Got this from my son yesterday...

[Tank Girl]

My son works at PetSmart and a customer came in to have his water tested. This was the result:

 

[Thecurly1]

Wow, poor fish!

 

[Taiken5968]

Dang. Looks like my test strips when I first started.

 

[Tank Girl]

Oh yeah , the ammonia was off the charts, too. 100 gal tank, with two pacus. Guy (in his forties) said one of the pacus was "looking sick". A pleco he had in there died recently. He was surprised by the results because he had "just done a water change a few weeks ago".

 

[Taiken5968]

Oh yeah , the ammonia was off the charts, too. 100 gal tank, with two pacus. Guy (in his forties) said one of the pacus was "looking sick". A pleco he had in there died recently. He was surprised by the results because he had "just done a water change a few weeks ago".

That's sad because he probably didn't know he was doing anything wrong. Some fish stores just don't inform people, and some people don't research. The first aquarium I ever bought was smaller than a 10 gallon. And here is my stock list.

2 goldfish
5 red glass barbs
3 angelfish
4 fish that had horizontal, don't remember what they were.

Keep in mind I bought all of this at once and no one stopped me and said, "you can't put that many fish in there". I knew nothing about cycling a tank, water changes or even to replace the filter cartridge. Everything slowly died off and I gave up fish keeping for about 6 years. I was smart enough to do research the next time.

 

[HUKIT]

I personally wouldn't put to much stock in those results with test strips, they are notoriously inaccurate. I've seen them test positive for ammonia and nitrites showing results in the 5-10ppm range but with a quality liquid test kit such as the API version they're both at 0ppm.

 

[Tank Girl]

I know at the PetSmart where my son works, they HAVE to ask what kind of tank you're putting the fish in. They can and will refuse to sell fish if your tank isn't large enough. He takes all kinds of abuse from customers over it. Wow, could he tell you some stories! And he tries to tell people all the time what they need to have a successful tank and people regularly blow him off. They just don't want to hear it.

 

[Taiken5968]

I know at the PetSmart where my son works, they HAVE to ask what kind of tank you're putting the fish in. They can and will refuse to sell fish if your tank isn't large enough. He takes all kinds of abuse from customers over it. Wow, could he tell you some stories! And he tries to tell people all the time what they need to have a successful tank and people regularly blow him off. They just don't want to hear it.

When I first started this time tee would ask me, but they all just about know me by now.
I always ask and listen, but the only rule I don't agree with is the one inch per gallon rule.

 

[Tank Girl]

HUKIT - not saying you're wrong, but I've done a lot of side by sides with liquid tests and strips and they come out pretty accurate.

 

[Tank Girl]

When I first started this time tee would ask me, but they all just about know me by now.
I always ask and listen, but the only rule I don't agree with is the one inch per gallon rule.

I agree! An inch of guppy, for example, is totally different than an inch of goldfish.

 

[Taiken5968]

I agree! An inch of guppy, for example, is totally different than an inch of goldfish.

Yeah and I don't want to think about how many inches of guppy I have in a 10 gallon, if that rule was set into stone.