Fish Tips: What Fish NOT To Get

If you want a pet fish, it’s best to just walk into the fish section of a pet store, close your eyes, hold out your finger, spin in a circle and buy which ever fish you end up pointing at, right?
WRONG!
Aquatic Central has some tips on what kinds of fish you DO NOT want as a pet:

There are actually quite a few that fall under this category, and unfortunately it is many of the fish that we are exposed to most. A few would be seahorses, cuttlefish, sharks, octopus, jellyfish, scorpion/stonefish, non-photosynthetic corals, terrestrial plants, etc.
While all of these are managable for dedicated aquarists – in fact I have customers who keep all of the aformentioned – they are not for the beginner or even average aquarist. That is why I do not display or stock any of these in my store, and as a consumer, you should be weary of any store that does.
These animals will often require “species systems”, meaning the system has been designed specifically to house that species, in addition with having other special requirements. Please do your homework before making any purchase of livestock; I typically will not even allow a sale based on impulse on the consumers part.

Sounds like great advice when thinking about getting a fishy friend.
People may assume that taking care of fish are nothing compared to a dog or cat but, depending on the type of fish, that just might not be true.
[Image via AP Images.]