LFS Fish Sicker Than Usual

L

lkwalke4

We go to a lot of fish stores in the weekends, just for fun to look at things (and buy more than we should!) and we've noticed that a LOT of fish are sick at the local stores. I know that there are always going to be sick and dead fish as part of the industry, but this number is bizarre.

Is there a local supplier that's had an outbreak of velvet, ich or flukes? Because that's what I've been seeing on these fish - and it's the same across multiple fish stores in the Dallas area.

Anyway, just curious what might be the cause and if anyone else has noticed it!
 
Fish get extremely stressed when shipped and dumped into a new box filled with water. That will cause ich breakouts among many other sickness. Its important to always quarantine when purchasing new fish.
 
It's amazing how you can ask a question on the Internet and no matter the forum, you get someone explaining to you the basic premise of the question you asked, instead of answering the question.

I am not debating the important of quarantining fish, and I think it's ridiciulous for you to tell me to quarantine fish when that's not what I'm asking.

I'm asking if there's something going on with suppliers right now that's causing an uptick in sick fish at fish stores. Perhaps hot weather for shipment?

Why did you feel the need to tell me to quarantine and explain why shipment is stressful to fish? Neither of those are what I asked. I acknowledged there would always be some dead and I never mentioned anything about buying sick fish.

So why did you come in here to post something that is irrelevant and doesn't answer my question? Does it just make you feel better about yourself to explain basic facts and assume the rest of the world consists of idiots when it comes to fish?
 
Uh. chill out random internet person. I didn't tell you do do anything. In fact I could care less about you and your stupid question.

I was just stating a fact.

Ps. You sound like a real jackass. So ill be blocking you.
 
lkwalke4 said:
We go to a lot of fish stores in the weekends, just for fun to look at things (and buy more than we should!) and we've noticed that a LOT of fish are sick at the local stores. I know that there are always going to be sick and dead fish as part of the industry, but this number is bizarre.

Is there a local supplier that's had an outbreak of velvet, ich or flukes? Because that's what I've been seeing on these fish - and it's the same across multiple fish stores in the Dallas area.

Anyway, just curious what might be the cause and if anyone else has noticed it!
Click to expand...
I just got into the hobby about 3 months ago so I'm still a rookie. However I did get ICH after purchasing my fish from DNA. What I have learned or heard since is that basically none of the stores around town do a full QT when their fish arrive even if they take steps like running copper. I have heard the only store that does a full QT is School of fish in Desoto. My fish looked perfectly fine when I bought them and didn't show signs until about a week after introducing into my tank.
 
It’s possible the stores are all getting shipments from the same wholesaler, and if that supplier had a rough batch come in, it can spread fast and show up across multiple Dallas shops at the same time. Velvet and ich move quickly in crowded holding systems, especially when stress or temperature swings hit during transport. Most LFS don’t have time to fully quarantine every shipment, so one bad delivery can make a whole week look rough. I’ve noticed this pattern before on the forum too, so it’s not unusual for several stores to show sick fish at once, and it usually clears up after the next clean shipment cycle.
 
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lkwalke4 said:
We go to a lot of fish stores in the weekends, just for fun to look at things (and buy more than we should!) and we've noticed that a LOT of fish are sick at the local stores. I know that there are always going to be sick and dead fish as part of the industry, but this number is bizarre.

Is there a local supplier that's had an outbreak of velvet, ich or flukes? Because that's what I've been seeing on these fish - and it's the same across multiple fish stores in the Dallas area.

Anyway, just curious what might be the cause and if anyone else has noticed it!
Click to expand...
If it’s not just one LFS, it could point to a shared supplier or distributor issue, where fish are arriving already stressed or infected. Transport stress alone can weaken their immune systems and make things like ich or velvet spread quickly once they hit store tanks.
It could also be a seasonal spike — higher temps and shipping conditions can make outbreaks more common. Another factor is how quickly stores turn over stock; if quarantine protocols aren’t strict, diseases can spread between tanks fast.
 
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