Your lfs/lps

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I have noticed certain things about my lfs that i am going to ask/tell the owner to change and i was wondering wether you had them in your lfs/lps and what you think about them;
a. The majority of plecs are nocturnal and in my lfs they have a mixed plec tank where there is no rocks/ornements/plants for the plecs to hide under and the lights are on in the tank for about 9 hrs a day; surely this is stressing the plecs out in the tank being under constant light?
b. In all the livebearer fish tanks they are usualy male and female fish in the same tank. Usually as people buy the fish you end up with 10 male platys for example with only 2 females because there seems to be a large demand for female fish in my lfs. Isn't this cruel keeping the females being constantly harrassed and out numbered by the males and shouldn't people separate the genders once they become out balanced?
c. There is only one sand tank in my lfs and that has cichilds in it; my lfs regualy stocks khuli loaches and corys which prefer sand to gravel as it doesn't hurt their barbs so don't you think lfs's should have their cory/khuli tanks with sand in them to set a good example to others?
d. My lfs always stocks sucker loaches(you know, the ones that turn realy evil once they start growing big and kill all your other fish) but i don't see why; they are genurenly unsociable fish that grow huge, usually starve alot because they are so efficient at eating algae and need big tanks. They always sell them to people with small tanks as "little fish good at eating algae" but soon get returned once they start causing problems for the owner...Do you think lfs's should stock less of the fish that are very unsociable/grow huge?
I think it would save alot of fish being badly treated and returned in the long run...

 

[Raechal]

I agree that they should only stock a few fish that get fairly huge and need a huge tank. Like columbian shark catfish. Many people are attracted to them because they look awesome, but they need a fairly large tank and brackish water.

 

[SworDTail KeePer]

I don't know but the owners or manigers do not excpect to have these fish for very long so they do not have them in the perfect invironment so I gusse you won't see every fish in the store to have there own perfect invironment.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Yes my lfs stocks far too many plecs, they have them in every month and im sure not everyone in the town/village has 3ft tanks...The other problem with my lfs is that they kinda order a bulk fish-that-the-fish-farm-couldn't-sell plecs that come up in a mixed lot; somtimes they have up to 20 plecs in a tank with 10 different species of them, so it is very hard to pic out the right plec for your tank that you will know will grow to a certain size.

 

[SworDTail KeePer]

Well I still don't know but they might just whant to stock up on fish. Yes I know it can be aggrivating that you can't find the fish you want in the tank because of all the diffrent speciecs of fish but if they have it in there make the fish catcher catche it for thats there job to do. Yea they might get pissed off at you but thats there job make them do it.......lol. But sorry cant't fisically help you with this.

 

[MegTheFish]

I think they don't give any hiding places for the plecs because if they were hiding all the time then nobody would see them, and nobody would buy them.

 

[SworDTail KeePer]

Maybe they don't want to either because they can't afford it or they just don't care but anyway they don't really care any because all they wan't is to get the customers money.

 

[nc_nutcase]

I think they don't give any hiding places for the plecs because if they were hiding all the time then nobody would see them, and nobody would buy them.

I think that is a very good point. Although I strongly support the principal that if you are going to house something... even if for a short time (like from shipment day to sale day) you should house it well. Yet at the same time the shops would be cutting their own throats if they provided 'proper' cover for their fish. It would A) make it very difficult for customers to see them which would cut down on sales which would cut down on profits to be reinvested which would result in lower wages for employees which would result in promoting the employees that are regularly complained about here, and B) It would be MUCH harder for the employees to catch the fish which would take longer which would result in needing more employees to handle the customer load which would result in higher prices which I see commonly complained about on here, not to mention it would cause a higher level of stress on the fish while being netted.

We have to remember that a Pet Shop is a business. I hope and pray they are owned and managed by people who love animals, but they have to be managed in a way which is profitable so the shops don't go out of business and so they can feed their children. I don't know what it's like around you but I've seen the cars the owners of the local pet shops here drive. With the exception of one (and I don't shop at his store) they aren't real impressive... (*Note: Corporate stores not included, they all have BMWs )

Also guys, remember... we all complain about high prices and then shop online for supplies. This means we are supporting poor housing and maintenance on local fish. To maintain the level of care that we all gripe that fish need costs money (as we all know by what we spend keeping our 2 or 4 or 8 tanks going... trying keeping 200).

Little things like having strong suppliers, removing dead fish from tanks, keeping lids on tanks so fish don't jump out... these are simple things that only require paying attention. These are the things I watch for when 'judging' a fish store. I also expect to pay a little more at shops that are well maintained... ya know... ya just can't have your cake and eat it too....

 

[FoundMoney]

nc nutcase makes a lot of sense. I purposely shop at a store that charges more because I think they take better care of their fish. The bristlenose plec I bought from them was in a discus tank with quite a few pieces of driftwood. The 3 otos and today the SAE that I bought were all kept in planted tanks. I'm paying as much as twice as much (and compared to internet shops even more) as I might somewhere else, but at least I know the fish are taken care of. Everything comes at a price.

