LFS, Sick fish, What would you do?

[Mastiffsrule]

Hello all, hope all is well. (Really do hope so and not generic greeting)

I went to a LFS today to pick up a certain supplement. This particular fish store is not horrible, the owners are knowledgeable.

While we were there, first we came across a jumper on the floor. It happens.

Next aisle there were some people looking at a bi-color angel. They were talking about him, but moved over to another tank. I love bi-colors so I wanted to check him out in case they didn’t want him.. Right away I saw Uronema just above the gill. That’s pretty good for me to spot since I am bad a disease name. Them my daughter also caught it under his mouth and she’s 10.

So my dilemma. I try to do the right thing, but in this situation what is the right thing, Morals and ethics are important to me. Did I have an ethical and/or a moral duty to tell the owner and shoppers about the disease, or do I move on since not my business and can’t save the world? I moved on.

This is not limited to that LFS, but any LFS or even Petco.

Did I do the right thing, would you, what is the chance any LFS even if told about it would QT and treat?

 

[Mariette]

Tough call. Poor fish.

 

[WVNed]

slightly blow zero. They would probably push to sell it by giving the next person that looked at it a deal.

I have never been in a LFS that had the facilities to QT or treat fish. Maybe things are different other places.

 

[jsvand5]

I think it’s ok to mention it to the owners but I would never say anything to another customer. Either way it’s doubtful the owner will treat it. Bi colors are tough even when they look healthy, bringing one back from uronema is pretty unlikely.

 

[mattzang]

i kinda ran into a similar situation at my lfs about a month ago. i was in there and walked right past their front window FOWLR tank because i'm there for frags! but once i get to talking to the owners, they tell me how the power went out a few days prior and their biggest issue was with that FOWLR tank. so we walk over to it and i'm looking at a bunch of really messed up fish. I took special notice of this blue scribbled angel they had, just covered with ich/velvet (so covered i immediately thought velvet).

i'm sitting there like uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh can't say for sure what happens to fish when the power gets turned off for several hours, low oxygen is an issue, but if that was almost a week prior and this fish is still on the struggle bus (kind of sitting on the bottom leaning on a rock breathing hard), i'm thinking disease issue for sure. this store isn't very good at the disease aspect of fish keeping and i've had some debates with them regarding disease (i refuse to buy fish there), so i just kept my mouth shut and thought, well after they lose a few thousand in fish they'll learn. so i also said nothing

somehow i went back a couple of weeks later and the fish (including that same scribbled angel) were totally fine and as i was there they were proud to show me the $10,000 koi tang they were acclimating to that tank.

so..... idk, i'm not experienced enough to run around telling everyone what to do with their tanks, especially an lfs. so i'd rather go, "well bummer" than get into some debate and basically call the owner a moron. plus apparently it worked out so what do i know. i'm guessing it was just a situation of ich being in the tank, add in the power outage stressing the fish out and boom big outbreak. hopefully for the fishes sake they can manage it in the future

 

[Mariette]

I once threw my 2 cents in when a customer at LFS was talking about getting one of the large angels (thing it was a regal) for a 55g. His response was a curt “I’ve been doing this for x yrs, I know what I’m doing”. Okay then

 

[Peace River]

Hello all, hope all is well. (Really do hope so and not generic greeting)

I went to a LFS today to pick up a certain supplement. This particular fish store is not horrible, the owners are knowledgeable.

While we were there, first we came across a jumper on the floor. It happens.

Next aisle there were some people looking at a bi-color angel. They were talking about him, but moved over to another tank. I love bi-colors so I wanted to check him out in case they didn’t want him.. Right away I saw Uronema just above the gill. That’s pretty good for me to spot since I am bad a disease name. Them my daughter also caught it under his mouth and she’s 10.

So my dilemma. I try to do the right thing, but in this situation what is the right thing, Morals and ethics are important to me. Did I have an ethical and/or a moral duty to tell the owner and shoppers about the disease, or do I move on since not my business and can’t save the world? I moved on.

This is not limited to that LFS, but any LFS or even Petco.

Did I do the right thing, would you, what is the chance any LFS even if told about it would QT and treat?

@Mastiffsrule - thank you for your desire to do the right thing and your heart for the fish. I'm not sure that there is a "right" answer and it certainly depends on many elements of the context of the situation. Because I am a person who tends to be more bold on behalf of animals (who can't speak for themselves), I would attempt to point it out discretely to the staff/manager/owner in a non-confrontational manner. Maybe the store personnel doesn't care, but I would give them the benefit of the doubt and give them a chance to do right by the fish.

You mentioned that you can't change the world and I was reminded about the story about the little boy on the beach throwing starfish back into the ocean --

"One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, 'What are you doing?' The youth replied, 'Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.' 'Son,' the man said, 'don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!' After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, 'I made a difference for that one'."

