Unpopular Opinions (fish related)

[agusf]

How do we search an entire thread (like this one) to find out if someone already posted the same opinion?

Chain stores are not always inferior in quality, care and experience to LFS. This can vary from country to country of course. But certainly some LFS in my area in Miami, FL that I clearly would put under my local petco on my list. Also I used to live in Switzerland, and boy were the chain stores good there. Actually when I was there I had my first run in with a fish bringing disease into a tank when I bought from a LFS instead of the chain store I usually brought from, directly taking the advice of the bias in favor of LFS that I seem to find on this forum!

Also the way I see it the value proposition of chain stores like petco or petsmart is slightly different then that of LFS, directly due to different business models.

 

[kwi]

How do we search an entire thread (like this one) to find out if someone already posted the same opinion?

Chain stores are not always inferior in quality, care and experience to LFS. This can vary from country to country of course. But certainly some LFS in my area in Miami, FL that I clearly would put under my local petco on my list. Also I used to live in Switzerland, and boy were the chain stores good there. Actually when I was there I had my first run in with a fish bringing disease into a tank when I bought from a LFS instead of the chain store I usually brought from, directly taking the advice of the bias in favor of LFS that I seem to find on this forum!

Also the way I see it the value proposition of chain stores like petco or petsmart is slightly different then that of LFS, directly due to different business models.

I think a fair few members are equal in their distrust at any place that sells fish advice..........chain or indie.

 

[itiwhetu]

You need to do your own research and understand what you are entering into, trust nobody but trust your own instinct. You are responsible for your own bad decisions.

 

[AilyNC]

That last line is serious life advice

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I remember a facebook sign that said, "Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is that you were irresponsible and made a terrible decision." ha ha

On the other hand, I do appreciate the patience toward newbies on this forum. How are they supposed to know not to trust the people at Petco? It is nice that those of you who know better are willing to explain it. Over. and over. and over.

 

[LostBear]

That last line is serious life advice

STOP HOLDING ME RESPONSIBLE FOR THE THINGS I SAY AND DO!!!

I WON'T HAVE IT, I TELL YOU!

I WON'T HAVE IT!!!

 

[kwi]

STOP HOLDING ME RESPONSIBLE FOR THE THINGS I SAY AND DO!!!

I WON'T HAVE IT, I TELL YOU!

I WON'T HAVE IT!!!

We all know it's the voices..........

 

[WhistlingBadger]

STOP HOLDING ME RESPONSIBLE FOR THE THINGS I SAY AND DO!!!

I WON'T HAVE IT, I TELL YOU!

I WON'T HAVE IT!!!

Wow, with an attitude like that, you might have to move to urban America!

 

[Mr Tomato]

Ok.. undergravel filters are the future.
"Hang on..I was told that by my local pet shop owner 1976.
And my five Convicts made short work of it. Argh" dug up the gravel every day to see what that plastic white thing was..lol

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Ok.. undergravel filters are the future.
"Hang on..I was told that by my local pet shop owner 1976.
And my five Convicts made short work of it. Argh" dug up the gravel every day to see what that plastic white thing was..lol

Yeah, they're really fun with kuhli loaches, too. I had a school of them disappear one time. I thought they'd been eaten by something. Months later I re-did the tank, and there they all were, living happy as clams under the filter.

 

[LostBear]

Ok.. undergravel filters are the future.
"Hang on..I was told that by my local pet shop owner 1976.
And my five Convicts made short work of it. Argh" dug up the gravel every day to see what that plastic white thing was..lol

If you will stick them on a chain gang . . .

 

[LostBear]

Yeah, they're really fun with kuhli loaches, too. I had a school of them disappear one time. I thought they'd been eaten by something. Months later I re-did the tank, and there they all were, living happy as clams under the filter.

That's actually lovely!

Were they smiling? Our kuhli had a lovely smile.

 

[itiwhetu]

Hay don't be rude about under gravel filters. I still had one on my discus tank just 3 years ago before I moved to the coast. The water in Queenstown was very hard so I set up a tank with a full peat base in it and a DIY PVC pipe under gravel filter to keep the base fresh. That tank ran for 10 years before I had to pull it a part. The Discus loved it. I mentioned some where that I think if you are going to run full sand bases an under gravel filter like I had could really help the tank. Not that I have tried it.

 

[Retired Viking]

I still use UGF in one of my tanks and they do work very good. I had it also in my 55 gallon tetra tank until I switch from gravel to sand. As long as you do a good vacuuming of the gravel ever so often. My LFS also uses UGF in all his tanks for years. Sand will not work with a UGF unless you have something to keep the sand from falling through the filter plates openings. You need the space under the plates to draw water through to the up lift tubes and with sand it will fill up that space and shut down the filter.

 

[Fishmanic]

Two filters are better than a single filter.

I run both a HOB and a sponge filter on each of my tanks. Then if one should stop working, the other one will prevent a cycle crash. Also, they increase circulation to avoid dead spots.