melissa - 2011-03-02 I am new to having fish (2 days) and I bought them for my daughter so of course we got the "pretty" fish at Walmart. They all died that night except one blue one. I have been trying to learn more about them before the next shipment comes in and I buy more. Now I am horrified to discover this site and what they go through. I will not be buying more. I guess we will live with the goldfish and koo we currently have until we find a natural "pretty" fish we like.
froglett - 2011-01-16 I feel terrible :( I just bought 2 pink and 2 blue of these skirt tetras, they were sold as pink and blue widows. If I knew about these horrible practices I would never have bought them. Next time I will research first!
mamafishes - 2011-01-04 I just had the same experience as everyone else here yesterday. I went back to the store and let them know what I had just learned. I naively assumed that they didn't know what had happened to these little ones. But they did and they didn't have a problem with it. The only part they cared about was that I informed them that I would make sure that everyone I came into contact with would be made aware of my bad experience in their store. Properly labeling your stock and informing your customers of they are getting is just good business, something these people obviously know nothing about.
Chuck - 2010-07-24 I also bought two of these as "mixed fruit tetra" not knowing they were artificially colored. After finding out, I felt terrible for supporting this practice and I will not buy anymore dyed tetras. I've had them for about 6 months now and they seem healthy and happy but they have lost their coloring. They are very playful with each other and leave the other fish alone. They are in a 55 gallon aquarium with a few neon tetras, guppies and ghost catfish. They do nibble on live plants, though.
Monique Marshall - 2010-07-10 I am in the same boat as everyone else. I went to the local petland discounts and saw a beautiful blue tetra, Had no idea it had been dyed until now, I wish I did because I went out and bought a pink one for the other to have some comfort. I wish they would put a notice on the signs such as "Dyed Colored skirt tetra". I feel like I've contributed to the cruelty in some way. But they are perfect fish to begin with. My blue was is always active and loves to eat. But it is very aggressive when it comes to food and it did do a lot of bullying to my ghost catfish.
Danny - 2010-04-01 I have 3 colored tetras but I didnt know they were dyed or else I wouldn't have bought them. I asked the lady at wal-mart about them and she was like I don't know I just sell them. Took me forever 2 try 2 find out what species they were till I bumped into this page but we should do something about this!
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Marie Hood - 2010-04-21 These fish are not dyed but have been bred to have these colors. I know they are sold some places as painted tetras but that is not the case. These fish have not been harmed in any way. If you look at them closely, you will see that the coloring is down the spine and around the internal organs and no painter would dare try to dye these areas because it would kill the fish. So, relax, they are perfectly alright and healthy fish. I don't buy dyed fish either.
Dwayne Williamson - 2010-06-17 I don't know how anyone, in good conscience, can stock or sell these fish, not to mention the a-holes who dyed or injected these fish, such cruelty should not be tolerated.
Asad - 2009-10-09 Hi my name is Asad. I am from Pakistan. I started my aquarium just this year. I have kept many fish but the longest lived are my tetras. My tetras are grown and are living happily.
Maggie - 2009-03-30 I have only just started my aquarium and have a small shoal of widow tetras. All except one is of the black variety, and I love them all to bits. One of my black guys and the non-black one seem to have split from the others and swim around by themselves most of the time. They are so friendly and darty but such calming fish to watch. I'm a little worried that my non-black widow may be artificially dyed. When I first purchased it I didn't know that people would do such a thing but now I'm a little worried that I've put money into such a cruel thing. My non-black is more of a peach colour, not the fluro pink of the coloured-skirt tetras. But as sad as I am about the possiblity that it is artificailly coloured I am not upset I got it because his little black buddy was a social outcast before I got my 'gold widow' (as it was called in the aquarium I got it from).
Jolene V - 2008-07-15 I just bought an undyed natural strawberry tetra that has a nice pastel pink hue to him:) I DO NOT buy dyed fish of any sort as I do not believe in tortoring these poor fish. I mean come on! They are living animals too! And yes fish DO feel pain!
Claire - 2008-02-03 I am the one person who bought three colored tetras; a pink, a blue, and a yellow. But the worst thing is that the pet shop where I puchased them did not even tell me about this until a friend told me and I did not believe him at all. I would have liked that the store personel, who I asked and made a coment how come these are colored, and made a joke do you raise them in food coloring, I got no why these are special or are born this way, cost me 45 dollars, and to know that they may change in a month colors to white that kills me! I called the store and they were not even aware of this. Come on, who is allowed to torture fishes to sell them and let people in the blind of all of this. I am going to try to bring them back even if I am in love with them this has to stop now!
