Popped Into My Lfs This Afternoon...

Curiosity101

Is now at University! :D
Joined
Mar 26, 2009
Messages
5,527
Reaction score
4
Location
Uk, Nottinghamshire
So I happened to be passing one of my local fish shops. I don't like it in there, but so long as the fish I'm looking at are healthy...then that's fine for me. I just avoid talking to the staff, and don't go in too often.

Anyhoo.... on the shopping list was 5 rummy nose tetra and a dwarf plec (large list of the ones suitable in my bag).
So I walk in...half the tanks are shut down due to maintenance or something...just my luck! lol.

But he doesn't EVER stock ANY of the plecs I want...best you'll get from there (and frankly all you'll get) are commons...
So I go to the rummynose tank...only 2 left *sigh*, but I gave them and there tank mates a good check over then ask a shop worker to bag them up for me.

Well...that had to be the biggest farse I've ever seen, he trapped one of them against the gravel twice...as in squashing it a bit...15mins later they're both in the bag (one was physically removed from the net via fingers!).
He goes straight to the counter, not allowing me to check the fish first :rolleyes:
He rings it up, I pay (presuming everything is ok), but then do as I always do, and get them out to give them a very good check over in the bag before I leave.
And the one (presumably the one that got crushed twice), is having a very hard time keeping balance in the water. Keeps floating nose down, tail up.

So I take it over and explain it's have a hard time balancing. He says 'oh it may just be stress from being caught' (yeah right...), and proceeds to poke the bag a few times.
So I say 'I don't think poking it is going to change anything', and he says 'Well actually I'm poking the bag not the fish' in a really rude way.
Not that what he was poking was my point...my point was that the fish was clearly injured...there was no way that was stress.
He goes 'So do you want a refund then' whilst giving me a dirty look...I say 'Yes please', and promptly lead.

Anyhoo...just thought I'd share that with you all.
 
so did you get the fish aswell as a refund
 
No, it was fish or refund. He was't about to admit it was anything other than stress causing the reaction.

Another funny thing, while I was there I heard some people being advised that the correct maintenance schedule for a marine tank is about 10% water change every 2-3weeks...

Oh and that you only really have to test things like pH and 'toxins'...which he later mentioned were nitrates.
 
huh lol


yeah probably not the most trust worthy by the sound of it
 
you must be hard up for choice of lfs in your area :unsure:

Personally if I knew of a lfs that I didn't like then I wouldn't go in there :dunno:

I am lucky in that I have 6 or 7 lfs in easy reach and there is only one I don't like and I haven't been in there again since the first visit
 
Normally I wouldn't go in, my reason for disliking them is that they are generally sexist and rude (have been overlooked and my questions answered towards my dad or bf depending on who is with me).
Laughed at when I've mentioned certain fish having more than one common name. I was told 'No bolivian ram and royal ram are two completely different fish and I can definitely tell that *that* one is female' :rolleyes:
I explained they are basically impossible to sex at that size...he literally laughed in my face...again.
And they run a with a centralised filter system. So even if I have checked all fish in one tank over for external signs, and checked other linked tanks for obvious illness, it's still a slight risk.

But you know...the prices are reasonable, and so long as the actual stock is seemingly healthy, then I will buy from them (if I'm passing).

However overall there are only 2 fish shops I actually like. Both are 30mins away on the completely opposite side of Sheffield. I don't have a car now so rely on people to give me lifts. I think I may order fish online in future...
 
Sounds like you know your stuff and hopefully you haven't just got a bit of a sexist chip on your shoulder ;)

Quite a few of my afore mentioned LFS have female staff whom I respect as much as the guys. (apart from one who suggested that if I put that many fish in straight away then they would all die even after I explained that I had just completed a fishless cycle and had done the 100% water change that morning :/ )

:D

edit spelling :blush:
 
Lol. Nope, no sexist chip. Put it this way, the other 2 lfs are predominantly run by guys. And so long as they treat me as they would treat anyone else then I'm happy. It's just that one specific shop, they rarely give me eye contact when I ask a question, answer my question to the guy I'm with (if I'm with one), if not then just continue to not look at me.
And I'm just a bt like....scuse me...a few manners please?

I mean I'm no fish expert generally speaking. But when it comes to the fish I want to have (and so subsequently have had), I tend to find as much info and experience from others as possible BEFORE I buy. lol. That way when I go into shops I know exactly what I'm looking at, regardless of the staff. Hehe. :)
 
Lol. Nope, no sexist chip. Put it this way, the other 2 lfs are predominantly run by guys. And so long as they treat me as they would treat anyone else then I'm happy. It's just that one specific shop, they rarely give me eye contact when I ask a question, answer my question to the guy I'm with (if I'm with one), if not then just continue to not look at me.
And I'm just a bt like....scuse me...a few manners please?

I mean I'm no fish expert generally speaking. But when it comes to the fish I want to have (and so subsequently have had), I tend to find as much info and experience from others as possible BEFORE I buy. lol. That way when I go into shops I know exactly what I'm looking at, regardless of the staff. Hehe. :)

Ahhh! I have spotted a potential reason. Ok, you admit that you fully research the fish you intend to buy which means that you will more than likely know more about that particular species than the shop assistant. You have to have an open mind about the difference between hobby fishkeeping and commercial fishkeeping/selling.

Oh and don't wear that low cut tee shirt if you want them to look you in the eye :lol: .... ;)
 
Oh no, you're misinterpreting what I mean. I don't make a comment unless I'm specifically told incorrent info. Normally I go in, see what I want, ask for it to be bagged. Job done.

On the bolivian ram thingy, I went in, just picked one I liked the look of and asked him to bag it up. I said 'I really would like a female, but with them being the size they are at the mo it's practically impossible to sex them,i'll just have to grow this little guy on n see what I get' then smiled. You know expecting him to at least just nod or something. He goes 'well actually no, I can tell you that one there is a female, and that one...actually that one aswell probably'
I knew full well that at least two of them are definitely male. Thing with those rams is, you can 90% tell who is male, but basically 0% predict which are female until they grow.
Then my boyfriend asks 'when will you be getting some bolivian rams in' (I asked him to ask the guy...knowing full well that that's what I was looking at).
And the guy goes 'Oh err, I'm not sure. We've had some real trouble getting them in from our suppliers. They're on our stocklist though, so as soon as they come in we'll have them' (Ie. completely lying, clearly didn't know what a bolivian ram was. Just told us what he thought would get us back to the shop.)

Seriously, I don't expect them to know as much about each specific fish. All I want is...
a) Them to know basic facts (or be willing to check in books if they're unsure...instead of lying)
b) Ethics....(don't sell an oscar, goldfish or similar without at least enquiring to tank size. Give correct maintenance info etc)
c) Basic husbandry...

I wouldn't say that's alot to ask to be honest.

Ps. no low cut t-shirts are worn during the purchasing of fish...that's for driving exams and nights out only. ;) :D
 
Yeesh.

Sounds like a right piece of work.

I'm losing tolerance for shoddy lfs standards now that I work in one and know just how hard (or how easy) some things are.
 
Rummynoses do tend to "play dead" when they're stressed. I would think that would be all the more reason to be gentle, though!
 

Most reactions

Back
Top