Was At The Fish Shop Yesterday......

[Mikey1]

The worst ongoing thing I see is selling common plecos as algae and bottom eaters. They're so cute when they're an inch long, but nobody tells people they can get to 14"!

 
thats because in most tanks they will never get to 14 inches, they will either die, or their growth will be stunted

 

[This Old Spouse]

You know that, and I know that, but the unsuspecting customers likely don't know that.

 

[Mikey1]

You know that, and I know that, but the unsuspecting customers likely don't know that.

 
yes i agree but, the problem isn't the fish store or employees, its the customers, most wont listen anyway
 
LFS "you know these plecos get big and not really suitable for your tank"
 
mommy and daddy "well my kids like them, we will take one anyway"
 
 
 
fish stores are a poor source of advice.....if people REALLY want to learn they will come to a site like this or similar.....people are just too lazy and dont want to take the time to learn
 
if i go out and buy a car, and get it home, and find out i dont really like some of the features on it, im not going to blame the salesman or dealership, im going to blame myself for not doing my own research

 

[HHH]

The worst ive seen so far are lfs selling people clown lpaches for thier 10 tanks... Ive also seen a couple walk in and 2 oscars for their comunity tanks the lfs guy didnt even tell them anything all he said was "great fish" they may be great fish but not for a comunoty tank

 

[frapadoodle]

As has been said here and elsewhere. People don't do research, and fish are "cheap". Keeping fish properly, not so much.
My dog was "free", or at least "cheap" til his first shots. Then keeping properly got less than cheap.
Most employees in other than fish only stores are not fishkeepers themselves. Are not well paid and just marking time til thier next better paying job. Most petstores want to make a profit. One way to do this is to get you to buy a bunch of chemicals you don't need to cix a problem that boils down to choosing the wrong fish, in most cases.

 

[This Old Spouse]

That's the bottom line. Their job is to make sales, not coddle the fish, so it's up to the consumer to do the research. Sadly, this rarely happens until after the fact, just like furry pets.

 

[attibones]

Most employees in other than fish only stores are not fishkeepers themselves.

I am fortunate enough that my "fish guy" used to keep fish, but he had to move to a smaller apartment so now only keeps a bearded dragon. He's like a savior in my LFS. I have his number too, so he's always available to assist me. In return for his fish advice, I help him treat his boxer's skin allergies. Works out nicely. The cool thing about him is that he tries his hardest to get people not to purchase the fish. He's always asking the right questions. He's got a boss who gets peeved with him because of this though.

 

[leighton_87]

Most employees in other than fish only stores are not fishkeepers themselves.

I am fortunate enough that my "fish guy" used to keep fish, but he had to move to a smaller apartment so now only keeps a bearded dragon. He's like a savior in my LFS. I have his number too, so he's always available to assist me. In return for his fish advice, I help him treat his boxer's skin allergies. Works out nicely. The cool thing about him is that he tries his hardest to get people not to purchase the fish. He's always asking the right questions. He's got a boss who gets peeved with him because of this though.

He has an apartment too small for fish but big enough for more than one Boxer!??

 

[attibones]

No, just one boxer. Bruce is a couch potato. Anyway, he shares the apartment with a roommate. The roommate lives in the room which is ideal for aquarium placement. He used to have a very large tank.

 

[frapadoodle]

Yeah, have a fish only store local that is staffed and owned by fish keepers.
A chainstore with a couple of fishkeepers, and two other chain stores you expect the employees to ask " you want fries with that?"

 

[the_lock_man]

It's all very well for everyone on here to get on their high horses about this issue, but please be in mind 2 things
 
(1) It is very easy to take the moral high ground when your livelihood, and home, and family do not depend on it.
 
(2) If the small independent LFS take the view that everyone here seems to be demanding of them, there is a strong possibility that they will soon go out of business, and you will only be left with the chain stores. This will reduce choice and increase costs. Are you lot happy with that outcome?
 
Please just accept that, whilst it's not ideal, it's a fact of life, and don't treat profit as evil. If your employer didn't make a profit, you'd be out of a job. Just ask anyone who works for HMV, Comet, Woolworths, etc., etc.

 

[leighton_87]

It's all very well for everyone on here to get on their high horses about this issue, but please be in mind 2 things
 
(1) It is very easy to take the moral high ground when your livelihood, and home, and family do not depend on it.
 
