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I think I’m going to be sick!

Went to * yesterday for mouse bedding. My daughter has four mice in addition to her 20 gallon. I do not purchase fish there but I look. So, I’m in the community area and am stunned to see a tank of tiny angels with brown eels in the tank! There are maybe five eels but 15 or so angels who are all hovering in the top corner of the tank as far away from the eels as they can possible get. I’m just stunned.

When I was keeping my first tank (20 or so years ago), I got a brown eel on the advice of the LFS that it is a great community fish. The eel quickly got a brand new home when less than 24 hours later I noticed my fish population diminished and then watched in amazement as the eel lunged catching a sword that it quickly devoured getting another before I got him out of there. But I digress.

Then a lady with a young child approaches looking at the tank. The child tells mom she wants one of those “worms.” The lady asks the attendant if the eels is okay with her tank rattling off the type of fish she has (tetras, danios). I’m not trying to listen but I’m standing right there. I turn and look when he says, “oh they are great and will do just fine with your other fish. I can’t stand it and interrupt telling the lady that he is misinformed and this eel will eat her existing fish. Then I point out the angel with the eels and how they are hovering in the corner telling her that is not natural for them. She looks a little skeptical like she doesn’t believe me looking at the attendant. Without batting an eye he says I’m incorrect so she tells me thank you but she trusts the man who works in the store.

He grabs the net, bags and eel and I decide, I tried and can’t do more. My daughter returns and we stop as an ear piercing scream is heard. Looking down at the little girl she is screaming pointing at the tank. One of the eels has just bagged an angel for an evening snack and the child is horrified having watched the eel snatch the fish. The mother looks at me and I just raise my eyes giving her an “I told you so” look. The attendant immediately stammers about never having seen that before. I tell him it will happen again and h e needs to get with a manager and get the angels or the eels removed. The lady decided to go elsewhere to buy fish.

Now I’m not saying all employees at places like * or * don’t know anything about fish and have actually found some very knowledgeable ones, but that is so rare. I’m just appalled at the lack of training or knowledge most of their employees have. It just amazes me especially knowing how informed the people at my LFS are. They will actually keep a “fish” log for customers with tank stats, fish types, age, etc. and help you select appropriate fish. They always ask customers what size tank they have and what’s in it when they buy fish. I’ve even seen them refuse to sell fish because a customer wanted to buy too many or a fish that wasn’t compatible with what they already had.

Anyway, having a good LFS is priceless.

Rae

Last edited by Fallout at 28-Jan-2005 18:08

At least you tried to help, and the mother learned her lesson before her tank was only left with an eel in it.

Speaking of LFS employees/managers, here's one for you (this was quite a while ago): Racso was desperate for a job so he applied to Jack's. Prior to him applying, we were always in there getting fish and whatnot. All the employees, as well as the manager, knew us and knew better than to question our selections. They knew we know our stuff. Needless to say, he was never even called in for an interview. A few weeks later we were back in (by that time we knew Aquarium Adventure was going to open, and he'd already pretty much secured a job) and there were 2 or 3 new employees. We ended up getting swordtails that day, and one of the newbies got them for us. We told her we wanted a male and 2 females. She loked at us and said, "Ok you'll have to point out which ones are males and which ones are females." I give her props for admitting she didn't know, but sexing livebearers, especially swords... isn't that taught on day 1 of fish 101? We proceeded to explain to her about the fins of livebearers and how to tell them apart, and that male swordtails have the swords. She looked at us like it went right over her head. I'm not blaming the girl for being ignorant. My point is, what's going to happen when a customer comes in and buys 5 feeder goldfish for a bowl? The customer that wants to get an oscar for a 10g? If the employee doesn't know any better, how can she teach the customer? I shudder to think

On a happier note, Racso and I were in Meijer one night, back in the fish section, just looking (we always look there, never buy). There was another couple and they were getting fish. We struck up a conversation with them and found out that they had a 10g and actually had a decent stock in it which they had added slowly, so their tank was pretty well cycled. They got a couple fish (with our approval) and then asked us about a few others (an angel, a kenyii, etc), to which we politely told them it would not work. THEY ACTUALLY LISTENED!!! :%) When they left they very sincerely told us "thank you" and that they were going to look into a larger tank. I know a lot of people will say that then go do what they want, but they sounded very serious and very appreciative. See, there is some good in the world

