Ignorant people

[Talon242]

Sorry I felt this was the best place to share my recent at work experience. You might be wondering what that has to do about fish, but let me explain.

I work at a grocery store and someone decided it was a good idea to buy a fish for the front end managers desk. They had / have no clue what they are doing. They bought a goldfish and its stuck in a large wine glass...

I talked to them about it and they wont return the fish. The poor thing is swimming in clouded water beyond belief. I don't know what I can do if anything to convince them not to have it. They don't see it being a big deal but as a pet lover I do!

 

[partypalooza5]

I just don't understand why so many people think its "cute" or whatever to put a fish in a tiny container. Every time I see a little kid at the petstore buy a ton of gold fish and a 2G aquarium "kit" it makes part of me die inside..

FISH HAVE FEELINGS TOO!!

 

[mgamer20o0]

it happens. people dont know they think a goldfish stays small. its your job to polity educate them. there tends to be 3 common out comes.

1 come back and make fun of these people
2 flip out on them making them more guarded and not changing
3 cool headed try to explain to them why it wont work and to point them to a place where they can learn more

often the first 2 are used and the 3rd one rarely thus no one learns any thing better.

 

[Mystery]

Could you get the fish a slightly better bowl as a gift?

 

[mgamer20o0]

even a bigger bowl wont do that. goldfish need a 30 gallon tank.

 

[spoonman]

Ya, maybe set up a tank and get people involved?

 

[partypalooza5]

I just find it funny that at Petsmart on the labels in front of the tanks it shows the minimum tank size. And on goldfish it says something like 30G. Yet, the people sell 5 of them for a 5 gallon tank.

 

[WhiteDevil]

Not all of em party, most of them have a brain and are passionate about their jobs, especially those over 23 that work there.

No I do not work at a pet store of any kind.

 

[Mystery]

Anything would be better than a glass.

 

[partypalooza5]

I will admit not ALL are like that. Alot of the people that work at my local Petsmart are rather knowledgeable and do know what they are talking about for the most part. (not trying to offend people that work at petstores BTW)

 

[HN1]

No need to bring a company name into this IMO. There are plenty of individual shops and employees from all parts of the industry that may do wrong by you. The packaging is the first thing that needs to change and that won't start happening until people start writing the manufacturers and retailers instead of venting on a forum. If you really don't like a given practice, use the only things of substance you have.... Your voice and your wallet.

 

[Joker741]

I have one better than that, there was a couple with a 5 gallon kit buying an Oscar and a Pleco at a local really big box type store that sells everything including fish. What makes it worse, is the employee was telling them it would be fine and that the fish wouldn't get much bigger. I had to step in and tell them that the employee was wrong, of course they believe him.

 

[Talon242]

it happens. people dont know they think a goldfish stays small. its your job to polity educate them. there tends to be 3 common out comes.

1 come back and make fun of these people
2 flip out on them making them more guarded and not changing
3 cool headed try to explain to them why it wont work and to point them to a place where they can learn more

often the first 2 are used and the 3rd one rarely thus no one learns any thing better.

Tried explaining it, I used to work in customer service so I'm pretty good at keeping cool. I pointed out how the goldfish if it lives, has potential to grow much larger than the glass. How it's swimming in toxins, ammonia and nitrites and I let them know what they would need for a proper set up.

Also the reasoning for the glass, they said they don't have room for a tank. I was thinking of kidnapping the fish but I think they would just get another and there are security cameras too lol.

Edit: Added a photo. I didn't take this, I just took a screen shot from a video that one of the front end workers took and posted on facebook.

 

[CichliditisExtremitis]

I have one better than that, there was a couple with a 5 gallon kit buying an Oscar and a Pleco at a local really big box type store that sells everything including fish. What makes it worse, is the employee was telling them it would be fine and that the fish wouldn't get much bigger. I had to step in and tell them that the employee was wrong, of course they believe him.

That is outrageous. I've been having similar discussions on a number of boards that I visit. Here is one that I started a few days ago on this board:

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...-story-you-will-gasp-in-disbelief-117596.html

When employees do it, it is one thing; but when even the owner does it, as in my story, it defies belief.

 

[CichliditisExtremitis]

Tried explaining it, I used to work in customer service so I'm pretty good at keeping cool. I pointed out how the goldfish if it lives, has potential to grow much larger than the glass. How it's swimming in toxins, ammonia and nitrites and I let them know what they would need for a proper set up.

