marine shop laughed at me

[ak_47]

so i popped along to the local stockist and started to have a conversation with the girl in there re: how many snails and that i should have as alage is over growing everything else in the tank and she laughed at me when i told her that i wanted about 10 baby turbo snails ! wtf ?


i have a 66 gal tank and had 2 snails in and been meaning to stock up laods so i can keep on top of the alage until today when she said " dunno who came up with that idea " but it sure aint true !


she said that all the waste of the snails would just kill my fish ?

i asked her if she'd heard of "rawaphos " or some thing like that to go in the filter and she said that " she hadn't " but what ever it was it wasn't natural!



now im thinking what a nutter ! ]

so i'm only down to one shop left that sells marine stuff ! dam, and i ahte going in it ?

im gonna keep my lghts off for 4 or 5 days and see what happens with that dam algae ! i mean there's nothing that needs the lights on etc ! so i'll try that ?



what's your vierws on this ?


cheers guys !

 

[leon]

Yep, she sounds like she hasnt a clue .
What water do you use?, What are your water parameters?, what lights do you have and how long are they on for each day!, also a stocking list aswell.
hopefully we might get to the bottom of it!.
leon

 

[Eelzor]

I've always wondered if snails/hermits were even nessesary. All my lfs's around me don't have any snails/hermits, don't used them for any tanks, don't tell you to make sure you get them and don't sell them anywhere. I wonder what they do? Worse, I wonder what I'll do?

 

[Mr Miagi]

There are some fish you could buy that can chomp algae. What stock do you have already ak47?

 

[Opcn]

while in a FW system that would be true in SW you wan't loads of inverts, W/O snails and hermits pods will often eat extra food, or you'll be doing lots of Water changes, the problem is algea, Fish metabolisms are much higher than snails or hermits.

 

[RamJet]

Well, some people dont know crap. Who is laughing now? Better yet, who is losing the sales now? I have found that most LFS personel dont know much about marine tanks. They are all pushing what the sales reps have told them is best for equipement (All sales reps offer the best product in there minds.) and products. Nor do they know what anything is with out looking on the tag on the tank. Sometimes this can be fun, try asking them questions about corals using the scientific names then throw in a few made up names and ask if they can get one in for you. If they really dont know crap, I like to request a blue spiny atlantic cradensa, like the one I saw in the big tank at the other LFS down the street, tell them that it was not for sale and you would like them to get one in for you.

 

[tomstanks]

You are correct in thinking that a lot of LFS don't have a clue. Fortunately, there are a few who do. The true source of primo info is the hobbist themselves.....we learn cause we want to and have to. I have been doing this for years now and learn something new every time I turn around.....

 

[leon]

I like to request a blue spiny atlantic cradensa, like the one I saw in the big tank at the other LFS down the street, tell them that it was not for sale and you would like them to get one in for you.

 

[parker313]

I count myself very lucky that one of the lfs employees is a true hobbyist! He's been doing nanos for years and has been a LOT of help. Up there, they all really know their stuff - both FW and SW and if you ask a question they don't know, they look it up in one of their MANY books

 

[ak_47]

well people as ever i new that she was wrong, i mean i ahven't been doing SW for as long as you guys thats why im here i guess ! lol,

i've turned my lights off completly, there's enough light getting in here to keep it ambient enough for them.

i used to have the lights on for ages and this isn't my first post about the algae probelm, but i'm getting on top of it i think.

i'm gonna carry out some more tests today and take water from near the algae so the reading are correct, and i'll post them later today ?

I bought a blenny to help eat the algae but after i cleaned a few rocks by removing them and scrubbing the algae off with a toothbrush i think i killed him

maybe it changed the levels in the water and thus kiled the little fella.

at the moment i have

1 x orange spotted goby
2 x cleaner shrimp
1 x boxer shrimp
1 x hermit crab
7 x turbo snails
1 x yellow tailed damsel

and that it, not too much for a 66 gal tank and i've been waiting to get the algae under control before i add more fish, which seems to be for ever at the moment.

thanks for the help folks !


( hey on another note sorry for not replying earlier but for some reason i don't get notified of new posts in the threads im making etc ? even though i'm subscribed to the thread ......... You are currently receiving email notification of replies any one know why ? )

Thanks

 

[shadow]

It's in the options if you want to recieve replies in your email. I also agree on lfs not knowing things. The other day I was at mine (now some of them know alot and some don't). I was looking to get a betta and a little cleanup crew for my sw. The girl says to me "You can't put the betta in the tank." Then when I ask her how many snails in my 10 gal she says 20?? Luckily I only bought 4

 

[ak_47]

no thats what i mean i have it switched on and i don't get them ?

Any way, to the tank lets see if i can get them tests !

 

[rrdrummer5]

its sad but there is a guy that works at the local petsmart that knows more about fish than everyone working at the three LFS around my house.

 

[parker313]

I think you only get the replies if people reply to your original post, but if people quote or reply to another message, it doesn't count

For the algae - are you using tap water at all in your tank?

 

[ak_47]

yeah i thought you get e-mails to your thread when ever any one posts a reply ???


yeah i'm using tap water, i let it stand for about 2 or 3 days first before adding it to the tank.