(2) If the small independent LFS take the view that everyone here seems to be demanding of them, there is a strong possibility that they will soon go out of business, and you will only be left with the chain stores. This will reduce choice and increase costs. Are you lot happy with that outcome?
 
Please just accept that, whilst it's not ideal, it's a fact of life, and don't treat profit as evil. If your employer didn't make a profit, you'd be out of a job. Just ask anyone who works for HMV, Comet, Woolworths, etc., etc.

Is this the same lock man who had the big fish campaign in his footer? Are you happy with shops that fish that grow to nearly 2 metres to the general public when its almost certain they will be going in a tank that's too small for them.

I in no way think profit is evil and agree with you thats its easy to judge and in their situation I might do the same but its a bit different comparing CDs, washing machines and pick and mix to a living thing.

For some reason fish aren't seen as a living thing. If I sold dogs and said of course you can keep it in a 4 foot square room it's only a small dog that won't grow beyond a couple of foot or yes you can keep your greyhound with a rabbit - I'm pretty sure the RSPCA would be closing me down in seconds.

 

[the_lock_man]

It's all very well for everyone on here to get on their high horses about this issue, but please be in mind 2 things
 
(1) It is very easy to take the moral high ground when your livelihood, and home, and family do not depend on it.
 
(2) If the small independent LFS take the view that everyone here seems to be demanding of them, there is a strong possibility that they will soon go out of business, and you will only be left with the chain stores. This will reduce choice and increase costs. Are you lot happy with that outcome?
 
Please just accept that, whilst it's not ideal, it's a fact of life, and don't treat profit as evil. If your employer didn't make a profit, you'd be out of a job. Just ask anyone who works for HMV, Comet, Woolworths, etc., etc.

Is this the same lock man who had the big fish campaign in his footer? Are you happy with shops that fish that grow to nearly 2 metres to the general public when its almost certain they will be going in a tank that's too small for them.

I in no way think profit is evil and agree with you thats its easy to judge and in their situation I might do the same but its a bit different comparing CDs, washing machines and pick and mix to a living thing.

For some reason fish aren't seen as a living thing. If I sold dogs and said of course you can keep it in a 4 foot square room it's only a small dog that won't grow beyond a couple of foot or yes you can keep your greyhound with a rabbit - I'm pretty sure the RSPCA would be closing me down in seconds.

 
No, you are right, and it's a fair point to make. The Big Fish Campaign is about HUGE fish, and it's encouraging both retailers to avoid stocking HUGE fish, and fishkeepers to research properly.
 
This thread isn't just about "fish that grow to nearly 2 metres to the general public when its almost certain they will be going in a tank that's too small for them." It's also about selling a Common Plec for a 100l tank. What I'm perceiving from some of the things that have been said is something of a witch-hunt for any retailer that has ever sold an mollie for a 40l tank.
 
All I'm suggesting is a little empathy.
 
Hope that makes sense!

 

[leighton_87]

I completely agree - the reference I was making was to the red tailed catfish and moray eels I saw at a not so local LFS at the weekend.

I also agree that there needs to more research done by your average fishkeeper and responsibility can't be placed directly on the shoulders of the shopkeeper. Equally I think they should at least be able and willing to give some guidance to new fishkeepers and at least suggest alternatives (such as a BN pleco in the common pleco example above)

 

[This Old Spouse]

I've seen common plecos in a 10g tank at the LFS being sold for a couple of bucks, labeled as "algae eaters." There should be a big sign on these tanks with a warning about the size they'll reach. This goes for eels or red tailed sharks, etc. 
 
It's funny to me that when Dad walks into a pet shop with child to pick out a puppy, one of the first questions out of his mouth is, 'how big will it get?' but that question is rarely asked when buying fish. Heck, when I first started the hobby I was completely clueless, and did most of the wrong things a newbie normally does. It wasn't until I found this forum that the light started to dawn about my ignorance. It's a very diffucult hobby to do correctly, and I'll never know everything about it. I'm still trying to get my head wrapped around all the chemistry involved. All I can say now is that I have 3 tanks of healthy fish! 
 
We can't expect the staff at an LFS to know everything about everything when it comes to fish. But they should know the basics, after all. When I go into a clothing store or furniture store I expect to have my questions answered with a knowledgeable salesperson who's been trained to know their products. Shouldn't be any different in a fish store. It actually should be moreso in a fish store because you're dealing with live animals.
 
Okay. Rant over.