chefkeith said:
They sell Pacu's because alot people buy them. Most potentially big fish sell quickly because alot of people are in this hobby for the short-term entertainment value of it.
IMO, it's not the stores fault for the bad advice. This is probably the only industry where a customer will ask a minimum wage employee alot of scientific questions. You set youself up for this by not doing any research.
Training new employees at an LFS about every fish they sell is almost like training a bookstore employee to read every book they sell.
If you want to know about a fish or want to know about a book, you've got to do the reading yourself.
I agree...
Ask the same question in a dozen different Petsmarts/Petcos/Petlands and you'll get a dozen different answers. Either that, or you'll get the stale canned answer that the employee was trained to give without the benefit of any real experience or insight. The bottom line is that people that have had experience in keeping a WIDE range of species successfully are very rare. You might get lucky and have an LFS in your area with one or two employees that have kept a wide range of aquaria for a long time and can offer sound advice without being rude or self indulgent. In my experience, many knowledgeable aquarists become jaded because they get tired of answering the same questions over and over and they have come to realize that most people are going to simply do what they want to do regardless what advice they give.
Many (but not all) of the employees working in big chain stores are young people earning a low wage. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Would you feel safe buying a car based solely on what the salesperson told you or would you take it upon yourself to do some research before you even spoke with a salesperson? It's a matter of self accountability. Why get involved in the hobby if you're not interested enough to take five minutes to read up on something before you buy it and throw it in a tank? Just for kicks, I googled "red bellied pacu" and picked the first site listed. It took me a grand total of about 10 seconds to see that this fish grows enormous, and using a bit of deductive reasoning, I was able to conclude that a 20 gallon tank would be inappropriate for such a specimine.
I've worked in fish stores and I currently own my own aquarium business. I've been subject to the age old industry argument from ignorant customers...
Joe Customer: "How big does this one get?"
Jaded Employee: "About 30 inches, that's not a good choice"
Joe Customer: "My grandmother is going to buy me a 55 gallon tank for my birthday"
Jaded Employee: "A 55 isn't big enough for that fish"
Joe Customer: "What size tank do you recommend?"
Jaded Employee: "I'd say at least a 300 gallon tank, if not bigger"
Joe Customer: "Well, I'll talk to my grandmother. He sure is a cute little guy."
Jaded Employee: "Yeah but he won't stay cute for long"
Joe Customer: "What other fish can I keep with him in my 20 gallon for now?"
Jaded Employee: *smacking forehead* "How about a Rottweiler?"
Joe Customer: "I really like these Neon Tetras"
The bottom line is that you wouldn't buy a 3/4 ton pickup truck if you only use it to trot down to the corner store for milk and butter once a week. If you let a car salesman talk you into the truck, then you're an idiot. The pet store chain will get your letter and probably only read the first sentence or two (if you're lucky). The pet industry is gargantuan. Sales equals revenue and revenue minus expenses equals profit regardless whether you are dealing with living creatures or cars. Pet shelters are overwhelmed and animals are euthanized by the thousands every single day because the world is full of ignorant people who want what they want, period.
Take the time to educate yourself. You'll find the hobby so much more enjoyable and enriching and you'll learn to trust your own judgment above all others.
Good luck and best regards.
