A sad day for hobbyists...

[Allison Reed]

I went to PETSMART today to purchase some krill for my fishes, and I happened to wander about behind a rather large lady and her entourage of about 6 other somewhat larger ladies/men, while they purchased about 4 foot of aquarium background. After a while, I noticed that they had bought about 40 feet of air tubing, a syphon, 2 aqua clear filters ( I think ) AND SOME FISH.
Sadly, I overheard "So are we going to set up the tank tonight?"

I wonder why people are so....slow...
I almost wept. It was a sad, sad thing. They purchased a ghost knife looking fish, some otos....

so sad. I hate to imagine what happened tonight.

 

[Matak]

It's a mindset. My wife was telling me that she was defending my fishkeeping habits to some freinds. "it isn't normal to change water every week" they said. True enough, but they're swimming in their toilet. "But it still isn't normal". I'd rather do right than be normal. Hopefully, word of mouth and boards like this will get the word out that fish are pets too.

 

[crash]

While it's kind of sad that the tank hasn't been setup or what not, it doesn't mean that much. I made the mistake with my first fish actually! About 4 months ago (yea, im still new to the hobby) I baught my Piranaha, nothing setup, didn't know anything about cycling, or much about tank maintence and cleaning. But I learned, and hopefully this person will to. Never the less there a hundred upon hundreds of thousands of people who go into fish stores and and buy on impulse or don't prepare themselves. I've done it and I've seen other people do it.

It happens in just about any kind of hobby, animals and etc.. Besides how would people learn from there mistakes? J/K.. but what can ya do I guess.

 

[Rometiklan]

Don't assume they were going to put the Ghost knife and Otos in the newly set up aquarium. Maybe they already have an established aquarium set-up, and the newly aquired fish will be housed in that tank.

It wouldn't have hurt just to ask the lady and her friends what they had planned just to put your mind at ease. If they were going to put those fish into the new tank, then you could have set them straight, and you could have made the PetSmart employee look really stupid for not pointing it out to them earlier. Believe me, the lady would have thanked you saving her money, time, a headache, and the aggravation, not to mention the fishes' lives.

 

[TTman]

exactly. in addition, since they already have established tanks, then setting up a new tank & putting in fish right away is NO PROBLEM (I do it all the time). just use some water, gravel & filter media from the established tanks.

Originally posted by Rometiklan
Don't assume they were going to put the Ghost knife and Otos in the newly set up aquarium. Maybe they already have an established aquarium set-up, and the newly aquired fish will be housed in that tank.

 

[somefinnfishy]

Speak up!

Dont be a sissy speak up I have many times.And helped people from killing lots of fish plus you just might keep some one from getting a bad taste for the hobby.Just be very polite the worst that will happen is you'll have to hear about their 4 other tanks for 20 min

 

[Tinycl]

I agree with somefinnfishy.I wish someone had told me about cycling a tank when i bought my first tank.

Tell them politely some of the facts first and maybe save them the hardship of loosing some fish.The average person,IMO has no idea about how much resposibility there is to keeping fish.

At least they didn't buy 4 oscars.

 

[Matak]

I ran into the same situation in a Big Al's a while ago. A grandfather was getting his grandkids some fish. It seemed obvious to me that this was for a new tank. I asked him a few questions but it seemed he wasn't interested in providing the fish with a healthy environment, but rather in pleasing his grandkids. I wrote down the web address for AC in hopes of his further education, but I really wonder if he followed through.

Sometimes I feel I am spreading the gospel of good fishkeeping

 

[goozy]

fortunatly there's a really good store here that always, always, asks a person they don't know, buying fish, if they're tank is cycled. That's the way it should be. sometimes in those chains the employees don't seem to know any better then those people setting up a tank and adding fish the same day.
It is really sad. Trying to explain to people the whole process is next to impossible. I try all the time, working in a school I see lots of really bad situations. I work on the computers. During a week off of school I went into one room, heard a really wierd noise. The filter in a 10 gallon tank had run totally dry and was burning out. the light had been on for 3 days. the fish hadn't been fed. I went into another room. There was a small hex type tank maybe 10 gallons. In it were 5 gold gouramis and one tetra. the light had been on for 3 days and of course the fish hadn't been fed. then I went into another room. There was a 10 gallon tank. In it was 3 gold fish a pleco and one tetra, the water was down to 2/3 rds and the light was on, no food. It's a loosing battle.

 

[OrionGirl]

While I agree that there are lot of goof-ball things, bad things, and awful things that happen in LFS and fish tanks in general, but really, there are lots of circumstances that you are not aware of that may be just fine.

I know I've been given some really odd looks when I go shopping. Last time, I picked up a bag of salt, 2 corals, blood worms, some plants, a cladophora, a power head, a 2.5 gallon tank and some sponge media. I've had people go out of their way to point out to me that the plants I'm buying won't live in the SW tank...Or, that the scooter blenny can't go in a freshwater tank.

My policy is: If I see some one who is making the purchases stereotypically made by a newbie, I will ask them if they are just getting started and might be looking for some help. If they say yes, I always ask what level of experience they have, and what they want. Lecturing someone cold will not be well recieved.