# I picked up a pair of Iridescent Sharks



## ThePhoenix (Jul 23, 2012)

But they wont eat. They swim non-stop and keep trying to swim through the glass. I have put flakes, pellets, small pieces of shrimp, algae wafers and pleco snacks and bloodworms but they dont try to eat anything!!!

What do they eat???


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## macframalama (Apr 17, 2012)

well those fish "irradesent sharks" are a problem fish and truthfully belong in the monster fish category , there know by lots of names and most if not all info on them is terribly wrong.

paroon sharks , irradecent sharks get MASSIVE, there often found on cl, or kijiji as give aways after they have rubbed there faces half off being "grown out" in a 55 gallon






<<< see they get big bro

Iridescent shark - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

they are also a catfish ... not a shark, 
and are notorious for being weird and literally rubbing there snouts off on the glass




here is a care sheet >>> Iridescent Shark, Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, Pangasius Catfish, Striped Catfish


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## macframalama (Apr 17, 2012)

also for any catfish
planetcatfish.com


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## ThePhoenix (Jul 23, 2012)

jeez! the guy at IPU said they get 7 inches


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## macframalama (Apr 17, 2012)

umm yeah close , 7 inches , 48 inches same thing


ThePhoenix said:


> jeez! the guy at IPU said they get 7 inches


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## ThePhoenix (Jul 23, 2012)

you know I said to the guy that it was weird they have feelers like catfish


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## ThePhoenix (Jul 23, 2012)

Still they wont eat! What should I give them?


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## Immus21 (Jun 14, 2010)

I'd take em back man.


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## sunshine_1965 (Aug 16, 2011)

They are dumb fish. They get massive and will either eat or not. I have noticed the last couple of times @ IPU the staff are giving wrong info. Must be why they are hiring. Hope you have them in with your BB and piranha or at least will when big enough. Have fun trying to feed it. Try some dew worms. They might take them.


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## ThePhoenix (Jul 23, 2012)

Is this normal that they dont eat? I cant take them back, they dont give refunds.


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## ThePhoenix (Jul 23, 2012)

ive got them in my nursery tank now


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## macframalama (Apr 17, 2012)

http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/clas...escent-shark-needs-new-home-21798/#post176920 << these are posts from the past...its like evil to grow these things in a 55 gallon ,

http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/classified-archive-29/ff-11-iridescent-shark-15464/


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## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

IPU sold you these and gave you the wrong info like that? Normally they're a lot better. And I've never heard of them not giving refunds/exchanges or at least credit. Which store did you get them from (BBY or Richmond)? I'd PM Grant (Rastapus) and let him know. You should be able to return them or SOMETHING.

These guys get HUGE, and they really shouldn't be sold in the pet trade, but that's not your fault that they gave you crappy wrong info. 

If they're not eating and you just got them, give them a day or so to settle and try again with something like bloodworms.


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## macframalama (Apr 17, 2012)

Mekong giant catfish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia << i think they are related to this thing phoenix...


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## shelby67 (Jun 19, 2011)

They are more nocturnal and will eat and night most. Try putting in some sinking pellets/ wafers a hr after lights out.


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## MEDHBSI (Sep 4, 2011)

They should give you a refund if the guy sold you lies


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## ANDYRTG (Oct 1, 2012)

I used to keep these in my 120 gallon tank. They were my favorite because of how active they were and their feeding frenzy. 
Becareful when keeping them with smaller fish, they'll eat anything that can fit in their mouth. 
Best bet to get them to eat is to go back to your LFS that you got it from and get the same food they feed them with.

Also, like the others said, they do get big pretty fast.


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## Momobobo (Sep 28, 2010)

Those things grow HUGE. Just PM Grant (Rastapus) like Elle mentioned and I am sure you two can work something out. They honestly should NOT be sold in fish stores.
The funny thing is, did you go to Burnaby store? They have a bunch of these guys in the pond setups on the left side (the right side being the marine side). Those guys in there...easily 3/4 of my arm length.
I would return them...even if you did get them to feed, you will not be able to house these for very long and are notorious for banging themselves up on the glass from running into it.


