Another Lfs Story

[vancouver]

So I want an algae eater and decide to go to this lfs that I don't go to often.. most of the staff in the past hasn't been too great, and they don't really take great care of the fish, but I hadn't been there in awhile so I decided to go.. Turns out they are having a 50% off sale because they are re-doing their tanks..

I get some snails for like .50 each.. I got 2 snails and 1 empty snail shell.. lol

A pair of reddish africans for $3.50.. I've seen them other places for a lot more.. these probably aren't top quality but oh well..

Also got glofish.. they had 2 little glofish in a tank with other danios.. very unhealthy, but I figured hey.. for .50 each who really cares.. I'll try to do what I can to keep them alive.. also got 3 normal danios for them to school with.

Last but not least 4 rainbows to go with my loner rainbow.. I think they were $2 each.



Now onto the great part..

I'm looking at their convict tank, and some guy that works there asks me if I'm interested in them.. I say no.. he says well guess what the new girl did.. the convicts had 1000 babies and she sucked them all up.. Then he points to the price of angelfish written on the glass and says.. at $12 each, thats like $12000 she just killed.. I just say ok hoping he will leave me alone.. he did..

Then when I'm leaving he sees the glofish in the bag and he says.. why are you buying those fish.. I tell him cause I want to.. Then he says thats cruelty to animals.. they dye those fish and they wont live long... .. I didn't feel like talking to him so I ignored him and just walked away.. Glofish aren't dyed if anyone is wondering.

I also heard the manager telling some guy that all snails eat all plants... and that plants are useless in the aquarium.

Most of the tanks had dead fish in them.. tons of sick fish.. the store was a mess.. and they were starting to setup saltwater tanks.. Most of the fish were breathing heavily and had rips in their fins and marks all over them..

They were also selling these saltwater sharks that grow to 4' apparently.. and some saltwater stingrays that grow large..


I don't understand how places like that can even be in business.. I guess in buying stuff there it could be seen as supporting what they do.. I insist that it's because I'm poor. lol

 

[yvez9]

Well, to put it blantly: Stores like that are in business because of cheap prices

People who don't want to spend too much on fish and will rather save a dollar instead of supporting stores that charge more ebcause there running costs are higher du to proper maintenance

In Quebec, everyone complains about Wal-Mart and their policies where kids work in their warehouses around the world. People yell, but still like to save a dollar there and the stores are full.

That's why the crappy fish stores are in business. They sell cheap! People like to save so they go there.

 

[vancouver]

They don't normally have cheap prices.. pretty much the same as everywhere else.. they just happened to have a huge sale.

 

[Breeze7050]

Boy, some places!! I had a pretty bad experience at a brand new LFS in my area. Well, its actually a PET store - dogs, cats, fish, small pets ect.
I got some Pictus catfish and after all my research, I know not to net them. Well Lo and behold the "fish staff" nearly gives the whole tank a heart attack chasing them around with a net, moving all the plants ect. Finally catches one with luckily no problems. Takes her another 10 minutes to catch another and then of course gets its barbels all caught up in the net. Takes 10 minutes to free it (poor guy!) and then goes at it again! I kindly say you should probably just use a large cup. Thats the safest way. Oh and yes, at this point she is bleeding after getting pinched herself. Well, she ignores me chases this poor same pictus around gets him caught in the net again and finally plops him in my bag. I was a little worried about him, but his barbels look good and he is doing great. But, these people need to be better trained!!
Anyways, just thought I'd share!

 

[Teelie]

The job is a very basic, minimum wage type of work. These people don't get trained because it's not cost-efficient. Don't expect experts to be working in the shops.

 

[Callum]

serves here right but i hope none of her blood went into the tanks

 

[Breeze7050]

serves here right but i hope none of her blood went into the tanks

Well luckily (or unluckily Im not really sure)! Her hand was out of the tank when this occurred and she did wash it off. Im quite surprised she didn't kill the little guy. But, like I said, he's doing good now!

 

[my fat fish]

in fairness to saying ther are no porfessionals in fish shops i know of 3 shops around me

thers 1 in hinkely garden center the satff ther are all fully trained and they have a mass knolage of ther job and will not sell to you if they dont think you are fit to buy ther fish also they will not sell school fish as loners even if u say already have some neons or sommat liek thta they wont tank a chance whitchj made me happy hearing and they have cups with holes in the bottom to help catch the fish the hols let the water thru so you can move the cup easyer
ther is 2 i birstall near me and they are all well about the same they are boath exelent for beginners and will help u and tell you all you need to know i am proof i went to get tropical fish without any knolage then they told me about cycling the tank and all the ph and stuff and well got me sorted

 

[Teelie]

I didn't say there weren't any, I said not to expect any. I used to work at an LFS myself and while not an expertly trained fish keeper, I am a well experienced one, as are the owner and manager who run the shop. Most of the time though, you don't get people who "know" more than the often misquoted myths about fish growing to the size of their tanks, nothing about cycling, etc.

 

[vancouver]

It's a hard thing to I guess ''train'' people regarding fish.. Especially when they make minimum wage..

A new standard really needs to be set regarding employees knowledge and wages.

 

[Darkerwhite2]

While i have had many good and bad experiances, the good seem to actually outweigh the bad,

while at my regular lfs just browsing i was approached by an older gentleman who starting talking to me out of the blue, which was weird at first but after awile he really started to show his knowledge of fish plants and cycling, he recomended quite a few plants for my 15 gal with min light, and all his info has so far been very benificial, also he recomended a book for me which is very old but has so much good info i haven't put it down since. but sadly this is the same store ive noticed, purple, green, lavander, red, parot chilids i haven't spoken to anyone about the dyed fish yet but i will be voicing my opinion soon, hopefully he doesn't just laugh at me not too many people listen to a 17 year old hollagin.

 

[Bozza]

I have a few LFS shops near me and overall they are good with knowledge of fish. If you ask a question they more then likely have an answer. Also they have inexperienced ppl due to the fact they want cheap employees and who are they? young ppl who havnt been around that long to acquire knowledge about fish.

 

[Darkerwhite2]

young ppl who havnt been around that long to acquire knowledge about fish.

with age comes wisdom... and hair loss. lucky for my i dont have wisdom or hair loss

 

[Saedcantas]

Vote with your feet

Instead of buying all their sick and/or dying fish on the cheap just because it seems like a good deal at the time, you could instead walk away with nothing on principle of the fact that further funding their business by buying anything there encourages them to continue as they are

 

[sharkbaitwoohaha]

sometimes, advice is crap. sometimes its good. the store i work in is definately one of the best in the company as everyone knows the basics and everyone keeps their own fishes and has a speciality. we do basic quals but not very good ones, although im doing an OATA course soon, through work..... and im only weekend staff cos im at uni