Is The Store Bs Ing Me? Now What Do I Do?

confused mermaid · Jul 7, 2009

I called the store to explain my problem with the gold gouramis not getting along in my community tank and asked the owner if I should take back the male and switch to see if another male would be less aggressive or if I should bring both of them back to pick out some different fish. I told him I was not concerned with being credited for the money I spent on the gouramis. He said he can't take back the fish because if he tried to put the gouramis bank in his tank with the other gouramis, they would be attacked and killed. IS THIS TRUE

???

SO NOW WHAT DO I DO? I have a bully fish that I can't take back. I'm sure he will end up killing my other fish as he matures. I don't think I can convince my fiancee to let me set up another tank just for them. It looks like my only option is to add another female and hope between the two females that they keep him busy.

I'M REALLY PO'D WITH MY DECISION TO GET GOLD GOURAMI AND EVEN MORE PO'D THAT THE EMPLOYEES IN THE STORE WERE NOT A LITTLE MORE INFORMATIVE TO HELP ME NOT MAKE THAT DECISION!

meguro · Jul 7, 2009

You could always try taking them to a different lfs.

SimoUK · Jul 7, 2009

hmm.. always research your fish before buying them comes to mind, google is your friend :good:

try another lfs but i cant see how adding another female into the equation would change much

Good luck

holidayinn · Jul 7, 2009

so he won't take back the fish, even though you're giving them back free?

Try another lfs and make sure to strike this place off your shopping list!!!

afishdude · Jul 7, 2009

Sounds like hes just being a prick. I also agree you should take them back to another

confused mermaid · Jul 7, 2009

afishdude said:
Sounds like hes just being a prick. I also agree you should take them back to another

He said if it was one day that would be different. But I got them thursday and I tried to return them yesterday (monday) (this is after rearranging the tank and everything trying to make them get along) And then he said after much discussion that he would take them back without giving me a credit (which I don't care about) but I will most assuridly be responsible for their deaths because they will be attacked by the others. Now obviously you know after going through all this stuff trying to find the right fish, I'm taking it seriously and I don't want them to be killed. I did hours and hours of research before I bought them....but sometimes when you over research you get confused about which fish does what and have to depend on the store employees. I spent an hour with two employees and they both said a gold gourami is peaceful and a good choice. I have been on the net all morning looking for information and there were a couple of cases where someone got another fish of the same kind and it equalized the aggression a little bit. I'm going to try it. If I would have known I was going to go thru all this I would just have tried to make the angels work like I wanted.

indigoj · Jul 7, 2009

He's talking out of his bum.

mixmaster jay · Jul 7, 2009

i agree with everyone on this too that lfs sounds shxte and all they want is a quick sale i don't think by adding another female it will help i think it would make matters worse as will be competing to mate with that female but if you get rid of one of the males and then get a female that migt work to calm them down only might though or the other option is to sell them or give them to another lfs

star4 · Jul 7, 2009

Males are normally the more agressive, I have two female golds & two female opaline in my community tank and have no trouble. I was looking for a male gold or opaline but ended up with all female.

star4 · Jul 7, 2009

Just out of curiosity where abouts are you? If you were close enough I would swap you one of my females (gold) for your one male.

Buddyboy67 · Jul 7, 2009

Would definately change to another shop...this is simply being awkward ...
I owned a shop for several years and if i had treated customers like that i simply wouldn't have had any!!!!
No reason for this to happen or he could simply place them in another tank!!!

Has he ever heard of Trading Standards

?....no way to treat any customer...especially not in this hobby

confused mermaid · Jul 7, 2009

star4 said:
Just out of curiosity where abouts are you? If you were close enough I would swap you one of my females (gold) for your one male.

I live in the states. I guess I will try calling other stores and see if they will take him. Hate to put him in a chain store but I don't see having much choice.

There are not a lot of stores around me other than chains unless I drive 45 miles to Chicago

star4 · Jul 7, 2009

Oh shame, not local to me then!!!.

I agree with everyone else the shop does not seem very good. Most shops surly would guaranteen returned and new fish, not plonk it straight back in the tank with other for sale. What if someone returned a fish within 24 hours and their tank was infested with ick???

confused mermaid · Jul 7, 2009

What I'm gonna do is pick up the female tonight, take it home and see what happens. If it doesn't improve anything I will either bring the male back to the store and dupe the employee into taking it or take it to Petsmart and hope for the best.

saz326 · Jul 8, 2009

confused mermaid said:
What I'm gonna do is pick up the female tonight, take it home and see what happens. If it doesn't improve anything I will either bring the male back to the store and dupe the employee into taking it or take it to Petsmart and hope for the best.

This is a bit cheeky but - if the fish look alike enough or the receipt doesnt say "Female" gourami for the newly bought one - take the male back to the store instead of the new female and say you want to return it. You'll think of a reason to use.

That way you get a nice gentle female fishy for free. no losses.