Hello!

[RedTheBetta]

Hi there,
I'm RedTheBetta, not going to share my real name just yet (see below for reasons why) but I thought I would share the name of my absolute favorite fish I've owned in the history of my life. Red was the most uncreatively named Betta fish in the world that my dad no longer wanted in his office at work and brought home to me. I was in junior high, just starting my own aquarium and for a while Red had a 40g aquarium all to himself! After a terrible event where my tank was infected with a really awful case of ich thanks to a large petstore (I vowed to be forever angry at) Red was the only survivor. Unfortunately Red has since passed but he lived a very long life... still have his favorite plant that he would sleep under though.

But remember that petstore I vowed to be angry at forever? Now it's been a great many years since I was in junior high. I recently finished my MA in the humanities so (of course) I was struggling to find a job. I became a traitor to my own code of ethics and applied to that same large chain petstore and was hired as their new Aquatics person. I literally just started there and desperately need a job right now, so I don't want to say too much on here about who I am and where I work to get myself fired.... but the fish look soooo sad I cannot take it, and I know I'm going to need a lot of help getting the tanks to be healthier.

Basically the ENTIRE system (except maybe excluding the saltwater, but I'm not sure yet) has a TERRIBLE case of ICH! I have not been officially trained yet to care for the fish, so I can't make any changes to how the place has been handling it on their own with no Aquatic person. but once I'm officially trained I want to get this under control. I've never cared for such enormous open systems before. I know fish though - tropical freshwater mostly.

Now I'm new to this site, so any suggestions on where I should post/look/read/etc. OR if anyone knows for sure that large chain petstores patrol this site and I could get fired if anyone figures out who I am and what chain petstore it is I work for (I mean, you could probably guess right now and be correct). I want to actively participate so I can be the best aquarist I can be and also so I can help those sorry souls who buy fish from this store and have their entire tanks wiped out due to ich like mine was as a kid.

Thanks and looking forward to chatting about fish and destroying some Ichthyophthirius multifiliis!

 

[ImACoolguy]

Ehh there's thousands on chain store workers without your full name it could take a while for them to even find you. Much less make any effort over it.

There was a user on here who took a side job at a chain store. Sadly it didn't last very long, and you have already seen why. Mistreatment is rampant.

I know in the home aquarium an easy treatment is turning the temp to 86 which will speed ich through its life cycle. I can't speak for a large system like this though.

Maybe someone with more experience in large connected systems can help. Generally if I remember though, not all the tanks are connected. They are in sections I read somewhere. Maybe Quarantine off the infected section?


Caleb

 

[Murmaider]

Good to hear that this chain store (whatever it is) will now have someone who cares about the fish in the dept. I don't think you have said anything here that should make you worry about your job. Even if someone from your store did read this, you didn't name any names. All you have done is express a desire to learn to do your job as best you can, and make a better life for the fish there (and in doing so improve the aquarium dept at the store!).


They should consider themselves lucky to have an employee like you.