Also the reasoning for the glass, they said they don't have room for a tank. I was thinking of kidnapping the fish but I think they would just get another and there are security cameras too lol.

Given their degree of adamancy, you might consider a compromise such as the following:

Purchase a male betta and a bottle of dechlorinator.

Take the betta, the dechlorinator, and an empty one gallon plastic milk jug to work.

Suggest that they exchange the goldfish for the betta, which will have a higher chance of surviving in the wine glass. Maybe the beauty of the betta will win them over.

Prepare the first gallon of dechlorinated water, explaining to them how to do it.

Tell them to simply replace the water in the wine glass with fresh dechlorinated water from the jug every day, or every other day.

In fact, given your heart for the fish, and your knowledge of the hobby, maybe you can even volunteer to both feed the betta, and keep its water fresh.

Just some thoughts to make a bad situation a little better.

 

[HappyHooligan]

Convince some close friends and relatives to randomly go thru the store over a period of a week and make negative comments about the poor things condition and living situation to management.
Have you considered an anonymous complaint to your local humane society? They may take interest in the well being of "no legged" pet.

Great topic btw, I think alot of forum users and fish lovers see these types of bad situations alot.

 

[Zakk]

I feel you Talon242

i went to pick up my apple snails from an LSF who managed to get some for me and found a couple and thier kids buying Discus fish cos they look so pretty! now, i have had my eyes on those discus but havent done much since i'm still yet to finish my 55GL. so i casually asked them how big is their tank? turns out its a 15 Gallon or less. politely told them, look, these guys need a lotta room to live and be happy, i suggest you get your son a few guppys and mollys, throw in a filter and a 100w heater and you'll be good to go! that lil brat HOWLED on top of his head screaming YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOU TALKIN ABOUT I WANT THOSE FISHES ONLY AND NOTHING ELSE (typical indian mentality btw) and his parents turned on me saying dont make my son cry! thats when the owner stepped in and told them that i do know what i am talking out and refused to sell those discus to them making me promise i would buy them. **** i even payed for them and left. so now, i am a proud owner of 3 discuss fishes that live in the LFS till the time my 55 is up. i wanna see who is gonna buy them when i've already paid for them. the lfs dude will not sell them to anyone else knowing the amount of business i send his way will stop if he, pardon the expression, screwed me over.

if i had my way i would B***H slapped them all and booted them out of there but hey....doesnt really work that way.....

 

[CichliditisExtremitis]

Great topic btw, I think alot of forum users and fish lovers see these types of bad situations alot.

From an array of people that I've been conversing with across a number of boards, this certainly seems to be the case. We only have three pet stores where I live, of which only two sell fish. I was rather shocked to learn that the situation in the USA is as bad as it is. I had erroneously assumed that due to all of the hobby-related technology that is available there, and the many laws which are passed, that pet stores would maintain a high standard for their livestock, and dispense with accurate information. How sad that so many fail to reach the mark that our pets deserve.

 

[HappyHooligan]

How sad that so many fail to reach the mark that our pets deserve.

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." -Mahatma Ghandi

 

[b_alghazi]

This is sad to say, but it happened with me.
I live in Jordan, and honestly speaking pet stores here does not have a clue about fish.

About a year ago, I wanted to start an aquarium so I went to one of the pet stores, and because I did not know anything about fish, I was thinking that smaller tanks are easier for me as beginner, I bought a 5-gallon tank, and asked the guy at the pet store about how many gold fish can I put there, and he said that the tank can hold up to 16 gold fish!!!! I asked him about any special requirements and he said no, just fill the tank, put anti chlorine, run the filter and put the fish in, and adviced to change the water every 2 weeks.

I bought 10 gold fish and went home happy and did what he said, after one week the fishh started to suffer, and I can see that they are not OK, I went to the pet store and asked, but he said no this is normal because they are adapting to the new home. Unfortunately after 3 weeks all of them were dead. So I started to search on the Internet and found out about cycling and other things, can you immagine that I suffered till I found a shop that sells test kits!!! Every shop I ask they either did not hear of it, or they say that it is unnesessary!

Now I have a 40 G tank established for about 6 months, but this time I did it the right way after making alot of research and study on the tanks.

Also the posts in this forum were very helpfull, so I would like to thank everybody who shares the information.