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## ThePhoenix (Jul 23, 2012)

Thank you for the advice, everyone. I bought them from IPU richmond on saturday afternoon. I will have to return them because i clearly do not possess the right size tank for them.

IPU's receipt clearly states exchanges only, no refunds. The staff member that helped me was white, in his late teens or early 20s, and i think he had curls in his hair. Didnt get his name. I asked him how much bigger they would get and he did say about double their current size, which is about the size and thickness of my pinky finger, so about 7 inches.


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## ThePhoenix (Jul 23, 2012)

On another note, the mystery fish i bought from them 2 weeks ago which were labelled as blackbelt cichlids, are not there anymore. There are correctly labelled blackbelts this time.

I wonder what I bought.


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

ThePhoenix said:


> Is this normal that they dont eat? I cant take them back, they dont give refunds.


Do you ever research things before buying them?? lol 
As mentioned, I'm sure they will give you in store credit for them if you take them back and let them know you were given the wrong info about their size. If you wait till they starve to death and it's less than 7 days, you'll only get half credit lol so don't wait till then.


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## ThePhoenix (Jul 23, 2012)

^didnt read 2 posts above his.


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## macframalama (Apr 17, 2012)

me too but i hope there doviis lolk i'll take them when they get homicidal lol


ThePhoenix said:


> On another note, the mystery fish i bought from them 2 weeks ago which were labelled as blackbelt cichlids, are not there anymore. There are correctly labelled blackbelts this time.
> 
> I wonder what I bought.


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

ThePhoenix said:


> ^didnt read 2 posts above his.


lol was just giving you a hard time. I believe I was replying at the same time you were. And thats not doing research. I know its a LFS and the staff are expected to know everything about every fish but it isn't always that way lol Never hurts do do some extensive research on your own, in advance of purchasing, was all I was implying. One of the reasons I got a data plan on my smart phone so I could just look it up myself if needed lol sometimes we learn the hard way lol but we learn 'eh :bigsmile:


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## macframalama (Apr 17, 2012)

that being said there should be some responsibility on the lfs to provide accurate details about what there selling, wouldnt you expect the same from a honda dealer... im just saying IPU or any other lfs should be held accountable if there passing off wrong info regarding things there selling... one of the reasons i dont mess with petsmart, or for a gas you can go to places like that and let them ramble on how red devils "which are midevils at best" only require a 20 gallon tank "or that "violet goby's are fully freshwater" or that columbian sharks are freshwater... the list goes on and on , thats why places like ipu are held in a higher regard in my eyes, and that is what separates quality lfs's from generic mis informed garbagey ones. IMO


Diztrbd1 said:


> lol was just giving you a hard time. I believe I was replying at the same time you were. And thats not doing research. I know its a LFS and the staff are expected to know everything about every fish but it isn't always that way lol Never hurts do do some extensive research on your own, in advance of purchasing, was all I was implying. One of the reasons I got a data plan on my smart phone so I could just look it up myself if needed lol sometimes we learn the hard way lol but we learn 'eh :bigsmile:


