Okay, as some of you know I work at a petstore. Well, it was just one of those days where you get the customers who know EVERYTHING. Anyway, a couple was looking at the fish for a good while then asked for help. They were pointing to the large Bala Sharks and said "I want them all" There were 6 in the tank. I said okay, but first asked what size tank she had. She said a 30 gal. I looked at her and said you really can't put 6 in a 30g tank as they get almost a foot in length and 30gallons is just too small. Well...then all hell broke loose. She turns to me and starts cussing at me saying that's ridiculous! :rant: "I've kept them before and they never got that big!" I told her that was probably because their growth was stunted from not enough room. She goes off again and starts cussing at me some more and says "So you're not going to sell them to me!?!" I just looked at her because I had never said that, she just assumed I wouldn't based on what I told her. Her husband finally chimes in and says "This is **** b*******! Lets go and get them somewhere else!" :thud:
I just wanted to get some other people's opinions here. Was I right in telling them not put that many in a 30? Honestly I wouldn't even put 1 in that size tank, but that's just me.
The day before, I had a customer that was getting a small(one of those 2 gal topfin tanks) and asked what fish she could put in there. I told her a Betta. She asked "What about goldfish?" I said no as they need more space, produce more waste/ammonia and grow to be fairly large, chunky fish. She then pointed to the tropicals and said what about those? I said no as they all need a heater, proper filtration and IMHO at least 10g of swimming space min. as most like to school.
Here we go again...she says well let me get 3 of those 26cent goldfish, I want something that's going to be active, and if they happen to get too big for the tank I can just flush them. They're only 26cents. I looked at her with a shocked expression on face. I wasnt expecting her to say something like that! Then I said that based on what she has just said to me, I really wasn't going to sell her fish. She was like "Are you serious!?" I said yes. She tells her husband and he looks at the fish then at me and goes "They're just a **** fish! Who cares?!" And I said I care. Im not going to sell fish to people who ahve openly admitted they were going to flush ii if it got too big for the tank etc.
They ended up getting the Betta which I reccommended right from the start, so at least that ended on a good note.
I have so many other stories from just working this weekend. Had a customer come in that refused to leave until I sold them 2 Bala sharks....for a 10 gal tank!!!! :rant: They wanted to put a tinfoil barb in too and I said no.
Then had a customer buy 2 bala sharks(OMG these poor Balas!) 4 Tiger Barbs and 2 Clown Loaches....wait get this....to put ina tank with a Red Devil!!! This fish is full size....he's had it for about 10 years and everyfish he's tried to put in with it, the devil has killed...including other cichlids about the same size!! How can some people be so ignorant!!!?? He said things like "well the tiger barbs are fast so they should be able to get away. If not oh well." Same things with the bala's. They got all the fish, but I didn't give them the 14 day guarantee that our fish usually come with, just because those fish are incompatible.
Oh wow. Sorry for the long post. I just needed to vent a little and see what everyone else had to say about it.
Thanks for being so patient LoL
Candice
I just wanted to get some other people's opinions here. Was I right in telling them not put that many in a 30? Honestly I wouldn't even put 1 in that size tank, but that's just me.
The day before, I had a customer that was getting a small(one of those 2 gal topfin tanks) and asked what fish she could put in there. I told her a Betta. She asked "What about goldfish?" I said no as they need more space, produce more waste/ammonia and grow to be fairly large, chunky fish. She then pointed to the tropicals and said what about those? I said no as they all need a heater, proper filtration and IMHO at least 10g of swimming space min. as most like to school.
Here we go again...she says well let me get 3 of those 26cent goldfish, I want something that's going to be active, and if they happen to get too big for the tank I can just flush them. They're only 26cents. I looked at her with a shocked expression on face. I wasnt expecting her to say something like that! Then I said that based on what she has just said to me, I really wasn't going to sell her fish. She was like "Are you serious!?" I said yes. She tells her husband and he looks at the fish then at me and goes "They're just a **** fish! Who cares?!" And I said I care. Im not going to sell fish to people who ahve openly admitted they were going to flush ii if it got too big for the tank etc.
They ended up getting the Betta which I reccommended right from the start, so at least that ended on a good note.
I have so many other stories from just working this weekend. Had a customer come in that refused to leave until I sold them 2 Bala sharks....for a 10 gal tank!!!! :rant: They wanted to put a tinfoil barb in too and I said no.
Then had a customer buy 2 bala sharks(OMG these poor Balas!) 4 Tiger Barbs and 2 Clown Loaches....wait get this....to put ina tank with a Red Devil!!! This fish is full size....he's had it for about 10 years and everyfish he's tried to put in with it, the devil has killed...including other cichlids about the same size!! How can some people be so ignorant!!!?? He said things like "well the tiger barbs are fast so they should be able to get away. If not oh well." Same things with the bala's. They got all the fish, but I didn't give them the 14 day guarantee that our fish usually come with, just because those fish are incompatible.
Oh wow. Sorry for the long post. I just needed to vent a little and see what everyone else had to say about it.
Thanks for being so patient LoL
Candice
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