Lying Lfs??

[renie]

Well, I hate to say it, but fish stores can't be in the business of taking care of folk's fish they don't want anymore....I don't own a fish store or even know anyone personally who does or even works in one.....I just think it's a bit much to expect them to treat any fish you bring back to them, any different than they treat the others.....

However.... I think they should have told you that when you brought him back there..and given you the opportunity to take him elsewhere if they had no intention of doing what you wanted them to do with it.

I hear what you're saying, HOWEVER, they advertise platies as community fish, and he was a killer. I tried all I could, and cannot buy a separate tank for every fish that turns out to be a bully and kills my peaceful other fishies. I have two tanks now, and I figured he was healthy, I bought him there, and they could certainly sell him.

 

[patoloco]

I hear what you're saying, HOWEVER, they advertise platies as community fish, and he was a killer. I tried all I could, and cannot buy a separate tank for every fish that turns out to be a bully and kills my peaceful other fishies. I have two tanks now, and I figured he was healthy, I bought him there, and they could certainly sell him.

Well, I've kept platties with smaller fish with no problem. Sometimes, a fish own personality just don't fit the global behaviour of the species.

About returning fish to the LFS. I live in Costa Rica, and I'm yet looking for a store that accept back your unwanted fish. Just this one, whose owner I have befriended with, traded me a beautiful 6" pleco for a fluorescent light I was needing that day.

Everytime I go to his store I take a look at his exhibition tank and I see my "son" in there. He is almost 9" now.

 

[thaskitz]

It seems to me what they did was fair, Just because they did not put him out for sale immediatly dont mean they killed him. The other way of looking at it is they didnt have to take him off you. They could have left you with a problem!!!

 

[Roan Art]

I hear what you're saying, HOWEVER, they advertise platies as community fish

They *are* community fish, however every fish is different and you are always going to find a rogue fish somewhere. Guppies are community fish, but I had a gang of three that tormented one platy and another guppy to death. It happens.

and he was a killer. I tried all I could, and cannot buy a separate tank for every fish that turns out to be a bully and kills my peaceful other fishies. I have two tanks now, and I figured he was healthy, I bought him there, and they could certainly sell him.

I'm not defending this LFS, it appears they may have mislead you and I can sympathize, however, if your platy was a killer, what did you expect them to do with it? House it with fish for it to kill? Have a tank just for him? Put it with bigger fish so HE got killed? Sell it to someone -- who is going to buy a killer platy? People who buy platies are like you; they want a gentle community fish not a killer rogue.

While the LFS was amiss for not being honest with you, I think you were expecting a little too much from them. IMHO the best thing -- and I hate to say it -- for a fish like that is either give it to someone, not a store, who knows what the fish is like or euthanasia. Euthanasia is not a nice thing, but to me that's the only viable option if I can't give it to a friend.

Just my 2 cents
Roan

 

[Galaxie]

I'd just be happy they took him back. At that point, you pretty much absolved yourself of any responsibility. Seems too late to work up any energy over it. I have a 12-inch oscar that I use to discipline any bully community fish.

Question... were the platies all males? If so, I'd expect them to harass each other.

 

[tricksterpup]

I hear what you're saying, HOWEVER, they advertise platies as community fish, and he was a killer. I tried all I could, and cannot buy a separate tank for every fish that turns out to be a bully and kills my peaceful other fishies. I have two tanks now, and I figured he was healthy, I bought him there, and they could certainly sell him.

I am gonna be blunt about this and you are going to be angry but get over it. you now no longer own the fish, it was your choice to take him there and leave him. The store didnt force you to give it to them.

Also what they have said could be true. I know many stores that do this practice, and they do have a system wide filtration for all of their tanks. they could have placed it in their back tanks and are keeping it to sell at a later date or what ever. Its their choice again, since they own it.

 

[mooman]

I agree with the general consensus of people on this thread. sometimes fish don't work out. It happens. It's part of the hobby. I know plenty of LFS that won't even take fish in. It's really a service more than anything. Unless it is some kind of expensive/rare fish, then they are probably paying more to keep your unwanted fish in QT for two weeks than they are netting from re-selling it. Think of how much it costs in electricity, water, and manpower to keep all those tanks running.

I get a little frustrated when I hear the same "Evil LFS" stories over and over. Everybody gets one. After that, it's your own fault for trusting someone without that employee/store earning your trust first. Ever hear the saying "fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me." This is America. Capitalism. Do you know how Razor thin the overall profit margin of most LFSs is? Thier job is to make money for thier investors, and yours is to be a responsible, WELL INFORMED hobbiest, and with the resources we all have available to us in this day and age, "The local fish store lied to me...." just doesn't cut it any more.

Disclaimer: The author of this rant does not believe wholeheartedly in what he just typed, but is having a bad week dealing with ignorant pseudo-hobbiests at his part time job at a LFS.

 

[FreddytheFish]

I agree with Mooman. Everyone slams the LFS. The LFS, although they should help if they can, do not exist to give advice. They exist to sell fish. If your LFS helps you, great, but if they don't... that's what Aquaria Central is for. The LFS gave you god advice, platys are community fish. Yours was just a killer. Depending on your LFS, the employees might not even know about fish. Also, you gave them your platy, its their's to do what they want with it.

I just don't get why you're angry, if you gave them the platy, why does it matter if they sold it? Also, if it couldn't be kept with other fish, and was a killer, why would it be wrong if they euthanized it? Its just like putting down a dog that bites people (which is very sad, we had to do it to one of my dogs).


(EDITED)

 

[FreddytheFish]

I'm sorry for being so...blunt. I understand you're angry. But can you really blame the LFS?

 

[stingray25]

does it really matter its just a little fish? and you gave it to them so it should be pretty much dead to you anyway.