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I know the vast majority of us have been given some incorrect, (but often very funny) 'advice' from an LFS assisstant who didn't know what they were talking about. My LFS is actually very good, but i was wandering if any of you had some interesting storys to tell about a time you were given bad advice...

The worst time I ever experienced an LFS worker's advice would be when I was browsing, and "overeard" (eavesdropped) an LFS worker selling a betta to a little boy and his mom. The little boy was unhappy because he wanted MORE than just one fish. So the LFS worker suggested he add some neon tetras. So they go over and get about 5 or 6... and then the lady picks up a fish bowl.. no filter, no aeration.. just a bowl and some rocks. That's when you know damn well that those fish are in the wrong hands, and facing certain death.. What can you do? Anywho.. I did what i thought was right at the time, and explained the fish couldn't live without aeration and filtration, that the betta was an air-breathing fish. needless to say, the little boy threw a fit and his mom bought them anyways. LAST TIME i ever give advice to anyone. it was totally pointless and the LFS worker didnt say a word.

*Chelle*
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I love the fishes cuz they're SOOO delicious...

that's just bad parenting, imho. parents shouldn't let their kids throw a fit like that

i was just at a big box large pet chain today and they have one guy who is somewhat knowledgable about fish and fish accessories, but for the most part they will sell just about anything to anyone and pretend like they know what they're doing. but the only thing i heard this one guy say that i considered "bad advice" was when he told a family their apple snail will eat all their algae. i real quickly jumped in and said "you can feed them zuchini and they'll eat it all up" and he ended up selling a veggie clip to them as well. i should get commission on that 50 cent veggie clip

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

Parents cant stop their kids from throwing fits but if I was in that position I would of walked out with the kid and no fish or tank.

There was a girl browsing in the fish section of a petshop and she asked me if the fish she was looking at needed a heater. They were neons so I told her yes, they needed a heated tank with a filter. She went off to get someone to catch the neons for her and I overheard the assitant tell her that she didnt need a heater for them. The girl asked what sort of filter she should get for the tank and received the reply 'you dont need one for them, infact you could add this too' *points to angelfish* I just walked away.

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

I'm surprised that they let people with no knowledge at all WORK in an LFS. I went to one (not my LFS) and was looking at some REALLY pretty diamond tetras. Apparantly, they are compatible with columbian shark cats ...

Well, keep in mind what these people are paid, too. If Pet* is only going to pay somebody minimum wage or slightly better, they are lucky to get someone who doesn't have boogers on their face, much less somebody who knows anything about fish.

I was once hired to work at an aquatic plant nursery with absolutely zero knowledge about aquatic plants! However, I will say that I made it my responsibility to give good information - if I didn't know something, I'd find out the answer. Unfortunately, there is a huge lack of personal responsibility out there.

But honestly now, if you got a job selling fish and fish accessories, wouldnt you log on to the net to try to get some information first? instead of just selling things to make money, i would more or less feel more confident in standing behind what i know to be true. plain and simple, if you're not experienced in the matter, you shouldnt be telling people its okay to do it. i know that stores cant possibly train everyone, but they could atleast tell people the basic facts.


i had a pet* employee tell me i could get some lyretail mollies (which are the males) and some normal mollies, and they would breed... this is long before i knew what a gonopodium was, but regardless... i can imagine someone bringing home 4 lyretails and somehow ending up with a @#%#$% of babies.. funny how that happens.. since they're all males huh?

*Chelle*
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I love the fishes cuz they're SOOO delicious...

When I was trying to cycle my 29 I called my LFS to get some advice on dechlorinators and water changes since my city's tap water has .25 ppm ammonia already in the water. The owner (who is not the LFS expert) told me that regular dechlor (AquaSafe, etc.) was not strong enough for our water and that they only dechlorinator they recommend is Amquel or Prime (this info is false and designed to sell the expensive stuff IMO). Then she tried to tell me that I should absolutely NOT do any water changes during the cycle no matter how many fish are dying because it will prolong the cycle. Well, that may be, but I would rather my tank cycle take a year to complete that to have to keep burying and replacing my cycle fish.

Bad advice!

This is the LFS that has raging cases of Old Tank Syndrome...I tested the water once in the fish bag when I got it home and the nitrates were off the charts. Probably 180 ppm or more, so apparently, they're adverse to doing ANY water changes cycled or not.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

I went to a chain petstore this weekend. There was a lady and her 3 kids looking at fish. They had a 3 gallon bowl in the cart (no filtration of course). The kid wanted a swordtail. The girl who was working in the fish dept. said she could only have one swordtail in the 3 gallon (1 inch per gallon). She tried to sell them some smaller tetras instead, but the kid wanted the swordtail. Well I continued my browsing and before they left I saw that they ended up getting a betta. Man was I relieved. A betta IMO needs a tank larger than a 3g, but would be the only fish I would even think about putting in there.

