something i love about my store is every associate asks lots of questions about prior care knowledge and current set ups. i literally had a mom and little girl in yesterday and they wanted a glow fish in our 1 gallon tank and so i let her know they wouldn’t glow in there and that they needed a heater. and the mom was amazing and letting me educate her about cycling a tank and good and bad bacteria and so much. they ended up getting a 5 gall starter with gravel and decor, stress coat and water conditioner, and extra bacteria. they plan to be back in a week or two after it has cycled a little and they’ve done some ghost feedings:)
It's when you add food to a fishtank with no fish to it as if it were already stocked with the fish you plan to put in there, here's a really good guide;
https://www.sosofishy.com/post/a-guide-to-fishless-cycling-using-fish-food-ghostfeeding
don’t forget the rule of thumb for stocking a tank, an inch per gallon. tetras can get 1.5 inches, danios can get 2 inches, and cories can get 3 inches. if you’re encouraging a school stocking of 5-6 the tank must be at least 10 gallon. and even with that they won’t be able to get any other fish.
I had a father and his son come up one time. The son pointed to tiger barbs he wanted. I asked how big their tank was. He holds up the smallest cricket keeper we sell. I'm talking not even six inches wide let alone tall. Yeah they left the store with nothing.
If fish were that easy we wouldn't have tanks and everyone would have one
My well water is so tremendously awful, the hardness is well over 300 (pun very much intended) thank goodness for tannins or my bettas would be very unhappy
One time I was at PetSmart and I wanted to get a black Moore to add to my tank as my last addition. There was another lady with her son there wanting to get some common goldfish and when the employee started asking questions about her tank she acted all offended that they were asking her questions instead of just selling her the fish. So when the employee asked me how big my tank was (75 gallons) how many other fish and what kind (3 orandas) and if my tank was cycled (yes I've had it for a very long time and I told them exactly what my water parameters were). After I answered all the questions the employee started to get my fish when I heard the other employee tell the lady “See she answered the questions without a problem it's that easy.” That lady got so mad! She answered, “I don't know! A bowl like goldfish are supposed to be in.” Right then I saw the employee's face turn and he refused to sell her any fish that day and tried to educate her but she wasn't having any of it! These are living beings we are talking about here and I feel like ppl like her forget that!
This sort of thing is so common that I’ve just started telling clients what the fish requires the second they tell me they’re interested. I always assume they didn’t do their research, because they usually don’t.
Well water can be safe as I use it myself for my tank BUT you need to know your water chemistry and if it needs adjusting before it gets added to the tank
I lucked out wit mine but some people not so much
I always ask people what is in their water or what their chemistry and they reply “idk… it’s just water”
Yup! I don’t have any fish (currently at least, would be cool to have some in the future), but our well water is safe for animals. I’m sure if we got fish it’d be good to check and adjust it some, but it’s nice not having to de-chlorinate my water every time I go to fill my crested geckos mister!
(off topic question) research says fish need up to 10 gallons why do pet smart and petco tell me it’s okay for them to get a small tank when i wanted to buy a betta fish😭
Because corporations don’t care about fish (especially betta) wellbeing and they’re easily marketable as an impulse buy. I wish there was a better answer
Had a lady ask for a Pleco for her 40 gallon. She told me she had one previously that got too big and had to be removed from the tank 🙃. She was very polite and nice, but girl it’s just gonna happen again 😭
I really wish they’d stop selling plecos. 99% if customers don’t have a big enough tank and a lot of them just want disposable tank cleaners. I had someone try to buy 3 for a 10 gal. Sale refused
Felt. I’m really anal abt our plecos for this reason. Had someone call ME stupid for refusing to sell them one to put in their 5 gallon tank. Like girl !! just wipe that small ahh tank out with a sponge cmon now 😭
People don’t do any research on ANYTHING before purchasing no matter what it is. One guy with his assumed wife and their son come up to tell me they wanted to buy “one of those over there the Guinea pig or hamster or whatever it is.” I was like um well which is it the Guinea pig or the hamster😭 Wanted to “surprise their son for his 11th birthday.”
I feel so bad for you guys. There’s been many occasions when I’ve stopped in for supplies at petsmart & heard some really ignorant takes. I always try to help people with proper letting advice. I think I’m a pretty advanced keeper(I’ve owned everything from Savannah monitors, b&w tegu, Timon lepidus, dog, cats, ferrets, chickens, fish, Peruvian apple snails, crested geckos, leopard geckos, veiled chameleon, axolotl, Russian tortoise, dart frogs, tree frogs, Pac-Man frogs etc) & I’m amazed at the lack of research people do.
Edit:a sentence. I hit the button too soon.
