Local fish store, bad advice

[sombunya]

So I stopped in a LFS to drop off a few Crays that I saved from the trash can.

A lady is in there is buying a new filter for her 10 gallon tank because the tank is always cloudy. The owner of the Fish Store (actually a pet store) sells her a Tetra filter rated for a 10 gallon tank. She is also telling this lady to clean the filter once a week. "Soon your water will be nice and clear" she says.

I talked to the customer. She has a few Goldfish in it. Then I see the fish store owner give her a bag with about five 3" feeder Goldfish in it. Overstocked?

Without getting into anyone's face I tried to tell the customer about tank cycling etc. Sher seemed receptive. I asked her if she had internet service and she said her son did. I told her to search for fish forums, and then gave her my email addy and said to have her son email me. I wrote it on my business card so it would not look like I was a crack pot. (I work for the City of Los Angeles, Dept. of Water and Power)

It was obvious the store owner knew nothing about fish care. When I knew nothing about fish care she sold me a 20 gallon tank with a tiny filter for five Bluegill.

It's a shame this crap goes on. I hope those people contact me.

 

[misterking]

I have three LFS nearby, and only one would I trust to give an honest opinion backed up by experience. The thing is most fish stores don't care about the fish they sell, just the profit they get at the end of the day, so a lot of people, including small children, end up with a tiny tank and stupid amounts of fish you probably wouldn't even want to put in something twice the size.

The LFS I go to actually has a policy that they won't sell any fish or live stock (except plants) to people under 18 unless accompanied with an adult, regardless of experience. Only problem is that suddenly, during a 6 month break from the hobby for me, I went back in recently to find the prices have shot up in there. You used to be able to buy 2inch discus for around £10 (not sure how that translates into dollars, around $17?), which has now gone up to around £30 ($52). So I'm having to buy elsewhere, but I still wouldn't go anywhere else for general advice and experience (apart from on here of course !).

But yeah, I hope they contact you!

 

[Surprise_Clown_Loach]

Ever walk into an autoparts store and the person behind the counter knew less about cars than you?

 

[LtGtR2]

Funny thing is though this same situation happened to me, but as they were talking i was standing beside them waiting for the guy help me get my fish. I GUESS i was making funny faces when the employee was suggesting things because the guy turned to me and asked "what do you think?". I almost laughed but said if your going to start a fish tank i would not by a 1 gallon tank, i told him about cycling and how harmful the process can be to fish if they are added right away. Told him he would end up coming back here like 5x to get more fish, probably just like the employee wants. Like you i said researching the hobby fist is a great idea. What i wanted to say was if your not into the hobby too you'll end up letting the fish just swim around in a bowl of water to die. After spending 50+ dollars the fish would live only a painful one week, if that.

I believe this is true in almost all Petco's, Wal-mart's, and other Huge chain pet stores. Where i tend to find more useful information is at a store called SeaWorld, they have a freshwater specialist and a saltwater specialist standing by there fish tanks at all times to help you with what ever you need and don't really beat around the bush. As well as other employees willing to help.

Speaking of SeaWorld i wanted to go get some pre-soaked driftwood from them soon =P.

 

[Rayneuki]

I find it funny all of ya'll saying that petco has some of the worst fish advice. I've found the opposite to be true about my petco. It's the #1 store here for buying fish... There's Bob's Tropical's, sure, and they're the ones who I've got a few deals with (how I got my loaches, we're still trying to figure out what exactly they are).

But for most of my fish, most advice, and everything... I go to my local Petco. I've had TONS of fish die from my LFS (bob's) but Petco... Only about one fish has died... And it was a rather thin Otto.

I'm friends with one of the fish department girls there, I give her info that she's never heard before... But both of us (Quiet, I end up going to look at fish alot) end up telling customers that No, that cute little oscar won't fit in that five gallon tank....

I love my Petco <3 All their fish are healthy, of course they have the in-tank deaths, and the occasional misinformation (especialy with the CAE... I just recently let them know and they were like "So THAT's who the murderer is O.O") but overall they are a great place... Perhaps it has to do with the fact that the tanks have been running in there since... Ohhh... about thirty years ago. :]

 

[mistercoffee]

My Petco said 2 Red Tails would work great in a 10 gallon... with a pleco.

Enough said.

 

[LtGtR2]

Like i said its not always the store its the people you find in them and the dedication to there job but for the MOST part... local fish stores like petco and walmart do not give the best advice, its luck of the draw... like clown loach said, Ever walk into an autoparts store and the person behind the counter knew less about cars than you? this is not always true but some times it is.

 

[TAL]

When buiying fish at Petco, only once was I asked how big my tank was.... It would seem an instant question when about to advise someone. So, it does depend on the person helping you and not just the name on the building.

 

[sombunya]

Ever walk into an autoparts store and the person behind the counter knew less about cars than you?

It has happened, more than once. But not at the same store because I don't give them a second chance.

I went into a stereo shop once, bound and determined to buy an extra amplifier and speakers for my car stereo. The guy sold me a pair of $100 speakers instead. Saved me a bundle and they integrated into my system much better than what I had in mind.

It's too bad things happen like the story I originally posted here. It happens all the time of course, but it's still too bad. I hope that person contacts me.

