Mad at lfs

[Mumma.of.two]

I am so mad right now! I NEVER return fish. I bought 6 harlequin rasboras yesterday and two died over night. I thought hey why not try and return them. So I took the fish back and a sample of my water. The 'fish expert' tested my water and says they died of ammonia poisoning! What?! Some how she got 0.5ppm of ammonia! I've just retested my tank and got 0 ammonia 0 nitrite 5 nitrate and pH of 7.6 (normal!). she said that the ammonia killed them and their gills where red from it. Someone please explain to me how 0.5ppm of ammonia can kill a fish in 12 hours? (not that my tank even had any!) she then started to lecture me that my nitrate was too high at 5ppm! Really?!?! And my ph was way too high for them! Like 7.6 is really high.
Then she proceeded to asked how much water I changed a week. I said up to 50%. 'oh thats way too much! Your washing all the bacteria out if your tank. Your taking all their food away. Their (the fish) immune system won't get built up. Changing too much water causes the tank water conditions to be unstable and it will kill fish' Has she not heard if old tank syndrome! I'd hate to see her tanks test results. They are probably filled to the brim with pH altering chemicals.

Sorry just had to vent! It's taking all my effort not to ring her with MY test results.

Grrrr!!! Still mad!!

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

What?!? Maybe shes color blind?!! I bet she was using the dumb water test strips or something! Hahahow are the other 4 fish doing??

 

[Mumma.of.two]

What?!? Maybe shes color blind?!! I bet she was using the dumb water test strips or something! Hahahow are the other 4 fish doing??

I don't know how she stuffed it up. She even used the API kit! I tested twice when I got home and got 0 both times! The other 4 are ok for now. They'll probably die on me too

When I went to tell her that if frequent larger PWC where ok for discus, cichlids and goldfish why weren't they ok for other fish she just changed the subject!

 

[George9]

I would bring you test kit along with the water sample and test it in front of her to show her what an idiot she is. You should tell her off!! And then ask for the manager! Start a whole scene!!

Or maybeeveb rip her name tag off and say "You don't deserve this job!"
Buy if you still like the store, then dont do that.


Sorry about your bad experience!

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I would bring you test kit along with the water sample and test it in front of her to show her what an idiot she is. You should tell her off!! And then ask for the manager! Start a whole scene!!

Tempting... very, very tempting. She was the manager lol.

 

[George9]

Tempting... very, very tempting. She was the manager lol.

Oh god! That's even worse. It reminds me if those movies where the person tells the employee off and they end up being the manager. I guess you could demand to see the regional manager? Lol

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Grrr! What's done is done now. I think they lost a customer!

 

[George9]

Was it a chain like petco it petsmart? Or a small store.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Haha that is very annoying! You should never buy from there again... Haha

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Was it a chain like petco it petsmart? Or a small store.

It was a chain store here in Australia. I'm not going to name it though. Serves me right for buying fish there to begin with. Only went there because my favorite LFS seems to be having disease troubles.

 

[HN1]

Sorry for the frustration. Sadly, it's too common a story.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Sorry for the frustration. Sadly, it's too common a story.

Thanks. Just drives me mad because I KNOW there is nothing wrong with my tanks and maintenance schedule and she was trying to tell me otherwise.

 

[i3k]

On the newer API kits the ammonia color on the chart is a bit off, and does look like it shows 0.5.

Which kit did you use to test at home?

 

[Xand3r]

I thought Rasboras preferred an acidic pH. maybe the dead fish released ammonia? I also think that 50% every week is a lot, I think that if you have to change that amount of water is better to change 25% every 3-4 days.

 

[i3k]

I think 50% a week is perfectly fine, as long as you don't vacuum all the gravel every single water change. That will vacuum out a lot of the beneficial bacteria.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

On the newer API kits the ammonia color on the chart is a bit off, and does look like it shows 0.5.

Which kit did you use to test at home?

We both used API liquid tests. Don't know about theirs but mine is about 8-9 months old. Not out of date either.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

I thought Rasboras preferred an acidic pH. maybe the dead fish released ammonia? I also think that 50% every week is a lot, I think that if you have to change that amount of water is better to change 25% every 3-4 days.

I don't have to change 50% but I prefer to. The most nitrate I have ever seen is 10ppm just before a pwc in my tanks.

 

[Sharkbait54]

It depends on what fish and tank size you have to really state what pwc you need. I have an overstocked tank 54 bow and I change 50 to 60% a week with gravel change.

 

[Sharkbait54]

I don't have to change 50% but I prefer to. The most nitrate I have ever seen is 10ppm just before a pwc in my tanks.

Ditto I like 50% it makes me feel better.

 

[HN1]

I think 50% a week is perfectly fine, as long as you don't vacuum all the gravel every single water change. That will vacuum out a lot of the beneficial bacteria.

No offense, but I totally disagree about the gravel vacs. More is better with PWCs, 50% is a good amount. The bacteria is predominantly in the filter media. It needs high oxygenation. Substrate can house some, but removing the detritus and rotting food is more important than worry over bacteria loss from gravel vacing. JMO