Unless you know who you are buying from remember that generally LFS are Salesman First. So, read about what you would like to get before you go to buy it. Yes I know that I have probably insulted someone here, but over time I have also been sold things that have killed each other in my tank. Filters that would not filter in my tank all becasue the LFS said sure they will work fine in that type of system. An example of Fish a Pajama Cardinal and a Banggie Cardinal are very passive fish. There is only one problem. About 75% of the time they don't like each other. They are very terratorial. If the Pajama Cardnial the one that usually hides in the corner is the bigger of the two. It will kill the Banggie Cardnial, then go back and hide in the corner. If the Banggie is much bigger than the Pajama then it is going to come out from under and around the Live Rock and do the opposite then go back under it. Ya, I was told no problem they get along fine there super passive. They get along with anything. The articles on them say they don't and they didn't. There are others too, but I don't think I should write a book.
LFS are still Salesman
- Thread starter mike1352
- Start date
im grateful that my lfs actually no what there doing but ive been to some that the employes know absolutly nothing
anyway LFS gotta make their ends meat also, so i would say its understandable under some extent. i wouldnt think cardinals were aggressive either.
fishkeeper25;3001859; said:
oh also, best insurance against bad sales, it so do your own research.
i have 2 LFS and both of them are really nice..but it is also our duty to search the net first and find out what to get and what not. in the LFS all the fishes live together and show no aggression. they are too crowded to do that. and not LFS know everything about al the fishes they keep. once one of the new LFS i went to sold me a snake head (i was a newbie that time) and told me that its a nice community fish. surprise...next day my 2 bala sharks and 2 id sharks missing..
I'd say it's about 3:7 ratio for LFS employees. If you get to know the owner/workers and actually show knowledge. They'll less likely try to sell you info to make the purchase. Also some larger stores hire random people just looking for a job. There's no real quiz or standard to hiring someone. As others have stated, the best you can do is to know general info on different species, and also RESIST buying something that looks cool if you don't know what it is. Or atleast have an extra tank if it doesn't work out with your current setup.
From my experience research is the best route. On the other hand, a reputable dealer is good as well. My lfs is so attentive to what I tell them that I've had to wait a week for a certain level to get back to normal before I could take something home. ex. (I'm going to have to buy this crab right here." "Well, two days ago your Sg was 1.020, so make sure you spend more time than usual acclimating." They're great. The shop just down the road, not so great. Tried to sell me some freshwater clowns on the basis they do just fine once converted. Always good to know what your into and the hardest for me has always been impulsive buying.
On the other side, the number one thing any fish keeper has to remember. These are wild animals and no amount of taming will change that. I've seen cleaner shrimp kill fish, lawnmower blennies eat a red linka star, and had a tesselata that curled around my arm. There's no real telling what any fish is going to regardless of store temperament, housing, usual personality, or anything for that matter. All we can do is aim for what works and be fore armed with as much information as possible.
On the other side, the number one thing any fish keeper has to remember. These are wild animals and no amount of taming will change that. I've seen cleaner shrimp kill fish, lawnmower blennies eat a red linka star, and had a tesselata that curled around my arm. There's no real telling what any fish is going to regardless of store temperament, housing, usual personality, or anything for that matter. All we can do is aim for what works and be fore armed with as much information as possible.
You all have extremely valid points. I work at a petco and agree that if you plan on getting a new fish or any pet for that matter you should be held accountable to assertaining the required knowledge for the proper care of said pet. The problem is this is never the case so i try to give as much knowledge as i can......My personal experiences with my LFS's have been varied.....i have one store within walking distance that has great selection, although over-priced, and typically very good service......i wont shop there anymore tho because i had an employee not only talk down to me but actually demand me to bring a water sample to purchase a fish!!!!!! had i not told him about my background with fish i would have actually respected him.....because it was in fact a hard fish to keep and also gets very very large, a "cichla" aka peacock bass. But i informed him i had a 90 gallon tank to use as a grow in tank for my buddy who has a custom 360 gallon tank.....not only did he stick to his guns he in fact started to insult me with my fish knowledge and whatnot.......So i told him hell never see me again and im going to tell everyone who keep fish to stay the hell outa that store! My other lfs is a lil bit of a drive away but the dude who owns it is totally awesome and beyond knowledgable......