Some people

[FishEnthusiast]

Hi

I have a very good friend that just got a fish tank. She asked me a couple of questions before stocking her tank. She didn't follow any of the advice I gave her. She did not cycle the tank. She did let it sit empty for a couple of days. She went out yesterday and stocked her tank. Yes I mean STOCKED. She bought:

• 5 guppies
• an endler
• a betta
• an upside down catfish
• 2 bumblebee gobies
• 5 rummynose tetras

She put all of these in her 10G tank. Then proceeded to ask me what bigger fish she could put in there. I told her nothing as she was overstocked as it was. I also convinced her to return the gobies because she is not willing to do a brackish tank. I also convinced her to get the betta into another tank. Actually, it took the betta going crazy on the guppies (I told her that would happen) before she would do it. She told me the fish store lady knew sooooo much and that what I was telling her was wrong. It had to be wrong the lady at the fish store said gobies were fine in a freshwater tank, no the guppies and betta will get along fine, etc.... As it is her tank is uncycled, filled to the brim and she is too stubborn to listen to me. ARGHHHHHHHH!

I think she is on her way to get more endlers. I really think she is ignoring my advice. I gave her the link to this site a couple of times, but she won't visit.

Ok, I am done ranting now, thanks for reading.

 

[sylvia]

People who ask for advice and then don't take it are realy annoying IMO. It's a great shame but she will at least eventualy realise the LFS woman was wrong and you were right. It's just too bad that the fish will have to pay for other people's ignorance and stubborness.

 

[sarah-j]

yeah i agree she will soon learn when all her fishies keep dying on her floating belly up. its not a pretty sight and its a shame it would come to that. But maybe then she will think twice as to being so ignorant. I hate people who dont listen and go about their merry way at the expense of beautiful lives. Anyway... Lets hope she see's sense. God bless the fishies...

 

[vantgE]

Also upside down catfish should have a bigger tank and be in schools

 

[BettaMomma]

Same thing happened to me.
Asked for advice and ignored it.
That makes me REALLY angry.

She'll learn as soon as her fish are gasping for air and dying that she should have listed. All you have to say is "Would you like my help NOW? If I help you this time, you must do what I tell you or the same thing as last time will happen to you..."

 

[FishEnthusiast]

I also forgot to mention that the male guppies out number the females 2 to 1. I told her they would harass the females to death, she didn't believe me. She showed me a picture of the upside down catfish, she said it was a dwarf, it didn't look like the pic I saw. This is her catfish. Does this variety need to be in groups too? I will let her know.

I am trying my best to convince her. I have known her for over 10 years. You would think she would trust my opinon. At least she moved the betta out. I am glad for that. And I am pretty sure she is returning the gobies. I know her mom is planning on buying a big tank, something like 120G. Maybe by that time she will listen to me and do it right.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Just tell her that when her fish are dying, and she is willing to see that just because someone works at a fish store doesn't mean they know that much about fish, then you'll talk, but till then why should you take your time to tell her anything when she has already proven that she won't listen?

 

[FishEnthusiast]

I will continue to give her my advice because she is a friend. I love her dearly and I think with enough prodding she will come around. She saw some of my bettas and fell in love and decided to take up fishkeeping again. I know she is an animal lover and doesn't want to see any animal suffer. She has regularly rescued animals including cats, ferrets, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, turtles....You get the picture. She just doesn't know the first thing about a fish, I really hope she joins this forum. There is a lot of info that can be found here.

 

[debiasir]

i dont see the point of asking advice then doing the complete opposite, it is really frustrating arggggggggghhhhhhhhh

 

[FishEnthusiast]

I can really see why she didn't listen to me. The bumblebee gobies are soooooo cute . And the LFS said they would be fine. I did tell her today to really research what you want to buy, and then get it. I didn't do that in the beginning, but now that I have, I will never do it any other way. My fish love me for it.

 

[Paul_MTS]

depending on species of goby there's 1 type og BBG that does go in freshwater.

just do the told ya so act and wait for her to beg for advice.

 

[FishEnthusiast]

Here is a pic of her upside down catfish and bumblebee gobie.

Is that the kind that can live in freshwater, or can you even tell? Maybe I am the one giving bad advice

 

[Redbled]

Not trying to defend her much cause she was wrong, but who among us didn't overstock our first tank. I sure did

 

[FishEnthusiast]

That is why I am being patient with her. I honestly didn't overstock my first tank per say, but I did get fish that wouldn't do well in my tank. I had ID sharks to start with. They were tiny but I still returned them. I also had bala sharks. They were returned too.

 

[MegTheFish]

Not trying to defend her much cause she was wrong, but who among us didn't overstock our first tank. I sure did

The reasen most of us (including me) overstocked our first tank is because we weren't told that it was wrong. We (or most of us) got our information from all-so knowledgeable lfs employess who can't tell the difference between a guppy and an oscar. In this instance, her friend HAS been told what she is doing is wrong. She's going agaisn't great advice that is given too her. Which gets me soooo peed off too. See my thread:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=82863&hl=
It annoys me SO much that people assume that anybody that works in a pet/fish store know so much more then people who don't work in a petstore. For an example, my friend (the same friend in the thread I mentioned, the one with the 29 gallon) got her PH tested at a lfs. They told he it was dangerously high, and it was only 7.6 Like come on people! I told her no, that is not too high, and that mine was at 7.6 (its not actually, but what else was I suppost to say to convince her ? ) and all my fish were fine. She STILL doesn't believe me!!!