# How picky are you at your LFS?



## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Hi everyone,

I purchase most of my fish stuff at a LFS. The thing is, after going there so many times, I've come to "know" some of the people who work there, and I like some over others. There's one employee in particular (though they seem like a very nice person) - when I ask questions they always say I can do whatever and sometimes suggest things I don't think are right (e.g., keeping neon tetras in a 3g), or that I realize are not right when I get home (e.g., they said red cherry shrimp should be fine with a betta because bettas have upturned mouths... yeah those shrimp lasted like 6 minutes) (I always try to do some research before I go but sometimes when I get there I start having other ideas... haha). This person is also not great at getting fish out of the tank and this has led to some experiences that I think were stressful/harmful to the fish I ended up with (sometimes with negative health consequences). Like I said, this person is super nice and they always seem keen to help and in that sense the customer service is great, but it's sometimes a bit awkward to try to get helped by someone else (my experience with most others has been really great)...

Anyone else is picky about things like that at their LFS? What do you do when you get bad advice? I realize I'm sounding super judgy with this post but I'm willing to risk it because I truly would appreciate your insights!

Thanks!


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## datfish (Sep 7, 2012)

Just about the betta and shrimp, it various very much with each betta. I have one who won't let any invert live, another who doesn't eat shrimp but constantly nips snail eyes, and one who would hang out with amanos and ignore cherry shrimp. Also, for adding shrimp to a tank with potential predators you should feed them beforehand. While they're eating acclimate the shrimp, and then release them near the substrate. Don't let them float down from the top like food.

If I ever go to a chain fish store, like PetSmart, I just ask to net my own fish to ensure I can get the healthiest ones.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Thanks for your input, datfish. It's a fair comment re: variable betta temperament - I guess my Poochie is just a big jerk.  And I did feed first and release the shrimp near the bottom, but even so, the little guys didn't stand a chance. I know there can be quite a bit of trial and error in this hobby and I totally accept that - I just want to make sure I maximize my trials and minimize my errors by getting good advice. 

Needless to say, nothing beats the forum for good advice...


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## maximusfish (Sep 2, 2014)

I am very "picky" seeing as these are living beings, and the hobby is not cheap. I try to support local independent businesses because I feel that they have the most invested in the hobby, are in it because they love fishkeeping, have a lot of knowledge and experience, and are most likely to want their customers to succeed with their tanks. When we first started we did the rounds of every store that sells fish within a half hour drive radius, checking out fish, plants, and talking to the staff. I found two independents that I return to consistently, always have good advice and good healthy fish and plants. 

There are also a few independent stores I will never go back to again. One had a betta in a rose bowl, it was floating, covered in a thick layer of white mold, so obviously dead for some time. The poor guy in the bowl next to him could only be seen when he pressed his little nose against the green slime lining the bowl. The other tanks in the store were marginally better, in that you could see the fish through the algae on the glass. Meanwhile the owner was sitting reading his ipad. His dog greeted us when we came in, otherwise our presence would have been unacknowledged. The condition of the tanks was pretty upsetting, and I would be highly suspicious of the health of any fish coming out of there, and would not support a business that treated it's livestock so poorly. 

Most of the big box stores are what you would expect, but I have found one that has knowledgable caring staff that are happy to answer questions and take good care of the livestock. We enjoy going there and I don't mind supporting a big box that is doing it right.

It's your money, and your soon-to-be pets. Get a different staff member to net your fish. Moving is stressful enough for the fish without adding injury to the process, and I always feel badly when my fish die. It's also great to find a staff member whose advice you can trust, as long as you keep in mind that there are so many variables in fishkeeping that what works for some may not work in your tank; not every betta keeper contends with a Poochie. So even good advice may not work out quite as expected, but it doesn't mean it wasn't the best advice possible. It took me a while to figure that one out.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Thank you for your thoughtful answer and your wisdom regarding good advice, maximusfish. Poochie is definitely one of a kind, so you're right in that not every betta keeper contends with one like him (though I'm pretty sure every betta owner says that).


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## scott tang (Jan 29, 2012)

I'm about the pickiest person out there or can be but it's my mony and my pet and I want what I want I work at a pet store and people like me are annoying but that's what lfs workers are paid for iv had some one decide on a Betta me bag it up and decide to put it back 4 times... Lol


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## Momobobo (Sep 28, 2010)

Haha...I have rebagged my bags because they were not bagged up to my standards (ex-LFS employee things?). I usually leave the netting to them unless they reaaaallly suck at it or I want a specific fish. (when they are big difference in them, personal pet peeve of mine when people ask for a particular clown loach or kuhli loach or something...). I've gotten my hands wet enough.

I personally take anybodies advice with a grain of salt, unless it is somebody I know and trust. If somebody gives me info that I know is not true, I think they would be able to tell from by winch, furrowed brow, and the are you serious face :lol:


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## hi-revs (Nov 3, 2010)

To be honest, i deal with the fish keeping/buying hobby exactly the same way as spending my money on anything im unsure of. I do my own research online. Theres a wealth of info online. Just filer out the crap, read lots, and use your own judgement before jumping in on anything.
Nothing against the sales person or the knowledge, but they just may be uncertain with what youre particular wanting. But guess what? Atleast one person out there in the world has tried it.


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## JTang (Apr 21, 2010)

I have to say that I'm also one of the pickiest buyers out there. I usually do my own research before heading out. When I see something that is new to me at the LFS, I will google it on my phone rather than asking the staff. Nothing against them but this hobby is actually not as popular as we think. Most of the people that I have met are more knowledgeable with dogs n cats than fish. That's why I always spend so much time at LFS, browsing on my phone. Lol


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## SinisterKisses (Apr 21, 2010)

I don't ask advice. I know more off the top of my head than pretty much any shop employee I've ever run into lol. So I don't ask - and in my experience, it's extremely rare for them to ask ME any questions, or even offer up any "advice" unprovoked. I actually spent some time in a store yesterday, educating the owner on the fish she had for sale. She had purchased them from a supplier on the mainland somewhere who had apparently given her some seriously wrong information on what they were and needs/temperaments, etc. She seemed genuinely grateful - made a comment about how it's her reputation on the line when she's telling customers wrong information on the fish she's selling, but was still disheartening to have to educate the owner.

As for the fish I bring home...the words "extremely picky" do not do justice. I actually WARN any employee who is helping me, when I ask for a fish - "I'm warning you, I'm going to be picky". I spend a lot of time observing the tank of fish that I'm considering purhasing from, to pick out the prime fish - in health, behaviour, temperament, etc - and that IS the fish I'm going to bring home. Net the wrong fish, and I'll let you know and make you go fishing again until you've caught mine. I know fish, I know what a quality fish is, and sometimes they aren't all the same in one tank. And yes, that INCLUDES fish that look practically identical, as someone mentioned above. They don't look identical to me at all. I know what to look for, and the "subtle" differences to you could be major differences to me.


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## UnderseaGal (Mar 4, 2014)

Thanks for your input, everyone. I'm glad to know I'm not the only picky customer out there. 
And good advice re: doing your homework ahead of time (or, like JTang, on location). I guess it's also a matter of developing relationships and deciding who you trust and don't trust.

Interesting thread! I like reading about your experiences and how you ensure you get the best fish for your tank.


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## ami (Sep 4, 2013)

I'm super picky. I don't think the tank looks healthy enough, I'll leave and go elsewhere or come back another day. It's not worth the risk to me of bringing something home that might make my current aquarium inhabitants sick. I don't have room for a quarantine tank.


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