Newbies please read

[Edmonton Eskimo]

I have been reading a lot of posts lately that are really starting to disturb me. People are keeping triggers in 29 gallon tanks and three tangs and other fish in a 55 gallon. Please research before you buy. These animals for the most part come from the wild and there populations are being depleted because of this kind of thing. I'm not saying I haven't made any mistakes in this hobby but I try to do the best for my fish. I have heard the saying "they all look healthy" looks can be very decieving. I had an angel who was eating and swimming around and appeared to be very healthy only to die in two days with no signs of disease. This forum is to help but you still need to research BEFORE you buy. Please let's all try to give our fish the best environment we can. Thank you

 

[neilster1]

You should realize that many LFS's don't give out good information, and many of the good ones are so expensive on the hard goods end that people get turned off to the hobby. You don't generally find out about sites like these until well after you've been to a LFS and likely already started. I found it quite by accident myself.

Go easy on the new guys. Chastize them off the bat and they won't come back.

 

[Salttanker]

I don't think Edmonton is trying to chastise anyone here. There have been a lot of people lately that have purchased fish that are inappropriate for their tanks.
We all know that lfs sometimes delivers bad information. To avoid that, check here first for opinions and/or advice.
I think he just wants everyone from here on out on this forum to research and ask questions before making livestock purchases. We are all here to help and learn.

Mike

 

[Hara]

unfortunately, alot of people ask the questions, don't like the answers and do what they want to anyway. Then they come with the problems...the same problems that could have been prevented in the first place.
I am not talking about one impulse buy, we have all done that. The fact is, there are those that just do not give a rats butt about the fish they buy...they just buy, and buy and buy. Then they come here and complain that the fish don't live very long, or they have diseased tanks, or that they got bad advice.

I agree with what edmonton is saying as it seems lately, we are preaching the same message on most of the threads and it does get frustrating. If people are going to get "run off" by reading this, then they probably wouldn't have taken the advice to begin with.

 

[zenn]

I bet the number one cause of fish dieing in this hobby is due to fish in smaller tanks than needed. The rest of the problems branch out of that one. People want the big pretty tang/angel and the LFS willingly sells these fish without telling people it'll die unless you have the right tank and water quality. So the fish untimately suffer cause one, they're pretty...and two, cause everyone wants to make a profit. But this site needs to continue to pound that message into peoples head(min. tank size etc.). This site really has turned me into a responsible saltwater aquarist and that's a good thing. And for whatever it's worth, I'm slowly turning a friend into a more responsible aquarist as well; i'm preaching the word if you will.

 

[Salttanker]

This site really has turned me into a responsible saltwater aquarist and that's a good thing.

That is what this site is all about. 8)

Mike

 

[haus]

You don't generally find out about sites like these until well after you've been to a LFS and likely already started.

That was my case, hence cycling with damsels and cc instead of a dsb, but fortunately I found this site before I bought any other fish. Hopefully people will accept the information provided from this site, and realise that just because a fish is pretty doesn't mean that it belongs in your tank.

PS -> I wish I could have the queen angel that my lfs has in stock

 

[cmor1701d]

Well said haus. I think many of us ahve fouond this site after being frustarted by the lfs giving bad/contradicting advice. Anybody want 90 pounds of CC

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

I'm absolutely not trying to chastize anyone I'm just trying to save people lots of headaches and wasted money and to save fish from needless deaths. I think lfs's should be held accountable for bad advice that leads to unneccessary deaths. I realise that they are running a bussiness and money talks but there has to be something in place to pursuade them from giving such terrible advice and don't get me wrong there are some very good ones that will tell you the truth but they seem to becoming fewer and farther between.

 

[zenn]

I'm absolutely not trying to chastize anyone I'm just trying to save people lots of headaches and wasted money and to save fish from needless deaths. I think lfs's should be held accountable for bad advice that leads to unneccessary deaths. I realise that they are running a bussiness and money talks but there has to be something in place to pursuade them from giving such terrible advice and don't get me wrong there are some very good ones that will tell you the truth but they seem to becoming fewer and farther between.

yeah, cause when they tell you your tank isn't big enough and this hobby is expensive to keep up...people go elsewhere with their money.

 

[labman]

here is the problem

you walk into a fish store with all the pretty fish next thing you know you have a tank a filter and are setting it up then when recyled the sales person starts selling you fish if you ask them oh no problem easy then you find out afterwards that either the sales person knows nothing or they took advantage of you the problem is till after we get into the hobby we don't realize we need to educate ourselves and don't find places like this till after we make our mistakes. one salt water store I went to was selling young black tip sharks now how many of us have the set up to keep a black tip shark happy come on be responsible

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

I find the best way to deal with lfs's is to only speak to managers. If a manager gives you the wrong info you can go back to him and he will usually make it right. At my lfs I will only speak to two people and if they aren't there I will come back when they are. I know it's hard to resist making a purchase but it must be done sometimes in order to save some fish and money. We all on here can help too. If you know of someone that is starting a tank you can give them some help. My favorite thing to do that I know makes lfs's mad is eavsdrop on there conversations with customers and if they are giving bad advice I will let that customer know. I was in big als the other day and overheard a customer asking if the carpet anemone needed special lighting. To my shock the salesperson told them no. I waited until the salesperson left and I told him the straight goods and directed him to some websites. Needless to say the anemone was spared and he joined a website and has since purchased some metal halide lighting and is on his way to being ready for the anemone. Not only did he save the 100 bucks we managed to save the anemone an untimely death.

 

[Salttanker]

I know makes lfs's mad is eavsdrop on there conversations with customers and if they are giving bad advice

LOL. I do the same thing. All we are trying to do is help them make the right choices.

Mike

 

[boardsurfer]

It's funny how so many times, I'll go into the LFS and start talking about saltwater reefkeeping and totally lose the employee. It's the 'old "deer in headlights look". I find myself almost chuckling to myself and giving one of these:

There is only 1 person that knows anything out of the 4 LFS in my city. I'll call ahead to see if he's working, and if he's not- oh well...no purchase today.