The Colored Skirt Tetra is a beauty in the soft pastels of its naturally occurring colors!
I am new to having fish (2 days) and I bought them for my daughter so of course we got the "pretty" fish at Walmart. They all died that night except one blue one. I have been trying to learn more about them before the next shipment comes in and I buy more. Now I am horrified to discover this site and what they go through. I will not be buying more. I guess we will live with the goldfish and koo we currently have until we find a natural "pretty" fish we like.
I feel terrible :( I just bought 2 pink and 2 blue of these skirt tetras, they were sold as pink and blue widows. If I knew about these horrible practices I would never have bought them. Next time I will research first!
I just had the same experience as everyone else here yesterday. I went back to the store and let them know what I had just learned. I naively assumed that they didn't know what had happened to these little ones. But they did and they didn't have a problem with it. The only part they cared about was that I informed them that I would make sure that everyone I came into contact with would be made aware of my bad experience in their store. Properly labeling your stock and informing your customers of they are getting is just good business, something these people obviously know nothing about.
I also bought two of these as "mixed fruit tetra" not knowing they were artificially colored. After finding out, I felt terrible for supporting this practice and I will not buy anymore dyed tetras. I've had them for about 6 months now and they seem healthy and happy but they have lost their coloring. They are very playful with each other and leave the other fish alone. They are in a 55 gallon aquarium with a few neon tetras, guppies and ghost catfish. They do nibble on live plants, though.
I am in the same boat as everyone else. I went to the local petland discounts and saw a beautiful blue tetra, Had no idea it had been dyed until now, I wish I did because I went out and bought a pink one for the other to have some comfort. I wish they would put a notice on the signs such as "Dyed Colored skirt tetra". I feel like I've contributed to the cruelty in some way. But they are perfect fish to begin with. My blue was is always active and loves to eat. But it is very aggressive when it comes to food and it did do a lot of bullying to my ghost catfish.
I have 3 colored tetras but I didnt know they were dyed or else I wouldn't have bought them. I asked the lady at wal-mart about them and she was like I don't know I just sell them. Took me forever 2 try 2 find out what species they were till I bumped into this page but we should do something about this!
These fish are not dyed but have been bred to have these colors. I know they are sold some places as painted tetras but that is not the case. These fish have not been harmed in any way. If you look at them closely, you will see that the coloring is down the spine and around the internal organs and no painter would dare try to dye these areas because it would kill the fish. So, relax, they are perfectly alright and healthy fish. I don't buy dyed fish either.
I don't know how anyone, in good conscience, can stock or sell these fish, not to mention the a-holes who dyed or injected these fish, such cruelty should not be tolerated.
Hi my name is Asad. I am from Pakistan. I started my aquarium just this year. I have kept many fish but the longest lived are my tetras. My tetras are grown and are living happily.
I have only just started my aquarium and have a small shoal of widow tetras. All except one is of the black variety, and I love them all to bits. One of my black guys and the non-black one seem to have split from the others and swim around by themselves most of the time. They are so friendly and darty but such calming fish to watch. I'm a little worried that my non-black widow may be artificially dyed. When I first purchased it I didn't know that people would do such a thing but now I'm a little worried that I've put money into such a cruel thing.
My non-black is more of a peach colour, not the fluro pink of the coloured-skirt tetras. But as sad as I am about the possiblity that it is artificailly coloured I am not upset I got it because his little black buddy was a social outcast before I got my 'gold widow' (as it was called in the aquarium I got it from).
I just bought an undyed natural strawberry tetra that has a nice pastel pink hue to him:) I DO NOT buy dyed fish of any sort as I do not believe in tortoring these poor fish. I mean come on! They are living animals too! And yes fish DO feel pain!
I am the one person who bought three colored tetras; a pink, a blue, and a yellow. But the worst thing is that the pet shop where I puchased them did not even tell me about this until a friend told me and I did not believe him at all. I would have liked that the store personel, who I asked and made a coment how come these are colored, and made a joke do you raise them in food coloring, I got no why these are special or are born this way, cost me 45 dollars, and to know that they may change in a month colors to white that kills me! I called the store and they were not even aware of this. Come on, who is allowed to torture fishes to sell them and let people in the blind of all of this. I am going to try to bring them back even if I am in love with them this has to stop now!