My LFS

KMyshrall

Small Fish
Jul 9, 2003
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#1
When I went into my LFS to purchase an algae eater they had two tanks full. One was labeled Flying foxes and one was labeled Algae eating shark.
The woman who got mine out claimed they were the same thing...though from reading about them...they are different genera!
Anyways...i got what they called an algae eating shark...i mentioned to her that he really didn't look like one but she swore thats what it was and that it would only grow to be 3" ...he was so cute i bought him.
Well after having him for a month he's like 3 1/2" and growing fast...and he is most definitely not an algae eating shark. I think he's a chinese algae eater which grow up to 12"!!!!!!!
I went back to the petstore today to tell them this and she said "oh we know, algae eating sharks and chinese algae eaters are the same thing".....but...if AES are the same as Flying Foxes AND CAE then they should all be the same species....but they're not.....
Ahhhhh...i am so confused...i finally got tired of being tol i was wrong and i left. I won't be shopping there anymore!!
 

FroggyFox

Forum Manager
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May 16, 2003
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#2
GOOD CHOICE. You should print out a list of facts seperating the three different kinds (or 2) and give it to them, and let them know that they won't be getting your business anymore because of bad advice and that they didn't know what kind of fish they were selling. Telling US that you're not going there anymore will get you a pat on the back...telling THEM that youre not going there anymore might make them realize that there are people out there that care about the advice that they give.

Did you take him back?
 

KMyshrall

Small Fish
Jul 9, 2003
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#3
They wouldn't let me return him but I did start to get fact sheets ready for them. I plan on giving them a copy and then also putting one by the tanks.
I'm not quite sure what to do with him....i'm so attached to him, he's so cute!!!
I was planning on getting a 55g in Sept/Oct ...do you think he'd be ok in the 10g until then??
 

Feb 2, 2003
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#4
Having worked in a LFS myself, I know how frusterating fish lableing can be. Even though you know in your core what kind of fish you are looking at, they won't believe you. My co-workers would tell people the most insane things!! I would go and find them later on and tell them the real truth. Sometimes, they even make up names in front of the costumer so they don't have to say they don't know.

Your experiance is unfortunate, I wish it would'nt happen to so many people. Especially with those particuler species of fish. I still get them mixed up sometimes.
 

FroggyFox

Forum Manager
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May 16, 2003
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#5
I think if theres no other choice you can keep him in the 10 :) As long as you are planning on moving him and keep up with tank maintenance etc. I don't know how fast they grow though...
 

SoulFish

Superstar Fish
Oct 22, 2002
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www.rainbowaquatics.com
#6
they can grow fast depending on the amount of algae, but dont worry about him getting 10" only thing you gotta worry about is the agression, they can be quite mean and have attacked every african cichlid (down to the meanest you can get) watch for him sucking onto the side of fish
 

Jun 28, 2003
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#8
Yea, I've had that happen to me. When we had our Oscars, WalMart told us they wouldn't get any bigger than 4 inches. They were so leetle and cute.
But then good ole Da looked everything up and got happy cause he could spend more money on a bigger tank! :D But he also had the opportunity to ream the guy at WalMart... ;)

We had them for about 4 years until a Pacu went crazy and gave everyone sores then they were overcome by a disease. :(

But those LFS people should at least save customers thier money by telling them they have NO idea!!! I'm about ready to jump in a Aquatics job at PetSmart and man, if I don't know something I'll admit it.

The ones who pull random things out of thier anuses need to have a serious head-check. My goodness, it's a fish thier selling, not a car!
 

Jun 25, 2003
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#10
Originally posted by CoNMaN
The best thing you can do is go armed with knowledge.
I couldn't agree more. You pretty much have to know your own way around and do some research before you go in, because part of the LFS business, like any business, is selling products. So any LFS is going to make anything you ask about sound like the perfect thing for your tank. Yeah, they may care about your fish, but at the same time, they want your money too. It's a double standard, but it's what they gotta do.