Is There A Reason Lfs Don't Sell Mature Media

[Tolak]

Most people are not into the hobby enough to even think about mature media. 90% (or more) of the aquarists out there only know what the guy at the fish shop tells them. If he wants to sell them a bottle of bacteria guess what's going to happen, they are going home with a bottle of bacteria.

I am just saying why retailers don't. It can be a pain, not worth the effort, and there are more cost effective ways of helping to start a tank. I have never had a customer ask about buying mature media.

If that's what's promoted, that's what 90% (or more) of the people are going to ask for. If it isn't promoted it will rarely if ever be asked for. On this forum you have the 10% give or take that will look beyond their local shop.

No doubt their measures of starting a tank are more cost effective, from a business point of view. I have no problem with a business running as efficiently & profitable as possible, as long as the well being of animals is the first thing taken into consideration. The problem is to them fish are usually nothing more than product, the same as a bottle of any other product on their shelves. They themselves are nothing but the 90% (or more) that listen to what they are told by an individual source. So much for independent thought, continuing education, and the chance that they may come across a better way of doing things. All too many shops think like this, it’s no wonder they struggle when the economy takes a downturn.

 

[KISSfn]

+1 Tolak!
I asked the "fish manager" at a local Petsmart if I could purchase some mature media, the clueless expression on her face said it all, which led to a delayed "we don't do that". Another LFS employee on the phone acted as if he had never been asked that question in his life. He finally offered me some used gravel. No thanks. I may not know much about fish, but I have yet to meet any employee who knows more than I. Sad.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

+1 Tolak!
I asked the "fish manager" at a local Petsmart if I could purchase some mature media, the clueless expression on her face said it all, which led to a delayed "we don't do that". Another LFS employee on the phone acted as if he had never been asked that question in his life. He finally offered me some used gravel. No thanks. I may not know much about fish, but I have yet to meet any employee who knows more than I. Sad.

I found ONE that knew more than my limited knowledge. He's the manager of the fish department at my nearest Petsmart. I had about an hour conversation with him about all kinds of stuff. After that, any time we go into the store, my wife points him out and says, "Hey there's your boyfriend!" She's a bit strange. Anyway, he gave me some nice advice (most of which matched up perfectly with what I've read on this board and/or seen elsewhere). Some of it was less conservative than the advice given here for the most part, but it was nice to hear someone have a clue.

I was there buying some anacharis last not, and I happened to ask, "What is the pH of your water here?" The girl "helping" me, said "You know, that's a great question. I don't know. I guess they check that. I don't usually work in the fish section. Do you want me to test it now?" I declined, but if I actually get any fish from there, Ill be sure to wait until the manager is there, and not the girl who is normally the cashier.

 

[fishguy2727]

Last I asked Petsmart uses test strips, might as well guess.

When people asked at the shop what our pH was I said 'tap water'. I didn't test it because I didn't need to. I did enough water changes to keep the fish healthy and recommended the same. There are few circumstances when I will recommend messing with the pH/KH in freshwater.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

The question is related to how much difference there is between my tank and the shop's tank for acclimation purposes. If the two are basically the same, I can acclimate the fish a little more quickly, maybe only an hour of acclimation process, whereas if the pH is more significantly different from my water, I might want to double it. Just because two places are located near each other geographically does not mean that they have the same tap water conditions. For example, a buddy of mine lives about 10 miles from me, but has a completely different water company, and his water comes from a completely different reservoir. I am not interested in tinkering with my pH, but that has already happened naturally thanks to the tannins released into my tank from my mopani driftwood.

In the future, perhaps it would be best to just answer the question that is asked, rather than to try to find the hidden meaning behind it. If you answer the question, and then add on your thinking regarding the use of tap water and tinkering with pH, that's fine. But, I think that it only fair to answer the question. You can't be certain that you know the reason the question is being asked. Simply answering the question honestly and completely is always the best course of action, in my opinion.

 

[fishguy2727]

That was honest. I had no idea what the pH was in our systems. Whether the pH is identical or completely different the fish still need a good acclimation, even if pH, temp, etc. match. In most tanks I really don't think pH is even worth testing anymore, I wouldn't own a test kit if it wasn't for my maintenance business.