If You See A Problem At A Fish Store Do You Speak Up?

[snowflake311]

I had bought a BN pleco a few weeks ago from this pet store that I have bought many of my fish from and never had a problem. When I got my BN they had all just been shipped in like 2 days ago. I know you should wait to take a fish home never buy them right when they come in. BUT I COULD NOT WAIT.

All the fish looked fine at the store then. So I took home my BN. About 3 days after adding her to the tank I noticed ICH. I have treated it and everyone is fine. I went back to the store today about 2 weeks later. All the left over BN have ICH SO BAD. It's awful. I figured they knew what the problem was so I looked at them and shook my head and walked away.

Should I have said something? I don't want to sound like a smart ass. What do you say. maybe something like "Hey are you guys aware that your Bristle nose plecos all have a bad case of ick?"

Have you ever informed a store of their fish problems?
If so what did they say or do?

I feel bad like I should have said something. Grrrr

What do you do?

 

[saz326]

First off id avoid the store like the plague!! If their customers stop coming in - they'll have a second think.

last time i was picking up some dechlorinator I noticed a guy looking in all - and I mean ALL (inc. trop. cold water, & marine) tanks trying to get his kid to decide what he wanted for his new tank - which was sitting on the counter!

No cycling, No idea of fishkeeping..... and I just know the kid is gonna end up disappointed coz he hadnt had the correct guidance.

.......hope the shop keeper realised what was going on.

 

[gzylo]

whatever you do i wont help anyway, people there do not give a thing about the fish disease if they will die they will order new ones, thats what is my felling like when i go to the shop and se all these fish dead in tank + loads of them has ich.

 

[Corleone]

If I see it at the store, I tell them. Most of the stores here know me, and all of them at least have somebody there who knows their stuff and will put a hold on the tank if they catch anything. Sometimes they already know, but not always, and I've managed to catch problems with hiding fish that the staff can't keep track of easily. One of the stores has even given me credit for catching problems with their tanks, which was pretty cool.

Anyway, this is why quarantine is so important - many diseases can be entirely invisible in the tank at the store and emerge only later, which is what happened to you. A small quarantine tank is cheaper to medicate and in the extreme case, you only lose your new fish. Also, while in this case you can be, you can't always be sure you brought a disease home - your existing healthy fish may not have been effected, but now you introduce a new stressed fish, and it falls victim.

 

[NottsFishy]

To put it simply "yes"

I hate when i go into a lfs to find a dying fish or diseased fish due to the fact people that know what they are doing will leave them fish alone but those that dont will buy the fish then end up with either a single dead fish or there tank ending up with no fish.
As that is what happened to my cousin he lives on the coast so i dont get to see him much and i got a phone call asking me if i knew why all his fish died asked him water parameters and whether he got any new fish he said he had bought a new catfish he didnt know what it was but within two days all his fish had died.
Lets just say im now BANNED from his local LFS lol.

 

[rabbut]

Always tell LFS staff. They may not be awear of the problems that you have spotted. I actually appreciate customers pointing out missed problems, especially on a Saturday where the problem would otherwise go un-noticed untill a customer wanted a fish from the infected tank, and I finaly had a chance to check the livestock for the second time that day after the initial health check-ups that I/we may/may not have had time to complete

A caring LFS will imediately QT the affected tank/system if they agree the issue exists and treat the tank. A non-caring LFS will leave it. If they leave it, or have "missed" a regular disease, don't call back. If they react with QT and treatment, they are worthy of your custom IMO If they don't imediately react with treatment, but QT the system for something rarer, check again soon and see if they treated or put them back on sale

All the best
Rabbut

 

[Robot_Rooster]

I avoid it because as soon as you say something they will always answer back saying they know best

 

[agutt]

Absolutely say something!

I am lucky enough to have a fish store that quarantines all the fish they get in for a week before they go out for sale. All fish stores should do this!!!!!

People will end up with dead fish. Speak up!

If they then do not do anything about it, stop going there.

 

[pippoodle]

I always say something - i use pets @ home for accessories - NEVER FISH , they very often have a dead fish or one with Ich in their tanks and i always ask for the assistant manager and he gets called down and tell him
I think it's best to get the fish treated so that it doesn't suffer and also so that some unsuspecting customer doesn't go and buy an ill fish and infect their whole tank (if they dont quarentine)

So my advice is ALWAYS speak up (if you feel confident if you dont just mention it to another shopper and they might speak up instead ) as long as you point it out politely they aren't going to mind you doing it - Just think about the poor fishies , i know a lot of people say "they're only fish " but if you have that attitude you shouldn't keep them - IMO

Cheers Sarah xx

 

[aaronnorth]

My LFS are good, they dont need telling!

 

[england]

yes its good to speak up, just metion to the to one side,<dont need to be condersending> as stated they might have been unaware and they could them qt the tank as stated before,
sometimes the fish could well be fine in there shop, but because te fish has moved from one place to there, then sold on again to you, the fish are usually run down and subseptable to diesaes quicker, so it could well have been fine before hand,
that why it pays to have a qt tank at your end aswell so you know there healthy before adding to your community

 

[andywg]

I am lucky enough to have a fish store that quarantines all the fish they get in for a week before they go out for sale. All fish stores should do this!!!!!

Quarantine for 1 week is nowhere near sufficient to prevent diseases going unnoticed. A whitespot on the gills could easily survive through the 1 week and then be out into the general stock. QT for 1 week is just false security.

 

[AmyStardust]

I have just got back from my LFS and there was a betta with what I think was a very bad case of swim bladder - swimming upsidedown and laying sideways on the bottom of the tank - I told them straight away!!

 

[agutt]

I am lucky enough to have a fish store that quarantines all the fish they get in for a week before they go out for sale. All fish stores should do this!!!!!

Quarantine for 1 week is nowhere near sufficient to prevent diseases going unnoticed. A whitespot on the gills could easily survive through the 1 week and then be out into the general stock. QT for 1 week is just false security.

I have never seen a sick or dead fish in any of their tanks tho... I also have never gotten a sick fish from them ever...

 

[andywg]

I have never seen a sick or dead fish in any of their tanks tho... I also have never gotten a sick fish from them ever...

That is as maybe, but it is not as a result of the quarantine procedure they follow. No serious aquarist who cares about quarantine does it just for 1 week. Look at Tolak, from a known source he quarantines for 2 weeks, unknown 4. 1 week will not even protect you from ich.