Does anyone else get frustrated with misidentified cichlids in lfs? I mean why can't they get it right? I see some weird names attached to cichlids in tanks at the stores these days. I realize that we can't all know all the scientific names for these fish, but come on! At least lets settle on just one common name instead of the fruitiest name of the month. I stopped in a lfs today, first time there, and I sware, there was about ten different cichlids in this one tank and their listed names for the fish of half of them I've never heard of before. I knew their scientific names, but the common names they listed them at I never heard of before. There was three red devils in there that looked like they were dyed flourescent red and were labeled as purple/pink queen something or other. And the most frustrating thing is, the help in the fish room has no idea what they are. Its not just this one store, I'm finding this happening all over. When is it going to stop? I believe all this kind of thing does is entice the casual fish tank person into buying the wildest colored and the coolest sounding fish for their tanks. These people are going to buy fish, keep them for a few months, fish will dye, then they'll sell their tanks or let them rot in some corner of their basement. Why can't these lfs identify their fish properly and hire people who actually keep fish themselves and know what their doing. I see this as short sightedness for our hobby, which doesn't help when you hear the ecologist trying to curtail the ornamental fish trade. Just doesn't make sense to me. I know this has probably all been said before, but I just had to get it out!!!!!
LFS cichlid indentifying
- Thread starter Mij
- Start date
yeh i bought what was meant to be a jaguar cichlid yet when i posted pics on a few forums to show him off i got told he was a loisellei, yet when i told them and even gave them web addresses and showed them in books but they labelled him jag again and his siblings were still labelled as jags.
i tried twice to get them to change it but they were so arrogant they had to be right and what did i know im only the hobbiest who loves and cares for the fish after researching its every need.
i tried twice to get them to change it but they were so arrogant they had to be right and what did i know im only the hobbiest who loves and cares for the fish after researching its every need.
I see it all the time too. Worst part is that my LFS doesnt even label the tank. No names no prices nothing. Just a tank full of weird fish. It takes 10 minutes to find out what kind of fish it is and another 5 minutes for them to call the owner and see what the price is.
The owner really knows his fish but he's never there and the employees dont know anything!!!!
The owner really knows his fish but he's never there and the employees dont know anything!!!!
Oh you just opened a can of worms that's on the top of my pet peeve list.
Let me just start by saying that it is possible that the "purple/pink queen" fish that you called red devils may very well be rose queens. They are a flowerhorn and therefore have no scientific name. Just a possiblity.
It really seems that no matter what pet/fish store I go into in this area, the owners'/employees' knowledge of fish is limited at best. Some know a lot about a very narrow group of fish, some just know very little. I purchased a cr. sp. 'Xingu' (orange pike) at a Petland, and when I went to pay for the fish the clerk looks at me and says, "How do you pronounce this?" I said, "My name???" She replies, "No, this." She points to the word 'cichlid' on the receipt. You've gotta be effin kidding me!
Earlier that day I was in an LFS that has a few oddballs from time to time, so I decided to ask the owner about getting some p. motaguense. He says he's never heard of 'em. Whatever. He then proceeds to show me a tank with three flowerhorns in it and tells me that they're 'Cherry Red Flowerhorns' and that they're $150 apiece. They were 3" ZZ's!!! 
Are you nuts!!??? Then there's the LFS that I most often frequent. It's close to home and has a large selection, not good, just large. They have 2 tanks, one labeled jaguars, the other managuense. 
They also have a decent selection of bichirs, always labeled 'bikers'. The list goes on!
So, yeah, I know exactly what you mean. It's ridiculous. I mean, if I was going to open a gun shop, for example, and someone came in and asked me about a Sig Sauer and I replied, "Never heard of it." How long do you think I'd be in business?
Let me just start by saying that it is possible that the "purple/pink queen" fish that you called red devils may very well be rose queens. They are a flowerhorn and therefore have no scientific name. Just a possiblity.
It really seems that no matter what pet/fish store I go into in this area, the owners'/employees' knowledge of fish is limited at best. Some know a lot about a very narrow group of fish, some just know very little. I purchased a cr. sp. 'Xingu' (orange pike) at a Petland, and when I went to pay for the fish the clerk looks at me and says, "How do you pronounce this?" I said, "My name???" She replies, "No, this." She points to the word 'cichlid' on the receipt. You've gotta be effin kidding me!
Earlier that day I was in an LFS that has a few oddballs from time to time, so I decided to ask the owner about getting some p. motaguense. He says he's never heard of 'em. Whatever. He then proceeds to show me a tank with three flowerhorns in it and tells me that they're 'Cherry Red Flowerhorns' and that they're $150 apiece. They were 3" ZZ's!!! Are you nuts!!??? Then there's the LFS that I most often frequent. It's close to home and has a large selection, not good, just large. They have 2 tanks, one labeled jaguars, the other managuense. They also have a decent selection of bichirs, always labeled 'bikers'. The list goes on!So, yeah, I know exactly what you mean. It's ridiculous. I mean, if I was going to open a gun shop, for example, and someone came in and asked me about a Sig Sauer and I replied, "Never heard of it." How long do you think I'd be in business?
I guess part on my frustration is that I owned and operated a fish store a few years ago. Had it in my home with about 100 tanks. I sold quite a few cichlids and had some very knowledgeable cichlids owners for customers. Other customers that wanted to keep cichlids, but never did before I had to educate them. This I feel is the job of the lfs owner. It is utterly rediculous to sell fish in your tanks and not have them properly identified and labeled as such. Too many lfs are just interested in making a buck! I understand its the survival of the fittest, but damn its frustrating!
And its not that all of us are elitist, its just bad for the incoming cichlid person. A newbie doesn't know whats what, even half of us don't know whats what.Hawkfish3.0;1735413;1735413 said:Oh you just opened a can of worms that's on the top of my pet peeve list.
Let me just start by saying that it is possible that the "purple/pink queen" fish that you called red devils may very well be rose queens. They are a flowerhorn and therefore have no scientific name. Just a possiblity.
It really seems that no matter what pet/fish store I go into in this area, the owners'/employees' knowledge of fish is limited at best. Some know a lot about a very narrow group of fish, some just know very little. I purchased a cr. sp. 'Xingu' (orange pike) at a Petland, and when I went to pay for the fish the clerk looks at me and says, "How do you pronounce this?" I said, "My name???" She replies, "No, this." She points to the word 'cichlid' on the receipt. You've gotta be effin kidding me!
So, yeah, I know exactly what you mean. It's ridiculous. I mean, if I was going to open a gun shop, for example, and someone came in and asked me about a Sig Sauer and I replied, "Never heard of it." How long do you think I'd be in business?