worst thing you've overheard at a LFS
- Thread starter redbucket
- Start date
My first time buying fish for my ten gallon...
The girl at the pet store, which was a big chain with a 17 y/o girl with a ton of makeup running the fish... actually told me when i told her that i wanted 6 of the little mollies that it was probably too much and she didn't think it would be a good idea to get more.
I found out that that was too much and 5 of the 6 wound up dying... when i went to a little LFS after all my numbers dropped back to 0...he told me the mollies died because 7.8 was too high a PH, and cycling a tank is stupid, and testing for ammonia is stupid, 24 hours is plenty to get a ten gallon all good... and he's been doing this for thirty years, the INTERNET is stupid (the caps would have been his lol)
no stereotype holds up all the time
The girl at the pet store, which was a big chain with a 17 y/o girl with a ton of makeup running the fish... actually told me when i told her that i wanted 6 of the little mollies that it was probably too much and she didn't think it would be a good idea to get more.
I found out that that was too much and 5 of the 6 wound up dying... when i went to a little LFS after all my numbers dropped back to 0...he told me the mollies died because 7.8 was too high a PH, and cycling a tank is stupid, and testing for ammonia is stupid, 24 hours is plenty to get a ten gallon all good... and he's been doing this for thirty years, the INTERNET is stupid (the caps would have been his lol)
no stereotype holds up all the time
Fish From Wife's Daycare
It wasn't a LFS but this is pathetic. When they were moving my wife's daycare they told us we could have the fishtank. When I got there I found a plastic 2.5g oval tank with hood and light. The water was so green you could not even see the fish. The filter was so clogged it wasn't even flowing. It was just churning the water in itself. The tank also had no heater. We had to pour the water through a fish net to keep from pouring out the fish. Once we got them out we found 5 1.5 inch mollies living in it. To make it one step worse we discovered they were feeding them Goldfish flakes. I don't know how they survived as long as they did but the trip home finished them off. The all died the next day.
It wasn't a LFS but this is pathetic. When they were moving my wife's daycare they told us we could have the fishtank. When I got there I found a plastic 2.5g oval tank with hood and light. The water was so green you could not even see the fish. The filter was so clogged it wasn't even flowing. It was just churning the water in itself. The tank also had no heater. We had to pour the water through a fish net to keep from pouring out the fish. Once we got them out we found 5 1.5 inch mollies living in it. To make it one step worse we discovered they were feeding them Goldfish flakes. I don't know how they survived as long as they did but the trip home finished them off. The all died the next day.
Ok I went to petcetra today Canadian pet chain(like petsmart). They had about 20 irredecent sharks for sale that were only about two inches long, and bunch of Pacus. So I go to buy some fish, and the employee started poking the dog faced puffer so it would puff up. Im no animal rights activist or anything, but it was pretty bad. Then the employee scoops up the fish one falls on the floor. Picks it up throws it into the tank and it dies 5 seconds later. then the bag that my fish were in didn't have enough water in it, so he takes some water out of an ick infested goldfish tank. I just said I changed my mined and walk out of the store.
Ok I went to petcetra today Canadian pet chain(like petsmart). They had about 20 irredecent sharks for sale that were only about two inches long, and bunch of Pacus. So I go to buy some fish, and the employee started poking the dog faced puffer so it would puff up. Im no animal rights activist or anything, but it was pretty bad. Then the employee scoops up the fish one falls on the floor. Picks it up throws it into the tank and it dies 5 seconds later. then the bag that my fish were in didn't have enough water in it, so he takes some water out of an ick infested goldfish tank. I just said I changed my mined and walk out.
You know, I have heard a lot of horror stories in my 25+ years in this hobby, and have experienced a few screw ups myself, especially as a little kid. But sadly, I think the business part of the hobby sustains itself mostly through these uninformed ignorant newcomers contained in these horror stories. If the hobby were only filled with people who knew what they were doing, and they kept fish obscenely healthy, LFSs wouldn't sell nearly half as many fish as they currently do. Sad to say, LFSs make a lot of money through people venturing in and out of the hobby, fish dying through inept care and bad information, which is probably a very cynical point of view, but is it far from the truth?
I think you are right. That is why sometimes chain stores can be more helpful than LFS's because the employees get paid a set amount, wheraes the owners of LFS's get whatever they earn from fish-sales. A lot of the time owners of LFSs are very nice and helpful I'm sure, but the shop near me I found to be not as good as the pet store for good advice.
Hmmm, it's just the other way around for me. The chain stores around here aren't great, although at least one of them has improved a lot in the past few years. The small store is much better. I think that I can attribute this mostly to the manager who is an experienced aquarist who is really into the hobby. He spends a lot of time teaching his staff. While I agree with Rometiklan that fish replacers and short term hobbyists may be a bigger source of revenue than a long term one, although I'm not sure about that, I do spend a fair bit of money, if not necessarily on fish. However the bottom line, when it comes to stupid people working at lfs', is that stores cannot afford to have experts working there. It is possible that someone got their PhD in marine biology or marine chemistry and decided that they want to work retail, but from the standpoint of recuiting them, the stores just cannot afford them.
LMOUTHBASS
My hypocrisy goes only so far
great points about both chain stores and lfs. I think it's more important for the lfs to give solid information and healthy fish for sale because they NEED to establish a good rep because their prices are a little higher, they need to be known as a good source for the hobby. Chains can make most of their money from supplies and most chains sell lots more than fish, i think they make most of their money on food, equipment, meds, and other animal suppiles - however new aquariast keep both in business by "killing" their fish from lack of knowledge - think about this for a minute - a new aquarium keeper is going to have his struggles while learning the ropes - he will be buying new fish quite frequently at the small lfs the owner/worker is more likely to notice this constant repeat customer and help him fix his problems - but in the large chain with a rotating staff no one usually cares or notices this repeat customer
also most experienced aqaurist really don't buy new fish all that often - i mean i think i saw RTR post one time that you know a good fish keeper when you see his tank and then a few years later he still has the same fish -
I guess that statement could also make an argument though for the lfs tomake money off of newbies though - huh?
i still think most lfs stores (not all, but good ones) focus more on getting to know their customers n building business partnership with them - they know word of mouth is valuble - this will lead to solid business in their community -
by the way the worst thing i have ever seen in a store this was just this week was a pacu honestly the size of a spare tire in the plant tank of a petco - now all petco's are set up the same so i'm sure someo f you who have been to a petco know the plant tanks i'm talking about right as you walk into the fish section - the poor thing coudlnt even move hardly - i have the feeling however that someone probably dropped this fish off to them when they could no longer house it -
also most experienced aqaurist really don't buy new fish all that often - i mean i think i saw RTR post one time that you know a good fish keeper when you see his tank and then a few years later he still has the same fish -
I guess that statement could also make an argument though for the lfs tomake money off of newbies though - huh?
i still think most lfs stores (not all, but good ones) focus more on getting to know their customers n building business partnership with them - they know word of mouth is valuble - this will lead to solid business in their community -
by the way the worst thing i have ever seen in a store this was just this week was a pacu honestly the size of a spare tire in the plant tank of a petco - now all petco's are set up the same so i'm sure someo f you who have been to a petco know the plant tanks i'm talking about right as you walk into the fish section - the poor thing coudlnt even move hardly - i have the feeling however that someone probably dropped this fish off to them when they could no longer house it -
