On Thu, 13 Oct 2005 21:17:44 GMT, NanK wrote:

snip

Thanks to you (& others here). This gives me a better perspective.

c) do all you serious GF ppl not even bother with the small fish &
average stores & hunt around for, only taking home, perfect fist sized
or better specimins?
Oh, no! Who has $$ for that? I so long for the gorgeous $50 and up
goldies, but I don't have confidence in my goldfish keeping to even
chance it. One day I yearned for a $27 6" fish at PetSmart. But I just
stood there and resisted the temptation. Some day, when I get my 100g
tank, maybe I will try.
n

Maybe I'm just a clueless newb but I don't follow. How do you not
have money for a $27 fish yet you can afford to keep a healthy home
for fish (of any price)?

Right now for $3 (USD) for young Ryukin & a $26 "beginner tank combo"
I'm now in well over $100 in supplies, decorations, etc and looking at
larger tanks (partly due to learning as I go as opposed to doing more
homework in advanced). I've seen a lot of 55 & 75 gal tanks & stands
in the $400-1000 range locally. So to spend $500+ just to get
started, plus supplies over time, what's the difference between
stocking it with $3 fish or $30 fish? choosing between different
models depending on your decor, for example, impacts the total cost of
the aquarium much more (in my mind). It just seems like a lot of
effort & expense for cheap fish & is untenable on a very tight budget.
I'd also think that, like most animals, your chances of getting a
really fine specimen in a pet shop isn't that great. With a juvenile
I'd think ther'd be guesswork (unless or even if you're _really_
experienced) as to how one would develop. With a more mature animal,
generally what you see is what you get.

Of course I'm at the bottom of the learning curve & I get why it might
be more fulfilling to nurture a baby to a nice, healthy, mature fish.
& If you're confident in your fish keeping skills & in it for the long
haul +/- 6-9 months for a substantial fish doesn't matter. I'm not
trying to be a snob or denigrate the helpful answers. When I was
looking for my current dog I looked around at fancy breeders with
$2000 price tags. Then I walked into the local shelter & fell in
love. My "superdog" before that came from death row. Right now I'm
willing to do just about anything for $1 a piece fancy GF (deep
discount) & a common. Go figure.