Feeder Fish. What is the deal here?

On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 14:16:53 -0800, "Gfishery"
wrote:

==="soup" wrote in message .uk...
=== "Feeder fish" are exactly that they are fish that are going to get fed
=== to something, so they (the LFS) may realise that the fish in question
=== is going to die shortly, and selling a lot of fish that die soon after
=== they
=== are sold is bad business, hence moving it to the "feeder fish tank",
=== hence the reduction in cost. There are those who like the challenge
=== and buy "feeder fish" and "nurse" them so that they live a long time.
===
===I never thought deeply about the word "feeder" until now.
===They actually feed these fish TO something?
===
===I thought they were called feeders because all they do is eat (i.e. feed) and they are generic/cheap!

Not quite
===
===So do all fish in the store become feeders if they show signs of ill-health?
Most stores buy their culls by the pound.......then sell em
individually. Petco and Petsmart pays very little for their feeder,
much less than a couple of cents each, if you were to figure out how
many fish per pound in the size they are graded at. They use sorting
boxes, with slats spaced according to fish size and fish that fall
through these slats are deemed in that particular size range and sold
accordingly. Those that are larger and do not fall through, are graded
a step or two higher in regards to size, not necessarily quality.
A lot of breeders simply sell culls for this purpose......and a cull
could just about be anything, but in general a cull is not taken care
of as good as a quality fish is as they do not produce the $$ for a
breeder. Its easier overall to just cull a bunch of fish and take a
low price instead of simply tossing them, or raising up a bunch of
culls and hoping to get a decent return on them.It would be a loosiing
situation doing business that way for the breeders.
===And isn't it a bad idea to feed these sick fish to something else?

Well thats debateable. In nature its usually the sick or problem fish
that get to be eaten over the healty fish. Survival of the fitist.
Feeders are also fed to other items besides other fish.......and the
sickness they "MAY" have in no way affects them as its usually species
specific, even though it may have a similar common name like say
fungus. Big fish eat small fish, its been that way from the start of
time, and its that way now........its naturers way so why try and
change it...its normal
===
===Why weren't there any full-grown Fantails and Orandas at the store?
They may simply not have a market for them......Stopres holding
inventory on slow selling items or none moveing stock, loose money.
Would you stock parts or items for something no one has an interest or
demand for?

===Do the stores manage to sell all their little Orandas and Fantails?
Usually higher priced fish are netted out and if they are dead are
saved for when the vendor comes around so they can get credit for
them. Merely putting them in the feeder group tank and selling them
cheap, in most stores for higher priced fish is not done at least on a
regular basis.

===Or does a more sinister future await little fish that don't get sold by some expiry date?

The only thing I have ever seen with fish that come in small and wind
up being uns0ld at their size is when they grow larger the price tag
on their tank gets increased


===


REMEMBER: "This is worth repeating for benefit of al newbies!
Jo Ann asked Dr. Solo to remind people that while she has retired from selling GF (and sold
the business to Ken Fischer http://dandyorandas.com/) she has NOT retired from
helping people with sick GF and koi FOR FREE. 251-649-4790 phoning is best for
diagnosis. but, can try email put "help sick fish" in subject. Get your fish at Dandy Orandas
Dandy Orandas Dandy Orandas........you guys got that DANDY ORANDAS