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Holy god. Just saw this thread. There is a new employee in Richmond whom I have not met yet and I would assume that is where the inaccurate information in this case has come from. Iridescent sharks can reach lengths of up to 48" yes, in an aquarium, highly unlikely. Should they be in large aquaria? Yes. Normally this is a fish that would have "we get big" on their label but it seemed to slip through the radar. 
We order ID sharks once or twice a year, no joke to meet demand of the constant enquiries. Yes we have 3 in BBY in a pond over 12". Exactly the reason I would rather not import this fish but it's tough in retail to avoid every fish that gets large. There are customers with larger aquariums that are interested in keeping this fish, there are also heaps of people that EAT this fish from the market and it is largely bred for the food industry.
I would like to apologize to Phoenix for the false information he was provided by a new staff member, of course if you take them back they will give you credit or possibly even cash back but it would be best to speak to Garner or Angelo, the management for a clear outcome.
Now, comments about false info lately, not sure how to take that, no one knows everything about every fish and the staff at IPU do their best to give as accurate info as possible. There will be a discussion with the employee in question regarding his "guess". And to the comment of why we are looking for staff? Busy season requires more people, that is the reason. Of course one should research their purchase before buying but that is why the customer asked how large they get. Also typically this fish usually ends up getting traded in at 10" or so. You would be surprised how often a fish like this will change hands and meet needs of hobbyists along the way. Should everyone have a 20 foot aquarium? absolutely but not realistic. To my knowledge we are the only store in the lower mainland that purposely does not import dyed fish, a huge step and an otherwise huge money maker being lost so kindly take it easy on the comments, particularly when it was an honest mistake. Also where is the pm? Why not just ask if the fish can be returned? I am on here all the time and could have rectified this right away. 
Also this black belt issue, they were imported as Black Belts and they look like Black Belts to me, could the farm overseas be miss identifying a fish that they breed? Unlikely. And a new fish was not brought in in its place, same fish.


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## macframalama (Apr 17, 2012)

i wasnt saying you were bad or false flagging , just to clear the air , stuff happens, and if dude was new then he was new , and if you guys are down to return them or exchange them no harm no foul, 

and thats what i was saying about holding you guys in higher regard because you do try to give out accurate info, this was just a whoops it happens
nobody's mad , phoenix should have done a lil reading on his own time lol, but it happens, i used to impulse buy lol, but after a few major league whoop's's on my part i now read , he is newish to the hobby to so he goes a lil crazy sometimes too lol..


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

ThePhoenix said:


> you know I said to the guy that it was weird they have feelers like catfish


Freshwater sharks are catfish. All of them. Rainbow sharks have barbels too, not a shark but known in the trade as such.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

ThePhoenix said:


> Thank you for the advice, everyone. I bought them from IPU richmond on saturday afternoon. I will have to return them because i clearly do not possess the right size tank for them.
> 
> IPU's receipt clearly states exchanges only, no refunds. The staff member that helped me was white, in his late teens or early 20s, and i think he had curls in his hair. Didnt get his name. I asked him how much bigger they would get and he did say about double their current size, which is about the size and thickness of my pinky finger, so about 7 inches.


Typically in this situation, if I were you, I would have contacted the store directly by now. A simple explanation of what happened, a simple mistake would have more then likely ended in a refund or at the least a credit. Of course that is not what happened, you took it to a forum. Now I am reading how wrong it is that IPU wont make it right, are they psychic? If I had not stumbled onto this thread no one from the store would know. That I find a little unbelievable. If I have an issue with something I bought from anywhere I would first contact the store, no? Also because typically we warn people of the size they can reach we have had these particular ID sharks for many months. Are they eating? Of course and yes they will eat in a 55 gallon considering they are in 30 and 40 gallon aquariums in the stores.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

ThePhoenix said:


> On another note, the mystery fish i bought from them 2 weeks ago which were labelled as blackbelt cichlids, are not there anymore. There are correctly labelled blackbelts this time.
> 
> I wonder what I bought.


Wow, I have adressed this in another reply already. I am not in RMD but we have not imported any other black belts in since that order so something is not right with this post.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Diztrbd1 said:


> Do you ever research things before buying them?? lol
> As mentioned, I'm sure they will give you in store credit for them if you take them back and let them know you were given the wrong info about their size. If you wait till they starve to death and it's less than 7 days, you'll only get half credit lol so don't wait till then.


Finally the voice of reason. The key words, "let them know". Love it.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

FYI, I just called BBY and their tag states "we get huge". All tags are made in Burnaby so not sure how RMD tag would not say it but I am calling now to correct it.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

macframalama said:


> i wasnt saying you were bad or false flagging , just to clear the air , stuff happens, and if dude was new then he was new , and if you guys are down to return them or exchange them no harm no foul,
> 
> and thats what i was saying about holding you guys in higher regard because you do try to give out accurate info, this was just a whoops it happens
> nobody's mad , phoenix should have done a lil reading on his own time lol, but it happens, i used to impulse buy lol, but after a few major league whoop's's on my part i now read , he is newish to the hobby to so he goes a lil crazy sometimes too lol..


