Bad Experinces At The Lfs. What Are Yours?

[lilmolly]

Yesterday I went to meijers with a friend. I walked to the fish tanks just to take a look and to my suprise they actually had a good selection of live plants. I decided to get some java fern and baby tears. The problem I had was with the service. There was no one around so I began walking around the department looking for someone to help me. I found a guy unpacking some dog food onto the shelves.

"Can get I get some help with getting some aquatic plants?"
"What?! What are you talking about?! I don't work in this section!"
I pointed to the fish tanks "Aquatic plants"
"I don't know what your talking about!"
I walked closer to the tanks and pointed at one of the plants in the tank
"Oh, those aren't for sale!"
I pointed to the tags with the price, bar code, and pictures of the aquatic plants
"Oh, I don't work in this section! Why don't you just buy those over there!" He pointed to the plastic plants hanging on the shelves
"Because I want live ones"
"Well, I don't work in this section!"
"Can you find someone to help me who does work in this section than?"
He walked away.
I found someone else and asked them for help. Down the asile the other guy appeared again.
He called to the other guy "Do you know where the guy working in fish is?"
"I can't find him!"
Than he walked away again.
Several minutes later a different guy appeared and asked me if I needed help.
I got my plants and left. The guy who actually did work in the department was very nice and somewhat knowledgable in fish and plants....to my suprise!!

 

[andywg]

I went into an lfs the other day and noticed a tank saying "frogfish not for sale" but I couldn't see the frogfish. I asked the guy for help and he explained it was sold but a new shipment was due in with two frogfish on Friday. I asked the species and he mentioned that while the list had them as Histrio histrio there was no knowing what would come in as the wholesalers tended to group everything from Antennarius hispidus and A. striatus into H. histrio.

He then added that once the shipment is in on Friday we could ring and he would have a better idea of the ID. Then he correctly informed me of feeding difficulties regarding the ribbon eel I bought and we had a sensible discussion on the perils of FW feeders for marine fish and how raising mollies in high end brackish to full marine is one of the best sources until they are eating dead.

Finally I was commenting to nina on how Bactinettes claims to have the one strain of bacteria that can cycle FW and SW tanks, despite the fact that raising FW to brackish (let alone full marine) kills off the filter bacteria. The same guy piped up and agreed saying he had been involved in a number of arguments with the Bactinettes reps about their claims.

Sorry this is not a moan at an lfs like you want, but I am sick of these threads. Were it not for the lfs not many of us would have any fish at all.

 

[@ombomb]

Sorry this is not a moan at an lfs like you want, but I am sick of these threads. Were it not for the lfs not many of us would have any fish at all.

Well said.

 

[lilmolly]

I went into an lfs the other day and noticed a tank saying "frogfish not for sale" but I couldn't see the frogfish. I asked the guy for help and he explained it was sold but a new shipment was due in with two frogfish on Friday. I asked the species and he mentioned that while the list had them as Histrio histrio there was no knowing what would come in as the wholesalers tended to group everything from Antennarius hispidus and A. striatus into H. histrio.

He then added that once the shipment is in on Friday we could ring and he would have a better idea of the ID. Then he correctly informed me of feeding difficulties regarding the ribbon eel I bought and we had a sensible discussion on the perils of FW feeders for marine fish and how raising mollies in high end brackish to full marine is one of the best sources until they are eating dead.

Finally I was commenting to nina on how Bactinettes claims to have the one strain of bacteria that can cycle FW and SW tanks, despite the fact that raising FW to brackish (let alone full marine) kills off the filter bacteria. The same guy piped up and agreed saying he had been involved in a number of arguments with the Bactinettes reps about their claims.

Sorry this is not a moan at an lfs like you want, but I am sick of these threads. Were it not for the lfs not many of us would have any fish at all.

I'm glad that you have well informed, and respectful, staff at your lfs. But that doesn't mean that other people's experiences are all the same. I was just venting. I know many lfs have uninformed staff, while others don't. I know that there are good stores and bad stores. My post was just about my particular experience with one store. If other people have stories they could share them. If they don't than they don't have to. If you had good experiences than start a thread about good experiences at the lfs. If you don't like these threads don't read them.

 

[Bozza]

I tend to agree with wat was said by andywg. We get bad service in anywhere we go. Wat ever store we are at, watever store we go to. There is a chance of bad service.

 

[celaeno]

Sorry this is not a moan at an lfs like you want, but I am sick of these threads. Were it not for the lfs not many of us would have any fish at all.

I'm glad that you have well informed, and respectful, staff at your lfs. But that doesn't mean that other people's experiences are all the same. I was just venting. I know many lfs have uninformed staff, while others don't. I know that there are good stores and bad stores. My post was just about my particular experience with one store. If other people have stories they could share them. If they don't than they don't have to. If you had good experiences than start a thread about good experiences at the lfs. If you don't like these threads don't read them.

well said.

 

[lilmolly]

I tend to agree with wat was said by andywg. We get bad service in anywhere we go. Wat ever store we are at, watever store we go to. There is a chance of bad service.

And I didn't say there wasn't that chance in *every* store. But since this is a fish forums I was talking about fish stores. I don't see what the big deal is? If you don't like the subject don't read the thread.