What NOT to expect from your fish store

[coarb34]

i agree with all points made. Do your own research first.If you do go to the lfs try and go in the week when everyone is at work so you can spend more time with the employee who is selling and if you are not happy with that person, ask for someone with more experience or find a lfs that actually cares for what they actually sell. It is our right to be informed and ask the questions about care and not to make big corparations bottom line, they need us as we need them.

[skinnybird]

I agree with Lady Hobbs. I was using a pet store at the start of my tank cycle and wish I hadn't relied so much on them to give me advice. (I haven't started up a tank for quite a while, and never one so small, so I wanted to make sure I was getting it right)

They didn't know much about keeping fish. They've had training, but most don't remember it. To them it's just a job, which is a real shame because it's a great job!

I've switched to a local aquatic centre to buy my stock, and they seem okay, but I'm also researching the topics for myself.

AC has been great at easing my concerns about my tiny tank and I've had great advice, now it is going great.

I regret going into it without 'reading the book first', I won't be making that mistake again.

And....I wish I'd come here sooner :)

[Yazikus]

I hate to chime in late- but I do have a few thoughts on this subject. I am recently a rube in that I went to the lfs, asked many questions, took their advice and came home with a 10 gallon tank and eight fish with no information on cycling. The onus is on me to do the research, I know that now and that is why I've probably spent 20 hours this weekend doing research on how to correct my situation.
However, my lfs has a lady whose sole job is fish keeping. She also has her own small business caring for other people's fish, including my employer. My boss has a beautiful 90 gallon tank in her office that this woman has cared for the 7 years I've worked there. I would assume that she is knowledgeable regarding fish. When I went to the lfs, and asked for this woman, it was under the impression that she was a fish expert. When she told me I needed at least eight fish I told her which kind I wanted and she told me not to get all of one kind (even though they were schooling fish). I took her on her word. My mistake, but that leads me to my next thought.
I live in a kind of foodie town with a wine industry. We have some 130 wineries with a population of 30,000.00. When I go into a tasting room to buy a bottle of wine, I absolutely expect the employee to know where the grapes were grown, what the wine tastes like, what I should pair it with and how I should store it. That is basic. The same with food shops. When I go into a cheese shop I absolutely expect the employee to know what to pair with my cheese, what temperature to store it at, what temperature to eat it at, and even what animal's milk it came from and what region.
However, there is a terribly funny episode of Portlandia where a couple goes into a restaurant and are trying to decide whether to order the chicken or fish, and ask the waitress what the chicken's name was, was it happy, what were it's hobbies, where did it come from and then went to said farm, came back to the restaurant and started asking about the fish. Very very funny. Consumers need to be more educated, and store's need to be more honest when portraying themselves as experts.

[Zoidberg]

awesome thread
this topic spans lots of shops not just aquariums. in the end theyre all salesmen wanting to sell you something! dont get me wrong i like talking about stuff especially with the cute fish store girl "can i get some sea snails please? the ones at the bottom " but when its about what i do with my money... 20$ for the smallest algae magnet!?!? tech stores too! i dread the "can i help you"

[Aeonflame]

A fish is not a product. It is a living creature that has specific requirements. IF you are at all concerned about its well-being, then it would not take very long at all to research the requirements of keeping it. If petstore employees were well known for being knowledgeable about their stock, then maybe this could be overlooked, but this not the case.

[Ramsarecool]

I think it really depends on What Local Fish Store were talking about here when it comes to listioning to their "Sage" advice. If its a wal-mart or a chain store like petco or pet smart I wouldn't listion to um. Chances are they are making it up. If its a locally owned fish store like Aqualand or even better A world of fish listion to um but don't take it 100% do your research first.. Search around for a second or third opinion.

As For the fish dying after going to bad homes that is really sad, but as long as money can be made off pets and people are willing to spend it, things will never change.


Right now I'm researching Freshwater Manacapuru Angelfish to see if they can outgrow a 55? My father when he was young kept an angelfish, not sure the tank size or if it was freshwater or saltwater, i know he kept brackish fish. but it outgrew the tank. He had to donate it to the Shad Aquarium, he grew up in Chagago ( misspelled) That is why I'm researching adult size and tanks before I get Angels.

[berrset1]

Luckily not the case with my local store. Looked in literally every aquarium in the store and saw no algae, no ich and all the fish looked very healthy and the staff were very knowledgeable about fish and aquariums. Surprisingly they had a pretty big selection of the rarer fish too.