More rubbish advice from local fish shop??

[Marne]

Yesterday my mum went to the local fish shop to get some more fish for her cold water tank (my old tank which I gave her in the summer), she came back with golden barbs, black widow tetras and albino corys. She tells me that the man in the shop said they are cold water fish as they have been bread in cold water , am I wrong in thinking that is 'bull sh*t'? I told her they will probably die and she argued with me (so I gave up). They will die wont they? I feel sad, corys are one of my favourite fish and I'm tempted to go and rescue them (but she wont let me).

[EauRouge]

They can tolerate colder temperatures than some tropical fish, but I wouldn't let the temp slip below about 20C and you couldn't guarantee that without a heater. I don't even bother asking advice at fish shops any more, 99.9% of them don't know the head end of a fish from the arse end. My heart always sinks when I read a sentence starting 'the man in the shop said'.

At lower temperatures they'll be more susceptible to diseases and if that's coupled with low water quality (is the tank cycled?) then it may be curtains for the fish. If she keeps her heating on then the tank shouldn't get too cold (cheaper to just heat the tank though!), but I would get a thermometer at least if she won't have a heater to see how cold the tank is getting.

Albino isn't a species, btw, they are probably bronze corys.

[Marne]

I'm not 100% sure they are corys, she described them as Albino something that live on the bottom (so assumed corys), she has had the tank set up since the summer (when I got my new tank) and used media from my tank, she has some platy and cloud minnows, a few months ago another shop (when I stay clear of) sold her some guppies, they died after a week (told her they would not survive in her tank but she doesn't listen), she makes me angry going to the fish shop without any idea of what fish she wants, the shop in question never asks about your tank set up and will sell fish to anyone, the only bonus is their prices are good, I bought some fish from them a while ago and they have been ok (the time before I bought from there they didn't last very long).

[EauRouge]

Platys are definitely not cold water fish, they need warmer temperatures than most tropical fish; ditto guppies.

You can keep telling her but sometimes people don't listen :( It's really frustrating, I know.

[Marne]

And her tank is way over stocked , its only 100ltr and she's probably got 30+ fish in there. I find it hard listening to others talk about there tanks (because they are usually doing it all wrong) .