First trip to the LFS

[mhart032]

Hi guys, im new to the forum and i have to say im really happy i joined. I dont have anything yet im working on that.. i just have to say most LFS like this. i went down to the LFS this morning after reading Ziggys 500,000 page thread. was long but really enjoyed it. anyway i had lots of question for the fish guy/girl and well i have to say the people at the store were pardon my french but very duchie i can say that i have never had such poor customer service in my life. they were the most un helpfull people i have ever talked to i would ask questions and they would give vage and thoughtless answers. then look at me like i wasnt good enough to spend my money in their store. it really discourged me. i was looking for a small tank 20-30g for a reef tank. so my question is this, is their a online fish store that i could use insted of using this LFS, unfortunetly their is not many around my area. i have checked online and phone books with empty results. or maybe their is someone from Austin TX that maybe goes to a LFS that could be recomended? i wont say the name of the store because i dont want to make enemies or hurt feelings.
thanks for all the help in advance
Matt

 

[Squareheads]

Well, every time I asked people in my LFS I always have two kinds of person....

the lazy ones who give you vague answers... and the really kind ones who tell you everything you need to know... especially when I said I was new to aquariums, I got really good customer service.

I believe the people in the stores are one of the best people you can ask, not saying that this forum isn't great too... But It really is better if you find a person who can help because you have the advantage of talking to them physically and also have them show you around the store...

If you haven't asked everyone in the store, I suggest you should. I tend to observe first before making my move... I wait for other customers to ask help from the workers and see how the workers manage themselves... lol You gotta watch their body language

well thats my two cents.

 

[bmg07]

heres a site Aquarium Fish: Tropical Freshwater Fish and Saltwater Fish for Home Aquariums

 

[Joker741]

I agree with CrazyPlantLady. I like my LFS now that I have found a person in there that has some knowledge, it also happens to be the owner. But I go in there, look, talk to him, come home and research. Most of the time the info he gives me is right on, but I still research. One really cool thing my LFS does is that they have a wall that is three tank levels high. The top level is non aggressive, middle is semi-aggressive, and bottom are aggressive. The problems with the store is that not everyone working there knows about fish and the prices are kinda high since they are the only LFS in town (besides WalMart, but I won't buy fish there, talk about no knowledge).

Anyhow, the point is, no matter how many times someone is right about a fish, still research for yourself, you might learn something.

 

[thatmagicguy]

One of the advantages of using online forums is that you will often get a wide array of answers from people with different experiences and points of view. It is your job as an aquarist in this case, to use the information available to engage in some critical analysis and come up with an acceptable answer to your query.

One of the problem with on-line info searches is that sometime,,,read that folks,,sometimes, what you get is something I refer to as internet lore. What this means is that certain "facts" make their way around websites and forums and they simply aren't true. The way this happens is usually someone will ask a question on a forum and get an answer, a wrong one. And that answer isn't challenged. And someone may come in a week, month, or whatever later and ask the same question, another member of the forum will give the same wrong answer and before you know it the answer becomes "fact" and be passed around the forums. I still like the one about the female guppys that impregnate themselves when males aren't available.

But a good active forum should prevent this from happening by having input come from various people of different experience levels.

Of course, people go into stores and ask employees a question. If the resulting answer is wrong but the employee is persuasive then there is no one to challenge the "facts" passed on.

That is why I wish everyone would engage in reading, study, critical analysis, and share what they learn. If there is dialogue then accurate information can be shared and a valueble base of information can be shared with newcomers to the hobby.

As far as bad store employees go, it happens. Alot. And it always has. One of the problems with big box stores is they hire people and offer no real training program. It isn't always the employees' faults at first, they may want to learn, but usually they don't work in that store long enough to become a valueble employee. Smart inquisitive people do not last long in an environment where sales come before education. I know there are exceptions but overall what I stated is the case.

There is no excuse for a privately owned store to provide crap information. It is the duty of every store and employee to pass on accurate information as much as it is the aquarists' responsibility to learn.

Bill

 

[sharz]

I too have had some less than satisfactory dealings with a couple of LFS in my area, but have now found one that is really good. They are tucked away in a little back street and you wouldn't even know they were there unless you were looking for them. I've lived in the area for 30 years and have driven past them thousands of times, and never even noticed them. They dont have a fancy shop front or anything, but their service and advice is excellent. The old bloke that runs the shop is happy to spend all day talking to me (if I'd let him), telling me everything he has learnt from his years of experience. He is obviously in it for the love of the fish, and not for the money. It is unfortunate that all LFS are not like this one. I am very lucky to have this LFS nearby.
In saying that, I still do a lot of research on the net, in books, and asking friends who are much more experienced than me, as I'm still a bit of a novice, and have been given bad advice before. It always pays to research everything..... So I'm finding out.

 

[WhiteDevil]

mhart, on aquaticplantcentral.com there are quite a few groups from TX on there, some houston some DFW area some austin area. They might be able to help you alot more then us net folks can and the LFS can. they have shows and ect going on and ive seen ALOT of freebies given away to locals by them including bigger tank over 100gallons.

Im new at this too, infact its this site that got me where I am and APC has gotten me even further with planted tank questions.

Craigslist is a great place to find tanks as well as local garbage nights.

Welcome to the obsession.

 

[mhart032]

Thanks for all the replys guys all this info has been very helpfull.
Matt