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Gang,

I thought I share a little story with you, not because you haven't heard it many times before, but because I feel like sharing, so ignore it if you don't like it.

Last weekend the family decided to go to a grocery store a little further away, located at a shopping mall that we have not visited before. Not being a great grocery shopper, I grabbed my son and ventured along the store fronts in search of a Pet Store (all these malls seem to have one, don't they? ). Surely enough we found it, and in we went, straight to the fish isle. Although I was intrigued by the price of the fish (about a 3rd of my regular LFS prices), it was rather obvious why they were so cheap, mostly very young juveniles and quite a few sick or dead. Here is where the real story begins (sorry for the long introduction). So, I overhear the following short interaction between customer (C) and Sales Person (S):

S: Can I help you?
C: Sure, I would like to have 2 plecos, and can you bag them separately?
S: Sure, no problem.

Well, we are talking common plecos here and while the Sales Person was bagging the fish I though that the customer seemed educated, as he asked for 2 bags which I figured he wanted so the fish don't stress or hurt each other. So, I (I) march up to him for a chat (stupid me):

I: Excuse me; you must have a pretty big tank, right?
C: Why?
I: You know, these plecos get pretty big, at least 10 inches.
C: No, they stay small in a small tank.
I: (take a quick break to recover) They are going to die!
C: They stay small!
I: Ok, just trying (and I walked away).

That's the story, nothing new here, just the same old ignorance.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Some people are very stupid.

For some reason, it never ceases to amuse me when people who don't know any better look at you like you have three heads when you try to give them accurate information about fish.

I think this has less to do with ignorance and more to do with not wanting to believe something that they don't want to hear. No one wants to hear that their little 10 gallon tank is inadaquate to hold 4 goldfish and a so-ugly-it's-cute pleco (or two!). And if they believe that they won't grow any bigger than their tank will allow and still live happy 2-year lifespans (because fish couldn't possibly live 10 years or more ), then a person can go on their merry way and come back in a year or two and start the cycle over again... And it just pisses me off that the pet industry relies on this kind of willing-ignorance!
(and we'll just ignore fo rthe moment that fact that I said it wasn't really about ignorance in the beginning...)

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...

Hey LF, yeah, that seems to be the norm. I've overheard several conversations along those lines in a certain Tri-state area chain store that will remain nameless.

One time saw an employee bag a pretty little clown pleco:

customer: i can feed him regular flake food at the top of the tank?
employee: oh yeah, he'll eat that

and how many times can one man hear, "A common pleco is an algae eater. You got algae in your tank cause you got no plecos and the pleco will eat it"

or a woman with a small boy walks up, points to a tank of young green terrors and asks, "how many of these guys can live in this tank?" and then holds up a 2 gallon critter keeper. The reply, "you could keep about 3 in there..."

I give you credit for trying, LF, but most of the time I just don't say anything, it's rarely worth the effort...

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Back in the saddle!

I always say something.I like to know the difference between ignorance and fish killing SOB's.

Im prepared to argue ,it puts a break in the day Who needs friends ?

It was very nice of you to try, at least. Some people just seem to be a bit irresponsible and unwilling to listen.

Good try, though!

I wish i had the courage to jump in and tell someone the real truth about something. They would probably just look at my 17 year old face and say that i do not have the slightest clue on how to take care of fish. heres one my favorite conversations that i overheard at that big chain store everyone can guess what it is-

Customer(holding a med. sized goldfish bowl)- How many of those cute columbian sharks can i fit in this bowl?

Employee- I would say about 2. Before you buy them though, you should cycle the bowl

Customer-whats that mean?

Employee- Its actually pretty simple, just fill the bowl up with water and let it sit for 48 hours.

Customer- I never heard of that before.

Employee- Either have i, i just learned it yesterday.
(i know for a fact that this guy had been working there for at least 2 years)

Customer- I guess i'll see you in 2 days then.

-TRUE STORY

My sister beleives that fish only get as big as the tank will allow and that cycling isn't necessary. She claims she never lost any fish because of toxic water. But she has an empty aquarium now. I wonder how that happened?

There are some people that refuse to try to learn how to do things the way it should be done to save the fish's lives. We can only try to educate people but it doesn't always work.

This just backs up in a reply I recently posted "many" LFS/petstores have no idea about fish keping at all. They are only concerned about making a sale. I often wonder if these people are on a commision. Tell them you are a good customer give 10% discount on an extremly high mark up and they think they have beaten you down.

Beware of any sales person who askes
"Is there anything in particular you are interested/looking for."
This question is hard to answer with a straight out yes or no.

I have worked in stores selling hardware, trades tools and also a furniture store (all part time jobs) and 90% of those full time sales people know anything about the product they were selling it was all about the commisions, and monthly figures.

Have a look in [link=My Profile] http://www.fishprofiles.com/forums/member.aspx?id=1935[/link] for my tank info

Look here for my
Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tank Photos

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

Although Keith is probably right (ok, he is 100% right), my focus was more on the customer.

This is the classic case of a buyer who doesn't want to hear that his/her decision is not right. I don't think the Sales Person would have had a chance to convince him otherwise either.

And haven't we seen similar entries here at FP: someone asks about adding a fish to a community and 9 out of 10 replies say No, but they listen to the one that says Yes because they had made up their mind anyway.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Try working in a LFS day in and out. It gets really old telling people you can't have this or that fish because they need a bigger home. They don't want to hear it. Most people just want instant gradification. Through all the fish you want in a tank right away and see what happens. Some people plan for at least half of them to die off. How sad is that? You can only change one person at a time if they want to be changed.

LF,
At least you tryed!

Ok I guess I should go to work.

55G Planted tank thread
19G Container Pond
[IMG]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/Wingsdlc/Ric