Tropical Fish Forums

[mac]

Hi fellow Aqua members
I was wondering how many of you fellow members, have ever had a bad experience with you local pet shop?
Has annyone had information given to them, e.g that Tetras are good companions for Oscars.Or information that was of no use or relevance.
I would love to know how many of you suffer with terrible information, or worse.
Please post you experiences of bad pet shops.

Keen fish keeper.
mac
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I was once open minded but my brain kept falling out.
Dose that mean I am a product of the education system?

[MitchB1990]

Wal-Mart is one of the most atrocious sights I have seen a fish keeper. Those little ten gallon tanks are stuffed and over crowded with fish that are to large and in too many. One tank their were about 30 - 35 ANGELFISH. Don't get me started on the Neons/Tetras (Over 50 in each tank) It was horrible and appalling.
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Take a look at my Aquarium Life in this thread.

[mac]

Hi Mitch.
Our local pet shop, has had a bad run with a algae. Anyway I got it and after a bit of a battle I found a product that got rid of the stuff over night. The pet shop just added bleach to their tanks to get rid of it. Now the tanks smell. The nexted thing is they have a Cichlid stile gravel with lots of shell, and now their pH is of the charts. I will never shop there again. And like Mitch' I could just go on and on with the rest of the things our pet shop has done to their fish.
mac
_________________
I was once open minded but my brain kept falling out.
Dose that mean I am a product of the education system?

[MitchB1990]

Bodies after bodies I found at one of my local fish shops. They were all smaller fish stuck filters that were meant for 50 gallons and up and these were small 5-10 Gallon tanks. All fish were stuck to the grating around the filter. Never going to buy a fish there!
_________________
Take a look at my Aquarium Life in this thread.

[Dusko]

I am a customer and a LFS employee, so can talk on both sides of this story

I have seen good shops and bad shops.
And I know that people are spreading bad news faster than good news. Which isn't a bad thing, it just makes you wonder who's to blame in this bad shops case

As I already mentioned in this thread this thread we need better laws protecting the pets (in this case the fish/crusta species).

Most people involved in this hobby are ignorant, and lack enthusiasm to learn more.
Without laws people working in this hobby don't feel they have to make an extra effort and learn about species and their requirements.
They are focused on how to survive in this tuff world of competition between shops.
How can we blame them? We all have to pay for our bills and feed our family. It is the main reason to start a business or get a work.

Some companies train their employees to get better quality/service.
Some don't.

Local Aquarium Organisations together with Governments can help a lot in sorting out this issue.

Laws have to be made stating that everyone working in this industry has to go through an educational course organised by the Local Aquarium Org. which is supported by the Governments. Most Orgs will probably do it volunterely any way, to help spreading the Responsible Fish-Keeping Philosophy (I know I would)

Also these Organisations have to be linked by the law, so they can also evolve by working together. Not all orgs are of the same knowledge and quality.

ALSO;
All customers should be forced by the law to purchase a "Responsible Fish-Keeper Certificate" (in a form of an ID card) issued by the Local Aquarium Organisation.
Orgs should offer basic fish-keeping education/courses, so people get to understand the importance of cycling the tank and fish-requirements.

I purchased my cats from a Local Cat Org here in Sweden. Before getting the cast you have to sign the paper which states that this Org has the right to come and visit and check on the cats if they feel like it. I happily signed to support this cat protection method.
Once people know that they might come to check, they will be more focused on cat's well being.

The same can be done in the fish-keeping hobby where we all know how many fish-havers are out there.
Aquarium fish aren't protected that much.

I am not for rough laws. But rather laws which are focused on how to educate LFS employees, customers and improve/help Local Fish Organisations.

There is a way, we just have to support and believe in it

So instead of complaining, do something to make a change.
Go and join your Local Aquarium Org and tell them about these ways of protecting the Aquarium fish.
Trust me one man/woman can make a huge difference if they believe!

As always, kind regards, Dusko
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[CAllain]

[flyjawn]

oh my... I've gotten TONS of bad advice, wrong advice at my local LFS. I avoid them if possible but since they're the biggest, they often have stuff I can't get elsewhere.

I have complained but management doesn't care either.

[Dusko]

[MitchB1990]

Ah time for some good news from me, My local Pet CO2 is usually pretty good at giving advice in the fish department. They have these two well versed fish keepers there that I see every so often and they ask how my tank is doing. If I have problems I ask them and they give knowledgeable answers and tips from experience.

Also Sierra Fish has excellent customer support and cheap prices on healthy fish. I have never seen a diseased fish in with any other batch or any dead fish as well. The return policy is excellent there and they usually will refund your fish if it died withing 30 days or refunds all your fish if it is the cause of death of your other fish.
_________________
Take a look at my Aquarium Life in this thread.

[mac]

Hi all,
like Mitch said in his last post, one of our local malls have a pet-shop in it. Well the fish looked absolutely terrible. It is a real shame that the poor critters have to go through hell in some of these shops. I am totally for tighter restrictions on pet shops, lfs. I remember the pet-shop in Timaru. Before it got the new owners, who are learning slowly very slowly. Well the people before them where just fat lumps of lard who just sat out at the front of the shop smoking and swearing ALL day.
When you went into the shop, it stunk of tobacco, something terrible. When I finally got the courage up to look at their fish, I was very shock, the water smelled of, the filter looked like they had never been cleaned,the glass was so green you could not see a thing, and when you did get to look at some fish they were almost dead in the tanks. I was appalled and mega grumpy at the owners. But then I was new to New Zealand, and I did not know the rules about animal or fish cruelty so I did nothing, but if it happened now I would have got the rspca onto them.

But onto some good news. My 2 tropical fish suppliers in Christchurch, are like Mitch said, full of information and advice. And when I go to get some fish from them they never have sick fish or fish that are not quite that healthy for sale. It is just wonderful that some shops do care for their fish more than the money. It is just a shame that the fish have to go through hell, in some pet shops.
mac
_________________
I was once open minded but my brain kept falling out.
Dose that mean I am a product of the education system?