Do you ever do this? Fish killers at the pet store...

[~reefchik~]

So I was at a Petsmart last night, getting fresh bloodworms and some cat food, etc. I wandered through the aquatic section and there are a couple young ladies yakking about how the one wants a new fish but doesn't want to have "to work real hard" to keep it alive. She ooooo'd and aaaaaaaah'd over the fluorescent danios and then began talking how she just has a silver molly now in a 1 gallon betta bowl and wants to add something else "cute" to go with it.

The gentleman working there told her she needed to put the molly itself into a minimum 5 gallon tank and showed her where they had some tanks on sale. No...that wouldn't do, she said. He briefly answered some of her ditzier questions but finally sort of gave up on her.

After hearing her yammer on and on about how little work she wanted to put into keeping her fish, I finally got exasperated and in a rather over-hearable voice said to the guy working there: "Some people need to be told to just go buy a Pet Rock, huh?". The two girls scurried off to another section of the store

Not too long ago at a Jack's Aquarium, a young lady was telling her boyfriend that if they got "some of those fish" (I don't remember what they were) that they didn't need filtration. Then she pointed out, as she went down the long line of tanks, this or that fish that "doesn't need filters, either". I couldn't stand it. I quietly informed them that ALL fish need clean water and some sort of filtration or daily water changes at the least. She gave me an embarrassed look and said, "Oh, ok, well thanks".

Reminded me of my old days as livestock manager at Superpetz when I would refuse to sell baby iguanas to children who intended to keep them in those clear vent-top plastic critter boxes.

[purplecandle]

People believe what they want to believe..

Me and my dad once stopped into a Chinese restaurant for lunch. We ordered some soup and waited. While waiting these two ladies were sitting in a both across from us.. Each one weighing over 500 pounds at least..they needed canes to walk. Anyways, we watched these ladies going back to the buffet for their second and third helpings (no rice, all meat). When one says to the other, "I love coming here." The other one says "why?" "Because we can eat and eat and this stuff is good for us, the Chinese people are very skinny" Me and my dad just burst out laughing..Chinese people are skinny because they eat rice and fish soups..and they do not go to buffet restaurants.

Point is, if people want to believe something, they will..facts or information aside..

I have stopped trying to inform, but instead I will say something in an attempt to get them to ask me for information..instead of me giving it-people hate that..

A lady way about to buy some fantails for her 1 gallon betta set up, the kind with the colorful lights...

So I said, "oh my, I would love to come see your pond!!!"

Then she asked me what I meant. So I told her what I meant..

"These fish will need all of that? Well what should I get then"...again..she asks me, not me tell her...

People hate unsolicited advice, because they want to believe what they want to believe. So you have to trick them into asking you for advice..

[xrayjeeper83]

thanks to all the BS on here(internet) people believe so much crap

[soggydrysuit]

'I want a blue one'...

I actually heard that a couple of weeks ago

Nice one about the 'tricking' people into asking

[~reefchik~]

People hate unsolicited advice, because they want to believe what they want to believe. So you have to trick them into asking you for advice..

That's true, and that's a good creative idea. I'll have to work on that, because I hear this sort of thing all the time being as I'm in pet stores so frequently.

I hate people who gratuitously buy living things with no clue how to keep them and less care whether they live or die just so they can "have a pretty" for a while. So I tend to get a bit bowed up when I hear that sort of conversation.... off my LOL!

[Ohyouknow]

I know that numerous times I have gone into my LFS and they try and try to convince me that some things are just unnecessary (Liquid Test Kits for FW tanks, Vitamin soaks for fish food, anything more than a 10% water change, or deworming fish. I refuse to argue with them, especially about whether or not their dip strips are accurate, or whether or not shaking the liquid test bottles is 'important'...)

If they won't sell it to me, or order it, and would rather talk me out of it - i'll buy it elsewhere.

[Mek0ng]

"Some people need to be told to just go buy a Pet Rock, huh?"

[pufferpuggirl]

I agree 110% with reefchik -- I hear it often over here too, people just wanting a tank to look a certain way, and not caring if all the fish are compatible or not. And when a fish doesn't work out, or it's too aggressive, or whatever, they simply flush it, or throw it away.
I can't "throw" any fish away. I had those evil algae eaters in my tank, and they even caused the death of my puffer, but they are just fish, doing what they do, so I took them to the LFS instead of flushing them or chucking them out the back as some people might do.
All living things deserve basic respect.

But getting back to my same old ranting -- I wish LFS's would assume some responsibility and inform potential buyers what they are buying. I will say I was pleasantly suprised when I went to Wharf recently and they've got a sign up by their stingray tanks which says they will require a sample of aquarium water before they will sell one of their rays to someone. First time I've actually seen an LFS being so responsible and having concern for the fish that's for sale. I wish more would assume that responsibility.

[~reefchik~]

First time I've actually seen an LFS being so responsible and having concern for the fish that's for sale. I wish more would assume that responsibility.

+1 - glad to hear it!

[JRC3]

...I will say I was pleasantly suprised when I went to Wharf recently and they've got a sign up by their stingray tanks which says they will require a sample of aquarium water before they will sell one of their rays to someone. First time I've actually seen an LFS being so responsible and having concern for the fish that's for sale. I wish more would assume that responsibility.

The stingrays that I've seen around here are over $100. Of course I don't know your store like you do but I wonder if there concerns are actually for the fish or a possible dispute over refunding a $100+ sale.

When I first starting keeping fish I made some bad choices...Petsmart had a $1 special and I picked up some neon tetras and the last 2 silver dollars they had. I went back to another store to get a few more of each and the girl wouldn't sell me the silver dollars because "they might eat the little neons". In my countless trips to many different stores and over hearing the same bad advice described above I have yet to hear another store employee show the concern that this girl did with me. (btw, she was a fish keeper)

You almost cant blame the employees for there ignorance and bad training. Keep in mind that most of them aren't fish keepers. The sad thing is, at least in my location, is that there are no more "mom and pop" fish stores left. All the employees that work at the corporate stores or just working in retail. To them it's just like working at a grocery or department store.

[pufferpuggirl]

I got the impression that the LFS actually did care for the welfare of the stingrays. They weren't really that expensive, so I don't think it's an issue of price.

[Ohyouknow]

I think I've seen a range of the different types of sales people in my LFS. For instance, one guy working would tell me, "I don't think a borneo sucker would be a good idea for your tank because it sits still for periods of time, and is much smaller than your puff. It'll be a target meal, and an expensive snack." (This was just a kid working, and talking to me fish-keeper to fish-keeper.) I continued to ponder over it for a few days, returning three days later and ran into another employee (I believe the assistant manager, at that.) I think he sticks more to the reptiles and such, and may not even keep fish. He told me, "A borneo sucker should be fine. Fahaka puffers look at these types of fish and KNOW they are just bony masses, and little meat so he won't bother it."

Unfortunately, though - I bought the sucker, and he got eaten... I think the sucker fell under the Fahaka's "chomp first, taste later" rule, however his current mates are fairing well - not even nipped fins - and he seems quite accommodating thus far! (we'll see as he grows though.) I'll start makin some videos soon enough, to show you their fun antics