Do you prefer buying Paired or Unpaired fish?

[vaguelyreeflike]

When you go to buy fish with the intentions of breeding (or sometimes just because), do you prefer to buy fish that are already in male/female bonded pairs or seek them out?
Or do you go for single individuals to pair yourself?

 

[Brennin]

Depends on how picky the fish are and if there are color variations. Clowns I pick ones I think will make cool colored babies. But something like cardinals who cares. They all look alike.

 

[ThRoewer]

Very few fish are offered as pairs to begin with, and then they are usually just put together by the store and were not collected as a pair. So I generally rather make pairs myself.

 

[timthetoolman1]

If you're talking about fish that change sexes then it doesn't matter if they're juveniles, they will figure it out.
Often if you buy a pair that are "mated" they may not mate when they're moved.
Cardinals have to be sexed and it's difficult because you have to see the little nodes on the belly and with juveniles it's difficult (take a high power macro lens to the LFS).
My 2 cents. YMMV.

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

I’m asking because I work in a local fish store and have been pairing clownfish (I wait until they’re confirmed with courting/breeding behaviour for at least 3 weeks before calling them confirmed). People seem to like it, my favorite pair so far that sold was a bullet hole + Wyoming white.
I’m trying to get in a male and female mandarin to pair up.

wanted to see if people prefer pairing their own or if you find a confirmed pair of that is more convenient.

wrasses I won’t bother with as they all turn male eventually.

I’m not experienced enough with cardinals to confidently sex them/pair them.

 

[jamesmm]

For me it really depends on the type of fish you’re looking for. Paired fish are those that come in a pair, usually males and females of the same species. These pairs can be used to promote breeding purposes or if you'd like to have one companionably swimming around with your other fish. Unpaired fish are usually singular specimens and they can be quite interesting since you get to pick out which individual traits appeal most to you.

When it comes down to it, there is no definitive answer for whether paired or unpaired fish is better; it all depends on what kind of experience with aquariums and fish that you’d like to have! The more experienced aquarists might prefer unpaired fishes though as these will require added maintenance such as carefully monitoring each specimen's behavior when choosing who should breed together or how often they need separate food sources within the tank. Paired fishes however may offer convenience due their already predetermined mates making set up easier in some cases plus the likelihood for successful breeding can also be higher depending on compatibility between them both! Ultimately, the decision lies within each aquarist's preference depending on what kind of aesthetic, responsibility level, and end results they're hoping for from their setup.