NEVER, EVER.....

[Gilraen Took]

I really fail to understand why anyone would buy anything without researching first.

I'm(at least I used to be) one of those people. Why shouldn't I be though? I was young, naive(never had friends growing up, so learned to trust adults above all else) and didn't think anyone, especially someone who sold live animals(considering that I respect life above nearly everything) would lie to me. I'd been in his store dozens of times and he was always telling me about how he used to collect wild fish for stores and that he quit doing that because he was getting a bit old to go diving every week but still just LOVED animals and wanted to help people get pets.

Yea, so I trusted his lies. And nearly gave up fishkeeping entirely because I couldn't keep anything alive. I didn't have good internet access(school only) so I couldn't go find a fish forum and let them tell me what a bonehead I was. And my parents didn't know anything about fish. So who else was I to trust? Even when I went to the other stores in town(the better of the two and the chain store) I wouldn't be corrected when I wanted to add more fish to my 10 gallon and was already so overstocked that it wasn't funny. Why shouldn't I trust him? I mean, it was MY fault my fish kept dying because I wasn't changing the filter pads enough. I couldn't change the water any more than the 5 gallons every 3 months because I didn't want the channel cats in there to get huge, right? I mean the hormones in the water was all that was keeping them small(until they died from anything up to nitrate poisoning.)

I mean, I've learned my lessons and research first now, but not everyone knows that people lie like dogs to make a dollar.

 

[deepblue101]

aye

 

[*Marmalade*]

wooh chill people make mistakes. bumble bee goby r brakesh as i wrk in a lfs we have had them in and kept them in FW they did live just went very pale. female cherry barbs r paler then the males also chubbier

 

[dchaos52]

bye then. thanks so ****ing much. go ahead and ban me. because I don't want to be around *******s like you. I didn't know the fish was sick, i thought it was pale because it was a female. you act like you've never impulse bought anything. for your information I did research them. there are two types of these fish, one is ok in fresh, one is not. They had one that was BRACKISH, labeled as FRESH. thats not my ****ing fault. you think you're all perfect. get over yourselves.

bu bye now

Explain to me then.. if you DIDN'T know the damn fish was sick.. then how can you say it was VISIBLY ill... get your story straight.. and dont ridicule people with much more experience talent, and quite frankly more maturity than you.

 

[likestofish]

thats why look for somewhere that actually cares and becomes buddys with the guys there.

 

[Robbwilder]

I think alot of times people want sympathetic ear or comments. People want to know that everyones been where they are. I can probably say most people have gone through what he has. Maybe there should be a COMPLETE Monster Guide to Fish Keeping. From Purchasing the tank to cycling it to disease. One big book.

I know my Pacus and GG got really sick and was looking for some advice and no one really replied but one guy. He didnt have any advice but it was nice to know someones watching been there before too. This board is not only research but its teaching. Just look at the DYI section. Look at the Disease section. Finally I calmed down on my posting and searched out the symptons. I had already started doing what the recommendation was. There was 3 different medicines recommended but I chose the one my LFS had and went with it. The Pacus are doing good. Oscar was never affected and I lost the GG. The store got another one and once my tank is clear I will go purchase this one and quarantine it.

After my ramble I think Tact with newbies <including myself to an extent with monster fish> might help. Mentoring and such. Just my 2 cents

 

[Hsi Wang Hu]

Trust your LFS or a chain store. NOT unless you KNOW you can trust the person. I have learned this the VERY hard way. I currently have two fish I need to get rid of.. they are BRACKISH water and were sold to me as FRESH water. This same store sold someone I know a goldfish saying it would be GREAT for her 1 gal. Same place tried to tell me that I could put a pleco in a 10 gallon. Oh, and they sold me a CLEARLY VISIBLY sick cherry barb that died the next day. And a neon tetra that had.. NEON TETRA DISEASE.. which then killed one of my other fish. ... needless to say.. I'm finding a new LFS...

Moral of the story? again

NEVER, EVER, EVER, Trust someone you do not KNOW you can. Just because they work for a fish shop, doesn't mean anything, one of the kids who works at mine, actually told me he cant keep fish cause they always die.

When I first started in this I was pestering my LFS clerks with questions on the fish and what should I do about this or what if this happens. But I also was reading books, magazines, and the internet and I was finding that the LFS' advice was always the opposite of everything else I found out. At first I was like okay maybe they know more and followed the LFS advice but it never turned out good. So I do not even ask them anymore and I rarely even go to them anymore unless I need something right away or I am bored. I tend to order all my equipment and supplies online now.