If you're from the Tampa area you probably go or have been to "Marine Warehouse." I used to drive 1 to 1 1/2 hrs 1 way to go there. Today will definatly be the last day I ever set foot in there. Here's why......
Saturday: I'm working on getting my 120 setup going so I can move my fish, which are still living at my old house at this time. My wife then comes to me to talk about my little project. Like most in the recent economy we're not at our financial peak these days. So regretfully I agree to put the 120 project on hold. Now though, i'm stuck with my poor fish living in a 55 that seems to get smaller every day. It was only ever meant to be a grow out tank, and they had definatly started to out grow it. I love my fish; i've posted my tank several times in the brackish forum, although it's actually been full salt for awhile now, and i've devoted a lot of time and effort to my tank.
I decided it would be best for thier sake to take them to "Marine Warehouse," the guys I foolishly trusted would take care of them and find them good homes. They had actually offered to buy my scats off of me when I considered selling them before to allow plants in the tank. I carefully put the fish into a large styrofoam cooler, loaded them in my SUV, and took extra care driving them across town. It took me 2 hours and there was little traffic. When I got there and showed them the fish they couldn't stop commenting about how great they look and what wonderful condition they were in. They agreed to take them, but said they were not sure if the owner would want them being that they were accustomed to full salt. I told them I didn't want anything for them, just to be taken care of. They said to call on Monday and they would give me store credit or something. So I left them with my 5 archers, 3 scats, G. Tile, and White Cheek Eel. I was sad to let them go but I felt they were in good hands.
Monday: I call "Marine Warehouse" around 2:30 and they tell me to talk to "Mike." He gets on the phone and says "well, I got bad news and worst news." He then went on to tell me that my Scats somehow killed three of my Archers and that there was only one left. He said they were fine Saturday night and they just found peices of them Saturday morning. Five minus Three equals Two correct? Oh, he tells me I don't know what happened to the other one. He then tells me that they don't want them in thier salt water section (where most brackish fish are better kept than in fresh ) and that they were going to either try to re-acklimate them to fresh ( which they admitadly didn't expect them to live through ) or I could come pick what was left of my fish up. I told him I'd call back as at this point I was about to explode.
First of all these fish have all lived together for over a year. The Archers for longer than that. Second these are all resonably peacful schooling fish. Aside from the Scats sorting out thier pecking order, they've never touched each other. Furthermore they've never left a mark on one another let alone tear each other to shreds. For christ's sake the largest Scat had trouble eating Ghost Shrimp. How are three Scats supposed to kill four Archers that are bigger than them anyway. I could maybe see it the other way around, but this made no sense.
I call him back and ask to talk to the owner, he says no. He then tells me it was an act of god and not thier fault. I told him I'd be there to pick them up before close. Now i'm having to leave work early to run home and try and move a fish tank that been down for 3 days. I get done with that at about 7 and race across town to get there before 8, when they close. I'm still praying at this point that some of the BB in my old setup survived. I get there and start searching for whats left of my beloved fish. I find 1 Archer and 3 Scat beat to hell, missing chunks and fluttering around half on thier sides. Then I notice thier tank mate. Call me crazy but putting a Clown Trigger in with these type of fish doesn't really seem like the best idea. Needless to say I'm about to explode again.
I then see "Javier" the one cool stand up guy in the place. He comes over and asks what's wrong, so explained the situation to him. He could not stop appologizing. He said he was sorry he had been out for a couple days and today was his first day back. He then told me to hold on a second and he would get me what was left of my fish. I then saw my Eels poking out of a rock, which both looked okay. Good thing they had a hiding spot I guess.
At this point i'm pacing around the store and an older man comes up to me and asks, "have you been helped?" I said yes in a not so greatful tone and he replied, "sorry I asked." I then asked if he was the owner. He said, "yes, who are you." I then explained I was the guy whos fish he killed. At this point some white trash looking guy up front jumped in and the owner sheepishly ran to the back room.
This P.O.S. tells me, "no those fish killed each other, I watched those Archers beating the hell out of each other and taking shots all day."
(So first question is, you mean to tell me you sat and watched fish in your store tanks beat each other to death and did nothing about it? Second question, or fact I guess, common Archers are schooling fish and are rather docile towards each other. Third question, didn't you friend "Mike" say the Scats killed everything and that they found them all dead Sunday morning?)
My retort ended up being something to the effect of, "these fish have been together since they were an inch long and never so much as nipped at each other," only with more colorful and innappropraite language.
He asked me then, "well what do you think killed them."
I replied my bet would have to be on the trigger in there which are know to be agressive and the only thing in the tank capable of doing what had been done.
He then told me, "nah, nah, we just put that in today it's not even eating yet. (So number one B.S. because no other fish in that tank was capable of taking chunks out of each other, or shredding each other to scraps. Two so you're claiming to have put an aggressive fish in with a bunch of fish that are half dead and have gapping wounds.)
More argueing insued and Javier then came and helped me retrieve my poor fish. They are now back at home with me, but honestly, I don't expect them to survive the night.
If you've read this whole rant, sorry, but I gotta vent to people who understand. Long story short, if you really care about your fish, do what ever it takes to keep them and take care of them, cause no one else will. And never ever go to "Marine Warehouse" in Tampa Florida. I can't say the words to properly describe those people on this forum.