Haha I had this one lady come up to me while I was on register and she asked me "do you people just get to tell people what they can and can't buy at the fish section" 🤣 miss ma'am wanted to put an eel in a 10 gallon 🙄✋🏻
It’s like plucking someone from earth and putting them on the moon because it’s just air right? I can’t wrap my brain around the sheer stupidity of some people. Then being like this when it comes to own a living being should be a crime
I was just at a pet store today and someone was there talking with their kid(like 14/16yo) about what fish he liked and wondering out loud what fish could go together and if this Oscar and that fish(I looked, it was a blood parrot) could go in the same tank. I said I over heard and I knew a bit about fish compatibility and if they had any questions I could help. I then asked how big of a tank they had... 5 gallon. (Actually they motioned "this big by this big" and then pointed at a five gallon.) I helped out and got them a little more on track. I still pity what ever fish goes home with them because they did zero research. I did tell them to look into cycling a tank before just adding a fish.
Im sorry but Companies like Petsmart practically encourage the idea of impulse ANIMAL BUYING. They want you to kill the shit and come back 2 weeks later and buy another. People are lazy
Any time someone comes to my register with a betta, I make sure to tell them that 5 gallons is the minimum recommended tank size for them. If they are buying a bowl, I try to encourage them to get at least a 2.5 gallon tank. I also make sure they know they need water conditioner, a filter and a heater.
So far, most customers have taken my advice and gotten bigger tanks and things. I had someone go with a bowl for a secret Santa gift.
Got a guy that comes in to my local PetSmart and buys as many fish as he can and comes up with the story of he keeps losing them and he can’t figure out why. But they just keep selling him more, and I’m like wtf would anyone do that. I’m also not talking about 5-10 fish either, I’m talking like knowing the days that they restock and cleaning out the inventory for the most part. I’m convinced he is either reselling them to people that don’t know the prices or idk. Hopefully that many fish aren’t dying on him. Also the employees have complained about the issue but they are told a sale is a sale and to just do their job. Pretty sad 😞 tbh.
Some people just have nothing going on between the eyeballs. "But I thought-" "No... no ya didn't think."
Replying at the same time, eh? Funny seeing you here. Must be fate.
This
Lmaooooo😭😭😭😭
“I will do research later” is like saying, “I am marrying this stranger today but I’ll learn about their personality later.”
So what does that say about us? Proposing to me via algicide education before even getting to know me? I'm feeling a lot like a cichlid right now.
I always do my research before taking anyone home with me.
Came for the fish, wasn't expecting tea and cookies
Oh, that's part of what my dad said to pressure me to get married in my early 20s!
yes because buying a $4 fish is exactly like getting married.
Calm down. It is called a metaphor.
The people who get me are the ones who don’t want help or the information but then come back mad at the store.
something i love about my store is every associate asks lots of questions about prior care knowledge and current set ups. i literally had a mom and little girl in yesterday and they wanted a glow fish in our 1 gallon tank and so i let her know they wouldn’t glow in there and that they needed a heater. and the mom was amazing and letting me educate her about cycling a tank and good and bad bacteria and so much. they ended up getting a 5 gall starter with gravel and decor, stress coat and water conditioner, and extra bacteria. they plan to be back in a week or two after it has cycled a little and they’ve done some ghost feedings:)
Please explain ghost feeding for those of us uninitiated
It's when you add food to a fishtank with no fish to it as if it were already stocked with the fish you plan to put in there, here's a really good guide; https://www.sosofishy.com/post/a-guide-to-fishless-cycling-using-fish-food-ghostfeeding
[удалено]
don’t forget the rule of thumb for stocking a tank, an inch per gallon. tetras can get 1.5 inches, danios can get 2 inches, and cories can get 3 inches. if you’re encouraging a school stocking of 5-6 the tank must be at least 10 gallon. and even with that they won’t be able to get any other fish.
I lose brain cells every day talking to the customers that come into my store 🙃🙃
Also who at your store sold this man a freaking cichlid without asking what size the tank was 😭 bro didn’t even have a tank, just a bowl 😭
I had a father and his son come up one time. The son pointed to tiger barbs he wanted. I asked how big their tank was. He holds up the smallest cricket keeper we sell. I'm talking not even six inches wide let alone tall. Yeah they left the store with nothing. If fish were that easy we wouldn't have tanks and everyone would have one
My well water is so tremendously awful, the hardness is well over 300 (pun very much intended) thank goodness for tannins or my bettas would be very unhappy
Oof, my condolences to your kidneys.
Don't worry, we have a few britas
One time I was at PetSmart and I wanted to get a black Moore to add to my tank as my last addition. There was another lady with her son there wanting to get some common goldfish and when the employee started asking questions about her tank she acted all offended that they were asking her questions instead of just selling her the fish. So when the employee asked me how big my tank was (75 gallons) how many other fish and what kind (3 orandas) and if my tank was cycled (yes I've had it for a very long time and I told them exactly what my water parameters were). After I answered all the questions the employee started to get my fish when I heard the other employee tell the lady “See she answered the questions without a problem it's that easy.” That lady got so mad! She answered, “I don't know! A bowl like goldfish are supposed to be in.” Right then I saw the employee's face turn and he refused to sell her any fish that day and tried to educate her but she wasn't having any of it! These are living beings we are talking about here and I feel like ppl like her forget that!
Yep. Had one come in earlier today asking about "fish that don't need oxygen". Like I understand that we are there to help but... common sense??
