You won't believe this

[MamaPizza]

Went to Pets at Home to have a nose at the tanks. I found the following 'gem':

Suggestions for fish for a 25 l cube aquarium printed on the box.

Goldfish
Option 1: Single tailed goldfish: max 3x small goldfish. (They will require a larger home as they grow)

Option 2: Fancy goldfish: max 3x small Orandas etc. (They will require a larger home as they grow)

Ok, I suppose they suggest a bigger tank for the future.

Now the real OMG-gems that don't take into account schooling fish / suitability / tank mates:

Temperate
Option 1: 4x white cloud mountain Minnows, 4x variatus platys, 4x danios, 1x Hong Kong plec

Option 2: 4x rosy barbs, 2x paradise fish, 2x variatus platy, 1x sucking loach, 2x shrimp

Option 3: 4x variatus platys, 3x rosy barbs, 4x danios, 1x apple snail

Add a heater to go tropical
Option 1: 1x male fighting fish, 6x harlequins, 3x corydoras catfish, 3x platy

Option 2: 4x male guppy, 4x assorted danio, 4x glowlight tetra, 3 x corydoras catfish, 1x apple snail

Option 3: pair of dwarf gouramis, 6x neon tetra, 3x corydoras catfish, 3x platy

I am just imagining someone looking at those suggestions, buying a tank and chucking their options in. Fail big time

Sorry, my italics haven't worked, ignore the ^

Bloody P@H Thing is, if you ever complain about this sort of thing they just harp on about how they've consulted 'experts' (not sure I'd trust them to find their own arsehole). So the only thing you can do is just warn people off.

I have actually typed some of the options into this calculator and the results were shocking. Something like 289% stocking level and warning don't put so and so and so and so together. People like us who have read loads about fish and are sensible know that the advice given on the box is utter bullshit, but it is really scary to think that some people would actually go for their suggestions.

Yes, and that stocking calculator is fairly shit anyway, it always overstocks. I wish there was more consumer protection (not to mention fish protection!) but 'experts' and aquatic companies seem to be one and the same thing so it's all about ££££ :(

Thats shit , i went in pets at home today too and saw loads of tiny useless tanks with 'gold fish starter kit' wrote on the box. The only good thing about our pets at home is 'the fish look healthy', i was eying up the fighter fish (they looked so sad in the tiny tanks), i just need a tank to put one in.

My 60ltr is probably close to being overstocked, we have 5 guppies and 4 rummy nose tetras, i have to stop myself from buying any more.