 

[nc_nutcase]

That is highly respectable FoundMoney... integrity means we support that which we believe in... regardless of the personal inconveniences.........

 

[colegamby]

d. My lfs always stocks sucker loaches(you know, the ones that turn realy evil once they start growing big and kill all your other fish) but i don't see why; they are genurenly unsociable fish that grow huge, usually starve alot because they are so efficient at eating algae and need big tanks.

you wouldnt happen to have a picture of these guys would you because i recently purchased a tank with fish. im not sure what kind of fish some of them are. there is a sucker fish in there but im not sure what kind he is. if you dont have one ill keep lookin.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

d. My lfs always stocks sucker loaches(you know, the ones that turn realy evil once they start growing big and kill all your other fish) but i don't see why; they are genurenly unsociable fish that grow huge, usually starve alot because they are so efficient at eating algae and need big tanks.

you wouldnt happen to have a picture of these guys would you because i recently purchased a tank with fish. im not sure what kind of fish some of them are. there is a sucker fish in there but im not sure what kind he is. if you dont have one ill keep lookin.

I don't have any pics but i used to keep some; i would say the main 2 types of algae eating fish the majority of lfs's sell are plecs and loaches;
Loaches look slim and stream lined fish and they most common colors are brown/grey and black marked ones but you also get "golden" ones which vary from yellow, orange, skin color to other similar plale shades.
The best way i can describe a plec is they look somthing like a cross between a shark and a frog; they usuallly have a mottled brown pattening on them

Back to the topic though, concerning the ornements/hiding places/plants/sand etc for plecs and corys in particular for creating a good enviroment/home for the fish in lfs's, i wondering about suggesting the lfs uses its own merchandise for sale for this; it would be a good way to advertise the merchandise and supply the fish the comfort/conditions they desire and the lfs would probably sell more because people would be more inspired to buy the things after seeing the proper setup up stuff like plants and ornements in action.
It is difficult to see the plecs in my lfs as it is though as they all cram behind and underneif the heater and filter in the tank, so adding a cave wouldn't make you not see them anymore than you do and if they go under some rocks or cave at least all you have to do is pick it up.
Also, stress kills fish and im sure being under constant light stress's the plecs out in particular and if they felt less stressed maybe not so many fish would die and the lfs would make more profit in the long run.
Im not asking the lfs to spend loadsa cash on fish caves and ornements/rocks and stuff, but how much does a plant cost? its not exactly wallet breaking quantitys of money we're talking here.

 

[NinjaSmurf]

My local fish shop only stocks clown and bristlenose plecs, she doesn't get the big ones, and she stopped stocking khulies years ago because she uses underground filters along with the ones that go in the water (can't think of the name ) and they'd get in under the UGF and be gone for weeks, she had to tear apart a few tanks to get them all out.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't sand have a tendency to show poop a lot faster than gravel? That wouldn't be a good thing to have in a bunch of sale tanks, that would mean a lot more cleaning.

Besides, if people care about fish, they'll research. And just because the petstore keeps *blank* fish in a tank with sand doesn't mean the people buying it will, if they want hot pink gravel their going to use hot pink gravel. Even if the people at the fish store tells them a fact it doesn't mean they will listen, case in point the lady who runs (and owns) my lfs told me that a woman came in and wanted eight tiger barbs for her fifty five gallon fancy goldfish tank She told her they'd kill her goldfish, the woman refused to listen and bought them anyways (remember kids, this is a small town and this store isn't exactly making a bundle). Two days later the store lady got a frantic call from the woman who bought the barbs, she's crying about the barbs killing her goldfish and wanted to know if the store lady would buy them back!!! I can't remember if she bought them back or took them back, but hey, stupid people will be stupid.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

And correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't sand have a tendency to show poop a lot faster than gravel? That wouldn't be a good thing to have in a bunch of sale tanks, that would mean a lot more cleaning.

In some senses yes, but overall it is a lot easier to maintain a clean tank with it than gravel; yes fish poo may stick out more on white sand for example but it usually get washed straight into the filter by the filter currents rather than gravel in which it usually just settles in between.

I think the situation is more about influencing people to go down the right paths; you can bring a horse to water but you can't make it drink. On the other hand if perhaps that horse see's other horses happily drinking the water it will be more willing to than being just told to.
What im trying to say is, when people first start out in the fish keeping hobby and they go to their lfs, they kind of veiw their lfs as some all-knowing place about fish(which also leads most people not bothering to do research, after beleiving the lfs's word, but anyways.
I would like my lfs to set a better example to newb's/everyone not only in selecting the right fish but also by setting an example in giving them the correct conditions to live in. There seems to be alot of discussion here about cycling tanks and chosing the right fish but i feel people rarely take into consideration the right conditions for the fish i.e providing shade for plecs/sand for corys/khulis or the right tank depth etc .

If you are new to fish keeping and go to a lfs and see plecs in an open tank with no shade, then that person couldn't be blamed for thinking that was ok in the long run to keep them that way etc.

 

[SimonA]

Plec

Loach

Oto

Siamese Flying Fox

All eat algae.