Ever wanna slap your lfs people in the back of the head?

[sinibotia]

And sometimes that urge spreads elsewhere when someone keeps commending their LFS associates no matter how many responses or folks agree that the LFS is spreading plainly wrong info. You can lead a horse to water.........


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Refering to a specific LFS? Wondering if its one I would know...


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[NatureFish]

Oh oh me next, me next! Oh my gosh so I went to my LFS and there was this lady and she was like would like to get a fishie sweety? I was thinking: whoa there who you calling sweetie?! Then I told her I was there to pick up this specific fish (forgot what it was) and I told her I was looking for certain qualities and blah blah blah. I told her I was going to breed them. She was kind of just starring at me. I explained to her my whole plan and everything and of course she was astonished I knew so much for being so young. This happens to me every time!!! There's always someone in the store expecting me to not know what I'm talking about and then I whip the conversation around and look who's teaching who! Oh and don't even get me started on this other employee! I was there to buy sand for my new planted tank and she directed me to some really expensive live sand. Even after I told her it wasn't a reef tank but that it was a PLANTED tank. My friend asked her what live sand was and she says she doesn't know.... Why in the world would you direct someone to buy something that you don't even know anything about? This is why people sometimes have bad fish keeping habits. Sometimes it's not their fault but its the fault of the people who give advice and don't have a clue about what they are talking about. Ok that was a long one I'm done.


NatureFish
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[dragon14]

I wish the Pygmy catfish at my lfs had the correct scientific name on the tank. Still debating telling them it's wrong.

I love my catfish that I got. It's fine they're not what was labeled. But I think the name should be correct on the tank for the species in there...

 

[NatureFish]

I wish the Pygmy catfish at my lfs had the correct scientific name on the tank. Still debating telling them it's wrong.

I love my catfish that I got. It's fine they're not what was labeled. But I think the name should be correct on the tank for the species in there...

I've seen that happen a lot. Not just with Corys but with all different types of aquatic life. They label pretty much every snail at my LFS a "mystery snail". They mind as well have just put black snail.


NatureFish
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[dragon14]

Yeah I've heard about that, that mislabeling is not uncommon.

Well they're all mystery snails to them (lfs) lol!

In all seriousness though, creatures need to be labeled correctly...

 

[CCXGT]

Good god, I love this thread..

It's like an anger management board..


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[Delapool]

Good god, I love this thread..

It's like an anger management board..


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Lol - out with the bad, in with the good. I've got to say the lfs range here isn't great but the 2 or 3 I go to it's pretty common that the employees keep fish which I think helps a lot.

 

[emerald76]

An employee I was speaking to at the store was telling me all about her unfiltered, unheated one gal with a Betta and "algae eater". I told her the CAE and SAE are nasty little buggers and they don't stay quite so little. She said she knew what she was doing.


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[Mama Karoti]

I live in a small town, and my LFS isn't bad considering. Selection is limited, though, so I occasionally go to a very big aquarium store in Columbus. They are pricey, but a very cool store to walk around in and their selection is awesome. But their employees are lacking. When I went there for a heater while I was waiting for my Fishless cycle to complete, the employee there tried to convince me what a bad idea fishless cycling is, and she was pretty rude about it. I just ignored her and used her for what I needed. Went back a year later, she's still there, rude as ever. The other employees in there I've talked to don't seem much more knowledgable. I can only imagine the customers who go in there (affluent area) and drop a ton of $$$ in tanks, fish, and bad advice.


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[Fresh2o]

Regarding the big box stores, I really don't interact with the staff. No trying to be rude or snobbish. Well, maybe a little. I usually reply with "No thanks, just looking." Occasionally I do overhear interactions with staff and customers and cringe. It's sad sometimes. I would not want to be I their (employees) shoes either. They'd probably fire me for turning away too many customers. "No soup for you!"
There is one LFS nearby and the staff seems knowledgeable. From what I've observed, no absurd stocking recommendations.



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[dragon14]

An employee I was speaking to at the store was telling me all about her unfiltered, unheated one gal with a Betta and "algae eater". I told her the CAE and SAE are nasty little buggers and they don't stay quite so little. She said she knew what she was doing.


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The cae may munch on the betta eventually too . Ugh.

 

[NatureFish]

What's CAE?


NatureFish
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[emerald76]

Chinese Algae Eater.


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[NatureFish]

Oh. Ok thanks.


NatureFish
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[sinibotia]

Well, I just this morning had one of those moments, and it was with my "good" lfs too. There was a picture of a golden weather loach they just got in on their facebook page, and I commented, rhetorically, "(tagging my fiance) Do you know what this is? " (weather loaches are one of my all time favorite fish). Well, owner of the store comments that it's a "golden loach, it's prettymuch the same as a khuli loach". Except that kuhli loaches are 3 inches max tropical community fish and weather loaches are 8 inch min coldwater fish best kept with goldfish or other larger coldwater fish.

 

[SuomiBetta]

The worst thing my local Petsmarts ever do is encourage young kids to keep goldfish. I yank the customers aside and tell them that goldfish can be difficult and that kids should really start with a betta. Much hardier and easier to care for. They sold this poor Black Moor to this mom and daughter in a one gallon bowl. I wanted to cry for that poor fish. I tried telling the mom that that goldfish needed a full tank for it to not die in three days and she looked at me like I grew a second head.

 

[SNorlin]

Our local pet store has a gem of a fish lady. She has herself raised numerous fish and is very informative and also interested to discuss things you have learned. She took a two week vacation last year and not knowing, I came into the store to get some fish. I walked into the tank room and half the fish were floating dead!!!! I was horrified and saddened. When I spoke to the person filling in for the fish lady, she said she was just cleaning up and then could get me some fish. I said, um, no thanks. I'll come back later. Shudder!


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[SNorlin]

Has anyone ever considered talking to their LFS about working there part time? ( to provide advice and to help them be better?). I get this feeling every time the knowledgable fish lady goes on vacation. I told the owner, next time she goes away, give me a ring and I will fill in, ugh.


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[emerald76]

I'd like to work a bit on the weekends but my LFS is too far away- id spend more time going there than working.


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[mrvincent]

[/I]She said they just got it the previous week and it swims all around her 29 gallon tank !!!!!


Poor lady, I just didn't have the heart to tell her that it would completely destroy any attempt at decorating the tank, kill her other fish and that they grow to almost 18". I'm sure she will be bringing it back within the month.

If she's cute you can't blame her...