WORST LFS advice

[cocoa_pleco]

whats the worst store advice you ever got so far?

I remember when i got my first 10g in the late 90's, i WAAAAAAAy overstocked it, and one of my goldfish got popeye and finrot. I didnt even know fish could get medicine, and it was melafix or chemical tabs. I remember thinking melafix was natural hippie crap ( its awesome, now that ive tried it), so i got the chemical maracyn 2. I asked if i do anything special like separating the fish, and he said no, all the fish will benefit from the medicine.

Thats close to the worst advice ever. Now that ive figured out and learned about good bacteria, i know my old biological filtration was shot by his bad advice.

Anyone had worse?

[Chrona]

None. I don't think I've ever listened to my LFS (for better or for worse)....lol

Google is my friend.

[blue fin]

whats the worst store advice you ever got so far?

I remember when i got my first 10g in the late 90's, i WAAAAAAAy overstocked it, and one of my goldfish got popeye and finrot. I didnt even know fish could get medicine, and it was melafix or chemical tabs. I remember thinking melafix was natural hippie crap ( its awesome, now that ive tried it), so i got the chemical maracyn 2. I asked if i do anything special like separating the fish, and he said no, all the fish will benefit from the medicine.

Thats close to the worst advice ever. Now that ive figured out and learned about good bacteria, i know my old biological filtration was shot by his bad advice.

Anyone had worse?
Luckily no. Usually the first couple of words from one of the idiots is all my ears can take before I stop listening.

[cocoa_pleco]

But the one thing i remember about fish stores is they used to be more concerned. I remember being told i needed a parent to buy a fish, and sometimes they would ask what tank size/filter etc. Now, its just profit, profit, profit. I betcha a 5 year old could walk in to a lfs and buy a fullgrown oscar nowadays without any questions, as long as he had the money

[Lady Hobbs]

One place told me I just HAD to have a pleco. I got two. They never bothered to tell me they will starve to death in a brand new tank. Of course never told me they would become giants, either, but they didn't live long enough for me to find out, anyway.

[cocoa_pleco]

Thats what else happened to me. I had that 33g community tank, and i wanted a really big fat fancy goldfish. I was told he could live at the community tanks 77F temp. I spent 40$ on him. a week later, he got swim bladder. he was upside down and couldnt swim. I spent 5 hours making a sling with rope and a tea towel, and he died 1 hour after i made the sling. about a year after he died, i found out that it was caused by THE 77F TEMPERATURE, he needed 65F

That sucked.

[Drumachine09]

Ive never had bad advice, but me and the guy at the lfs messed with the checkout lady. When i was getting my damsel, my mom was picking up a couple of guppys. The guy told me if the lady at the front asked, that they are going in the same tank, and the guy in the back said it was ok. She FREAKED! it was hilarious. She rolled up a newspaper and hit him on the head. She reminds me of hobbs-thewoodenspoon+newspaper!

[cocoa_pleco]

you know what would be funny?


hobbs and chrona in battle, wooden spoon vs. veeeerrryy veeerrryyy strong bamboo. :hmm3grin2orange:


I place my bets on the spoon

[Drumachine09]

you know what would be funny?


hobbs and chrona in battle, wooden spoon vs. veeeerrryy veeerrryyy strong bamboo. :hmm3grin2orange:


I place my bets on the spoon


I smell a flash video/paint picture coming on! (depending how lazy i am.....very)

[cocoa_pleco]

WAIT, i have to make a flash game for school.

SPOON VS. BAMBOO, CHAPTER ONE


:hmm3grin2orange:



a new game for the arcade!

[Chrona]

I smell a flash video/paint picture coming on! (depending how lazy i am.....very)

See....this is why I am reluctant to post a picture of myself....lol

[cocoa_pleco]

Me and chrona keep ninja-posting.

My ninja skills outdo yours, shishisha!

[Gelo_USA]

the worst advice I got was when they told me to put a tablet of tht TANK BUDDIES or something like for every 10 gallons on my tank EVERY WEEK to keep my tank ammonia free when the real problem was my UGF tht was trapping too much waste and thanks to u guys I was able to fix it LOL

[cocoa_pleco]

thats pretty bad advice. Only water changes can fix ammonia

[holbritter]

Mine was a common one: that oscar will do fine in that 20gal.

This was years ago, when I was stupid!







hmm..or was that yesterday?

j/k :wink2:

[DemonShark]

I rember this guy trying to sell me this huge badass fish and saying it wont hurt my other fish (yeh right I can see the freaking teeth...) Wouldnt leave me alone till I left...All the while I was ingroing him. Guess he was depearate to get rid of it.

[jeffs99dime]

i don't take the lfs's advice. i take the advice of members on this forum:ezpi_wink1:

[xoolooxunny]

Umm, I didn't even have a fish tank yet and the guy at my lfs was trying to get me to do corals and the lighting that goes with it! yeah right! i was like, umm, i want plants in my tank, i like plants, i work in a greenhouse. and he was like, well macro algae and stuff. and i was like, they suck, they aint the plants i want.

After going home and doing some minor research into setting up a SW tank, i was thinking to myself i cant believe this guy tried to send me home corals today!!!

[cocoa_pleco]

corals take ALOT of experience. i dont know what he was trying to sell you

[Chrona]

I don't think they require THAT much experience. You just need to throw money at it...lol

[cocoa_pleco]

but starting freshwater lets you experience the equipment and how to do things work with hardier fish and plants.

[YaYgoldFish]

the worst one ever, when the guy said i could putin 1 oscar with my 2 turtles... Their were about 15 cm of water, in a 5g. Right when i put it in, my big turtle ( like 3x3 inches) instantly started kicking it and killed it after 20 minutes. But atleast the guy gave me money back :)

[cocoa_pleco]

the worst one every, when the guy said i could putin 1 oscar with my 2 turtles... Their were about 15 cm of water, in a 5g. Right when i out it in, my big turtle ( like 3x3 inches) instantly started kicking it and killed it after 20 minutes. But atleast the guy gave me money back :)



I easily think you win the worst advice award. thats TERRIBLE advice

[YaYgoldFish]

Yeah no kidding, lol..thats too bad he was a nice looking oscar..I think the guy got fired lol.

[cocoa_pleco]

he better have gotten fired.

[A340]

I've never really gotten any form of advice in a fish store, but I usually never ask for it, unless I'm really bored and need a good laugh.

I just love going into stores and watching people buy a new tank kit and fish at the same time ... lol!

There is one local store in particular I like going to and talking to some of the employee's about products so as undergravel heaters and them telling me I'm crazy because there is no such thing.

Oh well, what can you do?

Patrick :22: