I went to LFS other day, and I was very sad...

[corrado33]

Hey everybody, first post here, but I'm not a forum noob. I am, however, a slight aquarium... let's just say beginner. I have a 15 gallon freshwater and a 2.5 gallon betta tank set up and running just fine now.

But anyway, on with my story. I went to the LFS the other day to get some filter inserts, and I saw this guy buying 6 bags of fish (yes, six BAGS, not six fish), a 10 gallon tank, and he had absolutely no idea what he was doing. The sales person was following him around just answering his questions.

I felt so bad for those fish. When I first started my aquarium, I lost two fish, because I failed to wait long enough for my cycle to finish (or start, depending on how you look at it). I'm pretty sure he was going to lose all of the fish. He didn't even know what to feed them... (I know because I was looking at food for a good 15 minutes figuring out what I should buy (and I had coupons...))

Anybody ever have any similar experiences?

P.S. I love coming to new forum sites, not just for the community, but for the smilies... What the HECK is this thing... ???

 

[Aquarium1]

I went to a chain store, walmart, one time that told us African Cichlids were sw fish. And the employees were talking to each other about how they "needed another betta" like it was a filter cartridge that needs replacing >:[

 

[blackomen]

Hey everybody, first post here, but I'm not a forum noob. I am, however, a slight aquarium... let's just say beginner. I have a 15 gallon freshwater and a 2.5 gallon betta tank set up and running just fine now.

But anyway, on with my story. I went to the LFS the other day to get some filter inserts, and I saw this guy buying 6 bags of fish (yes, six BAGS, not six fish), a 10 gallon tank, and he had absolutely no idea what he was doing. The sales person was following him around just answering his questions.

I felt so bad for those fish. When I first started my aquarium, I lost two fish, because I failed to wait long enough for my cycle to finish (or start, depending on how you look at it). I'm pretty sure he was going to lose all of the fish. He didn't even know what to feed them... (I know because I was looking at food for a good 15 minutes figuring out what I should buy (and I had coupons...))

Anybody ever have any similar experiences?

P.S. I love coming to new forum sites, not just for the community, but for the smilies... What the HECK is this thing... ???

That smilie is a character off a cartoon called Princess Monoke.

 

[corrado33]

I went to a chain store, walmart, one time that told us African Cichlids were sw fish. And the employees were talking to each other about how they "needed another betta" like it was a filter cartridge that needs replacing >:[

Don't even get me started on wal-mart... I went there the other day because I had planned on buying some guppies over the weekend. It snowed a ton, and the LFSs were all closed. Now, I'm at school and I don't have a car, and I'm not home very often so it's a rare opportunity for me to get fish. So... as a last resort I went to wal-mart. I felt extremely bad for the fish there. They were obviously mistreated. I saw at least 3 dead fish. However, with guppies being so cheap, I figured I could provide a better home than wal-mart could. I bought the rest of the guppies they had (all 3 of them). I put them in an improvised quarantine tank for a couple of weeks. They all survived and are happy now. I'm just glad I saved them. I know guppies are nothing to most of you out there in fish forum land, but I like groups of small fish. Honestly, if I had a huge tank, I'd love to have a couple of schools of small fish. (However that'd highly limit my selection of bigger fish right?)

Now, don't take me for an animal activist. You won't see me marching the streets for animal rights. But fish are easy to take care of (relatively). So there are no suitable excuses for their mistreatment.

 

[FLFishFanatic]

Don't blame you corrado, I tend to fall for at least one 39 cent goldfish at my LFS, just to give him a shot at a happy life.

 

[Aquarium1]

Don't even get me started on wal-mart... I went there the other day because I had planned on buying some guppies over the weekend. It snowed a ton, and the LFSs were all closed. Now, I'm at school and I don't have a car, and I'm not home very often so it's a rare opportunity for me to get fish. So... as a last resort I went to wal-mart. I felt extremely bad for the fish there. They were obviously mistreated. I saw at least 3 dead fish. However, with guppies being so cheap, I figured I could provide a better home than wal-mart could. I bought the rest of the guppies they had (all 3 of them). I put them in an improvised quarantine tank for a couple of weeks. They all survived and are happy now. I'm just glad I saved them. I know guppies are nothing to most of you out there in fish forum land, but I like groups of small fish. Honestly, if I had a huge tank, I'd love to have a couple of schools of small fish. (However that'd highly limit my selection of bigger fish right?)

Now, don't take me for an animal activist. You won't see me marching the streets for animal rights. But fish are easy to take care of (relatively). So there are no suitable excuses for their mistreatment.

Thats horrible. Walmart doesn't know how to care for fish. How sad.

Don't blame you corrado, I tend to fall for at least one 39 cent goldfish at my LFS, just to give him a shot at a happy life.

