LFS took me for $900

[missi]

Help! I have been shopping at my LFS for over 6 months now, they've helped me set up and maintain a 7g tank which I have spent a fortune on! The two people I have been working with have been really nice but a few Saturday's ago I went into the store looking to upgrade to a larger tank. Twner (of whom I have never worked with) was there and was helping me out but I think he really took me for granted and was only looking out for the sale, not my best interest. I purchased a stand with a 20g tank and the cover. He then had me purchase a pump and a skimmer ($135 Prizm) and live rocks and the other necessary items. Well my first sign that I had been duped was with the live rock. They had what I thought was anemonies (over 20) on it but after reading the message boards I found out they aren't anemonies but things that kill fish. I went back to the LFS and inquired about it with the sp I have been working with and he said "OH, you're the one who bought those rocks" and thankfully allowed me to trade them out. Next, I'm finding out that I shouldn't have started my skimmer upon setup and that the Tang is not supposed to go into an aquarium less than 75g ..... Is it just me or am I being taken for a ride.
Thanks for any advise(sorry for the long message) :help:

 

[some1fishy]

Another LFS Horror story. That really stinks.
Well there are some positives. First off you got to take the rocks back....
2ndly, the owner probably seen you in there before and didnt know your experience level and may have assumed a couple of things. 3rdly you got to get a feel for the way they do business. You can opt to continue to shop there and deal with "your" people or try another store.
But the biggest and most important lesson learned should be this one: Do reseach first before you make a purchase. Be it at an LFS or SWF.com or anywhere else for that matter. Knowledge is power and can also be a money saver.
Go with your guts on this one! Good luck and keep on fishing!

 

[fishy7]

Hi Missi,
First off, hi and welcome to the boards.

You will find a lot of valuable knowledge here.
First off you need to slow down. WAY down.
The rocks you bought, apears they have aiptasia. It is a pest anemone and can sting and kill fish. It can be taken care of with some joe juice. You did buy new rock and should not have it. It was nice of them to trade out.
Your skimmer issue is minor. I have seen people doing it beofre and after start up.
A tang needs at least 75G. I would recommend you take him back.
I would do some additional research before you buy any other things for your tank. When dealing with ANY LFS, you need to arm your self with knowledge so you do not get taken for a ride. I am not saying you were taken but knowing what they are after(your money) is key.
Good luck and keep on gathering knowledge. :thinking:

 

[missi]

Thank you so much. The only problem with the Tang is that they'll only give me 1/3 of the price for it which is about $13.00. I can't buy another fish for that. Is there any chance at all of it surviving?
Again, thank you all for your help! :happyfish

 

[fighting0]

Originally Posted by Missi
Thank you so much. The only problem with the Tang is that they'll only give me 1/3 of the price for it which is about $13.00. I can't buy another fish for that. Is there any chance at all of it surviving?
Again, thank you all for your help! :happyfish
Eventually, that fish won't be a happy fish cuz they need tons of room.
Take the $13.00 and run with it.. Chalk it up as a learning experience.

 

[omgsaltwat]

Thats what they do......Sorry you found out the hard way....

 

[missi]

Thanks for all the advice. Ok,, I'll throw another question out to you:
My fish in the 20G tank include
2 perc
1Tang - going back to the LFS
2 cleaner shrimp
10 snails (small ones)
2 bubble tip anemone's
1 Pink Hatian anemone with a crab
I want this to ultimately be a reef tank - so do I have too many things in there? The shrimp are pretty big .....
Thanks for your patience!

 

[darknes]

You should be fine after you take the tang back.
What type of lighting did they hook you up with for that tank? Anemones need very strong lighting in able to survive.

 

[bombay_duc]

Originally Posted by Missi
He then had me purchase a pump and a skimmer ($135 Prizm) and live rocks and the other necessary items.
did he have a gun to your head?

 

[maeistero]

where are you? you may be able to get more by posting up for someone here to buy. i hate to see a fish store profit by scamming a newcomer to the hobby.

 

[fishieness]

id threaten not to go back again until they give you at LEAST store credit. I should think that someone with a tank that they are looking to make into a reef, and is willing to spend 900 bucks out of the blue would be a valuble person to keep around when you are a small buisiness owner.

 

[missi]

Originally Posted by Bombay_Duc
did he have a gun to your head?
I came here for help, not for you to criticize me. If I wanted comments like that I would have gone back to the LFS.
Thanks for nothing

 

[missi]

Originally Posted by maeistero
where are you? you may be able to get more by posting up for someone here to buy. i hate to see a fish store profit by scamming a newcomer to the hobby.

