Your typical LFS

[blue fin]

Went to my local Pt Smrt, next town over actually, looking for a new upside down fish and hatchet, the first is MIA, the second committed fishy suiside by jumping out of the tank when I wasn't looking. I went in and found quickly that there were two tanks with dead fish and one with a diseased fish. I pulled an employee aside and told him about it so he could address the issue...... 20 minutes later and nothing had been done. Being as I was not planning on any return visits to this shop I explained to the manager that my business was going elsewhere due to the ineptitude of his employees. He seemed to care enought to remove the fish but somehow I doubt the employee will be looking for work anytime soon.

I just can't stand shops that hire kids that dont have the least interest in the animals they care for. Minimum wage or not it can't be that hard to find someone willing to work for minimum wage that cares at least a little for them.

[cocoa_pleco]

most industries are going to $hit because skilled people are a thing of the past.

One time in a lfs kids that worked there were fighting with buckets RIGHT by the tanks

[f1oored]

LFS don't pay enough to have informed people. The only people who are going to work for 6 bucks an hour are kids and the kids aren't going to care. It's hard enough finding a person that will show up and do what they are told. 6 dollars an hour isn't going to bring in marine biologists.

[*Sarah*]

So true F1oored, and employers just don't seem to realize that if they paid a decent wage, they could keep decent people, and the customers would be happier, and they'd get more customers...it's all a big circle, and it starts with PAYING a decent wage, and wages is where the companies think they can skimp.

[blue fin]

LFS don't pay enough to have informed people. The only people who are going to work for 6 bucks an hour are kids and the kids aren't going to care. It's hard enough finding a person that will show up and do what they are told. 6 dollars an hour isn't going to bring in marine biologists.

No offense but when I was making minimum wage I still cared about doing a good job. I realize the tendancy these days is to have young kids that don't take any responsibility in performing well, I just think its a shame there's no pride in having a job and performing it to the best of your ability anymore.

[cocoa_pleco]

one of my lfs has GREAT people. though. Theyre mainly sw, and have a 500g live rock tank, a 300g anenome tank, and TONS of sw tanks, and a few tropical and cichlid tanks

its a small shop, but EVERYONE is knowlegable, and the fish have TOP of the line conditions. The live rock is PERFECTLY maintained, and the 300g anenome tank has a 10,000$ light on it, that is as bright as 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 candles probably

They also sell mini anenomes, and hand out free homemade pamphlets of cichlids, algae, tanks, nano reefs, cichlids etc.

that's where im getting my live rock, shrimp, and anenome but my fish ill get from petceterea since its buy 1 get one free

[blue fin]

I have one of those as well but their prices can be painful, fish usually are twice the price, I still use them but today they would have been well out of the way, the fish were only one of many errands needed today.

[cocoa_pleco]

i bought a anenome and oscellaris clown at the shop, and the oscellaris was only 10 bucks and anenome 7

[blue fin]

Not bad... my problem is the good store is in the " upscale " neigborhood.

[Chrona]

Not bad... my problem is the good store is in the " upscale " neigborhood.

Heh, gotta love that.

I think the best shops are the small family operated ones. By the time they expand and commercialize and bring in outside help, they lose that touch.