does this annoy anyone else?

[Jandree22]

So usually, I get my livestock from That Fish Place in Lancaster, PA... a warehouse type fish store with tons of aquariums of fish... doesn't happen to me there. BUT, especially if/when I'm dealing with a small LFS, they always seem to find the need to ask how big my tank is. I sometimes don't think about what I'm saying and blurt out 10gal. They suddenly get all deffensive and are like, I'm not selling you THIS fish, that tank's too small! blah-de-friggen-blah....X) I just wanna say to them I know what the f@*k I'm doing, now sell it to me! Does that ever happen to anyone else?! Whenever I purchase livestock now, I just try to remember to say it's goin in a 90gal.

[caja]

The LFS closest to me is the usual run of the mill small store that is overpriced and has a minimal livestock and dry goods selection, but I'm in there all the time for critter supplies. Most of the longer employed kids there know me and know I keep a nano.

 

So I'm in there about a month ago and there's a couple of new employees along with the older one's. I'm cruising through the fish department looking at their recent shipment, looking for maybe a pep shrimp or possibly a fish. So this new girl comes over and starts trying to sell me the mandarin. Hehe! I'm telling her no, not possible, theyre' picky eaters and need a big tank, lots of pods, blah, blah, blah. So she finally says, "Well, what size tank do you have?" Hehehe!! I tell her 6 gallons and 7.5 and she freaks! "We don't recommend anyone keep anything smaller than a twenty, blah, blah, blah." Just then, one of the older guys walks by sees me and says, "Yes you can keep small tanks, it's just a little harder." I thought this little teenager was going to die of embarrassment.

 

Poor kid!

[Jandree22]

ugh, recomending a Mandarin?! that's just wrong!! hehehe

[myelin]

When I told the LFS what I was doing, they said "You are going to do what with a 12g tank? It will be very hard, and I don't recommend it."

 

I told them as long as you stay on top of your maintenance schedule and do your water changes, you'll be fine.

 

I'm in there probably 4x's a week, so they know I'm for real.

[PeterRogers]

I ask people at my store only because the one time I don't, some toolbox will put the clownfish he just bought into a bowl, and when it dies he'll come back at chew me out for not warning him. Don't get so annoyed at the kids at your LFS, they are probably just trying to cover their asses, thats all.

[Korbin]

I was in a big chain pet store, and I was looking for a 15 gallon high, black seal, all-glass-aquarium. I asked the kid and he said, we have 20 high's. I said I wanted a 15, and he looked at me like I was retarded. He said "I don't see why you wouldn't want the 20, you could keep more fish, it just doesn't make sense to me". Good thing I didn't mention I was doing a reef tank.

 

I've also bough SPS and had to lie. The LFS employees all knew me and what I had and I told them I was buying it for my brother's 75 gallon for his birthday.

[UncleTed]

There's a pretty simple solution really. Take a couple of dated photos of your tank with you. Put 'em in your wallet like they're your children. When someone says that you can't do it. Whip it out and let 'em see what'cha got.*

 

 

*double entendre is strickly intended

[Korbin]

Originally posted by PeterRogers

I ask people at my store only because the one time I don't, some toolbox will put the clownfish he just bought into a bowl, and when it dies he'll come back at chew me out for not warning him.  Don't get so annoyed at the kids at your LFS, they are probably just trying to cover their asses, thats all.

No, that's good. I'm sure most of us prefer LFS's that care about their livestock.

[offsprg01]

i used to be embrassed by the small size of my.......um........tank. but now i just let everyone know how big it is. i usually get funny looks, and the ocassional stare, but luckly one of the two lfs's i frequent has a coupe of pico displays and the other one know's me pretty well and i usually ask many many questions about a fish, or anyone other animal before i buy it, just to make sure it's what i want to keep, so they all know that i'm not doing anything to endanger the life of my tank. sometimes she has me bring in pics of my tank to show the new employees.... some punk @$$ kid made some comment about guys with small tanks haveing..... well you know. X)

[LITTLEFISHEE]

When I first went to the lfs in Boca Raton, I was looking into a 125 gallon tank. An employee came up and asked my if I needed help and we got to talking about his tanks. When he told me he kept a 2.5 gallon I was floored. He told me to come to this website and check it out. About a week later, I set up my first nano-reef a 3 gallon eclipse. Thanks to that guy I can have a beautiful, tiny reef.

 

See Jandree, not all LFS's are created equally!

[reefan]

I think it's good that the LFS are asking tank specs. Due to this NEMO trend sh*t. I wish That Pet Place would ask tank specs because you know how many Regal Tangs are probably going into minbows from that store.

BTW

Jandree22, Have you been to Tonys Tropical Fish and Birds.( i think thats the name.)

Its in York and his LR and Live stock is awsome and healthy.

You cant beat That Pet Place for equipment prices though.

JJ

[Dennis_said]

Many of the petstores here in SoCal have nano displays by their cash registers... it's cool to know

[Dustin]

Mine thought I was insane when I walked in with a 7 minibow and asked to get it drilled, now they all want recent photos and are giving me all kinds of freebies. I love it.

[BlackSumbel]

The first time I walked into my reef place was to get brineshrimp for my freshwater puffer.

 

The first time I walked in there about a reef I said "Yeah, i'm going to start a 5.5gl nano for seahorses."

 

His jaw made this really audible thump on the floor. However, he'd seen me coming in there for months buying bags of shrimp for one lone little "two dolla" puffer. He knew I was dedicated.

 

He didn't even blink when I told him about making a nano-reef out of a three-gallon ceramic jar. He just went "Hmm... you'll need short lights." That was his only comment. He then went back to plucking snails. Good man.

 

-BlackSumbel.

[Jandree22]

Originally posted by reefan

I think it's good that the LFS are asking tank specs. Due to this NEMO trend sh*t. I wish That Pet Place would ask tank specs because you know how many Regal Tangs are probably going into minbows from that store.  

BTW  

Jandree22, Have you been to Tonys Tropical Fish and Birds.( i think thats the name.)

Its in York and his LR and Live stock is awsome and healthy.  

You cant beat That Pet Place for equipment prices though.

JJ

 

Yeah... They have a sign up about keeping clowns, maybe you've seen it? It's super basic and nobody probably pays attention anyways X)

 

But no, I havn't been to Tony's, never even heard of it! That's AWESOME about their LR and livestock!! I'm def gonna have to go check it out sometime this week. (Thanks!) TFP has always just been my only choice because pet stores stocking saltwater fish are few and far between in this area. Their livestock usually is a lil, eh.... Fish usually have scetchy health, invert selectin is skimpy, live rock is $hitty... however their corals usually aren't all that bad. I do agree, their warehouse-type store does allow them to have bangin prices on dry goods! Anyways, thanks again for recomending Tony's (Should I mention that you sent me? hehe;) )