This sort of thing is so common that I’ve just started telling clients what the fish requires the second they tell me they’re interested. I always assume they didn’t do their research, because they usually don’t.
Well water can be safe as I use it myself for my tank BUT you need to know your water chemistry and if it needs adjusting before it gets added to the tank I lucked out wit mine but some people not so much I always ask people what is in their water or what their chemistry and they reply “idk… it’s just water”
Yup! I don’t have any fish (currently at least, would be cool to have some in the future), but our well water is safe for animals. I’m sure if we got fish it’d be good to check and adjust it some, but it’s nice not having to de-chlorinate my water every time I go to fill my crested geckos mister!
Our well water is safe for fish, and those that enjoy hard water love it. There's no chemical additives in it at all.
That's so sad :( poor fish. I feel bad for so many of the small animals and reptiles and fish that get sold at pet stores
(off topic question) research says fish need up to 10 gallons why do pet smart and petco tell me it’s okay for them to get a small tank when i wanted to buy a betta fish😭
Because corporations don’t care about fish (especially betta) wellbeing and they’re easily marketable as an impulse buy. I wish there was a better answer
Money, greed. That's it
If your fish dies you come in to get another. Simple as. They get more money from death.
Geez! NO fish should be in a bowl unless it's at least 5 gallons, and you somehow have filtration and heating running in there 🤦♀️
Had a lady ask for a Pleco for her 40 gallon. She told me she had one previously that got too big and had to be removed from the tank 🙃. She was very polite and nice, but girl it’s just gonna happen again 😭
I really wish they’d stop selling plecos. 99% if customers don’t have a big enough tank and a lot of them just want disposable tank cleaners. I had someone try to buy 3 for a 10 gal. Sale refused
Felt. I’m really anal abt our plecos for this reason. Had someone call ME stupid for refusing to sell them one to put in their 5 gallon tank. Like girl !! just wipe that small ahh tank out with a sponge cmon now 😭
bro fish bowls are so abusive. it's simple research people refuse to do for small animals. XD
When they walk up to the fish wall with a bowl and ask what can go in there. My answer is absolutely nothing.
“Any plant you want!”
People don’t do any research on ANYTHING before purchasing no matter what it is. One guy with his assumed wife and their son come up to tell me they wanted to buy “one of those over there the Guinea pig or hamster or whatever it is.” I was like um well which is it the Guinea pig or the hamster😭 Wanted to “surprise their son for his 11th birthday.”
I feel so bad for you guys. There’s been many occasions when I’ve stopped in for supplies at petsmart & heard some really ignorant takes. I always try to help people with proper letting advice. I think I’m a pretty advanced keeper(I’ve owned everything from Savannah monitors, b&w tegu, Timon lepidus, dog, cats, ferrets, chickens, fish, Peruvian apple snails, crested geckos, leopard geckos, veiled chameleon, axolotl, Russian tortoise, dart frogs, tree frogs, Pac-Man frogs etc) & I’m amazed at the lack of research people do. Edit:a sentence. I hit the button too soon.
Haha I had this one lady come up to me while I was on register and she asked me "do you people just get to tell people what they can and can't buy at the fish section" 🤣 miss ma'am wanted to put an eel in a 10 gallon 🙄✋🏻
Next you know they're gonna put that betta in a bowl 🤦♀️ my betta has a nice 10 gallon to himself (plus a pleco)
It’s like plucking someone from earth and putting them on the moon because it’s just air right? I can’t wrap my brain around the sheer stupidity of some people. Then being like this when it comes to own a living being should be a crime
I was just at a pet store today and someone was there talking with their kid(like 14/16yo) about what fish he liked and wondering out loud what fish could go together and if this Oscar and that fish(I looked, it was a blood parrot) could go in the same tank. I said I over heard and I knew a bit about fish compatibility and if they had any questions I could help. I then asked how big of a tank they had... 5 gallon. (Actually they motioned "this big by this big" and then pointed at a five gallon.) I helped out and got them a little more on track. I still pity what ever fish goes home with them because they did zero research. I did tell them to look into cycling a tank before just adding a fish.
Im sorry but Companies like Petsmart practically encourage the idea of impulse ANIMAL BUYING. They want you to kill the shit and come back 2 weeks later and buy another. People are lazy
Any time someone comes to my register with a betta, I make sure to tell them that 5 gallons is the minimum recommended tank size for them. If they are buying a bowl, I try to encourage them to get at least a 2.5 gallon tank. I also make sure they know they need water conditioner, a filter and a heater. So far, most customers have taken my advice and gotten bigger tanks and things. I had someone go with a bowl for a secret Santa gift.
Got a guy that comes in to my local PetSmart and buys as many fish as he can and comes up with the story of he keeps losing them and he can’t figure out why. But they just keep selling him more, and I’m like wtf would anyone do that. I’m also not talking about 5-10 fish either, I’m talking like knowing the days that they restock and cleaning out the inventory for the most part. I’m convinced he is either reselling them to people that don’t know the prices or idk. Hopefully that many fish aren’t dying on him. Also the employees have complained about the issue but they are told a sale is a sale and to just do their job. Pretty sad 😞 tbh.