Another stupid story to shake your head at...

[PlatyLady]

Just got back from buying sniffles supplies at Walmart, and stopped in the fish section, as usual.

There was a couple buying guppies and a pleco. As usual, I like to listen what care instructions are given. The sales associate readily assured them that their three new fish would all be just fine in their cold water goldfish bowl that they were also purchasing. Her pleco has lived in a goldfish bowl for two weeks with no problems.

?!?!?

She was mean-looking and with my hacking cough, there was nothing I could do...

 

[ferret]

Poor pleco

 

[Allivymar]

*sigh*

I have to admit; I have no manners and would have opened my big fat mouth LOL I've done it before. Usually to very nasty looks from the lfs employees, but feh. If it saves a fish I figure its worth it.

 

[Enki]

You go Alli!

A little hurt pride in some one is a fair exchange for possibly saving a fishes life, or saving it from a life of suffering.

 

[stoneydee]

Allivymar, you sound like my kind of woman. The folks at my local WalMart and PetsMart usually have one of two reactions when they see me in the fish section - a couple of them will ask me what I think about something, OR, the majority make themselves scarce, since they know I will (and have) personally supervise the moving, removing, and feeding of fish.

I call it "education."

 

[madasafish]

I'm lucky. The guy at my LFS has been really receptive to my advice and has since done some research of his own. Recently, I've heard him giving out advice that's worthy of this site. Hurray!

A success story!

 

[William]

I, personally, have taken the equipment of their little " work " area and gone to fix their mistakes while they watch [ namely, putting 3 male bettas in ONE of those little cup-sized bowls they have ]


I have also butted it on conversations and corrected salesmen in wal-mart, Not only in the pet department, but electronics as well.




Electronics Saleman : " Sir, you have a TV thats not compatable with DVDs, you'll have to buy a new TV "

I bump in

Me : " Excuse me, sir. Do you have your DVD player hooked up through your VCR? "

Man : " Yes, I do actually. "

Me : " Thats your problem sir *insert the " go away " look towards stockboy here* They have protection in them called Macrovision that messes up your picture when you play through a VCR, plug it right to the TV and all will be fine. "

Man : " Really? Thankyou "

Me : " No problem! "

 

[Allivymar]

Heh, I've actually had one of the guys at Petsmart ask ME questions; I was buying my Python and he wanted to know all about it. I've complained to lfs when I've seen redtail catfish in their tanks without the info about how big they get (not that it changed anything, but I felt better), and made one place add the proper name to a hillstream loach (they were calling it a butterfly pleco).

Probably because I could care less what they think about me LOL I have NO problem opening my mouth. I admit tho, when I find someone really knowledgeable, or helpful, I also make sure someone knows about that too. Good service and husbandry/animal care needs to be acknowledged as well IMHO.

 

[ostrichkiller]

ya william i love to correct people about electronice and fish stuff when ever i can, especially walmart. i don't correct much fish stuff because i still concider myself new to the hobby. electronice though i love to insult the people at walmart...make my day when i can tell the person to "go back to gardening or cleaning, i'll help your customer get what he needs"

 

[BrianNY]

I couldn't have kept my mouth shut. There is no way I'd let them put a pleco in a goldfish bowl. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

 

[freshwatergal]

I was at wal-mart tonight just looking at the fish, and a mother came up with her two kids. First off she was letting them bang on the fish tanks, that made me cringe. There were also these two teenagers that were looking to get some fish as well. I had to get some tinfoil barbs, and as the "fish lady" was getting them for me, the teenagers asked if they put a female and male betta together, would the male kill the female. The "fish lady" said right away, no that only happens when you put two males together. I corrected her and said eventually one might kill the other, especially if they breed. They then went around the corner and came back with a goldfish bowl and were still looking at the freshwater fish, not the goldfish mind you, but the freshwater fish. The lady with two kids was asking about what to put in a vase that she use to have a betta in (you know the one that has the plant growing out of the top of it). The betta had died, and the son really wanted a replacement. He was looking at a dwarf frog. I told her that would probably be good, as long as she kept the water real clean. Then she pointed to a pleco and said she wanted one of those. I quickly told her no, they get huge and she really needed a BIG tank for one of those guys. She then asked the "fish lady" what frogs ate, and she told her she didn't know. I told the lady to go down to pet supplies plus, where they sell "frog food".

I think perhaps if wal-mart and the big chain stores took the time to educate their employess on things like this, "bad" things would never happen. Just my 2 cents here... :?