I don't blame either of you. I would buy all the abused fish in the world if I had that many and that large of a tank. lol

 

[dkpate]

I second that! If I had a bigger house, I would have more tanks! I never thought I would like guppies, but now that I have some, I LOVE THEM! They are SOO funny, playing tag all day.
My bettas were all the saddest looking little guys (except for one), and I feel great knowing I have given them a better life. I hate going to Walmart because I about bust into tears when I see all the poor fish, so I choose to usually go to the Walmart that doesn't have a fish section. It breaks my heart to see the blood parrots, and they just seem like they want attention when you go by. I am a sucker for abused/suffering animals, which is why I save all I can....lol. But you won't see me picketing either, unless it's for the Humane Society.

 

[corrado33]

My bettas were all the saddest looking little guys (except for one), and I feel great knowing I have given them a better life.

That's funny. My betta is actually quite active (for a betta) and he's so funny. I went to feed him once when my girlfriend was over, and I was pointing at him, so he jumped from the water and tried to grab my finger! It was hilarious. He also did something similar when I set up new lighting for his tank. He attacked the light once or twice. It was amusing to watch. He also loves to follow my finger around (as well as my other fish in the other tank.)

Anyway, why don't bettas go crazy when they're all stacked together closely together in the stores? I'd assume they'd be trying to attack the heck out of each other. Lack of oxygen maybe?

 

[Aquarium1]

O yeah. Almost forgot I need some betta food. However my local walmart doesn't feel like selling it anymore so now I have to pay shipping and the bettas at the lfs probably don't fight because they don't have a heater which makes them more active.

 

[dkpate]

Yeah, heater, dirty water, stressed from the guys in the next tub, etc. Poor babies!

Corrado~ Mine do the same thing! I was putting peas in there today and looking over at the other betta, and my feistiest one was hanging on my finger! They will jump out of the water if I don't get their food in there fast enough...LOL. I also let them chase my finger because it's funny when these little guys try to be all tough. HAHA! They're so cute and funny. If they could be kept together, I would have 50 of them in my 75G, then there wouldn't be any left at the gross pet store slowly dying.

 

[Viper]

I actually went to Walmart one time and the lady in the fish section didn't even know how to net a fish! I had to get on their little step stool and scoop out my own fish (which I didn't mind because I probably caused much less stress to them than she would have!)

 

[Jason7894561230]

We dont have Walmarts in Australia but we do have some pet warehouses that are very bad. I went in there and there was some people buying cichlids that were moving very moppily and some neon tetras i thought this was crazy!!!

 

[jestes]

There's three LFS' here in Memphis, other than the chain stores. Two are very good, and one is horrible. I went into the third one day just to check it out, and they had a 55 gallon tank with a large redtail catfish, and 5 pacus. The pacus barely had enough room to turn around, and the redtail couldn't. The best analogy I can think of is like trying to pack a couple of people into a phone booth. Thank God the other two LFS' are really good!

 

[jessibell]

our walmart had such a bad time trying to keep their fish alive that they gave up and ripped out the fish tanks to make more room for cat litter. We have only one store to buy fish, a very small but great Petland. I worked there for a couple years and the lady who works in the fish department is a freaking genious, really. She probably has more tanks at home than she does in the store LOL

 

[sarahh]

i am glad to know that i am not the only one..
i was in walmart two days ago getting a thermometer, and i saw an overcrowded tank with two very pregnant mickey mouse platies. They were squared off and about to burst, poor little mommas. There were some dalmation mollies that looked like they had ich, so there was no way i was leaving the babies to the walmart staff.. ich or no.

Well, long story short, i forgot the thermometer and now we have some lovely little platy fry swimming around out QT tank.. I bumped the temp to about 80, and the mommas have shown no sign of ich so far, and hopefully the fry will stay safe.

Never would have thought of myself as a fish rights activist, and now i have a single mom shelter.. lol

 

[Viper]

i am glad to know that i am not the only one..
i was in walmart two days ago getting a thermometer, and i saw an overcrowded tank with two very pregnant mickey mouse platies. They were squared off and about to burst, poor little mommas. There were some dalmation mollies that looked like they had ich, so there was no way i was leaving the babies to the walmart staff.. ich or no.

Well, long story short, i forgot the thermometer and now we have some lovely little platy fry swimming around out QT tank.. I bumped the temp to about 80, and the mommas have shown no sign of ich so far, and hopefully the fry will stay safe.

Never would have thought of myself as a fish rights activist, and now i have a single mom shelter.. lol

That is awesome! Good for you. No fish (let alone an expecting mother) should have to deal with those conditions. Congrats on your new addition(s)

 

[ac1993]

Wow people will do anything for money...