I am going to (in vain, no doubt) tackle something which has really been irritating me during my time in employment, and that is that my store sells a 'complete aquarium', that is far from it.
I'm not sure what volume of water it holds, probably about 8 Litres. It is branded as a complete setup, which is a net, a plastic plant, a filtration pump (which is actually a little bag of gravel and an air pump) and tropical fish food. Everytime someone buys one, I intervene (much to people's annoyance) and tell them not to buy it, and that they insist on buying it that they'll need tapsafe and etc (don't even go into cycling! let alone!!) As people haven't a clue and one man said he was glad I mentioned it, even though he still bought it.
My point is, that most LFS and Pet retailers when selling fish (in my experience) never ask what people are putting their fish into, because at the end of the day they are a business and if truth be told if they asked they'd never likely sell half of their stock. I want to challenge the company, (and praise it a little, as at least they do not sell Goldfish bowls or mere plastic tubs as Aquariums) but I would hope I could encourage a rethink on the set up, such as a slight size increase and better kit - even if it merely came with an instruction leaflet telling people how to set up a small tank and a sample of tapsafe to get it going.
My colleagues have had a mixed response, then I ask how they'd feel living in an inadequate space where they may not get the luxury of someone taking their waste out and having to live in it - it gets them going a little There just seems to be too much confusion as to the product, it wouldn't suprise me if people have put tropical fish into it without a heater because if you sell a complete kit with tropical fish then people will think its okay to do so.
So, I'm working on doing something. I expect nothing to come of it, it is like Jamie Oliver challenging the school dinners but I'll at least feel a little better if they read it and acknowledge that I'm also thinking of the store's welfare, as a better product should only result in a better profit? haha.
Wish me luck
I'm not sure what volume of water it holds, probably about 8 Litres. It is branded as a complete setup, which is a net, a plastic plant, a filtration pump (which is actually a little bag of gravel and an air pump) and tropical fish food. Everytime someone buys one, I intervene (much to people's annoyance) and tell them not to buy it, and that they insist on buying it that they'll need tapsafe and etc (don't even go into cycling! let alone!!) As people haven't a clue and one man said he was glad I mentioned it, even though he still bought it.
My point is, that most LFS and Pet retailers when selling fish (in my experience) never ask what people are putting their fish into, because at the end of the day they are a business and if truth be told if they asked they'd never likely sell half of their stock. I want to challenge the company, (and praise it a little, as at least they do not sell Goldfish bowls or mere plastic tubs as Aquariums) but I would hope I could encourage a rethink on the set up, such as a slight size increase and better kit - even if it merely came with an instruction leaflet telling people how to set up a small tank and a sample of tapsafe to get it going.
My colleagues have had a mixed response, then I ask how they'd feel living in an inadequate space where they may not get the luxury of someone taking their waste out and having to live in it - it gets them going a little There just seems to be too much confusion as to the product, it wouldn't suprise me if people have put tropical fish into it without a heater because if you sell a complete kit with tropical fish then people will think its okay to do so.
So, I'm working on doing something. I expect nothing to come of it, it is like Jamie Oliver challenging the school dinners but I'll at least feel a little better if they read it and acknowledge that I'm also thinking of the store's welfare, as a better product should only result in a better profit? haha.
Wish me luck