My Lfs

[Twinklecaz]

I've just been down there with the intention of buying all my final bits and pieces so I can finally get my tank set up and my cycle started. Anyway, I've definitely learnt things from being on here because I changed my mind. Firstly they didn't have the backdrop I wanted (Ok not their fault, down to personal taste) then they didn't have any pea gravel which I need to get because I may well be getting Pygmy Corys later in the year. Then I was looking at their very limited choice of pumps (funny they have a huge choice of airstones but not pumps) and heard one of the assistants telling this old couple that they'll need to change their fitler media once a month maybe more if they have a lot of fish. Then I was looking at the actual fish and firstly they don't sell Pygmys or Green Neons which really peed me off, secondly I was looking at the Male Guppy tank and there was quite obviously a female in there who incidently was being harassed by about 5 males(now wouldn't you think "specialists" would know she was female..bearing in mind I did!) and then finally the Plattys wern't even seperated atall. They just had two tanks labelled "Mixed Plattys". and one of them looked really sick, just floating down by a rock!

Lol so I'm annoyed now. Obviously I get get my equipment from anywhere, that doesn't matter if it's PetsatHome or wherever but now I'm wondering where the F I'm gonna get my fish from because we don't exactly have a lot of places round here. This shop IS supposedly the reputable one!


Raa, just thought some of you may be able to empathise!

 

[fishyfeet]

yep same here, isnt it sickening,

anyway i get exactly what i want online, apart from gravel, i get lots of stuff from garden centres, fish are more difficult, i trawl sites and forums looking for good stock, wildwoods, and trimar will post and are very good also.
Are there any local members to you, where do they go, and you could have a monthly outing and save petrol or one member picks up a load of fish from a breeder and you share the petrol costs, weve done that too. di

 

[Truck]

So instead of saying something you just came here to have a moan?

I will never understand these posts.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Truck, I'm not the sort of person that gobs off in shops.

The point of these posts is that like minded people can share likeminded thoughts and experiences. It's kinda of the point....

 

[Truck]

No need to 'Gob off' All you have to do is politely alert the assistant and I am sure they would do something.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Or in a shop like that they'd just say they would and leave it anyway.

 

[Truck]

It doesn't hurt to ask.

 

[lumpyheffalump]

ask them to make a change and then they nicely ask you to leave by showing you to the door...

 

[crazychris]

To be fair platys, swordtails and mollies aren't separated by sex in my lfs. Guppies are though.

 

[Twinklecaz]

Hmmm so I might have trouble just getting make Plattys?#

By the way, thanks for your advice Fishyfeet.

 

[crazychris]

Hmmm so I might have trouble just getting make Plattys?#

Well no cos even if they're in the same tank the shop should be able to sex them. Livebearers are easy to sex, even for a novice, so an lfs should be able to catch you just males.

From Wiki.

"It is easy to determine the sex of most livebearers by noting the differences in the anal fin. The female has a fan shaped anal fin, while the male has a rod shaped anal fin . The modified anal fin in the male is known as the gonopodium, and is used to inseminate the female."

 

[walkers101]

you dont have to have a go in the shop just report them anonymously

 

[MBOU]

We cant buy livebears by sex, we buy them by colour and to be honest, I dont have time to sit and seperate 600-800 platties and 100-200 mollies every week and it would be pointless because the females could store everything they need to give birth months after they had been seperated.

If the shop can't sex a platy then they shouldnt be selling fish!!

I dont know about the shop you went to but i keep finding the the female guppies ALWAYS jump tanks, the gap between the two for us is minimal, a few mm but they manage, at the end of each day i net out females again but on weekends we dont have time to keep netting out females and tbh i dont want to keeping scaring them by chasing them with a net more times a day than i need to... The females are perfectly capable of jumping back out again if they want to.

As i work for a 'very reputable' company, i can only guess i work for the same company? And that we have the same type of fish systems which means their guppies might be jumping over?

You would never be asked to leave or treated badly for making a suggestion at all if it is a decent shop! Maybe you might catch a member of staff who is feeling a bit hassled, god knows on a weekend when i have 3 customers asking if i can "get them some weed" whilst trying to catch lots of fish from different systems for another customer and being aware that there are other people waiting... then someone comes to ask why the platies arent sexed... personally im more likely to break down and cry at that point but other people are more unproffesional and snap.

As for not having the fish you want!! Did you ask the3m if they could be got in? I am the one responsible for buying fish in and i order in what "i" tink will sell but unless someone asks, i cant be expected to read minds if they are good enough to listen, they will at least say they can try and get them in and take your phone number. As a side note, Pygmy Cories and Habrosus have been difficult to get hold of at the moment!!

Don't doubt your LFS on one visit, do talk to them because how can they improve unless someone points out how they can change? By all means, gripe on here, i do about other shops!

 

[kaivalagi]

Most LFS will get in a small(ish) quantity of the fish you want if you are willing to buy them all and they can order them, I think about 6 fish is the norm

It's very hard to find all the fish you want in a short space of time in one LFS, keep going there just to window shop and I am sure you'll see different varieties of fish available from time to time. I usually miss out 'cause I don't go often enough...the one underlying thing to consider is that LFS are there to make money and as such may not stock some of the less wanted fish, but you can ask and even order what you want if you are willing to buy the batch.

Don't make any assumptions, you may speak to a knowledgeable owner one day or a newbie part-timer the next, try to build up a good relationship with them, it will help in the long run (just don't take everything they say as gospel, they want your cash!)

Hope that helps

Edit: +1 MBOU

 

[Twinklecaz]

Thanks for the imput. Maybe I have been mean. So what you're saying is, female guppys can be sluts? lol

I don't know if it would be the same company. My local one is a shop inside a garden centre. I don't think they're a chain. I used to love World of Water but they seem to have had a shuffle around and sell mainly outdoor equipment and ponds now and no tropical fish . They used to have so much choice, it was a whole room with I'd guess about 200 tanks!