Was At The Fish Shop Yesterday......

[Starletta]

When I got my first tank last year at PETCO, thank goodness the staff knew what they were doing. They would NOT let me buy any fish until I got my tank home and cycled. They were very insisted, which I appreciated.
 
PETCO will also not sell fish to anyone under the age of 16 or 18 (can't remember the exact age) without a parent in their presence.   Seems some kids would purchase feeder goldfish for kicks... 

 

[frapadoodle]

On a side note, since I was a boy Angelfish have been one of the most popular tropical fish.
So why can I not find a single shop stocking Angels within fifty miles?
Hope to give a report on the new Petsmart soon. The sign is up, so not much longer now.

Also, not so much a bad experience, but a difference of opinion at a fish only store. It seems one must absolutely have carbon in the filter. The fact I do not and have not for some while, was wrong period. So I changed the subject. It seems unless you have certain lights you can't grow plants. At that point, it was "Thank you, I think i'll have a look around."

 

[eaglesaquarium]

They were trying to make a sale.

 

[TallTree01]

I saw a foot long ghost knife at a display tank at the LFS. They didn't let me take a photo .

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Should have told them you were sending the pic to the other half - to discuss purchasing it.

 

[MBOU]

First they had bowl with a filter and no heater. Then it changed to small tank with filter and heater. Then they said they had a huge tank.  When he said they could only take 1, they changed the story to 2 tanks with heaters and filters.  He just started laughing and said well which one is it and they said 2 tanks and he was like well that's fine then.
The stupid little boy sold them 2 siamese fighters which we all know were going into the same bowl. I said to him obviously the fluttering of the fake eyelashes clouded your common sense or the orange glow from their faces was so strong it melted the remainder of your brain. I have this problem where I don't think before I speak, I just say it anyway
 

 
Personally, I think you were out of order in berating that poor member of staff and if I had been the manager, I'd have been advising you to make any purchases you needed to and to leave the shop.
 
Of course the guy serving wasn't going to be sneering at the customers he was serving, no matter what you think of the idiot people that come into the shop, it pays to be attentive and non judgemental, especially if you want to keep your job. Doesn't mean he was drooling over them, just means he has a few manners more than most.
 
As for selling the fighters... he didn't have a choice, if a customer walks into a shop and describes their tank as 3ft with a few neon tetras, good water quality, regular maintenance etc.. would you expect him to refuse a sale? No? Well what if the customer had an unfiltered bowl but had been listening to the advise of other members of staff and realised to get what they want, they would have to lie?
 
Shop assistants have absolutely NO obligation or right to judge whether someone is lying, if someone purchases a fish and cant provide it with its needs, they are legally responsible and so if people choose to lie... that is their problem. It would be considerably less depressing if there had been an animal protection society but alas... i'm not entirely sure there is!
 
Consider how depressing it must be for a member of staff selling those fish with no choice, knowing they will probably die.

 

[the_lock_man]

I have to say, hats off to Pets@Home. I don't normally frequent these stores, but my older sons were shopping for cricket gear in Sports Direct, and so I took my 5yo along to the neighbouring P@H, so he could watch the rodents, and therefore not be bored and run riot.
 
The rodent section is right next to the aquatic section, so naturally I glanced in that direction. They currently have an offer whereby you buy a tank, and they give you a voucher for £5 off some fish. The voucher is not redeemable on the day of purchase.
 
I know anyone can just come back the next day, but at least it's a step in the right direction, and at least it might get some people asking themselves why they do this, and to research the answer.

 

[daizeUK]

They do have a policy of not selling you fish on the same day you buy a tank.  I got one of those vouchers when I bought my tank from Pets at Home.  I've still got it lol, I do buy equipment but I never bought any fish or plants from there!  They also try to colour code the fish to indicate whether the fish is suitable for a new tank (in other words, whether it is hardy enough to survive cycling).
 
It's a shame about the plants because for some reason they are covered really badly in brown algae - they look awful.  But there is a lady working there who is really into planted tanks and loves talking to me about plants whenever I walk in - she gets depressed because the majority of customers aren't interested in live plants!