><>Dani<><

i'm lucky i guess, cause i only go to the lfs' where i know they know their stuff (for the most part ). in fact, the best lfs here in town is run by the president and founder of the local aquarium club, so if *they* don't know what they're talking about, then i hate to think what the aquarium club does with their time i've been in a few lfs' where it was obvious the employees had no clue. like the one near my vet where the guy sold me "hornwort" which was really amazon sword (the price was so cheap i couldn't resist ) of course, this is also the same store which sells dyed tetras called "packer tetras" because they're dyed green and gold after the green bay packers ]:|

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

Whenever I see those dyed fish I want to hit someone. I think those fish would be absolutely beautiful left alone but can never find them left alone. I do not understand the mentality that permits people to do that to fish nor the people who buy them.

Rae

People who buy them are usually ignorant, I almost got a few "Blueberry Tetras" because they were cool on the black background the store had for the tank, but was dutiful informed later when I went to look them up (I never buy without knowing) and informed the store, happily ^_^ they stopped stocking them and the red version ^_^

I haven't really run into anybody in this town that wouldn't listen to a bit of advise I've given them ^_^ Except for one lady that wanted to add another pair of angels to a 30 that had three already (I was told she later came back and returned the two)

Yeah, I pretty much am fed up with any fish store in Grand Rapids. No one has a clue for the most part at least that I've run into. I was so annoyed I know also have a part time job working at a Petsmart to help people. Most beginners and newbies think people who work there must know better than someone who doesn't. I have since learned quite the opposite is true.

A lot of people just want what they want and don't want to hear anything else. I can't even begin to tell you how many people I've tried to stop from buying fish and a tank the same day. I even offered to give them free ammonia and some test strips I keep on hand for instances like this. They just don't want to see an empty tank for 4-6 weeks so I suggest Bio-Spira to help and make things quicker, but they don't want to spend the extra money. I've just learned to do my best and keep my fingers crossed.

I've offered my advice too and generally it's well received. I was told to mind my own business once and it's wasn't nice. I shutter to think about the disaster that tank turned into. Bought everything, tank, gravel, incorrectly sized filter, no heater, reef rocks, goldfish food and about 20 fish talking the whole time about setting it up that afternoon and how pretty this fish will look with those fish. I explained what they were missing, doing wrong and offering to give them some advice or sources to obtain good information. I was told if I knew so much why wasn't I working there, that the employees would not permit them to make incorrect purchases and to just shut my mouth. I did watching with dread as they left the store with, among other things, some barbs, male betta, neons, goldfish and a Jack Dempsey.

Bet that aquarium is sitting in a closet somewhere filled with things that have falled into the unused tank.

Rae

Dyeing fish, is just very very cruel.



http://www.deathbydyeing.org/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

Even when you do have employees who know what they're talking about, there is a good percentage of customers who just won't listen to them. For instance, I had a woman and child (probably eleven or twelve years old) who wanted more goldfish and an angel for a twenty gallon tank. They'd just had a goldie die on them, and they wanted another one. I explained to them that goldfish get too big for a twenty, they will stunt, etc. They *appeared* to listen, but the lady shrugged it off, and bought what she wanted anyways. It really does bug me when people ignore me, and I'm trying to think up a polite way to deal with it. Maybe I should just tell all of this type of customer to "do Internet research before buying fish". I'd love to, but I'm afraid that I would be ignored on that count as well.

On another note though, some customers actually do listen to me. I had an older couple yesterday who absorbed my talk about goldfish and stunting, and decided not to buy the goldies that they had wanted. They also heeded my advice to research other potential fish (and their beloved goldfish) on the Internet, which is heartening. For every customer that ignores what I say, there is another who is willing to learn.

Geez! I am just amazed at how many people choose to blow off advice from even experts, and do whatever suits them! I'm sure that a sparsely-populated tank which never experiences fish death is better than one with goldfish, a couple of plecos "for algae", and angels which has fish dying weekly. I just wonder why so many people don't do any research at all when dealing with fish. If people put as much effort into looking up their fish as they did potential houses or cars, then at least 50% of fish deaths would be prevented.

Last edited by sirbooks at 29-Jan-2005 10:18

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

Giving advice should always be done as tackfully as possible. And be prepared to have it ignored.