Saturday: I'm working on getting my 120 setup going so I can move my fish, which are still living at my old house at this time. My wife then comes to me to talk about my little project. Like most in the recent economy we're not at our financial peak these days. So regretfully I agree to put the 120 project on hold. Now though, i'm stuck with my poor fish living in a 55 that seems to get smaller every day. It was only ever meant to be a grow out tank, and they had definatly started to out grow it. I love my fish; i've posted my tank several times in the brackish forum, although it's actually been full salt for awhile now, and i've devoted a lot of time and effort to my tank.
I decided it would be best for thier sake to take them to "Marine Warehouse," the guys I foolishly trusted would take care of them and find them good homes. They had actually offered to buy my scats off of me when I considered selling them before to allow plants in the tank. I carefully put the fish into a large styrofoam cooler, loaded them in my SUV, and took extra care driving them across town. It took me 2 hours and there was little traffic. When I got there and showed them the fish they couldn't stop commenting about how great they look and what wonderful condition they were in. They agreed to take them, but said they were not sure if the owner would want them being that they were accustomed to full salt. I told them I didn't want anything for them, just to be taken care of. They said to call on Monday and they would give me store credit or something. So I left them with my 5 archers, 3 scats, G. Tile, and White Cheek Eel. I was sad to let them go but I felt they were in good hands.
Monday: I call "Marine Warehouse" around 2:30 and they tell me to talk to "Mike." He gets on the phone and says "well, I got bad news and worst news." He then went on to tell me that my Scats somehow killed three of my Archers and that there was only one left. He said they were fine Saturday night and they just found peices of them Saturday morning. Five minus Three equals Two correct? Oh, he tells me I don't know what happened to the other one. He then tells me that they don't want them in thier salt water section (where most brackish fish are better kept than in fresh ) and that they were going to either try to re-acklimate them to fresh ( which they admitadly didn't expect them to live through ) or I could come pick what was left of my fish up. I told him I'd call back as at this point I was about to explode.
First of all these fish have all lived together for over a year. The Archers for longer than that. Second these are all resonably peacful schooling fish. Aside from the Scats sorting out thier pecking order, they've never touched each other. Furthermore they've never left a mark on one another let alone tear each other to shreds. For christ's sake the largest Scat had trouble eating Ghost Shrimp. How are three Scats supposed to kill four Archers that are bigger than them anyway. I could maybe see it the other way around, but this made no sense.
I call him back and ask to talk to the owner, he says no. He then tells me it was an act of god and not thier fault. I told him I'd be there to pick them up before close. Now i'm having to leave work early to run home and try and move a fish tank that been down for 3 days. I get done with that at about 7 and race across town to get there before 8, when they close. I'm still praying at this point that some of the BB in my old setup survived. I get there and start searching for whats left of my beloved fish. I find 1 Archer and 3 Scat beat to hell, missing chunks and fluttering around half on thier sides. Then I notice thier tank mate. Call me crazy but putting a Clown Trigger in with these type of fish doesn't really seem like the best idea. Needless to say I'm about to explode again.
I then see "Javier" the one cool stand up guy in the place. He comes over and asks what's wrong, so explained the situation to him. He could not stop appologizing. He said he was sorry he had been out for a couple days and today was his first day back. He then told me to hold on a second and he would get me what was left of my fish. I then saw my Eels poking out of a rock, which both looked okay. Good thing they had a hiding spot I guess.
At this point i'm pacing around the store and an older man comes up to me and asks, "have you been helped?" I said yes in a not so greatful tone and he replied, "sorry I asked." I then asked if he was the owner. He said, "yes, who are you." I then explained I was the guy whos fish he killed. At this point some white trash looking guy up front jumped in and the owner sheepishly ran to the back room.
This P.O.S. tells me, "no those fish killed each other, I watched those Archers beating the hell out of each other and taking shots all day."
(So first question is, you mean to tell me you sat and watched fish in your store tanks beat each other to death and did nothing about it? Second question, or fact I guess, common Archers are schooling fish and are rather docile towards each other. Third question, didn't you friend "Mike" say the Scats killed everything and that they found them all dead Sunday morning?)
My retort ended up being something to the effect of, "these fish have been together since they were an inch long and never so much as nipped at each other," only with more colorful and innappropraite language.
He asked me then, "well what do you think killed them."
I replied my bet would have to be on the trigger in there which are know to be agressive and the only thing in the tank capable of doing what had been done.
He then told me, "nah, nah, we just put that in today it's not even eating yet. (So number one B.S. because no other fish in that tank was capable of taking chunks out of each other, or shredding each other to scraps. Two so you're claiming to have put an aggressive fish in with a bunch of fish that are half dead and have gapping wounds.)
More argueing insued and Javier then came and helped me retrieve my poor fish. They are now back at home with me, but honestly, I don't expect them to survive the night.
If you've read this whole rant, sorry, but I gotta vent to people who understand. Long story short, if you really care about your fish, do what ever it takes to keep them and take care of them, cause no one else will. And never ever go to "Marine Warehouse" in Tampa Florida. I can't say the words to properly describe those people on this forum.
