Funniest/worst advice from LFS

[brett559]

This probably isn't the first thread on this topic, but what is the funniest/worst advice you ever got from a LFS.

Years ago when my older brother was setting up a freshwater tank, a guy at our LFS told us that betta fish don't even need to be in water. He said they could live in a wet newspaper. My brother and I just sort of looked at each other - we still joke about it.

Wet newspaper!

 

[heathlindner25]

Maybe I'm blessed, but we have great fish stores in down here in Atlanta.

 

[Happyschneider]

Was told that I should keep some caulerpa in the DT during cycling (sumpless system) to help with nitrates and phosphates. Luckily, I got the advice to remove it in time before it could attach itself to the stones.

 

[KafudaFish]

Not me but I once heard that a customer could put 20 clownfish in a biocube.

If she didn't want to do that she could mix flame angels in.

 

[Ebone]

I cringe every time I hear them discussing an anemone and clownfish for first time sw tank owner just finishing a cycle (or not even that far along)

 

[gone fishin]

Me: what an aiptasia outbreak

Store person: NO NO those are button polyps.

Me: you're a funny guy.

 

[Mikefallen13]

Once, I had a petco employee tell me that my gigantea anemone will eat platinum clowns because they were tank bred. I told him I'd take my chances, and besides they had the clowns mislabeled for $15 a piece

 

[Buzz1329]

Actually, I'm hard pressed to remember stupid advice from LFS employees/owners. I can remember my own embarrassing moments though:

In 1990's: Arggh, no, no. no, you have to bag the Tridacna clam under water bc exposure to air will kill it. (Met with polite disdain, but no argument, from clerk at New World reef store in Manhattan.)

In early 1980's: I've got an algae problem in my 55. Will that 9" Naso Tang handle it? Ended up with algae blenny thanks to clerk in LFS in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Blenny did not make a dent in my algae but did not wipe out tank either.

My personal worst in late 1980s. In my defense I was working 18 hours a day, seven days a week, as a robo-lawyer on Wall Street and had read an artlcle in FAMA re Lee Chen Eng and his natural tanks. So being an arrogant a**hole, I wanted to instantaneously transform my FO SW tank to a reef tank. (Wait, what kind of defense is that?)

So getting home comparatively early one Saturday night, I went straight to LFS that was selling live rock, and announced that I wanted to convert my 55 gallon FO tank to a reef tank so give me 50# of live rock. Despite dire warnings from clerk and owner in Flatbush Ave. store, I bought the rock, and that night, rolled up my sleeves, removed the old lava rocks, and replaced them with 50# of stinking live rock. And within days, everything in tank was dead.

Jeez, I was a tool. Is it possible that there are as many toolish customers as employees in your average LFS?

In fact, it seems like when I visit local reef stores in tri-state area recently -- I don't shop at chains-- I encounter more often than not knowledgeable guys who are eager to engage in conversation/debate about what coral/fish/etc. would best suit my tank or why they would not. And I usually lose any debate.

So there are folks who work at local reef stores who contribute their knowledge and experience to help customers make the right choices. There may be some tools among them, but IME the non-tools are far more common.

Mike

 

[Dans85]

This probably isn't the first thread on this topic, but what is the funniest/worst advice you ever got from a LFS.

Years ago when my older brother was setting up a freshwater tank, a guy at our LFS told us that betta fish don't even need to be in water. He said they could live in a wet newspaper. My brother and I just sort of looked at each other - we still joke about it.
Wet newspaper!

That is actually somewhat true. A betta's natural habitat is usually a small puddle with tons of vegetation. During certain parts of the year, the puddles will almost completely dry out and the fish will have hardly enough water to swim in. Betta fish are labyrinth fish, which means they breathe air, so as long as they are wet, they can survive, maybe not for ever, but they can. Betta fish have been seen living in nothing but thin mud numerous times.

 

[mushumatt]

I was lectured by the "senior fish room employee and Fishroom manager" at That Pet place/That Fish place that the springer damsel would not eat flatworms. As well as the six line wrasse I had would definitely eat the flatworms. Well three months of having the six line it did nothing to the flatworm population in my tank. 36 hours after brining the springer damsel home from That Pet Place not a single flatworm was seen again.

 

[E46Twist]

Me: "I am looking for reef safe fish"

Owner: "here is a cool puffer, and I have some nice dwarf angels you could pick from."

Luckily I went home with my pair of clowns and that store is now closed.

 

[CStrickland]

I like these threads. Sometimes I feel sad that there's no lfs in my town so I have to pay for shipping, but then I read these posts and feel better

 

[fishresponse]

I remember the classic response to "are you running copper in your fish system" was hands down always no. Then saw him one day pouring copper into the tank haphazardly without caution for testing. never took his advice for any disease treatment again.

 

[BrandonFlorida]

Worst advise was from the biggest store in my area and this guy is hated by many in Volusia county..

Me: What does this guy eat (referring to a greek goddess nudi)

D-Bag: It eats detritus and algae.

Little did I know it eats specific sponges that I couldn't get. I never bought an animal from him again.

After that I research and research and research what I put in my tank, or just talk with a buddy who owns a LFS and never gives anyone bad advise..

I mean why sell something knowing you can't take care of it? But in the end I was the fool for not being proactive..

 

[ca1ore]

I've been keeping marine tanks for a while, and way back when at a LFS in Long island NY I was checking out these new LifeGuard in-line canister filters (they've been available for many years, so this was a long time ago). As I'm looking at how they work, the store owner comes over and tells me that amongst the many benefits is the need for a much smaller heater since 'you only have to heat the small amount of water that is inside the canister'. Where does one start? I smiled politely, while concluding that this chap was a complete moron. It's always stuck with me because it was perhaps the funniest experience I have had at a LFS.

 

[wicz101]

10 years or so ago as a newb.....

Me: what is that sweet fish?

lfs DB: Lionfish

Me: Is is aggressive?

lfs DB: nope

... long story short... fish killed everything in my tank

This same store... I found out later this lfs was telling new reefer there salinity was too low b/c they were using hydrometers in the store and crashed many tanks and played dumb when people complained and told them to use only refractormeter to check salt levels... in krama news this store went out of business bc of major road work that happen right at the main entrance which made it very hard to get in/out of the parking lot

 

[mnavick]

Similar to above......10+yrs ago as a newb....

Me: Wow, the red on that fish is AMAZING.....must have. Do I have anything to worry about?

LFS: Nope, safe for everything.

Fast forward a few weeks and that Grouper ate everything!! Took hours to dismantle tank and remove.

 

[brett559]

That is actually somewhat true.

What?! It's true. My whole world is a lie. :eek1:

 

[Mishri]

Was told that I should keep some caulerpa in the DT during cycling (sumpless system) to help with nitrates and phosphates. Luckily, I got the advice to remove it in time before it could attach itself to the stones.

Umm.. caulerpa in the display looks awesome.. That is good advice.. A lot of european aquariums put caulerpa in their displays. You just trim/pull some out as it grows. I'm trying to find some good pictures of it.. here is one:

but I've seen better examples.. where it just looks natural and good, weaving around corals. There is a bit of an art to it, like planted aquariums... I've kept it in my display before years ago.. I'm also sumpless, if I see some good looking stuff I might add it again to my softies/lps tank.. It doesn't grow well in sps tanks due to low phosphates/nitrates.

 

[909_Reefer]

What?! It's true. My whole world is a lie. :eek1:

I've seen vendors ship bettas in bags with wet newspaper. It works out just fine.

My funniest story is overhearing an employee telling a customer that her water hardness killed her tomato clown after doing a strip test on her sample of water.