As the margins for fish gets even smaller , I salute you for standing up for your principles. Many pet stores have been turning a blind eye for decades

I love how you take a stand on something because it's against your ethics. Few businesses would have that courage. Cheers!

Typically Dan, always what’s best for the FISH. THATS WHY I BUY FROM YOU. Thank again for all you efforts to improve the industry.

Over time the list of vendors I use to buy fish keeps dwindling, but I know Dan's fish will remain. Love what you are doing Dan.

Dan is the greatest. Love seeing someone that cares as much as he does in this industry.

Major bummer. I have a Congo tank. But much respect to you for sticking to your mission and humanely sourcing your fish. Appreciate the work you all do.

It's really so clear that it is worth my money going to you when I buy fish. And I appreciate your goals and mission and that you take action to fulfill them.

My heart breaks for those fish when they came in, but Dan is the fat & sassy fish man for a reason!! Much applause and mighty appreciation to Dan and co for sticking to your ethics. It's a bummer as the fish are there in the Congo region and exporting would be a good small industry for lots of folks in a very unstable country.

Dan I appreciate your integrity and professionalism.

That's a shame. I love the 'cute as a button' African Butterfly Barbs I got from you. I will do my best to get them to breed.

Love your idealism and homesty Dan ❤

@DansFish

4 ай бұрын

Thanks. We're trying to do our part to create a kinder, gentler industry for aquarium fish. One step at a time!

Great video. I understand why you can't order from them at this time. Thanks for being so open and honest with us all. I support your decision 100%.

Thanks, Dan!

Makes a lot of sense. Thanks for sticking to your principles!!!

Thanks for sharing this -- and for all you do, Dan (and the TEAM there!!!). I'm always really happy with your fish and will be ordering again once my city gets their main water filters changed out (35-45 days w/ 'unfiltered' tap water -- tired of lugging gallon jugs of RO from the grocery store! AND, I want some new fish, dangit!!!) Thanks again and cheers! PS: When is Brenda's next video??? I cry at almost all of them -- she's so amazingly talented!!! :)

I hope things become better. The congo is my favorite biotope, and i hope to see more and better quality fish from that region in the future.

Great video. Kudos for making a stand. I have a ton of respect.

@Dans Fish, There is one thing that hasn't been mentioned. It is all together possible that they truly have tried. If they have never seen fat and sassy health fish (according to our prospective), they will never be able to supply them. It is possible that the fish in the region are not fairing well with the changing climate and war/conflict area. Wild collected fish may be emaciated. It sounds like they genuinely want to do what is right. They may not know what is expected of them and/or how to achieve that. I understand that it isn't your job to teach them how to do their job. From their prospective, they may think it is unachievable. I'm quite sure that life isn't easy for them. Anyway, just something to consider. Thank-you for working so hard to create a better hobby for us!

I appreciate you and all you do for the fish and the people who love them!

Africa is hardest for import fishes after that is south america. We met a lot scam jn there, lost a lots of money before can find good supplier. Ornamental fishes businesd also is one of hardest industry for work. Very headeach. Good luck bro

@DansFish

6 ай бұрын

Yep, its a tough business. If I did not absolutely love it, there would be no reason to do it.

Your ethics are top notch.

I always wanted to visit Lake Tanganyika. A lot of my favorite fish come from Tanganyika and the Congo River. My favorite driftwood comes from the Congo and it's been banned from import. It looks similar to Mopani except it doesn't release tannins like Mopani. In one of the videos aquarium co op on his visit to China they a warehouse full of the stuff. I saw a mountain of the the wood 20ft tall. I'm upset that China can get it but we can't.

i appreciate how much effort you put in to your talks, to advise us peasants :P on the situation you face as a wholesaler, could only wish other wholesalers/retailers would follow suit. Unfortunately i think with these less than ideal suppliers they will not change their ways unless they start losing their customers en masse and then if they get the same feedback from others then once it affects their hip pocket enough, it may be enough for them to change however how many times does one want to be bitten by them trying them again and again. An unfortunate vicious circle. I think you have made the right decision. i also appreciate the efforts you go to to make sure the fish are healthy before thet are sold. Could only wish my local pet stores would be like that too

hey Dan, this was an exceptionally vulnerable, earnest, and detailed video which provided an excellent argument in support of your principles. I admire you greatly for taking the time and effort to create and publish this with your team, and for standing up for what you believe in even though every economic factor is pushing you in the opposite direction. It is indeed bad business to be ethical! But profit is only one benefit provided by a business venture, and yours maximizes other benefits, like the welfare of each creature you sell.

It’s a bummer. Thanks for do’n the right thing.

Thank you.

I love that your taking a stand! Good for you. If you don’t stand for something…you will fall for anything!

Sad to hear. But you are doing the right thing

You are just amazing. As someone who aspires to someday have her own fish store, you are one of my biggest role models! I appreciate just how much you care for these wonderful creatures!

Love your transparency. ❤

I hope some of the people who have bought Congo fish from you will be able to breed them!

Thank you Dan and team for everything you do for us fishthusiast! You are the voice in the industry that is needed and welcomed.

