ryebread
Active Member
Okay folks......
I am really starting to feel for those of you who work or have worked in a LFS. You really can't begin to understand just how wierd some of these people (the customers) are.
Rye: Hi there, can I help you with anything?
Lost looking woman: Oh yes, I had a couple of questions for you about saltwater.......do you know anything about that?
Rye: Enough to be dangerous.....what didja need?
Flakey woman: Well, I have a son who has been wanting a salt tank ever since he saw that movie......what was it......Homeward Bound?
Rye: ......... Finding Nemo?
Woman: Yeah......that's it! He wants to have a salt tank now and I told him that he has to start small first because it will be way harder to care for a big tank. I got him a 5 gallon one with all of the stuff built into it already and we have it running, but the saltwater is all messed up.
Rye: ............
Woman: I don't know how to figure out how much salt to add. We have been adding the salt slowly so that the fish will be okay, but I can't be sure as to how much salt to add.
Rye: You mean you already have fish in the tank?
Woman: Yeah.......but that isn't what i'm worried about....they're just Guppies from his other tank. I need to know about the salt.
Rye: (In my head) Oh dear Lord.......give me the strength. (Out loud) Well, do you have a hydrometer or have you just been adding what it says on the label?
Woman: It doesn't say how much salt to add to the water on the label. I have been tasting the water and it doesn't taste like the ocean, so I don't know what to do. I don't know what a Hydranome is either.
Rye:........A hydrometer is what we use to figure out the salt content of the water. It has to be fairly accurate to get the tank started and for fish to be able to live in it. Usually the salt label says to add 1/2 cup of salt to every 2 gallons of water or somewhere around there. What type of salt did you get?
Woman: I dunno....I think it's just Mortons.
Rye: .............
Woman: What?
Rye: ...........Do you mean just regular table salt?
Woman: Is there some other kind?
Rye: ...........
Woman: What?
Rye: I hate to tell you this, but we are going to have to completely start over. I would reccommend reading this book (The Concientious Marine Aquariast) before starting anything up.
Woman: What the hell! That book costs more than the whole tank did! I can't wait to go home and tell my stupid son that he has to dump out his fish tank in the toilet! I wondered why his Guppies kept dying. I don't know if this is such a good idea for him........we don't want to spend much money on this and he only planned on doing it for a couple of months anyway for a project or something at school.
Rye: ........I don't mean to sound bad here, but I wouldn't try this for just a couple of months either.....sometimes the cycle can take that long. (Thinking in my head that I don't even want to get into what a cycle is.) Guppies will never live in your saltwater tank either.......you will be better off getting some true saltwater fish and there aren't many that can fit into a 5 gallon aquarium. It will definitely take some time and patience to get any sort of good results out of it.
Woman: Could I get one of those if I helped him get the tank right? (Pointing at a Purple Firefish)
Rye: Yes actually......that wouldn't be too bad in that tank if everything was running smoothly, you had the top sealed off, and it was the only fish in there.
Woman: Wow that one sure is pretty.......how much is it?
Rye: Those are more expensive than the regular Firefish......they run about $25 a piece. These other Firefish are only $12 though.
Woman: $25 for a stupid little fish!?!? I don't think me or my son realized what really is envolved here.
Rye: Do you have internet access?
Woman: Yes why?
Rye: www.saltwaterfish.com Let me know if you want to get envloved with it.......I honestly would wait though until you have at least a 29 gallon tank......the bigger the tank....the easier it is to care for as far as water quality goes.......they stay more stable.
Woman:
I am really starting to feel for those of you who work or have worked in a LFS. You really can't begin to understand just how wierd some of these people (the customers) are.
Rye: Hi there, can I help you with anything?
Lost looking woman: Oh yes, I had a couple of questions for you about saltwater.......do you know anything about that?
Rye: Enough to be dangerous.....what didja need?
Flakey woman: Well, I have a son who has been wanting a salt tank ever since he saw that movie......what was it......Homeward Bound?
Rye: ......... Finding Nemo?
Woman: Yeah......that's it! He wants to have a salt tank now and I told him that he has to start small first because it will be way harder to care for a big tank. I got him a 5 gallon one with all of the stuff built into it already and we have it running, but the saltwater is all messed up.
Rye: ............
Woman: I don't know how to figure out how much salt to add. We have been adding the salt slowly so that the fish will be okay, but I can't be sure as to how much salt to add.
Rye: You mean you already have fish in the tank?
Woman: Yeah.......but that isn't what i'm worried about....they're just Guppies from his other tank. I need to know about the salt.
Rye: (In my head) Oh dear Lord.......give me the strength. (Out loud) Well, do you have a hydrometer or have you just been adding what it says on the label?
Woman: It doesn't say how much salt to add to the water on the label. I have been tasting the water and it doesn't taste like the ocean, so I don't know what to do. I don't know what a Hydranome is either.
Rye:........A hydrometer is what we use to figure out the salt content of the water. It has to be fairly accurate to get the tank started and for fish to be able to live in it. Usually the salt label says to add 1/2 cup of salt to every 2 gallons of water or somewhere around there. What type of salt did you get?
Woman: I dunno....I think it's just Mortons.
Rye: .............
Woman: What?
Rye: ...........Do you mean just regular table salt?
Woman: Is there some other kind?
Rye: ...........
Woman: What?
Rye: I hate to tell you this, but we are going to have to completely start over. I would reccommend reading this book (The Concientious Marine Aquariast) before starting anything up.
Woman: What the hell! That book costs more than the whole tank did! I can't wait to go home and tell my stupid son that he has to dump out his fish tank in the toilet! I wondered why his Guppies kept dying. I don't know if this is such a good idea for him........we don't want to spend much money on this and he only planned on doing it for a couple of months anyway for a project or something at school.
Rye: ........I don't mean to sound bad here, but I wouldn't try this for just a couple of months either.....sometimes the cycle can take that long. (Thinking in my head that I don't even want to get into what a cycle is.) Guppies will never live in your saltwater tank either.......you will be better off getting some true saltwater fish and there aren't many that can fit into a 5 gallon aquarium. It will definitely take some time and patience to get any sort of good results out of it.
Woman: Could I get one of those if I helped him get the tank right? (Pointing at a Purple Firefish)
Rye: Yes actually......that wouldn't be too bad in that tank if everything was running smoothly, you had the top sealed off, and it was the only fish in there.
Woman: Wow that one sure is pretty.......how much is it?
Rye: Those are more expensive than the regular Firefish......they run about $25 a piece. These other Firefish are only $12 though.
Woman: $25 for a stupid little fish!?!? I don't think me or my son realized what really is envolved here.
Rye: Do you have internet access?
Woman: Yes why?
Rye: www.saltwaterfish.com
Let me know if you want to get envloved with it.......I honestly would wait though until you have at least a 29 gallon tank......the bigger the tank....the easier it is to care for as far as water quality goes.......they stay more stable. Woman:
