----------



## tonyh67 (Jul 19, 2008)

Toby_H said:


> TheFishGuy said:
> 
> 
> > Their excuse would be the same as cropping a dogs tail.... dumb...
> ...


Let's see... I could snip off one of my dog's legs (without anesthesia of course), spray paint him a pretty color, inject him with something to give him a nice colorful glow, and call him an "exotic glowing jellybean superhound"... Cool! I can't wait to get started.

Most of the LFS's I've been in support and promote at least some of this nonsense - painted glass catfish, jellybean parrotfish, etc. It's not only cruel, but it's also deceptive because most of them don't go to much if any trouble to point out that these are "altered" fish. I'm sure a lot of unsuspecting customers have bought these creatures thinking they are getting a real, natural fish.

While I'm on my soapbox... Have you seen the "freshwater teacup stringrays"? They've been stocking them at my LFS. Very cool fish. Looks just like a big stingray, only tiny. I WANTED one... did some reasearch... They're tiny because they're BABIES! I would say a "teacup" is what about 3 inches in diameter, give or take? From what I've read, the very smallest of the fw rays grow to at least a foot in diameter, most species get a lot bigger than that. So unless these little guys can roll themselves up like rug when they grow up, they're pretty much doomed to a very short life in little Johnny's 30 gal aquarium. But don't blame little Johnny - he thought he was getting a "teacup". Blame the LFS for deceiving him. I'll be impressed when I see a cute little stingray at a LFS labelled as a "hula-hoop" stingray - at least that would be honest. I'm not holding my breath.


----------



## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

All LFS are out to make their money ,it's how they stay in business and they aren't always picky on how they do that. My experience is that if you go into a LFS and look like you don't know anything about fish or their care, your gonna get screwed and the fish is just a way to part a sucker from his money. The LFS is way more worried about money in the bank, not the fish in the tank. If they were they'd all go out of business cause they'd refuse to sell almost anyone any fish. :?


----------



## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Agreed, even the best LFS here sells those silly flowerhorns. Owner hates them, but at over a $100 a pop and up, he can't afford not to offer them or people will spend that money somewhere else.


----------



## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

Wow :-? . I guess everyone has been to the majority of fish shops in the US huh?

I have never heard of these ugly things till this thread. Not every LFS is bad at all and I doubt anyone can justify saying that most of them are cause fact is that most of us have not been to a quarter of the shops.

I would like to know where our hobby that we love so much would be without them. You know what they say, if you don't like ignore it or just don't go into the place.

As far as the Flowerhorn goes, I think that is stupid myself and realy cant express how much I hate the fact that people would do something like that.


----------



## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

It isn't that they're all bad but that they are all businesses and ruled ultimately by their ability to turn a profit. If they aren't they don't last long. While they may not try to sucker you outright , it's hard for an owner to say no to you when you have the cash he needs to keep the lights on and fish in his tanks. Whats the owner supposed to do drive away his life line when you want to put a red tailed catfish in your 10g? While he should he won't cause thats 50 bucks in the till and 1 less fish in inventory. It's not right but it happens every day.
It's wrong on so many levels what they've done to those FH. As long as folks buy them though , we'll keep seeing that sort of thing in the ol' LFS.


----------



## ccwb333 (Dec 12, 2007)

The link doesn't work anymore. I was in a big chain store the other day, and they had heart shaped parrot cichlids. All the fish had no tails ,except one that had a very thin piece of a tail left with the fin. Looked like a botched job when they removed the tail. Kinda sad. I pointed it out to the guy working. I also told him how the made them with no tails.


----------



## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

> I was in a big chain store the other day, and they had heart shaped parrot cichlids.


What chain is this? The two biggest that I know of Petsmart and PETCO don't allow these type of fish to be sold. They will not sell tattooed, or painted fish as well as fish that are mutated like these. It is against policy and they ever even have them on availability lists.



> Whats the owner supposed to do drive away his life line when you want to put a red tailed catfish in your 10g? While he should he won't cause thats 50 bucks in the till and 1 less fish in inventory.


I don't know about that. Either you used 10g to freely or you have a very misconceived outlook.

Most chain stores train the employees to actually reject customers if they feel they are not going to provide proper care for the animals and I have heard of it happening and witnessed it. I know for a fact it is PETCO policy. I also know that both my LFS wont allow anything like that. Sure a customer might not explain what they have in mind but if they do I know for a fact a true LFS salesman/owner will and should reject them. If a store is primarily into fish they really aren't into just money, they are hobbyist as well.

Im not saying every petshop is great but many of them deserve some slack.


----------



## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

*JWerner2* I agree there are good stores but 90% of the ones I've been to never ask any questions other than is this the one you wanted. I have personally seen a red tail cat sold to a person that was going to put it into a 10g with the only caution being "you'll want to get a bigger tank in a few years." I've been in this hobby a long time , and seen and heard more LFS horror stories than I'd care to mention. yes there are good store but they far out numbered by the bad and the ugly.


----------

