There seem to be several views on the LFS. True I don't and never have claimed to be an expert. No the store I work at is not the only good one out there. If I don't know I don't know. I call the owner with 30 years exp. in salt water. I have had customers come in and be bent 10 ways out of shape because they had to have the Hawk fish and then get bent because it wipes out their inverts and is the terror of the tank. If I stongly advisr that you don't get a fish and yet you still demand it what should I do????? I have bills just like all of you do. I had a guy today that has a small 3 inch Huma, yellow tang, and damsles in a 55 and would not be turned away from a 4.5 inch maroon clown, myself and the owner told him its not good. Not every customer cares to look things up. I do my best to advise against these things but what do you do??? If I refuse to sell a fish, and I have in the past nothing stops them from going 3 miles down the road where the stuff porcupine puffers into 20 gallon tanks.
I agree with everything being stated in this post about trust and your LFS but how about a thread where the LFS is not cast in such a negative light. Sorry for the rant but sometimes its hard not to take things pesonal. I have never and will never sell something just to make a sale. I also can saya the same for the owner. If you buy a fish as a new person and it dies in 2 days are you going to come back? I would and so would the owner try our best to have you enjoy the hobby, have things run smoothly, that way you come back for other fish, food, ect. Makes more sense to me to have you as a happy repeat customer than an unhappy one time sale.
Sorry again just my 2 cents