Post your LFS horror stories!

[craigj]

I have heard a lot in my day and thought it would be interesting yet somewhat angering to here you guys LFS horror stories. I'll share two with you.
The first one is "kinda" funny, but not really. On a trip to Bangkok, Thailand this summer, I went to an open-air market that was literally miles long. I was surprise to find a few saltwater fish dealers amongst fake Gucci watches and Prada purses. Anyways, these are some of the fish I found:
2 ft. black-tip reef shark in probably a 90 gallon square tank; about 15 undulate triggers all in the same 55; somewhere around 50-100 hippo tangs in a 65; and another small tank chalk-full of some kind of butterfly fish
My other LFS story comes from when I first got into the hobby about a year ago. Theres an LFS here in Lexington that is owned by a real creep who only cares about profit. He supplied me with all the "wisdom" I could stomach until I finally found you guys and other reputable sources of info. At one time, thanks to this guy, I had a huma trigger, eibli angel, and two damsels all in my 20 gallon tank! Needless to say, I have none of them today and I don't buy from this guy anymore.

 

[mark-24]

At my lfs, they now have 2 black tip reef sharks, 6 leopard sharks, 1 nurse shark, and 1 stingray all in a 180 tank. And what's ood its that it's a really nice lfs, the dont use live feeders. The guy that works there knows his stuff. He actually told a guy not to buy an undulated trigger for his tank.
-Mark

 

[pufferlover]

moved to aquaruim section.

 

[eelfan77]

mine is the guy at my lfs said that i could have a undulated trigger with my 13 inch eel.

 

[vanos]

Originally Posted by eelfan77
mine is the guy at my lfs said that i could have a undulated trigger with my 13 inch eel.
What's wrong with that?

 

[alix2.0]

im so fed up with this one girl at my LFS telling everyone that angels can go in 10 gallon nanos, etc. that i am stocking up on SWF knowledge... because when the day comes that i know enough (or more than her) (which im pretty sure i already do)... i am going to walk into the store doing the whole little girl wants a fish tank thing. i am going to tell her i have a 50 gallon tank at home, and drag her around asking about every fish in the store. when she is done telling me how many eels, triggers, angels, and tangs i can have in the tank, i will unleash my knowledge and explain to her in detail what a moron she is and why, and why they shouldnt even let her sell goldfish. it sucks because she works at a decent LFS, and she ruins it.
i dont know what exactly that will acomplish but... that girl infuriates me...

 

[waterlogged]

I had a freshwater 55g and LFS told me I could change it to salt for $300.00.
Now I know a light can cost that much.

 

[redman1221]

Originally Posted by Waterlogged
I had a freshwater 55g and LFS told me I could change it to salt for $300.00.
Now I know a light can cost that much.

It really depends on what kind of saltwater tank you want FO, or FOLR, or Reef that will let you know how much it might cost. Btw if you wanted to do reef it will cost you more then 300 dollars I KNOW.

 

[mike22cha]

Well one lfs in OKC has a dead fish in every tank. I've also seen a shark egg there(shark eggs shouldn't be attempted by average aquarists) and a coral catshark that was beaten up.

 

[paintballer768]

Store is packed and seemingly everyone is in the livestock half of the store. I go up to the clownfish tank and theres about 3 dead percs covered in brooklynella. This was after the day I bought a fish out of that tank.

 

[mike22cha]

Originally Posted by paintballer768
Store is packed and seemingly everyone is in the livestock half of the store. I go up to the clownfish tank and theres about 3 dead percs covered in brooklynella. This was after the day I bought a fish out of that tank.
I thought you said the clown was all alone in the tank?

 

[reef46]

My LFS wanted to by my 75 RR tank with LR, MH, sump, and live stock for a whopping $200. I was insulted by their offer!

 

[krj-1168]

Personally I tend to fill that about 80-90% of all LFS are bad.
But the really bad ones tend to either have dead fish in their tanks or fish in tanks that are way too small. Good example of fish in too small of a tank includes - Blacktip reef pups in a 500-600 gallon tank, a 12" in Koi in a 55 gallon, & Large Pacu in a 180 gallon.

 

[jerthunter]

Well it looks like Fish Stores had a nice run there for over six years.... no complaints and then WHAM!!!

 

[keri]

Originally Posted by Waterlogged
I had a freshwater 55g and LFS told me I could change it to salt for $300.00.
Now I know a light can cost that much.

HA!! Were you the guy behind me in line the other day?? (j/k) I was at the LFS and there was a guy iin there saying he had just bought a 90 gallon setup and "would like to change it over to saltwater - I have about $300 to play with" I almost peed, buddy you're ROCKS are going to cost more than that! (at $7/lb on sale) but the LFS guy just took it in stride and started showing him all the cool fish he could have.... "And so it begins...."

What else would I spend my money on, food? pfff...

 

[mike22cha]

Originally Posted by Keri
HA!! Were you the guy behind me in line the other day?? (j/k) I was at the LFS and there was a guy iin there saying he had just bought a 90 gallon setup and "would like to change it over to saltwater - I have about $300 to play with" I almost peed, buddy you're ROCKS are going to cost more than that! (at $7/lb on sale) but the LFS guy just took it in stride and started showing him all the cool fish he could have.... "And so it begins...."

What else would I spend my money on, food? pfff...
Live rock from lfs are always expensive. BUT, if you know where to get stuff, you can get lr as low as 2.50$/lb.

 

[keri]

Originally Posted by MIKE22cha
Live rock from lfs are always expensive. BUT, if you know where to get stuff, you can get lr as low as 2.50$/lb.

Not anywhere in Vancouver (canada)... I think the cheapest I've seen it anywhere here was 5-something a LB UNcured. And the store we were in was selling it for $7/lb on a Boxing Day sale.

 

[mess88]

I was at lfs today. I was in back room and looked at the board on the wall. It listed the tanks with flukes and i bet it was 2/3 of the store and all the fish where still forsale. also the yellow face angle forsale and lymt. To bad it pretty nice store too.

 

[mike22cha]

Originally Posted by Keri
Not anywhere in Vancouver (canada)... I think the cheapest I've seen it anywhere here was 5-something a LB UNcured. And the store we were in was selling it for $7/lb on a Boxing Day sale.

No rock is going to be 2.50$/lb localy. You got to look online.

 

[keri]

Originally Posted by MIKE22cha
No rock is going to be 2.50$/lb localy. You got to look online.

Oh yes but....Have you ever tried to get anything shipped overnight across the border? It just doesn't happen...or if it does, the shipping would cost me more than the rock, and it would probably still take 4 days. No...I'd be paying $2.50 /LB for DEAD rock!!