Please Research the Fish You Want to Buy

[aprilmayjune]

if you are new to saltwater. If you don't know, please ask someone and listen to their advice.

I work at a LFS, I will not say which one, and I am always extremely sad to see people buying fish that I and other employees advise against. If I am helping them, I will flat out refuse to sell it if I do not think the customer has an adequate setup. But other employees will kindly ask and let the customer have their way.

Today we got in a beautiful adult red coris wrasse, probably 5" or 6" in length. The customer that bought it only had a 35 gallon tank. He also mentioned something about a huma trigger about as large not making it in the same tank. These fish are obviously too large and active for such a small tank, no matter how good the water parameters are. It kills me to see these amazing fish go to a tank where the chances aren't good for them.

If you are that customer, I don't mean to pick on you. I love this hobby and love the fish more than I do making money. I would rather order you a smaller one (granted they look different) and have you watch him grow and move him into a bigger tank when he needs it. It would be less stress for him and myself!

Sorry about the rant, but this seriously ruined my day.

[tucker]

sadly, this industry thrives off people like that.

i was unfortunate enough to be that person in the beginning. i think i went through 7 pairs of clowns before i had a pair sucessfully live for more than 3 weeks.

regardless if youve been doing it for 2 weeks, 2 years, or 2 decades, the dollar purchases the fish with the price tag on it at the lfs.

i will praise you for steering the customer in another direction, but thinking long term, i doubt they would last long enough to keep a smaller fish and then buy a larger tank. its hard to say how long they would even stay in the hobby considering how much coral, fish, supplies and equipment cost, not to mention the time invested. if he wanted the fish bad enough, he probably went down to another lfs and picked up one there, or something else.

which is why i love this site, and the many others out there. wealth of information that can be shared by first hand experiences, not by someone at a lfs(whose lights get shut off if their bills dont get paid, ie tell you whatever you want to hear to make a sale)

sorry if this post sounds like im irritated, i just spend buku $ going to a 300gal from a 90. its a happy irritated though :p

[cpreefguy]

Whats up Tucker, long time no post :)

[Ram_Puppy]

April,

Thank you for doing your part. It should always be the consumer who has done their homework, and your right, it saddens me that this goes on.

I am happy that i had guys like Richard and Mark at CB when I first started up. While I don't have every fish I started w/ I can happily say that none died on my watch, except a lemon tang while i was on vacation. (purple tang got a little touchy)

[kirkandkhristi]

April, you are the exception as you have yourself so eloquently put it. Thank you so much for love of the hobby rather than the love of the money. It is nice to know someone really cares about the animal!

[tucker]

Whats up Tucker, long time no post :)

sean,

whats up budday? ^_^

ya, its been a while since ive posted. havent really been doing much with my fish tank...all my fish are still kickin, but i just recently upgraded to a larger tank and hopefully it will spark my interest in the hobby again(ie. spend more money lol)...to think that all this started bc i wanted a pair of clowns, just a pair of friggin clowns!!!!

anyway, hows your tank goin? i didnt realize you were in sm...i have a few buddies up there playin ball...great place, but jeez, 12am last call...i dont know how you do it :P

[erikharrison]

I think April sold us our tank. If so she told us about MAAST. If that's correct, I am extremely thankful. I think EVERYONE that wants to even think about s/w should be told about this website. Tell everyone April, this website is where it's at!