 

[Fruitbat]

So far most of the folks at my local shops have been reasonably tolerant of my occasional 'advice and comment'. I'm afraid I may have made a mortal enemy of the pet department guy at the local Wal-Mart though (not that I'd ever buy any fish there). They had some of the most Ich-infested fish I've ever seen....and I announced that fact to my young daughter who was standing next to me. Of course...I also said it loud enough so that the five or six people standing in line to get fish also heard me. Needless to say the Wal-Mart guy was NOT amused! He did, however, come up to me after his customers had disappeared and asked me what causes Ich and how he should treat it.

 

[tkos]

I have jumped in many times at WalMart. As much as I hate seeing the conditions of their tanks, I do love helping people with their fish. Often I am sure that people don't care what I tell them, but occasionally people are truely happy to hear what I have to say.

Things like - Why don't you buy that nice bowl for your betta instead of a cup. It costs the same. I wouldn't buy that pleco. No, goldfish tanks don't need to be heated to 80F.

I have actually lied a few times to save some fish. I told a lady that a pleco would eat her other fish. She had a 5 gallon tank in her cart.

 

[shawmutt]

Well, I need to play the devil's advocate here. My local Petsmart is pretty decent, they label the fish with common andscientific names, each one is labeled as agressive or community, and the approximate adult size is shown. When someone comes in and buys a clown knife fish for a 20 gallon tank, even though the sign says they can grow up to 30", they get none of my sympathy.

I know how easy it can be, I killed many a fish when I started out due simply to ignorance. But since I educated myself a bit about the hobby, my fish are happy and healthy. (Wish I could say the same about my fishtank )





Yeah, I can see Alli now, shopping around in the lfs--she overhears a conversation:

"So, this oscar will go nicely in my 2 gallon tank at work?"
"Why yes sir, and while you're at it, take this one size fits all pleco!"

And Alli jumps into action--"Unhand that pacu you fiend!" and then tells the customer all the woes of the evil lfs until finally, two hours later, the customer runs out of the store in tears, vowing to never return until he has done his research on aquariumadvice.com .

(and then shawmutt, finally feeling properly avenged for the "propa ph" comment Alli made in a prior post a few months ago, giggles and runs off)

 

[Sinuhe]

Wow, these are some scary stories. I'm lucky to have a very good LFS. They give you correct information, or if they don't know an answer to a question, they just say they don't know. They always label the tanks that are with sick fish and being treated. The last time I was visiting there, I saw a Gourami with some Ich-looking spots, pointed it out to a worker (I think she might be the manager there), and she immediately said she's going to medicate them. There's another store in the town that's not nearly as good, I barely go there anymore.

 

[ferret]

The majority of folks at the local Petsmat know me by name. Several times I've helped customers while they were busy. A few know their stuff, a few I wouldn't let net out even feeders.

 

[PlatyLady]

Damn, I wish I had the balls that all of you seem to have! I stood there in awe coughing and sniffling (stupid cold!), practically in my pyjamas. Even if I had been feeling well, I don't know if I'd have said anything. I too feel fairly new and am a chicken to boot.

To be fair, all the tanks at this particular Walmart seem okay. I always check them for ich, and have seen it only once. The occasional torn fin, too. Mainly, it's the uneducated salespeople that irk me!

 

[deli_conker]

Wow. I feel really lucky that my lfs is so good. Their prices on "hardware" are a little high, but the all the people there know what they are talking about. All the tanks are well maintained and labeled; scientific and (usually) common. None of the tanks are overcrowded either.

 

[TankGirl]

I couldn't have kept my mouth shut. There is no way I'd let them put a pleco in a goldfish bowl. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Me either!! That is why I avoid Walmart if I can, because I just can't stand it and can't help but into someone's business. Now when I go into PetsMart or another big chain I try to keep my ears closed. Once I stopped a lady in the parking lot who had just left a store with a bagful of chemicals to treat "cloudy water" (I had overheard the salesperson explaining the virtues of all of this stuff) and begged her to test her water first, and do water changes, and to come to AA and join the gang! I have an AA bumper sticker on my car (everybody should have one) so I can point it out when I am conducting parking lot lecture series'. Then I had a little chat with the clerk about the subject. Now every time I go in that shop the same clerk will come up to me with some kind of challenging statement or passive/aggressive comment, and will actually comment to other customers about whatever I might be buying ("well, she needs that cichlid sand because with a sand tank when you do water changes you lose most of the sand, so you have to constantly replace it.." Me: "Um, no, actually this is for a new tank setup. I am an expert at vacuuming sand and you are doing it wrong if you have to constantly replace the sand!").