Oscaror
Back In It
Let's start a trend called "the plastic bag and duct tape" challenge to stop stupidity :xd:
lfs horror stories!!!
- Thread starter fab1971
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Oscaror
Back In It
Many people are saying that it's the customer's job to research, and that is true, in a sense.
But say you're walking in the store AND OMG LOOK AT THAT FILEFISH!!!
It's their job to tell you that filefish you've never seen eats acro polyps and is very hard to feed real food.
A lot of times you'll see something in an LFS that you've never seen before and you can't just go home and research it, someone might snatch that beautiful nudibranch away from you, and it's their job to be there and tell you it only eats flatworms.
But say you're walking in the store AND OMG LOOK AT THAT FILEFISH!!!
It's their job to tell you that filefish you've never seen eats acro polyps and is very hard to feed real food.
A lot of times you'll see something in an LFS that you've never seen before and you can't just go home and research it, someone might snatch that beautiful nudibranch away from you, and it's their job to be there and tell you it only eats flatworms.
Kworker
Tang Lover
MOST LFS's and Pet stores absolutely suck. I never understood why people bring animals into their home if they aren't going to properly take care of them, and that starts at the Local shop. If the store looks terrible what image does that portray?
You can say its 100% on the consumer all you want, but I'm sure many of you didn't do your research prior to purchasing a tank. Didn't you think it would of been nice if that guy at the store who supposedly "know's what he's talking about" (who seems to never actually know what he's talking about) actually filled you in with the truth?
We are talking about live animals here, accountability goes a long way towards humanity. In all the stores I have visited in my time in the hobby I have seen very few stores that actually do the right thing. It goes a long way when you are honest and responsible with your customers. It does not take much time to ask several questions about their tank and/or what they are trying to do. Than once the individual who works at the store knows the consumers system questions and solutions can be addressed. Most people will return and shop somewhere that is accommodating and friendly enough to have a conversation about the costumer.
If somebody who doesn't know walks into a reputable store and tries to buy a Green Moray for a 55 gallon tank and the employee denies the sale and explains why, the customer should be nothing but thrilled and recognize they have a honest place to spend their hard earned cash. Setting aside the proper thoughts towards the animal. If the costumer gets mad because they don't care that a shouldn't be in the hobby 6' eel is not appropriate for a 55 gallon tank and the store won't sell it to them. They can get lost and waste their time elsewhere.
It always baffled my mind why these stores bring in so much fish and can't keep a good amount alive due to stress/disease. It's as if they don't understand that if you give these individuals already in a stressful situation enough room and don't cram them into tight confines while being tapped at through glass they will have a lower mortality rate in their fish. I've seen shops who overcrowd and those who don't. I know of a place that has fewer than 1% mortality, than I know of places that seem to have close to 20%. The shops that overcrowd generally are a mess, isn't aesthetically pleasing and is not a pleasant place for somebody to visit who is looking to get into the hobby. The shops that are stocked appropriately with fish to allow minimal stress, generally are very clean, know what they are talking about and is nothing but encouraging. Unfortunately most stores are a blight on the hobby.
Apparently I am too high maintenance since most stores people rave about I find horrendous.
You can say its 100% on the consumer all you want, but I'm sure many of you didn't do your research prior to purchasing a tank. Didn't you think it would of been nice if that guy at the store who supposedly "know's what he's talking about" (who seems to never actually know what he's talking about) actually filled you in with the truth?
We are talking about live animals here, accountability goes a long way towards humanity. In all the stores I have visited in my time in the hobby I have seen very few stores that actually do the right thing. It goes a long way when you are honest and responsible with your customers. It does not take much time to ask several questions about their tank and/or what they are trying to do. Than once the individual who works at the store knows the consumers system questions and solutions can be addressed. Most people will return and shop somewhere that is accommodating and friendly enough to have a conversation about the costumer.
If somebody who doesn't know walks into a reputable store and tries to buy a Green Moray for a 55 gallon tank and the employee denies the sale and explains why, the customer should be nothing but thrilled and recognize they have a honest place to spend their hard earned cash. Setting aside the proper thoughts towards the animal. If the costumer gets mad because they don't care that a shouldn't be in the hobby 6' eel is not appropriate for a 55 gallon tank and the store won't sell it to them. They can get lost and waste their time elsewhere.