I don't think there was an ethical obligation to point out the issue and, as I said before, I think it depends on context. There is a chance that you could have made a different to that bi-colored angel...or maybe the next one. I'm quite sure that many will disagree with my perspective, but thank you @Mastiffsrule for helping us to stop and reflect on this issue that we are presented with far too often.
_

 

[Peace River]

I once threw my 2 cents in when a customer at LFS was talking about getting one of the large angels (thing it was a regal) for a 55g. His response was a curt “I’ve been doing this for x yrs, I know what I’m doing”. Okay then

@Mariette - that is a tough situation. We need to try to balance the concept of allowing the person to "save face" with the health and welfare of the animal. You might be able to respond with something like "Wow! That's great! Then you must be a member of the Reef to Reef forum. You may want to double check with their experts because I would hate for you to have to get a bigger tank. Either way, good luck with your tank!" ...then smile and walk away!

 

[Mastiffsrule]

@Mastiffsrule - thank you for your desire to do the right thing and your heart for the fish. I'm not sure that there is a "right" answer and it certainly depends on many elements of the context of the situation. Because I am a person who tends to be more bold on behalf of animals (who can't speak for themselves), I would attempt to point it out discretely to the staff/manager/owner in a non-confrontational manner. Maybe the store personnel doesn't care, but I would give them the benefit of the doubt and give them a chance to do right by the fish.

You mentioned that you can't change the world and I was reminded about the story about the little boy on the beach throwing starfish back into the ocean --

"One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, 'What are you doing?' The youth replied, 'Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.' 'Son,' the man said, 'don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!' After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, 'I made a difference for that one'."

I don't think there was an ethical obligation to point out the issue and, as I said before, I think it depends on context. There is a chance that you could have made a different to that bi-colored angel...or maybe the next one. I'm quite sure that many will disagree with my perspective, but thank you @Mastiffsrule for helping us to stop and reflect on this issue that we are presented with far too often.
_

Not related....

I did fish forums years ago when I was ill and recovering, it did not turn out well.

So after reading your post..And trying 20 different reply's over last 10 minutes to put my thought to words I couldn’t, so just straight up amazing. Words don’t express, thank you.

 

[Mjrenz]

Hello all, hope all is well. (Really do hope so and not generic greeting)

I went to a LFS today to pick up a certain supplement. This particular fish store is not horrible, the owners are knowledgeable.

While we were there, first we came across a jumper on the floor. It happens.

Next aisle there were some people looking at a bi-color angel. They were talking about him, but moved over to another tank. I love bi-colors so I wanted to check him out in case they didn’t want him.. Right away I saw Uronema just above the gill. That’s pretty good for me to spot since I am bad a disease name. Them my daughter also caught it under his mouth and she’s 10.

So my dilemma. I try to do the right thing, but in this situation what is the right thing, Morals and ethics are important to me. Did I have an ethical and/or a moral duty to tell the owner and shoppers about the disease, or do I move on since not my business and can’t save the world? I moved on.

This is not limited to that LFS, but any LFS or even Petco.

Did I do the right thing, would you, what is the chance any LFS even if told about it would QT and treat?

You did what I would have done, I've tried to talk to people at petco or at a lfs about diseases and no matter what I have said they always seem to "know more" than I do. I don't have the personality trait that some people have that allows me to begin a debate so I have stopped offering unsolicited advice when looking at potential pets and mostly mind my own business now

 

[Mastiffsrule]

slightly blow zero. They would probably push to sell it by giving the next person that looked at it a deal.

I have never been in a LFS that had the facilities to QT or treat fish. Maybe things are different other places.

I agree 100% on the outcome.

I always doubt myself in those situations. Would it be better to say something as simple as “hey is that guy ok?” Worst that happens is nothing, best maybe owner didn’t know and will take action.

My thoughts at that time was, “not my business, but would it hurt to mention it discreetly? But I just moved on. Would another’s choice be the same in that situation?

 

[WVNed]

I agree 100% on the outcome.

I always doubt myself in those situations. Would it be better to say something as simple as “hey is that guy ok?” Worst that happens is nothing, best maybe owner didn’t know and will take action.

My thoughts at that time was, “not my business, but would it hurt to mention it discreetly? But I just moved on. Would another’s choice be the same in that situation?

I usually cant keep my mouth shut. It's always been a problem for me.

 

[Peace River]

I usually cant keep my mouth shut. It's always been a problem for me.

I'm not sure that it is keeping our mouth shut that is the issue, it is what we let come out! :oops:

 

[Mariette]

I'm not sure that it is keeping our mouth shut that is the issue, it is what we let come out! :oops:

BAHAHAHA