What are your best/saddest stories of beginners getting or trying to get fish they don't know how to care for, I am asking because I just had my first rescue fish experience what happened was I was at the lfs and they were having a sale on fish so it was flocked. I was getting more cerith snails for my tank and I saw a family getting 2 ocellarius clownfish but what was suspicious was that the dad had a large plastic fishbowl and some colorful gravel. I watched as the worker( he was new and didn't know about fish) bag up the clowns. I approached the family and asked what size tank they were going to put them in, they replied that they were going to put them in the bowl. I told them clownfish were saltwater and needed a cycled 20 gallon tank, as I had suspected they new nothing about clownfish and were going to put it in tapwater and a bowl. I offered to buy it from them they refused saying the clowns would be their family pet and they would not give it up so I said that the clowns would die within an hour and offered them twice the amount of money that they payed for it plus 50$ if they promised never to buy saltwater fish again, I was unable to get my snails but two ocellarius that are probably so much more happy in my 125 soon to be 500 gallon tank. Please tell me your stories and strategies for dealing with irresponsible buyers.
Dealing with irresponsible buyers of fish
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sublime9182
Member
I rescued a gym no thorax tile or Mississippi mud eel from a freshwater tank at a pet store yes they are born in freshwater but will not eat until they get to brackish and then finally mature to full salt. I was sold the eel as a freshwater fish after researching quickly realized he would be dead in a few months and promptly started to mimic his natural life cycle over 5 months or so he was slowly acclimated to brackish then full salt. He started eating as soon as he was in brackish and came to life in full salt it was ruff but we made it and he grew from 6 inches to we'll over twenty and ate like a cow. unfortunately I moved out of state and refused to risk his life in the move so gave him to a 125 established tank.
I know it's slightly off topic as he was rescued from the pet store not an unknowing buyer but your story about the clowns you saved inspired me to share.
Man now I miss him lol he would let me pet him and ate from my hand truly an amazing experience.
I know it's slightly off topic as he was rescued from the pet store not an unknowing buyer but your story about the clowns you saved inspired me to share.
Man now I miss him lol he would let me pet him and ate from my hand truly an amazing experience.
sublime9182
Member
unfortunatley i moved out of state and refused to risk his life so i gave him away to some one that would take care of him long term as you may know they live 40 + years. just now cycling a 46 gallon reef and hoping to get some more rescues specifically. we need a spca for marine fish...
sublime9182
Member
No I don't think so here is a pic not the actually one but identical.
Wow...that is some 'story'!
bobkill
reefer
That's frustrating
The funny thing is I have been to this same lfs every time I buy fish and they are always good about making sure you have the right setup I have seen them refuse people because of the care they give to their fish. The problem was it was such a huge sale the 2 aquatics specialists were working with other people at the time so they got the bird specialist who didn't know anything about fish
Fishy 1
The Reefer From Downunder
I take my hat off to you sir:thumbsup: that is incredible that you were willing to pay that much for those clowns and save their lives, because of those peoples ignorance
. You are amazing and I'm sure those clowns will thank you:beer:.I read a very sad story the other day about a very similar thing. This shop had a hippo tang that didn't sell for weeks and weeks and the staff got so attached to the fish that they refused to sell it. They set up a very nice reef tank just for it and the tang became part of the team and got very large. Then one day a couple came into the shop and saw the tang and said they wanted to buy it, a brand new staff member was working then and said they could. The couple said they had a big tank setup and ready for it, so the staff member sold them the fish not knowing it wasn't for sale in the first place. The couple acclimated the fish and all looked well, but 30 mins later the fish was very unwell. The couple phoned the store and ask what might be wrong, the manager (still very angry about selling the tang) asked if the water was salt and they said no its fresh water and they thought the fish was a fresh water!!. The manager ordered the couple to bring the fish back immediately!! So they did, when they arrived the manager put the fish in its tank again but it was too late. The couple got no refund and were ordered to leave and never come back.
I think this sort of thing happens more often than we think too:sad:
Well, since you 'read the story', I can believe, that you believe it... But I don't.
If the manager of a LFS demanded that someone bring back their purchase IMMEDIATELY, took it from them without a refund, and told them never to return, that would really be a problem!
As for the OP's story about paying the people DOUBLE plus $50 for their purchase while they're still at the LFS (leaving him without $ to make his own purchase), then making them 'promise' to never buy a saltwater fish again... You're more than welcome to believe that also.
I generally take issue with the whole 'irresponsible buyer' notion because, frankly, we all did something like this early in our fish keeping 'career' - either out of ignorance or stubbornness. I remember having a tank in college with a pair of Oscars, and I swear that these fish got so big that there were more gallons of fish than water (almost certainly not, it just seemed that way).
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