redvipe2010
In Memoriam
I went to visit Aquatica in Tinley Park today for the first time, also my last. What I found was, several sick fish mixed in with healthy looking fish. There was a very limited selection of corals. What got my attention the most was 7 dying bulb tip anemones crammed into a tiny tank attached to the side of the tank or one piece of PVC, with two maroon clowns hosting. Some of them had short stubby tentacles with opened or puckered mouths; others were already in the melting stage. The price was $49.99. There was nothing striking about their color, and IMO the price would have been too high for a healthy one. I’ve paid $45 for a beautiful, healthy RBTA, and don’t regret it.
I asked the first salesman how long they have had them and what they were feeding them; he said they have had them a week and they were fed mysis shrimp. I said do you know that they are sick, he asked why, so I explained to him why. He also said that sometimes they will split, I said yes because they were under stress. Then he said they are really hard to keep. I said no they are not, I’ve kept several. He then stated that he knew they were sick.
Due to the fact that anemones are very dear to me, and the site of them sickened me, I thought about it for a while, and decided I would make them an offer. I figured I could save 3 to 4 out of the 7 with a lot of work, but was willing to put the effort into all of them. I have done a lot of research on them and felt confident in giving it a try. I was not shopping for anemones, and really didn’t want to buy any more.
So then I was approached by the second salesman, I asked what they would take for the anemones. He answered $49.99 each. I said I won’t pay that, and that these are dying. His reply was “yes I know.†I offered $10 each his reply to that, “I’d rather watch them die.†I asked him what they paid for each, he said $22. I said, how about $100 for all of them. He went to ask the owner that was behind the register and the owner agreed to sell two for $20 each. I said, no, I wouldn’t pay that much for them. I told the salesman, you just lost my $100, plus what you paid for them, and you will have 7 dead BTAs very soon, and he said, “I know.â€Â
Not only was their price outrageous for a dying anemone, with the attitude “I’d rather watch them die†they don’t deserve to have livestock in there care.
Also, there was No guarantee on Livestock, no surprise there!
I asked the first salesman how long they have had them and what they were feeding them; he said they have had them a week and they were fed mysis shrimp. I said do you know that they are sick, he asked why, so I explained to him why. He also said that sometimes they will split, I said yes because they were under stress. Then he said they are really hard to keep. I said no they are not, I’ve kept several. He then stated that he knew they were sick.
Due to the fact that anemones are very dear to me, and the site of them sickened me, I thought about it for a while, and decided I would make them an offer. I figured I could save 3 to 4 out of the 7 with a lot of work, but was willing to put the effort into all of them. I have done a lot of research on them and felt confident in giving it a try. I was not shopping for anemones, and really didn’t want to buy any more.
So then I was approached by the second salesman, I asked what they would take for the anemones. He answered $49.99 each. I said I won’t pay that, and that these are dying. His reply was “yes I know.†I offered $10 each his reply to that, “I’d rather watch them die.†I asked him what they paid for each, he said $22. I said, how about $100 for all of them. He went to ask the owner that was behind the register and the owner agreed to sell two for $20 each. I said, no, I wouldn’t pay that much for them. I told the salesman, you just lost my $100, plus what you paid for them, and you will have 7 dead BTAs very soon, and he said, “I know.â€Â
Not only was their price outrageous for a dying anemone, with the attitude “I’d rather watch them die†they don’t deserve to have livestock in there care.
Also, there was No guarantee on Livestock, no surprise there!