Then I got a Bolivian Ram (1st time I've ever seen them in a chain store), and I got some Harlies before that. She wanted to know if I was going to put them in the same tank, or did I have a cichlid tank. I said they were not going into the same tank, but that the ram was going into my 29g community. She was implying that rams cannot be housed with community fish, but I soon informed her that they are actually peaceful.

It is sad to know that I know more than the people selling fish there. But I do understand that they only make minimum wage, so I can't expect them to be the most intelligent people.

Oh and when I asked about ottos, I was looking at the tank with the label on it (it said otocinclus though). She looked around and asked me what I said. Then I showed her the label. She looked rather confused.

*Kristin*

GirlieGirl8519 i bet that was a petsmart you went to. cuz those are the questions that we are trained to ask . please everyone please don't take offence to some of the inane questions we ask we have to ask or we can get into trouble .
And in the defence of all the pet store workers out there I know that some of us do know what we are doing, and no all of us make minimum wage.

IMO, people from petstores don't hire knowledgable people because they don't sell as much. OR if they are like me, they ask too many questions and the workers remember that :/ While advise to me has been...bad some stories that stand out are:

1) The sign saying that dragonfish are great with livebearers
2) Once when buying a snail, someone asked me if they needed to put water in the bag or if they can just throw one in. Its an aquatic snail what do you think?!
3) Goldfish are fine in a 1g, infact you can buy three more comets!
4) I saw a BUG INFESTED snail tank at a local store. The lady walked up to me and asked me if I needed help, I said I was thinking of getting snails today, but thier tank was infested with bugs. After a long pause the lady said "I can shake the bugs off the snail."

I'm sure I'll think of others since I do visit the LFS often ^_-

Inky

GirlieGirl8519 i bet that was a petsmart

Yep it was. I understand that you all are trained to ask that. I just wish people were informed more that there are some cichlids that can live in community tanks and won't kill all the fish you have in it.

Also, I didn't like that the person was going to sell a platy for a 3g bowl with no filtration or heat. That's not right. The inch per gallon rule does not apply there.

I just went in to a different chain pet store yesterday and they were selling channel catfish. Those get around 66 inches or 5.5 feet!!! I doubt anyone in the area has a tank big enough to house one of those. Maybe someone has a pond or lake big enough. I'm sure that place would sell one to someone with a 29g or even a 10g tank. Just to make a profit. I don't see why some stores sell fish that maybe 5 people in the area have a tank big enough for. That makes me mad...but I can't do anything about it.

I respect those of you that work in LFS. The ones I have seen on here seem to have alot of knowledge about fish. I personally couldn't work in a LFS because I would want to tell people the truth about the fish they want to buy, and I would be offended if they didn't take my advice. I know you all try to offer advice but some folks just won't listen!

Sorry about my complainin.

*Kristin*

Girl i totaly understand
I'm always getting "in to it"with my manager about some of the fish we carry. (pacu,pangiatus,clown knifes...)if we care so much about the pets we carry then why do we carry these fish?

sorry everyone sometimes my my job gets to me

I went to a LCS and saw a false siamese alge eater in the CAE tank. I figured it would be happy in my 20 gallon tank so I got it. When I got up toward the register I noticed that it was a CAE she put in the bag not the FSAE. I went back to her and told her, she says"no I didn't they are all the same". She didn't even bother to look and that is what upset me, the attitude. I did get the FSAE and it is happy and healthy. My LFS has employees that have there own tanks and what not and thus have personal experiance. I still do my homework nomatter what. Just because one salesperson isn't knowledgable doesn't mean they all aren't. I still go to th LCS for certain things which are cheaper than my LFS.

I second that. I once got into an argument at an LCS on whether or not snails can mate. that person thought snails dont reproduce at all....

Inky

So then snails are immortal?

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I assume they appear out of nowhere, like magic! That explains why people are complaining about always finding more and more pest snails in thier tank.

Inky

that person thought snails dont reproduce at all

You should tell them to put a couple in a fish tank and count them in a week. There will be twice that or more.

*Kristin*

Duh, its called spontanious creation, what you actaully thought darwin was right?

yeah, im planning on getting a job at a small LFS store by my house. Its a great place because they basically wont sell fish to you unless they know you know what your doing. Ever since my first tank, ive tended to stay away from LCS unless i need somthing simple, like a light bulb for a freshwater tank, or maybe some brine shrimp or medication.

When it comes to livestock, its all at the LFS, i would not even think about going to a LCS, maybe im just picky.

Nick
"Impossumable- unable to play dead"

I get all my supplys at my LCS and only get fish and specialty supplies at my LFS because of the giant markups on all their products. I wont buy fish at the LCS because labeling and general knowledge is bad.

"A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" Simpsons