It always baffled my mind why these stores bring in so much fish and can't keep a good amount alive due to stress/disease. It's as if they don't understand that if you give these individuals already in a stressful situation enough room and don't cram them into tight confines while being tapped at through glass they will have a lower mortality rate in their fish. I've seen shops who overcrowd and those who don't. I know of a place that has fewer than 1% mortality, than I know of places that seem to have close to 20%. The shops that overcrowd generally are a mess, isn't aesthetically pleasing and is not a pleasant place for somebody to visit who is looking to get into the hobby. The shops that are stocked appropriately with fish to allow minimal stress, generally are very clean, know what they are talking about and is nothing but encouraging. Unfortunately most stores are a blight on the hobby.
Apparently I am too high maintenance since most stores people rave about I find horrendous.
tyler1503
2500 Club Member
I haven't had a chance to read the entire thread yet, but it should be a good read 
I was at an LFS known to give out bad advice and me, having only being in the hobby for a few weeks and thinking I knew it all, I thought I'd be able to pull them up on anything they tell me that doesn't sound right.
I see quite a few problems with this situation already lol.
Anyway, I saw some cool little zoas in the live rock holding tank. I asked how much they were and the guy said "$5 for that "colony" and the "colony" next to it". He was very careful not to call them zoas as I believed them to be.
I though great deal! 2 colonies for $5? I'll take them!
I got them home and after a bit of research I found out they were mojanos. Still pretty, but a lot more frustrating to remove from the tank. Lol.
Another time (or possible the same day? I duno anymore lol) at the same LFS I found a cute little longhorn cowfish. About two inches long including his little horns!
I thought, "I have to own that fish!". So I described my tank to the guy and asked if it would live long term in my tank. He assured me it would without ANY issues. I was soooo close to buying it! The $60 price tag kept me away though. Turns out after a bit of research I was right to say no to the fish. A two foot long fish can't live in one foot long tank apparently. They say there's a few issues with that, I personally don't see anything wrong with it though
I was at an LFS known to give out bad advice and me, having only being in the hobby for a few weeks and thinking I knew it all, I thought I'd be able to pull them up on anything they tell me that doesn't sound right.
I see quite a few problems with this situation already lol.
Anyway, I saw some cool little zoas in the live rock holding tank. I asked how much they were and the guy said "$5 for that "colony" and the "colony" next to it". He was very careful not to call them zoas as I believed them to be.
I though great deal! 2 colonies for $5? I'll take them!
I got them home and after a bit of research I found out they were mojanos. Still pretty, but a lot more frustrating to remove from the tank. Lol.
Another time (or possible the same day? I duno anymore lol) at the same LFS I found a cute little longhorn cowfish. About two inches long including his little horns!
I thought, "I have to own that fish!". So I described my tank to the guy and asked if it would live long term in my tank. He assured me it would without ANY issues. I was soooo close to buying it! The $60 price tag kept me away though. Turns out after a bit of research I was right to say no to the fish. A two foot long fish can't live in one foot long tank apparently. They say there's a few issues with that, I personally don't see anything wrong with it though
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tyler1503
2500 Club Member
Hahaha I do this too. Nowadays when I'm in a new LFS I tell them I have this yukky green hairy stuff on my rock and I don't know what it is. If they don't ask about every detail of my setup (lighting, filtration, flow, livestock, chemistry etc), give me atleast three possible solutions and/or causes and offer to test my water (if they offer that service) I won't buy from them. It's that simple for me. They either give me good advice and good customer service, or they lose my sale.
Exactly. It seems when people say research, what they actually mean is to click through a few pages on google.
