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Trading Fish 101
Michael Cowsert
| Like every other gilled aquarist, I like to visit fish stores
and see if any unusual fish are available. While store owners cater to single aquarium
hobbyists, I wonder how many are taking advantage of us. I know many an aquarist who spent
a small fortune obtaining a desirable fish, not just one or two, but a group in hope of
reproducing. Except for spouses or close friends, who knows to what length we will go to
obtain the fish? Who among us has not crossed national and state borders or harbored a
wish to do so? Communication with like minded individuals is not bound by this continent.
Thanks to national aquarium societies and the internet, communication is easy and
inexpensive. |
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Several national aquarium societies keep listings of fish
available through their members. Unfortunately, some restrict the number of fish any
aquarist can submit, because of rising costs. The American Cichlid Association lets
members list five species for free and these almost never include old favorites, but elite
fishes. Many aquarists look for the newest imports only to reproduce them, turn a profit,
and then move on. Breeder's award programs reward spawning but should better encourage
multiple spawnings of single species. Several aquarium societies seek commitments from
members to species maintenance programs. Here-in lies the future of our hobby and species
maintenance reflects a certain maturity in the hobbyist. Finding a new fish or one that
has been lost in the hobby is fun, but conscientious aquarists commit to the maintenance
of at least one species. The contribution to the hobby would be worth the effort if it
prevented a species or variety from being lost. How often have you heard someone say,
"Everyone used to have that fish, you couldn't give it away." Now it is next to
impossible to find. |
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Whether maintaining a species or looking for something
new, you are probably going to want to go beyond the local fish store. I know there are
good pet stores out there, but even those are limited by their sources of tropical fish.
The North American Fish Breeder's Guild is one place to broaden your search. I have had
great experiences trading fish with members of this organization. You will gain some
experience shipping and receiving fish if you join. I have made a few mistakes in the
process and hope to salvage something from them by passing on what I have learned. |
| ASK
QUESTIONS
If you want young fish, then ask for them. Otherwise you might get mature breeders. If you
are concerned about size, then ask. One person's inch is another person's centimeter
though. With killifish the population or location would be important. You might want to
ask about the conditions within which your fellow hobbyist maintains the fish, such as
diet, pH, water hardness, tank size, tankmates, etc. Did breeding present any
difficulties? Were any defects seen in siblings? Ask anything you like, but you should
probably be paying for the phone call if you ask more than a couple questions. You might
beware some fish fed tubifex, blackworms, or related may be more susceptible to infections
than fish raised with different types of foods. I try to avoid sources of fish fed these
worms because I have experienced difficulties regularly with these types of foods. Ask for
a couple references in your state or nearby state. Be polite, your fellow hobbyist may
just be getting started trading fish, too. |
GUARANTEES
Will the person guarantee their fish? This is one of the most important questions. Is the
person experienced in sending fish? If you are trading fish during colder months and using
any type of shipping, there may be losses that are not the fault of the sender. If you
must have a guarantee, then go to the fish store. Many hobbyists are not looking to make
money by trading fish through the mail and you should be considerate. If the sender will
not send fish before spring, this is only because in their experience this is safer.
Companies that guarantee their fish include the guarantee in their price, so expect to pay
more. |
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 These are my suggestions for hobbyists who want to offer or receive a
guarantee. Offer to pay a little more for a guarantee if the person says no at first. Upon
arrival open the box right away, check to see if the fish are in good condition. If any
are dead, immediately send them back priority mail(low cost) and email or phone the person
to let them know you are returning the box with a dead fish(es). Be understanding. If you
did not get a guarantee, then maybe ask for a discount on replacements. Don't be
demanding. Join the North American Fish Breeder's Guild or a national organization that
specializes in the particular fish in which you are interested, make contacts, and trade
among its members. |
I know of one airline that was putting packages of tropical fish in their coolers
because the boxes used were originally used to ship goldfish and said KEEP COOL on the
sides. Fish losses from this wholesaler were a mystery and presumed to be the result of
the retailer trying to take advantage of the wholesaler's guarantee. Solving the mystery
should have gotten me a raise or a bonus, but it did not. |
| KEEP A JOURNAL
Keep a journal with the names and sources of fish you trade. If anyone sends you money,
immediately write their names in the journal so if you cash their check you will not worry
about where the piece of paper upon which you had written their telephone number is. I
gave my wife some checks I was keeping in my wallet from our garage sale and there was a
$14 check for fish that I was going to send out that week. I did not remember the name or
address on the check and when the person called at the end of week and I was not home, he
said he would call back and never did. I spent about an hour on the phone talking to
people from the Breeder's Guild about what I should do. I thought I remembered the area of
the country in which the person lived and called members I did not know in the area to see
if they had sent the check. We were in the process of moving and later I found a phone
number that I know was from that person, only to find that it had been disconnected. As
you can guess I have had to become more organized and really prefer sending fish in trade.
Do not rely on memory. You may have always prided yourself on having a good memory, but
you will forget. |
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Send HEALTHY fish
It should go without saying, send only healthy fish. I received some black Corydoras once
that did not look great when I received them and degenerated rapidly. They are still alive
but the female's spine bends to the right and no matter how much I feed I cannot fatten
them. The person sent three fish instead of the six he promised and gave me no note in the
box saying why he had sent fewer, so I suspect there was something wrong with the others
or they had vanished. One angelfish breeder in New York with a very nice website sent me
angelfish that had worms sticking out of their anus even though he certified them disease
and parasite free(I should have known, there is no such animal). He would not let me
return the fish unless I returned everything he sent and I had already spent hours driving
to and from the airport and paid a high price for airport delivery. We corresponded by
email and could not work out a mutually satisfying arrangement, I wanted to send back fish
with deformities and other fish with protruding worms, he wanted me to send back
everything or nothing. In retrospect I should have returned everything but would have been
out airport shipping times two plus the hours in commute to the airport. I thought I
should be able to keep the fish that arrived in good condition since I had paid for them. |
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KNOW with whom you are dealing
That New York angelfish breeder that brags that his fish are crossed to wild types so they
have excellent form and are free of deformities, sent half the fish he charged me for and
claimed that because he gave me a deal, that I should be happy and accept the fish or send
them all back. Beware of fish dealers in sheep clothing. There are several hatcheries out
there that send only the best, but there are also some very bad ones. Ask around your
local aquarium society to see if anyone has experience with a particular company before
sending hundreds of dollars. |
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| If I have not discouraged you too much then you can read
more on how to prepare and package your fish in part two of the article.
NAFBG
Director of Membership
RR #2 Box 67-L
Orangeville, PA 17859
*Membership is $15.00(US funds), Canada $15.00(US funds), other countries $15.00(US
funds) plus airmail delivery. You may be able to get a sample copy if you request it and
send a self-addressed stamped envelope. One standard rate stamp should be sufficient, but
be courteous and send an extra stamp just in case.
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Revised: September 14, 1999.
