Dumbest Aquarium advice you've ever been given?

[Oscar98]

I dont think i have ever been given bad advice haha.

 

[bettaowner]

They said that the kitten would get food and water so that's all that mattered

 

[cgthebeast]

They said that the kitten would get food and water so that's all that mattered

That's not good, no pets for them

 

[ddodad]

Manager at a chain store:
There is no need to do water changes if you are properly stocked. Then they berated me for using prime and doing weekly PWCs. They said the fish will die from stress and if not their growth will be stunted from it. I was actually told that today last time I shop at a chain store. All I went in for was a bottle of prime

Edit: they were also sold out of prime

 

[plantedtankman]

I haven't really given bad advice but I've done stupid things before haha. But one time at my local fish store I asked someone for one male Congo Tetra and one female Congo Tetra. Well she gave me two female. I told her that I wanted one male and she said that they recieved either only males or only females in their shipments. I told her that there were 2 males in the tank with like 10 females. I basically had to force her to get what I wanted. I got really mad haha

 

[Ian086]

Manager at a chain store:
There is no need to do water changes if you are properly stocked. Then they berated me for using prime and doing weekly PWCs. They said the fish will die from stress and if not their growth will be stunted from it. I was actually told that today last time I shop at a chain store. All I went in for was a bottle of prime

Edit: they were also sold out of prime

WOW. I could only imagine what their tanks look like...lol

 

[ddodad]

WOW. I could only imagine what their tanks look like...lol

Funny enough the tanks looked amazing I figure at least someone there knows what they are doing. I almost bought some new fish there today but had tank maintenance that took priority

 

[Ian086]

Funny enough the tanks looked amazing I figure at least someone there knows what they are doing. I almost bought some new fish there today but had tank maintenance that took priority

They must do their water changes on the managers day off...haha

 

[Babymama18301]

How about those knowledgable [store] fish department employees? Not advice per se but when I asked how much the upside down cats were, (they were Feather Fins) the answer was, "Oh those are Plecostamus. They are $4.95.".......Me, "I'd like two of them."

Haha I had that too!!!! Got em as babies



He's now almost 9 inches and the other almost 7 inches I took two also I only paid 2$ for them idiots told me they'd only get 4-5 inches I knew they were a bit off considering they thought it was a pleco.

 

[ddodad]

Sounds familiar I got my 2 Bolivian rams for literally 2$ I was in a lfs saw them without a price or ID asked about them. The employee had no idea and was the owners daughter. She said in need of a coffee and would happily give them to me in return for one

 

[absolutangel04]

Quick reminder, it is against the site rules to bash stores. This is not the venue to point out the flaws you have encountered with an individual store, so please continue your stories, but leave out the names of the stores. Store names have been edited, further naming of stores will result in thread closure. Thanks.

Also, so far I would say that ich being good food the fish is winning as the worst advice. Wow.

 

[bigfuzzymonster777]

Edit: Never mind

 

[AngelFishGirl]

I was at a pet store I won't name when I saw, like, ten oscars in a ten gallon. The were about two inches long, but still.

I think at two inches that's okay because at a store they are sold so often that it doesn't really matter. That's why most LFS have more overstocked tanks.

 

[Aquacal]

Once I was told that Betta's are perfect community fish and good tank mates include everything from tetras to guppies. >:|

 

[Meashkah]

I was told by the fish guy In a local pet store that 3 days is long enough to cycle a tank. He had never heard of the nitrogen cycle and had worked there 3 years (he offered that info). This was at a large chain store too. I don't buy fish there.

 

[AngelFishGirl]

My dad told me that I could have let me pleco go into the lake and it would have been fine. -_-'

 

[Alyxx]

My dad told me that I could have let me pleco go into the lake and it would have been fine. -_-'

Grrrr... "Advice" like that is why we have so many invasive species wreaking havoc on our ecosystems...

 

[Random Fishy]

LPS guy told me oranda grow only a few inches. :|

 

[Random Fishy]

I can beat all of you.
Ich is a good thing and the fish actually eat it.

-"Expert Aquarist" from [store].

"Wow" doesn't begin to describe what I just read...

 

[Andy Sager]

"Wow" doesn't begin to describe what I just read...

Proof positive that you have to be very careful who you take advice from. I only go to guys and gals who have been keeping fish for a long time. Someone keeping fish for only a year or two has only scratched the surface of the many things that can happen in an aquarium. Long standing Mom & Pop shops are my shops of choice. They are still in business for a reason.