 

[LtGtR2]

Hopefully they will contact you! but i think long story short is that some people in today's society think there jobs are a joke and they don't care about anything but the money they get paid at the end of the day. So in reality everyone gives out faulty advice just to get the customer in and out so they don't have to deal with it and still get paid!

 

[d3sc3n7]

I have one and only one store I'll go to. Thats Pet Palace. Another store that has freshwater manager, and saltwater manager. Top quality fish...good prices...top advice...everything. When Roxys first puffer died...the guy offered to replace it free...just cause well. 1: he knows us, cause I'm in there all the time 2: he just plain felt bad

 

[jo3olous]

So I stopped in a LFS to drop off a few Crays that I saved from the trash can.

A lady is in there is buying a new filter for her 10 gallon tank because the tank is always cloudy. The owner of the Fish Store (actually a pet store) sells her a Tetra filter rated for a 10 gallon tank. She is also telling this lady to clean the filter once a week. "Soon your water will be nice and clear" she says.

I talked to the customer. She has a few Goldfish in it. Then I see the fish store owner give her a bag with about five 3" feeder Goldfish in it. Overstocked?

Without getting into anyone's face I tried to tell the customer about tank cycling etc. Sher seemed receptive. I asked her if she had internet service and she said her son did. I told her to search for fish forums, and then gave her my email addy and said to have her son email me. I wrote it on my business card so it would not look like I was a crack pot. (I work for the City of Los Angeles, Dept. of Water and Power)

It was obvious the store owner knew nothing about fish care. When I knew nothing about fish care she sold me a 20 gallon tank with a tiny filter for five Bluegill.

It's a shame this crap goes on. I hope those people contact me.

Nice save!

 

[Kissyboots]

Well, if Petcos and Petsmarts and all those chain stores wanted to employ knowledgable people, they'd have to pay them more...which would reflect on the prices in the store on fish and other things.

Would you rather pay them to give you better advice or come here for free??

It's true though that a lot of employees have absolutely no clue. I've experienced that several times when CAEs were suggested to eat algae (that IME did NOT!) and cories to eat waste...uh...wrong! Unfortunately I don't feel comfortable butting in and setting them straight. A seventeen-year-old costumer isn't welcome to douse another thirty-five-year-old costumer with proper information that could result in the costumer not buying a bunch of fish so the store makes money...so I keep my mouth shut, roll my eyes, and talk to my brother about CAEs in front of them, hoping they might listen to my rambling.

It's sad, but that's the way it is, and it won't change unless we pay for it.

 

[Rayneuki]

^__^ I love to correct them. It makes me feel smart. When there are the 'I don't care just buy the fish' guys on duty... I end up being the one people ask for help. I guess I just LOOK like I know what I'm doing or something.

 

[Kissyboots]

I guess I just LOOK like I know what I'm doing or something.

Lucky you, no one pays attention to me...

 

[emmanuelchavez]

Would you rather pay them to give you better advice or come here for free??

pft, I think it's more expensive to come here! MFT helped me develop MTS! *crazysmil

 

[jo3olous]

pft, I think it's more expensive to come here! MFT helped me develop MTS! *crazysmil

hahahaha, you what if I didn't have student loans to take care of MFT would have definitely given me MTS in a heartbeat.

But Kissy's right, let them hire cheap associates for cheaper fish, as long as they know how to keep the fish alive till we buy them. It's not that hard to put them on mute to the point until they bag your fish.

 

[jo3olous]

Oh, so BTW I went to a LFS In north-east Philadelphia. The store had a large assortment of Pond and Aquarium setups, along with anything you may need/want for them. There was A LOT TO BUY. Interestingly enough, they also handed me a bag @ the front door and said, any non-live product you can stuff into this bag you can get 20% off on. So I guess tanks and fish were out, lol.

So I'm looking at their fish, they have both saltwater and freshwater. The saltwater tanks seem very understocked, fish look happy, and water looks crystal clear (so far so good). The FW tanks were HORRID! Feeder fish tanks with dead fish everywhere, a lot of the fish they were selling where juveniles poorly mixed into tanks (they had juvenile tiger barbs in a tank with goldfish). The overall appearance was the complete opposite of the saltwater tanks. Well overstocked, diseased, sick fish struggling in the tanks. It was a mess. None of the sales associates really approached me except at the front door when I got offered the shopping bag. I don't know what to make of the store. The aquariums and supplies look great, and the prices were OK. The SW fish looked good, not sure abotu the pricing, but the FW fish looked horrible and were way expensive. They were selling .75-1'' juve tiger barbs for 4.99 a piece, JOKE??? My Petsmart in NJ sells 2inch barbs for 3.99! ... Baffled by this store, it showed me good and bad

 

[LtGtR2]

We should start a MFT TV SHOW! ha ha every time we visit a new fish store bring a video camera with us and just watch the reactions we get! I bet the employees will be a lot more shy and the manager would really be interested in helping you, probably leave his store and or making you shut off the camera! but still would be funny and interesting to watch!

 

[Kissyboots]

We should start a MFT TV SHOW! ha ha every time we visit a new fish store bring a video camera with us and just watch the reactions we get! I bet the employees will be a lot more shy and the manager would really be interested in helping you, probably leave his store and or making you shut off the camera! but still would be funny and interesting to watch!

Or you'd get into trouble and be asked to blur out the faces and name of the store. lol *crazysmil