A trusted, knowledgable LFS is a great resource. I'm at my LFS about once a week and, besides salt, I actually buy something maybe once every couple of months. I'm just trying to learn everything I can by talking to the guy and running new ideas by him.
bwalders65
Community Member
Its sad to see the same guy would have just as much recommended the same thing to another customer -_-
aquariumrescueunit
Active Member
My horror story from a lfs is a real good one. So I had been using the same store forever to get water supplies etc from and their RO pump died or quit working right, they continued to sell me bad water sky high in ammonia and phosphate by the time I realized this my tank was reading 10+ ppm phosphates and I lost all of my LPS most of my sps and my brains. Lesson learned don't trust anyone but yourself with your tank. Now I mix my own water and after a month of chemical warfare it's good again and I just bought more coral and restocked it. Crazy!!!
AquaticallyDistracted22
Active Member
It seems like most people are arguing the side of the "LFS's fault" or the "customer's fault" when really the answer should be both. Yes, your local fish store should be knowledgeable, should give you sound advise and shouldn't be in it to make a quick buck, but it is also the customers responsibility to do research both before and as a follow up to the advise given at a LFS.
I compare the way I feel about my fish to the way some people care about their dogs. Real "dog people" don't just go to a pet store point and say "I want that one." The figure out what type of dog they want based on care, personality and what would be the best fit for their family. Really, the unfortunate part is that the saltwater aquarium hobby is one based on visual appearance and so people are more inclined to walk into a LFS and do the point "I want that one". If we as customers treated saltwater aquarium livestock with more respect we would do at least some research before hand, wanting to know what fish, inverts, corals would be best for our "home". Rather than walking into a LFS, looking at what came in that week and picking something. Why not be patient and wait until they have what you want based on your research? Or even ask if the LFS could add what you are looking for into their next order for you.
All that being said I do also agree that your LFS should be knowledgeable about what they are selling and be able to give a customer sound advise regarding their individual situation. A LFS, when approached with a question, should, as some have pointed out, ask about your individual situation and be able to give you possible solutions to your problem. If they can not, I still don't think you can hold it against them. If they give you outright wrong advise, that's when it is their fault. I think someone brought up going to the doctor as an example. Doctors can't always pinpoint what is wrong with you based on what you tell them and even some simple tests, they may need to run other tests which involve other people helping them to help you.
I may have started to ramble, I do that, but to sum up:
1.) Customers should do research out of respect to the fish, inverts, corals they are keeping and those they wish to keep in the future.
2.) LFS should be knowledgeable about what they are selling, but we can't expect ANYONE to know every little detail about everything, especially in such an extensive and diverse hobby.
3.) False knowledge and bad advise can and will happen and that is the fault of whoever gives out that advise, but not completely. There should be at least some fault on those that take advise blindly.
I compare the way I feel about my fish to the way some people care about their dogs. Real "dog people" don't just go to a pet store point and say "I want that one." The figure out what type of dog they want based on care, personality and what would be the best fit for their family. Really, the unfortunate part is that the saltwater aquarium hobby is one based on visual appearance and so people are more inclined to walk into a LFS and do the point "I want that one". If we as customers treated saltwater aquarium livestock with more respect we would do at least some research before hand, wanting to know what fish, inverts, corals would be best for our "home". Rather than walking into a LFS, looking at what came in that week and picking something. Why not be patient and wait until they have what you want based on your research? Or even ask if the LFS could add what you are looking for into their next order for you.
All that being said I do also agree that your LFS should be knowledgeable about what they are selling and be able to give a customer sound advise regarding their individual situation. A LFS, when approached with a question, should, as some have pointed out, ask about your individual situation and be able to give you possible solutions to your problem. If they can not, I still don't think you can hold it against them. If they give you outright wrong advise, that's when it is their fault. I think someone brought up going to the doctor as an example. Doctors can't always pinpoint what is wrong with you based on what you tell them and even some simple tests, they may need to run other tests which involve other people helping them to help you.
I may have started to ramble, I do that, but to sum up:
1.) Customers should do research out of respect to the fish, inverts, corals they are keeping and those they wish to keep in the future.
2.) LFS should be knowledgeable about what they are selling, but we can't expect ANYONE to know every little detail about everything, especially in such an extensive and diverse hobby.
3.) False knowledge and bad advise can and will happen and that is the fault of whoever gives out that advise, but not completely. There should be at least some fault on those that take advise blindly.
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