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I ussually just read the posts, just so I can learn from others mistakes, or pick up some good tips. But recently I have noticed that many of us have been complaining about LFS's not giving proper information to their customers. I ussually visit the fish store once or twice a week and it kills me to see new fish there I want to buy, but I know I can't because I would put my fish at home in jeopardy, and all the work I put into the tanks would be flushed if something did happen. Everytime I go to the store, there is always an individual buying a new tank with a bunch of fish right next to it. If I told this person that what he was doing is wrong, him and the LFS clerk would look at me and laugh(which has happened before).
Now sorry about the rambling, but the point I am trying to make is that the uneducated hobbyists outnumbers the educated hobbyists. And all of you know this is true. How many times have YOU seen kids dragging there parents around the store picking out the PRETTY FISH. There are many other numerous abuses of the hobby, thats just one example. But heres a thought, could the LFS's survive without these kind of people? Honestly, I dont think they could, and I think they know this.
I could be wrong, but its just what I see. So what do you guys think?

Last edited by wuddio at 28-Feb-2005 20:07

i entirely agree. i try to be gentle in explaining that a goldfish can't go in a 1.5G bowl. But in the fashion of human stubborness teh person does not listen to what you say. trys to argue against you, and claim that the so-called goldfish effect stunts the entire fish jsut not the skeletal and muscular aspect of the fish. Or in an entirely different ploy if the lfs person tries to say the above (which is rare i agree) then the customer gets very defensive and considers it a conspiracy by the lfs ot make the consumer spend mroe money on elaborate setups filled with fru fru and nothing that is really essential.

regardess of this and how difficult it may seem it is our duty as responsible and educated fishkeepers to teach others in hopes that mayb one out of ten people you talk to will see the reasoning behind your argument and do what is right. Its a a tough battle, but one that must be fought. We will loose if we become egocentric and apathetic towards our knowledge of fishkeeping. so to all who read this kee fighting and know that someone, somewhere, who hears your words will make the right decision about fishkeeping and take the steps to establishing an apropriate setup for their fish and realizing how much better the hobby is when done with caution, scrutiny and research.

Anywhos i have to stop rambling and preaching . thats my opinion.

Megil

We all know this, but the real question is, WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT?

I think we need letters after our name, and a business card with our email on it. So we can just say "when they drop dead from ammonia poisoning, give me a yell and i'll help out"



For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

You are completely correct, those who actually take the time to do research are in the minority. Working in the fish department at a large pet store has shown me exactly how bad this problem is. Every day I go to work, I have to persuade people to not buy common plecos for fifteen gallon tanks that don't contain any algae, I have to coerce people to give up their dreams of keeping oscars with tetras, so on and so forth. I am sickened at the fact that looking up the fish they want to buy just never occurs to most of these people! What makes things worse is that they come to the knowledgeable aquarists and lfs employees and expect us to magically fix everything. If fishkeepers spent as much time researching their fish and performing tank maintenance as they do on playing computer games and watching t.v., the hobby would be in much better shape. As it is, these folks will continue to buy fish, kill them, and buy replacements for the deceased. Sad to say, without this large number of wanna-be aquarists, there would undoubtably be fewer fish stores, without the business to support them.

---

And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

You all seem to agree with me that this hobby requires alot of effort. When I decided to take care of fish I researched for a couple of months. As much as I researched I still made mistakes, but only once.

well wuddio you do what every fish keeper does, and that's make mistake. i jsut lost a discus from an 18 degree temperature drop due to the fact that while unplugging a powerhead for cleaning i also unplugged the heater without realizing it. But you, like many others on this site, only make the mistake once before realizing the problem and knowing how to avoid it in the future.

There are countless of fish hobbyists who in their ignorance can't figure out what's wrong with their tanks and just keep restocking the fish without first dealing with the problem.

Classic example of that hit me about a year ago.

I was approached, as a result of it becoming known that I was a successful aquarist locally, by someone who wanted to know what was wrong with their aquarium.

This disaster story deserves a good long savouring over.

First, the aquarium was new. The owner didn't know the first thing about the nitrogen cycle. And, explaining it ovviously went over the top of said owner's head. Classic case of the kind of phenomenon I've detailed in my reposted An Aquarium Is Not A TV thread.

Second, this new, uncycled aquarium had been stocked from day one with ... no less than forty fish. Including several Pangasius Cats that were totally unsuitable for a 3ft aquarium, even one that was fully cycled and well maintained. When I explained that in time, a Pangasius Catfish would grow to be so big that it's body wouldn't physically fit inside that aquarium, you should have seen the look on the owner's face. "I didin't know they grew that big". Oh dear, someone else who didn't bother to read even the elementary aspects.

Third, the filtration technology comprised ... one small box filter in the corner driven by an air pump. The sort of box filter that the regulars here use for betta mini-tanks. To say that the water was aromatic would be an understatement.

Which goes a long way toward explaining why [1] people like us on this board are sorely needed, and [2] some of us develop a severe case of exasperation at the inanity that some members of the human race are capable of manifesting. I should have photographed that setup so that I could start a 'hall of shame' thread in the Photo Booth. But I didn't. Such is life.

Trouble is, it's people like this that keep some businesses in profit. Double sigh.




Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002