LFS: What's the point?

[abethedog]

I just stopped by my local fish store (that I never buy anything from anyway) and noticed that ALL their fish tanks are loaded with aptasia. Funny, almost no corals. Some tanks must have had over 100 aptasia. But don't worry, their tanks have plenty of fish and inverts.

So as I was wondering why I went to the effort to take my daughter out of her car seat I noticed a beautiful six line wrasse that was sort of big for $25!
Why not? I should buy that

.
Nope. I wanted it though. I just figured that if the tanks looked like that there was no way I would risk it in my tank.
Would you have bought a great looking wrasse for that in a store with only nasty tanks?

 

[alix2.0]

i dont really see a problem with buying the fish, except that you just may not want to be giving them your business until they clean up. my LFS has a lot of aip, but they take really good care of the livestock, and the staff is for the most part knowledgable. so i have no problem buying from them. but if all the tanks are nasty, you may just want to find a new store and forget the sixline.

 

[itom37]

I don't think having aiptasia in their fish tanks disqualifies them from having good fish. I'd QT it, of course.

 

[puffer32]

As long as you don't dump the water into your tank after acclaimating, there shouldn't be a problem. Aptasia doesn't mean they have unhealthy tanks, just to lazy/busy to get out the joes juice.

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by puffer32
As long as you don't dump the water into your tank after acclaimating, there shouldn't be a problem. Aptasia doesn't mean they have unhealthy tanks, just to lazy/busy to get out the joes juice.

I agree. If aipstasia is their biggest problem, then they are not too bad.
Of course, you still definitely should quarantine the fish, as with any.

 

[jrthomas40]

i would have unless the people at the LFS are not nice people and even then if it was something that would benefit me and looks good then i would

 

[wattsupdoc]

You know, my LFS that I can trust, his tanks have a constant diatom film on them. Theres cheato in almost all the tanks, but he has very good livestock. Cleaning the tanks of something that is benign, is not more important than acclimating/treating new arrivals. Which he does. Now another store not too far away, beautifully clean tanks, someones allways scrubbing them. Horrible results for me at least, with the livestock. Another, not so local, has beautiful tanks, excellent livestock, but is skating on thin ice financially.

You cant judge a book by the cover.

 

[aquaknight]

Another way at looking at the situation is that a bit of 'nuisance' problems, Aptasia, algae, etc, is that they're sucking up all the extra nutrients in the tanks, keeping the water quality half way decent. Unlike that bare bones tank that exposes everything to full phosphate, etc.

 

[peef]

At least its not like my LFS, They had a six line labeled as a 6 bar Angel.......stupid stupid stupid.
Oh and they informed me that the HUGE (like 15inches or so) red fireworm that was eating their yellow star polyps in the main selling tank was only cleaning in between them and helping. I watched for like 20 minutes until 1/2 were gone and then went back to the guy and said where did they go? He was just like eh, oh crap.

 

[wattsupdoc]

 

[renogaw]

it is good that you didn't impulse buy, but next time put your name on it and say you'll be back the next two days, making sure it eats both days. any lfs should be happy to show you how healthy their fish is

 

[abethedog]

Maybe I'm a bit harsh. But, I've been in there so many times and have always not bought because of the general condition of the tanks. I can handle some algae or a bit of cyno but a hundred or so aptasia in each of at least 5 30 gallon tanks just looks really bad. Those fish are in an obstacle course of stingers. Big scary aptasia, too.
The ironic part is that the one tank with peppermint shrimp if free of ap.

I'll continue to drive 15 miles further to a store where I'm more confident.

 

[m0nk]

Originally Posted by abethedog
Maybe I'm a bit harsh. But, I've been in there so many times and have always not bought because of the general condition of the tanks. I can handle some algae or a bit of cyno but a hundred or so aptasia in each of at least 5 30 gallon tanks just looks really bad. Those fish are in an obstacle course of stingers. Big scary aptasia, too.
The ironic part is that the one tank with peppermint shrimp if free of ap.

I'll continue to drive 15 miles further to a store where I'm more confident.
There's one that is a 45 minute drive from my house that the tanks are immaculate. There was also a pet store 5 minutes from my house (no longer in saltwater) that had disgusting looking tanks. When I started saltwater I went to the pet store 5 minutes away and got 2 clowns. Over a year later they are still alive. I've bought 5 fish from the one that's 45 minutes away and 3 of the 5 died within 4 days of purchase. Luckily they have a 5 day guarantee, but the point is that you can never tell the quality of fish by the looks of the store. QT and you will likely forgo issues.

 

[hefner413]

Originally Posted by m0nk
QT and you will likely forgo issues.
ditto, my friend, ditto

 

[xdave]

Things like aptasia are hard to control in a store setting. It doesn't really say anything about the quality of the fish. I'd avoid getting anything they could stick to like rock or coral though.

 

[travis89]

I don't see any reason not to buy the fish either, coral or rock maybe but not the fish.

 

[stdreb27]

There is a store near my old house that had tons of aspita, the funny thing is the tank with the butterfly didn't. In a lfs I can't see how it is that hard to buy a couple extra pep shrimp and move them tank to tank. What disgusts me is walking into the store and seeing ich all over all the fish. That is just sad.