LFS laughter

[alienhybridx]

I went to my LFS yesterday and checked out what they have and one of the people that work there asked me what size tank I have and after i told him 55gallons he asked me if i was done cycling and i said no. Ok so then he tells me just buy 10 damsels and throw them in your tank and come back in 4 weeks....ROFLOL. I can do a better job than the people at that LFS just from what i learn everyday from experts on this site...

 

[krichardson]

yeah...my LFS told me you can keep 3 anemones in a 10 gal tank as long as they weren't touching...AND said that 13watt compact florescent lighting was sufficient....i never really ask them questions anymore...i just do research and then buy stuff.

 

[alienhybridx]

yea i dont get how they get hired at some of these stores ...they are pretty stupid ....they tried selling me a adult clown trigger for my tank LMAO....i wanna hear more stories of other people who have had something like this happen to them at their LFS.

 

[scotikis]

Alien...he said to buy 10 damsels? Ten? Where did he get ten? He must be low on sales for the month.

 

[fatcat]

When i first got in to this hobby i got SUCKED in to buying a mimic tang for ma 48Gal LOL. After doing research i sold the fish to a local reefer.
O'well live a learn.

 

[alienhybridx]

im serious....they have large and small tanks ...2 of those have like around 20 damsels....the larger ones have show sizes and medium sized fish

 

[ophiura]

FWIW it is a tried and true method for cycling a tank. In theory, there is nothing wrong with cycling with damsels. It is just not the right thing for everyone. It works out very well for the LFS, not for the damsels, but there is no question whatsoever that it is very effective and a way that thousands of people have successfully cycled tanks.
If they tried to sell you a tang or something else, that would be/is bad

I wouldn't judge a store as bad on the damsel thing though.

 

[aufishman]

I've always cycled my display tanks with damselfish and substrate from an established tank. A lot of people use damsels because they are cheap, hardy, and attractive. You could use liquid ammonia, but most people who've gone through the trouble of setting up a tank want actual fish to look at.

 

[alienhybridx]

yea good point ....it takes a lot of hard work to setup a tank and get everything up and running and to just stare at it for a month with nothing in it is kind of boring....i know many people that use damsels for cycling ...it seems as if many people on these forums hate them because they are very aggressive but they are nice to look at and cycle your tank at the same time....they last a very long time....

 

[ophiura]

IMO, it is not the BEST way to cycle a tank...but it is a way, and very good $$$ for the LFS.
I am partially of the opinion that if you are not patient enough to have a tank without fish in it for a couple of weeks, it may not be the right hobby
True damsel cycling is brutal on fish. It is very very unpleasant, and so it is not a good deal for me. I would prefer using live rock...and if you can get cured LR well your tank may be basically cycled in a week.

 

[wfd1008]

what about throwing in a piece of raw shrimp> no harm on fish and pretty cheap. damsels in a tank to cycle works, it's just a pain to get the little buggers out once they've done their job. that's a whole nother animal. i went into a lfs and they knew nothing. if you had a question about a fish, they just looked at each other and said we have a book up front that you can look it up in. atleast they were honest about not knowing anything. my best advice is find others in your area and find out where they go and why. not all stores are bad. i've found there realy isn't middle ground, either they know their stuff, or they don't know jack.JMO

 

[tizzo]

Originally Posted by ophiura
http:///forum/post/2532699
In theory, there is nothing wrong with cycling with damsels.
If they tried to sell you a tang or something else, that would be/is bad

I wouldn't judge a store as bad on the damsel thing though.
THAT'S FISH DISCRIMINATION!!!

Poor little damsels.

But honestly, as much as the LFS's seem to suck, we forget that they are not there to tell us how to keep fish. That's like expecting the guy at Lowe's to tell you how to build a shed. It'd be good, but it's not really his job. Finding and delivering what you need is what they are supposed to do.
And apparently, LIE, cause they do that with the greatest of ease.

 

[itom37]

Originally Posted by AlienHybridX
http:///forum/post/2532197
I can do a better job than the people at that LFS just from what i learn everyday from experts on this site...
You can probably provide better advice, but can you do so and stay in business? That's what the people at your LFS are trying to do. It's a delicate balance between contradicting motivations. I imagine it would be terribly difficult to stay in business as an LFS if all of the good fishkeeping advice I hear on this site was adhered provided by them. Just something to remember.

 

[ophiura]

Very very tough...I couldn't stay and work at an LFS. I was just too torn between basically needing to sell things and trying to walk a line.

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by AlienHybridX
http:///forum/post/2532755
yea good point ....it takes a lot of hard work to setup a tank and get everything up and running and to just stare at it for a month with nothing in it is kind of boring........
That's why I personally prefer using uncured live rock to cure a tank. The rock comes with enough life of it's own to keep you watching the tank, even before you start adding life.
As Ophiura said, if you don't have the patience to wait a month to start adding fish then this is probably not the right hobby.

 

[stdreb27]

Originally Posted by ophiura
http:///forum/post/2532838
Very very tough...I couldn't stay and work at an LFS. I was just too torn between basically needing to sell things and trying to walk a line.
Especially that store. Since it caters to the first time buyer.

 

[ophiura]

Originally Posted by stdreb27
http:///forum/post/2532850
Especially that store. Since it caters to the first time buyer.
Hmmm, well yes we sold lots of tanks...but IMO it was (at least at the time) much better than many other stores in town that sold anything to anyone. We had many things you could not buy until you presented a water sample, case closed.

 

[rot_stupid]

I don't get it. Everyone says don't cycle with damsels cuz you kill the damsels and it inhumane. But go ahead and cycle with a raw shrimp? As if the shrimp wasn't a living creature that also had to die, ultimately for the same purpose. I understand the concept that they are hard to get out once done, because I still have 1 damsel in my 150 that I just got tierd of trying to catch so this time I'm just ghost feeding my 90 to cycle it.

 

[tizzo]

The shrimp had to die for a different purpose. Cause we eat them!
But one taken out of our diet and thrown into the tank makes no difference.
And they are already dead.

 

[stdreb27]

Originally Posted by ophiura
http:///forum/post/2532898
Hmmm, well yes we sold lots of tanks...but IMO it was (at least at the time) much better than many other stores in town that sold anything to anyone. We had many things you could not buy until you presented a water sample, case closed.
Do they do the water thing? I've never purchased anything there. I just can't imagine having some punk kid in saying that he needs another trigger to put in his 75 with 12 other triggers it seems like I hear a story like that every time I go in there. And watch those poor ladies cringe.