Mac,
Appreciate it but all too often a thread like this is started up without first contacting the store in question and the mud starts flinging. It becomes very frustrating to me personally when I dedicate so much time to this forum for this sort of thing to happen. Comments like "wrong advice lately", "selling you lies", gets under your skin. Of course society today seems to go that way rather then the other way. This is a hobby where people keep a lot of unusual fish together that many would not agree with. Hey, its their aquarium. Clown Loaches can reach 16" and live for 30 years plus, how many hobbyists have Clown loaches on here? How many are prepared to keep them for 30+ years? How many are in smaller aquariums? I dont think there is anything wrong with that either, ID sharks are very cool looking fish and IMO there is nothing wrong with someone wanting to keep one for a while and later trade it in. Beats them being mass produced and eaten at the market. This thread began as a simple mistake, should have ended as one.


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## Momobobo (Sep 28, 2010)

Just a suggestion I would like to make, perhaps change those tags to an actual length OR include an image of them relative to person full grown (theres a lot floating around the web.) 
I only say this because for non-experienced fishkeepers and non-fishkeepers "huge" is a pretty big range. My friend (who doesnt keep fish) saw my sub-adult Heckelii (3.5") and exclaimed on how "big" it was. (Can't wait till he grows up ^^)


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Momobobo said:


> Just a suggestion I would like to make, perhaps change those tags to an actual length OR include an image of them relative to person full grown (theres a lot floating around the web.)
> I only say this because for non-experienced fishkeepers and non-fishkeepers "huge" is a pretty big range. My friend (who doesnt keep fish) saw my sub-adult Heckelii (3.5") and exclaimed on how "big" it was. (Can't wait till he grows up ^^)


Yes but "huge" indicates pretty big. The hulk is huge. An actual length is more difficult as fish will grow to their environment to an extent. Here is an example, Rainbow sharks can reach 9" but I have never seen one that large. If I put on a label that they can reach that size many would not try one thinking theirs will get that large in their 20 gallon. Same can be said for Clown loaches, see what I am saying?


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

oh man....I hope my Rainbow shark gets 9" that would be wicked! lol


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## macframalama (Apr 17, 2012)

i had a 12 inch giant upside down cat once.. it was boss, but mean, anyways


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## macframalama (Apr 17, 2012)

Like i said mistakes happen, no one thinks you guys are deliberatly giving wrong info , and phoenix is partially to blame for not reading up on it at first.. and you got a new guy who may not have know better so its all good , and i can say i really dont think phoenix is mad or even upset really more like a .....really? thing happen and i bet it must be frusterating as a business owners perspective because it may seem like he or who ever is attacking you , or saying that you guys are bad or whatever , but im almost 100% that he is a customer now, and he will continue to be later on after this , it is so hard to gauge peoples tone on here , text doesnt cross over well, and sarcasm doesnt cross over well either in text format

dude i wish i could shop there.. come to the island.. pretty please


Rastapus said:


> Mac,
> Appreciate it but all too often a thread like this is started up without first contacting the store in question and the mud starts flinging. It becomes very frustrating to me personally when I dedicate so much time to this forum for this sort of thing to happen. Comments like "wrong advice lately", "selling you lies", gets under your skin. Of course society today seems to go that way rather then the other way. This is a hobby where people keep a lot of unusual fish together that many would not agree with. Hey, its their aquarium. Clown Loaches can reach 16" and live for 30 years plus, how many hobbyists have Clown loaches on here? How many are prepared to keep them for 30+ years? How many are in smaller aquariums? I dont think there is anything wrong with that either, ID sharks are very cool looking fish and IMO there is nothing wrong with someone wanting to keep one for a while and later trade it in. Beats them being mass produced and eaten at the market. This thread began as a simple mistake, should have ended as one.


