BAD BAD LFS

[setarris]

I just wanted to mention to other newbies like myself

"DO NOT DEPEND COMPLETELY ON LOCAL FISH STORE".

I was given an old 10 gal and knew nothing about keeping fish. Common sense says to question, question, question. So I went to my LFS wanting to patronize a small business and figured the owner must have some pretty good knowledge and I "ASSUMED" would care about the lives of fish.

Told the owner about my used tank and asked him all about what to do to get it started. As so many people do, he got all mystical on me and said the start up cycle was very complicated and he would walk me through, just do as he says. Mean time you will need to buy.... bought new filter material, heater, etc.

"OK, I'm new to this, so whats the steps I ask?"

"First we start with 3 goldfish, (beautiful Pom Pom was 1) and a bottom feeder... "

Then the next week, "What do I add to my goldfish?"
"We add some Tetras..." he says.

Today I groan to see the future of these poor fish.

Then the next week, I ask "what type of fish next?" I remind him I have three goldfish, bottom eater, 2 tetra's...

He says "OH NO YOU CANT MIX GOLDFISH WITH OTHERS!"

ok, take a deep breath. (I say to myself)

"So, what do I do now?" He's says I need a new tank to move the goldfish to, so I can  *crazysmiley*add other fish to my Tetra's.

Well I don't need to go further I'm sure. The only thing this person was concerned with was making money. He sold me and told me only what would make him a profit.
Needless to say by the time I found this website and sorted through the tons of information available elsewhere, I lost my beautiful Pom Pom and the calico gold fish.
So for newbies like my self PLEASE become more informed from MANY sources before accepting the responsibility of the lives of fish.

 

[Matt Nace]

Just to add,

A 10 gallon is a very hard tank for most new fish keepers. It is unstable if you don't have an idea on what you are doing.

29 gallon setups are very cheap these days, and it makes it a lot easier to get into.

A fishless cycle would really help a new person, but most new people want the fish in their tanks now. (I did way back)

 

[colesea]

NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW ME ME ME ME ME...

Yup, that's how I sum up 85% of my customers.  Those type of people suck.

I will agree, that's pretty sleezy of that LFS store guy. Deliberately misleading somebody is not cool, and certainly not a way to make a profit. Good advice earns cutomer loyalty which leads to greater profits in the long run. I've got customers who still come back to me after a year and still say they like my place because I'm always so nice and helpful, and that I've been dead on each time. Some of my customers have even out-fished me with the amount of stuff they've learned I wonder why they still ask my advice because all I can do is go "duh, I dunno."

I just had a heart-to-heart with my district manager today, and truth be told, all LFS and LPS look at fish as just another piece of merchendise for a profit. Not as an art, or cultivated hobby, or science, or even a life form. Nope, just profit profit profit. Increase profit, minimize shrink, only carry top sellers, standardize everything to planogram, boring boring boring...

~~Colesea

 

[ChazECJr]

There is nothing wrong with making money.  In a sense it makes the world go round.

The problem is there are so many people who want to make the quick buck by giving bad advice and taking advantage of people, instead of giving good advice, earning customer loyalty and making their money in the long run from repeat business.  But I think that is the case in most types of business, unfortunately.