Thank you! I'm in Georgia. I think I'll follow the advice of the poster who said that I should be straight up with the LFS and tell them that I feel that they took me for a ride --- maybe they'll trade the tang for another fish equal in value.
Thanks again!

 

[hagfish]

I'd say the only thing they really did wrong was sell you the tang. I would only say that was wrong if he knew you didn't have a bigger tank. I don't think it's necessarily his reponsibility to ask each and every customer the details of their tank. I say, if you don't know you need to ask, they should probably ask if you have questions but I wouldn't expect much more than that. When I go to a hardware store I don't usually get all kinds of warnings about the things I buy. If I don't ask any questions it's assumed that I know what I'm doing.
As for the live rock, some people aren't really going to care much about aiptasia. If I had a fish only tank I probably wouldn't care depending on the type of fish I had. They aren't going to kill most fish. There are more deadly anemone's that people aren't worried about killing their fish. You actually have some of them already.
Now if you somehow paid $900 for the 20 gallon tank, some live rock, and a $135 skimmer I think you may have something to complain about.

 

[alyssia]

Originally Posted by Missi
I came here for help, not for you to criticize me. If I wanted comments like that I would have gone back to the LFS.
Thanks for nothing

When I first started comments like the one made by Bombay almost stopped me from coming back.

 

[alyssia]

Originally Posted by Missi
Thank you so much. The only problem with the Tang is that they'll only give me 1/3 of the price for it which is about $13.00. I can't buy another fish for that. Is there any chance at all of it surviving?
Again, thank you all for your help! :happyfish

It will develop ich and/or HLLE from the stress of being in that size tank.

 

[missi]

Originally Posted by alyssia

When I first started comments like the one made by Bombay almost stopped me from coming back.
Yeah, he doesn't seem very friendly. I expect that that will happen in most online activity though.
Thanks for your good advice.

 

[wattsupdoc]

Sorry to hear about you're troubles. Some LFS only care about the buck! That's what their in business for. A similar story that happened to me the other day, not related so much but similar. My son, and a girl who is staying with us, are taking scuba lessons. They need to purchase masks, fins, and snorkels to take the class. So we went to the local dive shop were I have shopped many times before to buy some. Working, was an instructor who I have purchased many things from in the past and knows my experience. I told him what we were after and he went in the stock room and came out with boots. I told him we didnt want to buy the boots yet, but he didnt want to hear that. So after a few times of stating this he finally went to the stock room for fins. When he came back he had fins, but they were made to wear with boots! AAARRRRGGGG!

.DidI say AAARRRRRGGGG! anyway we left there empty handed as he pretty much refused to sell us fins withoput the boots. It's like..... you can't buy what you want here, you HAVE to buy what we want to sell you!

So I went home and ordered what we needed online. It was cheaper anyways. My point is why is it that retailers have forgotten that we have a choice and our business is important? They'd rather make a quick buck and risk us not coming back again. Another problem with todays society I suppose.

 

[stingrayjs]

Am I readin gthis correctly?
You have in the 20g tank:
2 perc
1Tang - going back to the LFS
2 cleaner shrimp
10 snails (small ones)
2 bubble tip anemone's
1 Pink Hatian anemone with a crab
The reason im asking is I didn't see any respnces to you question about is that to much for that size tank. The answer to that is yes! having even one anemone in a 20g tank will be difficult in the long run. The cleaner shrimp are ok, but reall on ly need 1 for that tank. Snails are finem might want to get some hermit crabs also.

 

[missi]

Originally Posted by StingrayJs
Am I readin gthis correctly?
You have in the 20g tank:
2 perc
1Tang - going back to the LFS
2 cleaner shrimp
10 snails (small ones)
2 bubble tip anemone's
1 Pink Hatian anemone with a crab
The reason im asking is I didn't see any respnces to you question about is that to much for that size tank. The answer to that is yes! having even one anemone in a 20g tank will be difficult in the long run. The cleaner shrimp are ok, but reall on ly need 1 for that tank. Snails are finem might want to get some hermit crabs also.
Thanks -- do you need an anemone and a Tang? lol --- What makes me angry, and I'm all about personal responsibility, is that the LFS sold me the 20G tank, told me that these fish and anemone's would be fine and even encouraged me to buy the LR with over 20 antipste(sp) on them (like I was getting a good deal). So, here I am now with 2 anemone's @35.00 each and 1 tang @ 35.00 pretty much wasted. So, I have to either let these animals suffer or take them back to the LFS and get 1/3 of what I paid and risk them taking advantage of me again. I also failed to mention that I have a 7g tank at my office that I have put over $400 into - so, basically I guess you don't always "get what you pay for".