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## Adz1 (Apr 21, 2010)

ThePhoenix said:


> Is this normal that they dont eat? I cant take them back, they dont give refunds.


have you tried feeding at night with the lights out?


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## ThePhoenix (Jul 23, 2012)

Rastapus, first of all I am not mad, or upset. I am, however, working long hours and it makes it difficult to get out when your feet are killing you when you get home.

I would be perfectly happy to exchange them for something else, its just getting the time to do it, and yes I know the clock is ticking.

As for the "blackbelts" I bought 2 fish labelled as blackbelts a couple weeks ago with a belt that starts at the tummy and goes to the end of the tail. Horizontally.

Real blackbelts have a vertical line. On saturday, I saw correctly labelled blackbelts. What I bought doesnt even look like a blackbelt. They are some kind of cichlid, they have all the cichlid characteristics.

I can take pics for you of the fish I bought, I just dont know what they are. And Im keeping them!!!


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## Sliver (Apr 19, 2011)

every fish room in every store should provide a computer terminal for customers (and staff) to do a bit of research before buying (or selling). mr.pets in mission has one and it's an invaluable resource. i think there is a certain amount of pressure on salespeople to have answers about all the stock the are selling and that can lead to them guessing, or in the worst case scenario to outright fabrication in order to secure a sale. i would far prefer a salesperson say, "i'm not sure, let's look that up.", than to offer false information.


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## macframalama (Apr 17, 2012)

thats a good idea,but you dump a cpu in every fish room you looking at least a $2 per guppy increase lol

i do all my googling before hand which is how it should be when your purchasing any pet.. do your research people .. nerd it up. unless you hit the fish room and your eye to eye with one of the WHAT IS THAT moments , then a computer would be sweet , hit up google find out.


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## ThePhoenix (Jul 23, 2012)

I went in with the sharks and my receipt and explained the size issue. Rom took care of me and now I have 2 more blue dolphins


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Glad to hear. From most reputable stores all you'll need to do is explain your story in person or give them a call. If they're sponsors here, you can simply PM them and I'd bet they'll make a good effort to help you out.

I would have personally just PM'd Grant if I had an issue, but still, problem solved, and everyone should be happy now.

Cheers,
Chris


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## spit.fire (Jan 3, 2011)

macframalama said:


> thats a good idea,but you dump a cpu in every fish room you looking at least a $2 per guppy increase lol
> 
> i do all my googling before hand which is how it should be when your purchasing any pet.. do your research people .. nerd it up. unless you hit the fish room and your eye to eye with one of the WHAT IS THAT moments , then a computer would be sweet , hit up google find out.


When I'm working at the store I grab my iPhone if I don't know something


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

ThePhoenix said:


> I went in with the sharks and my receipt and explained the size issue. Rom took care of me and now I have 2 more blue dolphins


Glad to hear everything worked out, Rom is awesome.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Regarding a computer terminal yes its a good idea, unfortunately I can see people checking their mail etc. In Europe I have seen many stores, even small ones with an interactive database of fish, Aqualog has one. That would be great as you would not have direct internet access. Food for thought.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

spit.fire said:


> When I'm working at the store I grab my iPhone if I don't know something


That works!


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## TigerOscar (Sep 10, 2012)

I always recieve excellent service from IPU in Burnaby, its a bonus they are close to where I live too.
Keep up the good work, nice to see this has all been straightened out.
And Grant, next time I'm in there I will introduce myself to you.


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## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

An interactive fish lookup database would be a great feature, even if it's just something that the staff had access to when somebody asked a question. (That would prevent random surfing). Not everyone has a smart phone.

And +1 for the awesome service at IPU.


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## macframalama (Apr 17, 2012)

even just access to planetcatfish , and a few of the other big fish databases would be cool... block it all out , but even just saying that just sounds like a bunch of work/hassle, none the less it would be cool...


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## macframalama (Apr 17, 2012)

spit.fire said:


> When I'm working at the store I grab my iPhone if I don't know something


smarty pants... lol,


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