What NOT to expect from your fish store

[aroyce]

I guess I've really gotten lucky as far as this pet store goes then. I'm up in Maine, and have had great service. The guy usually manages the fish section really knows his stuff and has helped me get my tank pretty much set up. Even to the point where I wanted to buy stuff and he was telling me not to which I think is pretty impressive for a pet store.

[aya]

yey i know it :D i spend time doing a research its fun actually im not really into this hobby but when i found out that my goldie lay eggs i dont know but its a challenge and so i guess so far i did a good job for still keeping them alive

is that really necessary to put a snail in goldfish tank?and yeah what i want to learn is about the chemicals/dechlorinator and blah i really dont know how to use it

[sheamurai]

Welcome to AC aya.

You might want to post your questions in the proper forum, you won't get as many people reading this thread as you would posting your questions in your own thread.

Snails aren't necessary to tanks, but they add some variety and are interesting to watch and can be beneficial to have.

If you could be more specific about what you don't understand - the directions on the bottle are generally pretty simple but we can help you out if you tell us which aspect you don't get.

[guppymummy]

In Ontario we have an aquatic store called Big Al's they seem to be pretty knowledgable about fish keeping, but to an extent. Pet Smart I have found to be terrible, not even being able to sex the fish! It sure is our responsibility, just like with raising our kids.

We also learn a heck of a lot by trial and error, whether we want to or not!

Just as it is wise to research medication before we take it we should also research the fish before we buy it, unfortunately though the internet is full of misconceptions so the info from a fellow fish keeper can be invaluable.

[Cliff]

+1 one to research first. Not all info out there is good. You have to be able to find credible material. That is why I like books better, or first hand experience from someone you know. You can research the author to make sure they are qualified or at least experienced on the topic they are writing about.

Not all Big Als are good. I've personally been in two of them that I will never step foot in again. And I have been to one of them that was among the best LFS that I have ever been to

It's the employees that can make the difference IMO.

[baber0015]

The big chain stores I have had bad experiences with all of them. We have a couple locally owned pet stores that seem to be more knowledgable depending on who is working that day.

[MandyK]

Good opinions everyone! I say if you're going to do something then go find out about it yourself!
Now, another thing. In my area it is VERY obvious that lots of the pet stores' employees make a comission, or have a quota to fill. I can't walk in any of the stores around here without being bombarded with whatever information they throw at me. Some people know what they are talking about, and others don't have a clue.
I think that although it IS our responsibility to find out this stuff on our own before hand, that stores that operate in this manner should def be educating their employees. Why would you come up to someone and volunteer information that you don't have??? For money of course, but it isn't right.
I recently experienced this while a young man told me that if I put such and such in my tank that I could buy fish that day. I then of course explained cycling. He was eager to get me checked out with my items after he wiped the blank look off his face.
Like I said, I don't think it's his fault. If he has to fill a quote, then the store should give him the tools with which to do it correctly.

[CosmicStar]

If you buy a rump roast from the grocery store, do you ask a worker how to cook it? If you buy your first car, do you ask the saleman how to drive it?

Fish stores are hired help that stock shelves, dip your fish and check out customers. It is not their job to tell you how to cycle your tank, what fish to buy, what size they will grow and what size tank they belong in. Not only do they not have time to spend hours with each customer that walks through their doors each day, many of them simply do not know themselves and possibly never kept a fish tank themselves.

And seldom does anyone know about every kind of fish in every fish store and it's requirements. If you wish to keep fish it is your job to do the research yourself rather than blaming the employees at fish stores for everything you did not take the time to learn.

It's no different than asking a waitress how your meal was cooked. Her job is to deliver. The cooks job is to know.

You are the cook! Learn these things yourself and stop placing the blame on every fish store in the world.

Research, research, research!

Eye Eye Captain

[Asheyna]

I think it's a mix, and it totally depends on the person at the store. For me, I'm brand new to this. I did a fair bit of research online and then hit the pet store. We have two here a Petland and a PetSmart. There's one girl in the fish section at PS who really knows her stuff. She's got a few tanks at home and was helpful getting me set up and going. The people at PL are a bit more hit and miss, they're fairly knowledgeable about the species they carry, what size and aggressiveness.

For me how I judge them (is that the right word?) is I do my looking up online before I go. I scour websites and forums, then if what the person in the store says backs up what I have read I feel confident discussing my tank with them.

Just my two cents. But no, if something goes bad I certainly wouldn't blame the person who sold me the fish!

[junkers12]

Now after getting back into fish and keeping them now for 3 years I have had a better expierence after doing reasearch. I don't have the problems of fish going to fish heaven due to water quality issues like I did before. Realized a small tank is too small for the fish I want to keep. Thank goodness for books and the internet. Now that most people have internet at their disposal there really is no reason why people should blame others for problems with the aquariums. I have read most of the stickeys and I have done alot of reading on the internet, and from books.