Same hobby, different worlds

[hamburgler]

WARNING: RANT

I dont post much, mostly just a lurker. But i have ranted before and will do so again...
Based on my experiences with working at a petco, many customers are on a completely different planet from individuals on many aquaria forums.
Now this excludes 5% of those that get fish from petco because of their good prices or those who take advice to heart.

Fish dying is just another part of having an aquarium, it seems. Most people just add fish to water.
After testing many water samples and asking the basic questions i quickly realize that most people have no clue

Its just weird to come on the forum and see everyone on top of water parameters and solving problems before they arise. You are on a totally different planet from the average petco customer.

I just dissapoints me that many people have 55g+ tanks with nice fish and still dont know what a cycle is.

And i am not just talking about noobs here...i see repeat customers who ignore my suggestions and information and continue to add fish with no system at all.

Oh yea...and its the worst when they say "sometimes you just have to let nature take its course" ...when talking about fish that have died.

 

[MattAquaBio]

I guess its because the difference in degree of interest. We here at the forum are very much into our aquariums and our aquatic friends. I'd say most if not all of us here have a passion for the hobby. To some people it just isnt as important. A fish is different to them, than say a dog, if their fish dies its no big deal, if there dog dies its a huge deal. They just want a "cool" aquarium in their rooms or whatever just because.
Thats not to say all, but i've met people like this before so... shrug.

 

[hc8719]

just like some people keep dogs, some keep them in a warm house during the winter and rain, then some people tie their dogs to a pole in the blarring heat of summer, or in the dead cold of winter.

some people love their fish, others get bored with theirs, and dont care.

but by purchasing any animal, you are obligated to take good care of it, your right burger man

 

[MattAquaBio]

Yeah, what he said lol. Thats what i meant, i just didnt say it so eloquently lol.

 

[Mosaic]

Hey, I'd like to say thanks for being an employee that cares We like to complain about LFS employees not knowing anything, but clearly it's not always the case. I think I'd like to work in one just so I could educate, but like you, the ignorance would soon drive me crazy.

 

[Pleco]

Most LFS employees i have come across care about only saving their job. I commend you for caring about the animals and trying to educate people about the fish they are buying or caring for. A lot of people tend to think less of fish as pet, i see that in my co-workers even, but to me a pet is a pet and i would do the same for my fish as i would for my siberian husky as far as care goes. IMHO when you buy fish you make the commitment to care for them as best as you can, i do everything in my power to make sure that i meet up to that.

-Pleco

 

[Sicklid]

I love to piss them off. If I over hear them answering a question in a way I totally know is wrong, I will tell the customer EXACTLY what the correct answer is and why the teenager just gave them wrong info. They can't dispute fact. I have even had people then start slamming me w/ questions, obviously cause they felt I knew somewhat of what I was talking about. The kids at Petco get pretty upset.

Case in point:: Last week, I saw a kid checking a water sample, the customer wanted to know why his fish died. The kid actually says, "Hmm, your PH is low, but that's okay... Low PH never kills fish, high PH does... Hmmm?" Like he was stumped! With that kind of advice, who can successfully keep fish? So, when the kid ran off to help another person, and left the guy standing there, I asked him what kind of fish he had. He told me MIXED AFRICANS and Blood Parrots! The kid had also told someone else that the Blood Parrots' fake injected dye stripes occured IN THE WILD! When I said they were man made hybrids, HE FOUGHT ME ON IT... Idiot.

 

[Menagerie]

Wow, kudos to you for continuing to give advice and trying to educate the general fish keeping population (BTW, if it's allowed at your store, just mention AA, no need to direct people to us, but put the seed out there--maybe after "nature takes its course" again and $50 of fish are lost, people may want to check us out and start taking your advice)!

 

[hamburgler]

I have reccommended AA along with the internet as a whole. I always tell people the larger aquarium sites usually offer the most up to date information as opposed to books and petcos lame care sheets .

 

[triazole]

great job ham...keep it up...

 

[talloulou]

I love to *beep* them off. If I over hear them answering a question in a way I totally know is wrong, I will tell the customer EXACTLY what the correct answer is and why the teenager just gave them wrong info. They can't dispute fact. I have even had people then start slamming me w/ questions, obviously cause they felt I knew somewhat of what I was talking about. The kids at Petco get pretty upset.

Case in point:: Last week, I saw a kid checking a water sample, the customer wanted to know why his fish died. The kid actually says, "Hmm, your PH is low, but that's okay... Low PH never kills fish, high PH does... Hmmm?" Like he was stumped! With that kind of advice, who can successfully keep fish? So, when the kid ran off to help another person, and left the guy standing there, I asked him what kind of fish he had. He told me MIXED AFRICANS and Blood Parrots! The kid had also told someone else that the Blood Parrots' fake injected dye stripes occured IN THE WILD! When I said they were man made hybrids, HE FOUGHT ME ON IT... Idiot.

Just for the record all blood parrots are hybrids but all are not injected with dye.

 

[Reefmonkey]

It's good to see a Petco employee who cares and knows what they are doing. At most of the Petcos I have been to, that hasn't been the case. As someone who has kept fish for over 20 years, I dislike being talked down to as if they assume I have just set up my first Topfin 10gallon Starter Setup, but I can forgive that. What I cannot forgive, having a bachelor's in biology and Masters in Environmental Science specializing in aquatic tox, is when the person who made that assumption is giving me gross misinformation. At that point, I have to tell them and their manager they are wrong and giving out bad information. They usually keep arguing with me, or trying to be cute and sarcastic, until I give them my business card.