Great video and information 😊 my dream is to own a fish store and my area doesn't have a fish store do would make it even better 😊

Hi Dan, you should try and take them from Europe we do not have the same problem as you with the fish from Congo, It deems to be the other way around for us some localities from South America as the same issues for us here in Europe, what I think it comes down to is the distance since you have more flights to S.America and we have more from Africa the holding time is much less/more visa versa and that is the root of the problem, it has been 15 years since I worked in the industry here in Sweden in Europe that is furthest more or less from any tropical fish destination so my angle is from here but I traveled Germany and Italy and the further south you get the better the shipment so we Swedes get mice fish from Congo, Germany great and Italy superb. And as you say it all depends also if their is a major war there or "just" severe tensions. We have had and have although to a lesser degree the same problem from South East Asia especially with Discus fortunately we have great breeders in Germany and Italy the two major countries for fishkeeping, but the best wholesalers are located in Bulgaria believe it or not since this is the country closest to Asia for us, now other East-Eueopean countries are also picking up the pace and that is good. We also at least when I was active in the industry "the Scandinavian countries" joined together to halter our imports due to ethical issues may it be political, wars, or the treatment of the animals we care for. It was the same with the great lakes in Africa also during the 1980s-90s. Cheers from Sweden and good on you to take a stand, the most sad thing is that the ordinary people in these countries could make a sustainable and profitable economy out of this hobby if the political situation were not so uncertain in many parts of Africa, As I understand it you lived in Argentina som years back so might recognize another issue too because I worked for the Swedish Embassy during the early 1990s and then the problem were that for the collectors in Colombia always were pressured to handover most of their profit and we all know what the cartels do to people who don´t, so there was no real incentive for poor Colombian families to try and make a living that way. Good luck Dan, I love your channel, Adam Sweden. And please excuse my written English, could be better. O.T my favourite fish from Congo Alestopetersius nigropterus have some in my tank here in the North pole...hehehe.

very nice video dan thnxs for sharing

All good.

This makes sense Why one of the classics Buffalo heads.. and - Steatocranus tinanti are such a rare Pokémon these days. Heck! Steatocranus is almost "all head" to begin with. Very cool and poignant video! especially to us rare Pokémon collectors.

Much respect Dan. Great video.

Thank you for sharing. Your convictions is a noble thing to this industry. I truly believe in being the best possible stewards to God’s creation. I do my best give not only the aquatic life an excellent life, but even my plants live long and to their fullest extent. I really appreciate your message. I sometimes see tropical fish in degrading conditions. Some of the Big Box stores are guilty of that. I remember when Walmart used to sell fish. I’m so glad they stopped and got out of the live fish business. Maybe we can learn from our European aquarists and catch up to their convictions. Godspeed my dear friend.

Thx for caring about the fish

Dan the man !

so right ✅️

Keeping it real 🤗💙

I applaud you for trying to run an ethical business. We need to protect fish populations and habitats in the wild and be aware of human welfare issues too. In poor countries there will be very little concern for either animal or human lives. We can all help by shopping thoughtfully. Many people do not realize that fish feel pain like other animals.

👍🏻👍🏻

Hey! I thought you were in Europe somewhere 😂. Nvm, probably pre-recorded otherwise welcome back DanMeister

Bravo, Dan. Once again proving you care more for the fish & their well being than making a buck. 👏🏼👏🏼

🖖

Why can't you breed those you already have instead of selling them?

@DansFish

7 ай бұрын

We're not set up to breed unfortunately.

I have heard there are quite a few shady Congo suppliers. Any idea where Toyin gets his fish? Wonder if they are any better.

Thank you Dan for sticking with your core moral code and refusing to accept substandard care in highly anticipated fish. Your move is just the first step that is needed in the industry. We know we are getting high quality healthy fish when we order from you, so there is no blame or guilt from us on your decision to not allow such inhumane treatment. There will be other wholesalers and you will find the right one but only by them meeting your standards.

pssst hey buddy man. u give me money, i give u fishies. i got the stuff that u need! That's the vibe I got from that Congo supplier. Too sad. Thank you Mr. Dan for knowing that all living things deserve respect and proper treatment. Peace and Love!

Crazy to think those are the same fish and good on you shouldn't be like that anyway hopefully you sort something else out

Do they have to be wild caught specimens? Is nobody in US breeding them? I can't believe it's not possible to source Congo Tetras locally.

@DansFish

7 ай бұрын

There are probably a handful of people breeding them in the US, but nowhere near the quantity to make them accessible to most hobbyists.

You keep so many fish. What pellets do you use? You should sell your own food.

@DansFish

7 ай бұрын

We feed mostly Xtreme foods currently, but really like Hikari Massivore and Vibrabites too.

@vb2377

7 ай бұрын

@@DansFish No more piscine energetics?

One thing that's really glossed over a lot of the time is how this hobby and business intersects with politics. A lot of the fish in this hobby are from regions that are exploited and war torn in ways that, if we would like to see a healthy trade and healthier world, we have an obligation to try and help stabilize. Unfortunately, there are more tensions and massacres playing out in Congo right now resulting in the displacement of 7 million people.

anyone in the states breeding them? why not try to breed some yourself?

@DansFish

7 ай бұрын

There are probably a handful of hobbyists breeding them. We're not set up to breed unfortunately.

Dude damn the fish the Congo is going through a genocide

So this video is an advertisement that you are selling fish from the congo now, and you are bashing your source lol