Common myths heard at your LFS

[Sang72]

1. Oh, it's a community fish, it'll be fine in any community tank.
2. They don't get much bigger than "x" inches.
3. Here, use this salt, it's really good for all your fish.

These are all things I have heard from LFS that turned out to be wrong.

anyone got more?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Sang72

I can tell that this is going to be a very interesting thread.

I've heard them say to a customer, "If you get an algae eater and don't have any algae, it will starve."

 

[Great Lakes]

Customer: What is the white dots on the fish?

Employee: Ich

Customer: Gee, I really wanted one of those blue ones.

Employee: No problem, I know how to sort out the healthy ones. When you get to know fish as much as I do it is no big deal.

Good Grief.

 

[CFC]

The old classics have to be "yes they can grow large but it will only get as large as your tank" and when someone is buying a predatory fish which will only take live food "its been taking fozen bloodworms so you wont have feeding problems".

 

[suemack]

'here you go ...here's the tank and the fish. Now once you've filled the tank float the bag of fish for a couple of minutes and they'll be fine'

 

[Perky]

Customer: Can I get a Silver Shark for my 10 g?
Employee: Yes, they are very nice, small fish that like to be on their own.
Customer: Great

AND

Customer: My Plec has white stuff on it
Employee: Probably Fungus, Add some of this salt and it will be fine

AND

Customer: I have a 10 g and would like one of those and one of the pretty ones in their, can you tell me more about them.

Employee: Certainly, they are commonly known as Oscars and Jack Dempseys, they are cichlids and are aggresive but it will even its self out because they are equal. They will be fine in your tank, do you want me to get you a bag?

Customer: I am so gl;ad to hear, yes please, I will put them straight into my tank. What do I feed them?

Employee: They will eat anything, flakes are the best.

Customer: Good because I have that at home.

Employee: That will be £41 thank you!

 

[ladynaoko]

This one just made me laugh:

Me: Excuse me but I think one of your fish is dead
LFS: He's not dead, he's just stunned


I had visions of the Monty Python Dead Parrot sketch when he said that (and for the record, the fish was floating belly-up on the top)

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Me: I would like another [hatchetfish] as I don't like to keep fish singly unless they reqire it. But your all have whitespot

Employee: Fish don't have feelings, like us. They don't know they are alone.

 

[SirMinion]

Customer: Will those pretty fish do ok in my coldwater tank with my goldfish? (points to silverdollars)

Employee: Hmm, yes I think they can live in a coldwater tank as long as it's in a warm room.. Tell you what, buy them and if they die come back and tell me and I'll know next time, ok?

***********

Customer: What species of fish are those?

Employee: Ciclids.

Customer......?

***********

Customer: How many of these schooling fish do I need t keep them happy?

Employee: Two is fine. Fish can't count.

 

[nightlife20]

ah i have a recent one, seems to have been invented on the spot to stop me having my 'free replacents' fish..

'puttin a clown loach in water that has 10 somthin nitrAte will strip them of their mucus an kill them within 24 hrs, to have them in ur tank u have to have 0 of everything, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrIte and 0 NitrAte.'

after arguing with the muppet for half an hr i gave up an told him to shove his fish ill have a word with the boss in the week...


i explain my nitrate levels have been like that for a while now, never get over 30 ,but according to this muppet if i put any fish in that tank now they will die.. i explained what i have in the tank and he said 'well they are used to it now arnt they' all of this because he didnt want to replace my fish that i brought from them that died in 24hrs with fungus! i mean for cryin out loud!!! the muppet even suggested not doin water changes for a month, and switchin the filter off!!!!

can u say durrrrrrrr

 

[Tropjunky]

crist this is shocking i don't don't know what to say apart from i havent hard any thing untrue from my current LFS. even bafore i worked there. i think i'm one of the lucky people that have found a good LFS that care about the welfare of the fish they sell.

i tried to but a fish there for the firsh time and i got asked quite a few questions before he'd sell me them and then told me everything i needed to know about its care.

I used to live in london and there was a pet store around the cornner from where i live and i asked for a something to help my fish they were swimming funny and i only just started keeping fish (my sirasa commets were real troopers chlorine, warm water, 100% water change now i know better and they're at my LFS and gone to a good home) and

Me: i need to know if there's something wrong with my gold fish(didn't know what they were). it's swimming with a slight tilt.

LFS: well it seems to be swimmbladder problems.

Me: oh what should i do.

LFS: well use salt and they should be fine

Me: what sort of salt and how much

LFS: normal salt and about a spoonfull

well i didn't take his advice and whent to a friend for help and he told me to go to my current LFS but not the branch here the one in london

 

[Yenko]

I've heard so many stupid things from LFS employees.
"Don't worry, these two apistogrammas will get along fine in your 10-gallon tank"
Unfortunately, the customer was me, and one killed the other within a month.

This is by far the best:
"Silver Dollars love plants"
This one is correct, in a sense . I'm sure the employee and the buyer had different opinions of just how the Silver Dollars would express their love for the plants.

 

[Opcn]

Me: do you have african dwarf frogs?

LFS: No but we have african clawed frogs and there the same thing.

Me:

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"oh dont worry those pirahnas will do fine in a 10 gallon tank but they are schooling fish so you should get 3"

(at least he got the schooling part right)

pcn

 

[drobbins27]

Customer "Will these go in with my community tank?"

LFS "Yes, Pirahnas love community tanks and will not hurt other fish. Your 10g will be big enough for probably 3. Dont forget to feed then by hand, also, if you want them to act interesting, just dont feed them for a week. Its really neat!"