I am the despised.

[wijnands]

Here's a good one for the budding aquaspecialist. Stop selling bettas to the teen girls that keep them in teacup sized quarters.

Instead see about getting some affordable 5 or 10 gallon kits and see it as a chance to upsell.

[Rue]

Okay...as much as I enjoy my fish...it's not rocket science.

Read a few books...keep reading on this site...read the monthly magazines...

You'll quickly pick up everything you need to know.

You just havve to activity pursue the information...you won't learn through osmosis.

The 'despised' are those who can't be bothered to crack a book...

[skullduggery1]

As far as chain stores are concerned,the "specialists"are just doing a job.Not all,but for the most part are uninformed.Example,petsmart brainwashes the aquarium people into thinking that pacu and id sharks only grow to 8 inches.And another example is that african cichlids can not be housed with other fish,ludacris.Depends on the whole fishkeepers experience.But,there are some that will tell a noob,some great advice.

[Cermet]

Let's be clear that any employer is in business to make money for profit. The fact that they can help you in some way, along the way, is an added bonus. Even the fish-friendly, customer-helping, know-it-all fish store owner is still in it for profit... and those employees working for the fish store owner are also looking for profit. Otherwise, we wouldn't have as many interesting stores to visit on a day-to-day basis.

Yes, like Wallstreet, or Enron, or the Banks - please; don't act like reality lately hadn’t happened. I have zero problem with most companies/stores making a good profit but our entire system was nearly destroyed by these greedy thieves.

[Lady Hobbs]

Stop selling bettas to the teen girls that keep them in teacup sized quarters.

This cracked up me. A whole lot of people keep their betta's in too small quarters, boys and girls. And goldfish!!!!! The two most abused fish in the industry.

[Cermet]

Forgot something (was too busy standing on a soap box!)

The very best advice I ever got on discus keeping was from a LFS employee - the use of salt and high temp to cure discus of illness or not eating; meds often fail and many other treatments also fail but that one has been a great success - better still, it has no side effect except to make discus feel better! Can't say that about most meds. So, employee's that know there stuff are really, really good guys - like you are!

[aquaspec]

If they were "aquatic specialists", they would not be bashed in any forums. Unfortunately, most are not. They're hired as people are in all stores.....to stock shelves, wait on people and put fish in a bag.

That does not make them a specialist. It makes them a worker.

I may not be an aquatic expert by any means but that doesn't mean I get paid to stock shelves. I've helped stock shelves maybe three times in the past half year. I work in aquatics 80-90% of the time and do a lot more than go fishing all day. The workers who are there when I'm not and are mortified cause they have no idea what end of the fish is the back are what you are thinking of.

[cardiocentric]

I GOT AN INTERVIEW WITH PETSMART AND I AM SO EXCITED!!! It's for the aquatics/small animal section! I hope to have a job like yours soon and learn as much as I can about fish...

[EnvironmentalBro]

I wish aquatic specialists would give us free equipment :)

[ldoerr]

I wish aquatic specialists would give us free equipment :)

You are not the only one.

cardiocentric that is my dream job (even though I am in college, it is still my dream job, I hope to own my own petstore one day) Congrats!!!!