Can you report a really bad LFS? I'm so so mad!

[Florida8]

I just want to know what I can do about a local fish store here in Jacksonville, Florida.

DH and I walked in the other day just to scope what they had as we are hoping to set the new tank up around Christmas and since it's been a while there are a few new stores and so we took the day to explore them all and get aquainted with them and the owners.

I walked in and was SHOCKED when I began walking down the 1st SW isle. I saw a 10g talk with 10 itty bitty hippo/regal tangs. 8 were dead! The other 2 were so pale they looked powder blue and were flopping over to their sides. I stood there waiting and waiting and this kid walks up, I tell him and say, ummm great... nothing new lady. Uhhh Hello? Hubby tugs my arm and knows I'm about to get all PETA on this guy and as he is pulling me down the isle I look and see 3 tanks side by side and they have Fox face puffers and their flesh is falling off in sheets! Yes, I swear to you , I have NEVER seen anything like this on an animal or fish... it looked like a burn victim with layers of flesh sliding off. So I'm standing there looking crazy and BTW I'm very pregnant so I'm slightly hormonal anyways... and said OMG, what in the world? and the kid says, Man that sucks, who knows... He walks passed me and DH and says to the lady at the register (owner or manager I assume) she says well, get to flushingggg! DH pulled me out because he knows how strongly I feel and he asid he fears my lack of self control right now ... LOL

I'm just sick over it and want to turn them in, report them, something to make them take better care of these fish and all as they have no voice.

Ugh, ok, I'm done ranting... Please let me know who I can go to? Certainly there has to be someone that can enforce animal care rules on them or something.

TIA,
Kimberly

 

[Corty]

Ug. I know how you feel (well to a certain extent.. stress is certainly not good for your baby), but I'm not sure who you could report them to.

Things like this make me sick.

 

[amphibianboy528]

OMG that is the worst fish store I have heared.I may be only 13 but I have been to alot of fish stores and have never saw something like this!This is horrible....report them!!!But for you growing child do get so mad okay.

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

I would try talking to the owner and voice your concerns. Maybe try putting it in a business sense for him. I know I wouldn't buy fish from a dead tank. Even at my lfs if I see dead fish in the tanks I don't buy.

 

[XxTitleisTxX]

Jeeze, i know how you feel. Theres a place near my house that I visited with about 5 display tanks. 3 were goldfish and one was swordtails and platties and one was guppies. And when i walked in i stepped on a dead swordtail. And i was like WTH. I had'nt vent got 2 steps into the bloody store. Then entering the fish section... there were 3 more dead swordtails on the FLOOR. and 4 dead guppies in a net on the lid of one tank. Not to mention how disqustingly filthy all their tanks were. I'd never seen anything like this before. There was not one filter in or out of the tank... not even for sale. Places like this make me sick.. Its hard to find a decent LFS in Sydney.

 

[Gatorfreak]

A fish store that can't keep fish alive won't be in business for long. The lost revenue will either prompt them to improve the care or go out of business.

 

[malkore]

My only thoughts are to contact a local PETA chapter (if there is one) or try contacting the local humane society...though I've heard they don't really do much concerning fish stores...more concerned with mammals/reptiles.

 

[jaiden]

Sydney! P. Sherman 42 wallaby way!

Esss cap e
hey that's spelled just like Escape!

Sorry couldn't resist.

 

[blorkiemom]

What I don't get is how people get so callous about the needless suffering/death of living creatures. Okay, a dead fish isn't the end of the world--we've all lost fish. But how can they sleep knowing that because of their willful negligence, animals are suffering and dying?

I've seen tanks that were pretty bad, but not as horrible as you describe. I know fish loss is inevitable, and we all feed it by participating in this hobby--those fish wouldn't be dead if we didn't buy others like them to put in our tanks. But--but--can't they at least euthanize them when they are past saving? If not for the fish, for the customers! Who in their right mind would buy a fish from that store? I won't buy from a store right then if I see any disease in any of their tanks, since they are likely being filtered on the same system.

One of the local TV stations here basically hounded (heh, no pun) a pet store out of business when they were selling puppies sick with--parvovirus, I think. So maybe you could call the "news tip" line or whatever. But I suppose puppies make much better stories than fish. Couldn't hurt, though.

 

[MarineFlake]

You can call the police. Animal abuse (If you have ever watched animal planet) is a serious problem and can be punishable with fines and or imprisonment. The police may direct you to the human society, however, the store should be investigated at the very least if this is not an isolated event. First, it may be worth contacting the owner and mentioning your experience as well as the fact that you are considering contacting local authorities. They may have a perfectly good explaination. I do not see how any store can let their livestock simply die and stay in business. At the very least, it will cost them money to simply let fish die. However, if this appears to be an ongoing issue, someone who gives a crap should call. Sounds like you : )