The Skeptical Aquarist

How you treat new fish in their first hours can make a difference in their survival rate.

The most important advice I can give here: Don't add the traveling water to your home aquarium. After you've acclimated new fish to your water by whatever method, gently net them out and discard the travelling water, along with its load of ammonia and perhaps pathogens.

"A knowledgable salesperson will be glad to help you with your fish purchases," reads an introductory aquarium book I have here at home. "Yikes! ...and equally so will an ignorant salesperson, especially a confidant know-it-all salesperson with an authoritative manner," adds the Skeptical Aquarist. (Sounds like me, come to think of it, so maintain your skeptical reserve!) Caveat emptor! Let the buyer beware!

Here are a few tips about buying fishes: