Shocking story. Pic included! Not pretty!!

[Convict2161]

So... The wife and go to a LFS in the area just to look around. We park the car and go take my son out. I smell something horrible but pass it off.

My wife says she smells it too and asks me if I smell it. I say yeah it's nasty. We walk up around the back of the lot and she stops and says ewwww!!! Babe look! A dead fish. I go over and look, yup a dead fish. Ok let's move on... Then... I saw another and another. She saw another and more and more and more!!!

It was a horrific sight!!! 50 fish maybe more all over the back lot near the dumpsters.

I called the local police who called the health dept who called the animal control.

Well it turned into a HUGE thing!! The LFS claims the fish died from a bacteria and were disposed of. The authorities weren't happy with anything. They were shut down, they were ordered to quarantine all there fish and not to sell any fish. A posting was put up on the door also.

I had to fill out a deposition... So... It wasn't the trip I was expecting.

Here is a pic of one of the poor guys. It's sad that a store just allows this to happen.

*NOTE* please do not ask me what store or names or specific info as I will not entertain the questions.

 

[bigbanker]

I understand disposing of sick fish... fine.

But what in the world was going on that it was not done properly!

That is a shame.

 

[Convict2161]

I understand disposing of sick fish... fine.

But what in the world was going on that it was not done properly!

That is a shame.

I know that's what I was thinking. They said they all died from a bacteria. Put yet were open for business selling fish! Well... Until I showed up.

 

[PockX]

Dang, well you did the right thing..or could of asked them about it and if they wouldn't of took care of it properly, then call someone. Were they all kinds of fish (salt and fresh). Cuz how would all be bacteria and still have others being sold? That would mean EVERY fish there is infected.

 

[apet66]

You did the right thing imo. It's a shame when fish are lost like that, but not properly disposing of them and continuing to sell fish is inexcusable!

 

[Convict2161]

Dang, well you did the right thing..or could of asked them about it and if they wouldn't of took care of it properly, then call someone. Were they all kinds of fish (salt and fresh). Cuz how would all be bacteria and still have others being sold? That would mean EVERY fish there is infected.

Honestly hard to tell. If I had to guess I'd say freshwater.

 

[jetajockey]

Could've been a bad shipment that had issues. They could've also put it in/near the dumpster and a dog or cat got into it and strew them out everywhere.

So you shut down a fish store because they had some fish that died of "bacteria"? I think most fish stores would be put out of business if they were held to that standard.

Normally a good running LFS has half decent QT practices and if they have an outbreak of something (it happens!) then they shut down a certain system or section until the threat has been resolved, not sure if it's worth closing an entire store over.

 

[MrPillow]

Ruining some peoples livelihood always makes me feel better about myself and my fishy friends.

 

[Convict2161]

Could've been a bad shipment that had issues. They could've also put it in/near the dumpster and a dog or cat got into it and strew them out everywhere.

So you shut down a fish store because they had some fish that died of "bacteria"? I think most fish stores would be put out of business if they were held to that standard.

Normally a good running LFS has half decent QT practices and if they have an outbreak of something (it happens!) then they shut down a certain system or section until the threat has been resolved, not sure if it's worth closing an entire store over.

Yea it wasn't my intentions. It kinda spiraled outta control after more and more different agencies arrived.

It did cross my mind.... "What did I get myself into"

It was too late though...

Lesson learned on my part. Maybe I shouldn't get so involved or should I?

 

[MrPillow]

All in all, I find the dead fish to be the least shocking part of this story.

 

[Toon.inc]

You done the right thing mate what would have happened if they sold you a sick fish and you lost everything in your tank. I would have done the same thing and I would be telling people what store as I would not shop there ever again.

 

[MrPillow]

I don't think there was a risk of them selling the sick fish, unless the dumpster is their super secret back stockroom for the VIP customers.

 

[tarheel92]

I have a feeling the reason they got shut down wasn't so much for the bacteria as the potential public health risk of 50+ dead fish rotting in the parking lot, I honestly would've done the same thing. Proper disposal of dead fish should not include any way in which they could end up strewn across the lot....dumpsters have lids for a reason.

 

[jetajockey]

Yea it wasn't my intentions. It kinda spiraled outta control after more and more different agencies arrived.

It did cross my mind.... "What did I get myself into"

It was too late though...

Lesson learned on my part. Maybe I shouldn't get so involved or should I?

Personally I think your best method of recourse would have been to talk to the owner about it, I'm sure they didn't intend to have dead fish laying everywhere.

As far as the sick/dead fish thing goes, surprisingly enough it happens every now and again especially with a store that imports or gets wild caught specimens in particular. So it's really not all that uncommon, just not often spoken of.

 

[Lt.]

I really think things got outta hand. Is that shop shut down permanently, or temporarily?

 

[CharlieKlein]

Sad story! I hate it when stores don't take care of the fish. I was looking to buy some nice Julii Cory's for 4 dollers each but the tank had 8 out of the 12 dead, so not buying them!

 

[butterfly_koi]

I'm confused as to why animal control would have handled that situation. That's not their jurisdiction, tropical fish sales and such belong to the Department of Agriculture not animal control.

 

[marsh]

I look at this from a business owners POV.

I would personally meet with the people who own businesses that share the stinky alley way and ask them if they have a long history dealing with the fish store improperly disposing of dead fish. I would assume you will be able to discern from them if this is a ongoing issue or a simple case of a dud shipment and stray cats.

Heathcliff and his buddies may be to blame... Call animal control after all lol

(Protocol at a vet hospital in CA all pet remains are bagged with thick bags and frozen before weekly to daily pickup by a biohazard truck/crematorium delivery type service. )

 

[jcolon]

As you mentioned Convict ... One dead fish on the ground near an LFS you could understand. But as many as you saw just dumped by the back lot like that? That's inexcusable. That sounds like a safety / health hazard to me. Just the smell could've made people in the area sick.

Good call Convict ...

 

[Convict2161]

Not shut down permanently, and animal control was called. I never said they took the scene or operated at the scene or even made a call at the and scene as I didn't call them, I called the local police dept and just stated what I observed. Yes I agree things may have gotten out of control. It is what it is now... With the wife in one ear about the odor and all these dead fish all over the place, ok the curb, near the dumpster and on the area around it it was either ignore it and tell her I don't even know what I would have said or...

Keep it simple and do what I feel was the right thing and make "someone" aware of the situation as in my opinion it was a situation that needed to be addressed. Yea... I could have walked in and spoke with the manager I guess, someone who's part time at some big LFS/LPS probably wouldn't have gotten me far unless pulling out my own badge and county I.D. which I didn't want to do although it will be in the report BUT I was not "acting under the capacity"

What the cops decided to do or call, health dept, animal control etc etc was not my call, nor do I know what any agencies did other then what I saw, which was a sigh on the door stating closed until further notice and I heard something to the effect of not selling any fish and having the filtration system check. I also did hear something about quarantine.

You can ask as many questions as you want. I'm sorry I don't have the answers as I didn't stick around for the duration. I took my family elsewhere...

Like I mentioned it is what it is... I slept fine last night and the wife was happy that something was done.

That's a double win in my book