I would say that about 90% of the people who come into the store I work at know nothing about fish, except popular culture. Fortunately, of those, most of them are just going to the 'zoo', so to speak, or buying for some other animal (dog food). And of the actual people buying fish, 50% of them are actually well informed; though plenty of them still don't grasp the nitrogen cycle, or some of the basic's of fish care. In fact, I would say I only get 2-3 people a day that I feel confident selling them what ever they want (on average), no question's asked. (but those people usually are just buying water or feeders)
On the other end of the specturm. About 50% of the customers know very little to nothing about fish. And many of those people are like that because the don't have the 'time' to learn or the desire to learn. I don't believe anyone I get is too stupid to learn.
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I had a FW customer come in yesterday. His fish had been having health problems, Ick and Fin/Tail rot. I did a water test and probed him about his tank. Apparantly, someone (not another employee) told him that in the winter if you keep less water in your tank, your tank will hold heat better. So his tank was 2/3 full, and since that was below the height of his filter intake he just turned off his filters.
I will say, that he is willing to learn, he leaves his heater on now, instead of turning it off at night after I told him that was a bad practice.
