Does this happen to you?

reignman40

reignman40

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Jun 15, 2005
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Spokane, WA, USA
I'm just wondering if this happens to all you guys as well. I frequently run into friends or coworkers, etc, that are keeping fish. They have their little betta bowls or their one small tank, not really huge in the hobby, just one of those people that listened to the LFS and they have gigantic fish in tiny tanks. I will often offer my advice as far as tank sizes for fish, feeding varied diets and what not. It seems almost every time I get their ridiculous opinions shoved back in my face and they just don't believe me.

I mean people just don't have common sense. I have coworkers telling me that when fish get old their "floaters" just burst and they die. Oh and I love the firm opinion that fish only grow to the size of their tank. I just wonder what goes through people's heads when they actually try to rationalize what they are saying and why they choose not to believe someone who frequently researches the hobby, keeps multiple tanks running with healthy, happy fish.

Does this happen to you guys more often then not?

Curtis
 
It has from time to time....I have learned to ignore it...You just come off looking like some sort of smarty pants know it all, eventhough that isn't your intention...I did a job for a guy once that had a grossly over stocked African tank...One of everthing...Tang, Victoria...Whatever seemed to suit his fancy that day...There was so much aggrression that several had dislocated jaws from fighting...I just kept my mouth shut...
 
I substitute teach, so I see a lot of tanks that are not well cared for/thought out. I try to keep my mouth shut, because more often than not I come off sounding like a know it all jerkface. If it was someone I actually had continued contact with, then I would try to advise them very subtley. I get them talking about their tanks, and even make up problems that I've had with my tank and how I fixed the problem. Usually it's a problem that they are almost sure to have had or will have in the future. I use phases like:
"I read somewhere that the reason fish only grow to the size of the tank is because of the growth hormones that build up and that it can really shorten their lifespan." or "I started doing more frequent water changes on my tanks and the my algea problem dissappeared." or "I had cloudy water once in my tank, I just started feeding a lot less and it cleared right up". I agree, its tough not to sound like a know it all, especially when you really do know it all.
 
I work at a LFS and I totally empathize with you. They come in an want two oscars for a 10 gal tank then get mad when you tell them that its too small for even one oscar. Also we had a guy come in and complain (in spanish...which i dont speak, he had his 5 year old daughter translate for him) that his tank stayed dirty and he couldnt keep it clean....come to find out through a series of translations fromt the help of a regular customer that he had a 20 gal tank w/ at one time 7 goldfish, and now he has only 4 and we had to explain to him that he needed a bigger tank soon!!! He also didnt put in any dechlor, for his tank :thud: ...I had a lady the other day that wanted a Clown Loach and had enough room, but didnt know that they loved to eat snails...luckily she didnt get mad. But its amazing how people come in and see something "pretty" and want it for their tank. :rant2: I try to advise them about these things, and our policy is that we're not going to see it to the person if their tank isnt large enough...for the fish's sake. Sorry I needed to get that off my chest and the bad thing is that these a just a few and ive only worked there for abit over a week!!!!
 
I don't. I ask if they want my opinion, or jsut to talk about the fish. If they don't want corrections, I don't offer any. If they ask a question, I answer, give my sources, and then go about my life. I totally do not stress about other people's tanks, though--it doesn't pay.
 
I'll have to agree with you Orion. It's just not worth the headache. Now in the case of my parents it is rather insulting and disrespectful that they don't listen to me. But that's my opinion. I guess I'll just have to thank my lucky stars that I *know* what I'm doing for the most part and that my fish are properly cared for.

It is always good to let out some of our stories though. And I just had to let out the "it's normal for an old fish to explode" story I heard today.
 
I worked at a LFS for the summer, and I found that the people who knew absolutely nothing, and the people who knew a lot were easiest to deal with. The ones who knew absolutely nothing tended to listen to advice, and the ones who knew more than I did didn't need it, but the ones who just knew a little and thought they knew everything were really hard to deal with. We had one customer return a Bala Shark because it got too big for their 20 gallon tank, but then wanted to turn around and buy a little one! I tried to explain to them that the Bala would get just as big as the one they returned, but they didn't want to hear that, got in a tiff, and left saying that if we weren't going to sell them one, they were going down to Petco.
 
At my preferred pet store, I've heard them argue with customers on many occasions about putting the wrong fish in the wrong tank, or with non-compatible tankmates. They are very adamant about the quality of homes their fish go to. That's why I like them.

At Petco and Petland, the clerks are generally high school kids who's only aquatic skill is "catching and netting a fish in a tank". Last month, a couple bought mollies and jack dempseys for the same tank. All the clerk asked was: "do you know what your ph is?" Sounds like a generic question from some sort of generic training. I'm sure the mollies will be concerned with ph while in the Jack's stomach.
 
i have the bad habit of going to walmart and eavesdropping on some family who has a 1 gal betta tank in their shopping cart and wants to put 2 of each color painted tetra in it. they tend to get preached at a bit.
 
Generally, I think if you exercise tact, you can approach nearly anyone about how to keep a correct aquarium. Most people find that their aquariums are even more interesting when the environment they create matches the fishs' needs. If you approach someone from the angle of what makes their fish happy, rather than what they are doing wrong, they will respond positively.
 
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