# Is it bad i tryed to correct a fish store employee



## beta novice (May 9, 2010)

so we have this major fish store called super aquarium or something and his information was wrong i corrected him and hes like yeah i know like he knew what i was talking about but he didnt and yeah i felt bad for the betta's at that place and while i was there they ended up selling two i felt sick then people were looking at these small tanks for them poor guys and girls


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

it's not bad at all. often, the employees aren't properly informed at all. if you wish to correct them, try not to sound snobby, or like you're better than them. just say something along the lines of, "sure, they can live in those small tanks, but they do alot better, and stay healthy longer in larger tanks like this one". :d it's good to spread the knowledge you learn here! :3


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## beta novice (May 9, 2010)

i have been on here for awhile i have just been inactive i do know more knowledge then them i know this well it was people just looking at tanks besides i was with my parents


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## Luimeril (Dec 29, 2010)

i'm often trying to help people out. :3 of course, i'm lucky, and my local pet store doesn't try to give people bad info. :d


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## beta novice (May 9, 2010)

i wish i could tell the people but i mean i am just a kid they wouldnt listen to me


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## xxcaveat (Apr 7, 2011)

Perhaps write a letter to the store manager. This may be more effective in the long run. Granted, I am new to the betta scence, but I have had hermit crabs for a while - which are oftentimes kept in less than ideal conditions at pet stores. Many a times a polite, informative letter will result in changes with their crabitat set-ups. It's worth a shot, especially if you don't think they would listen to you otherwise.


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## beta novice (May 9, 2010)

good idea i might do that or find there contact info


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## luluo (Apr 6, 2011)

I had an employee laugh at me when I told her that I had my betta in a 10 gallon. I just said, "well, he's very happy."


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## beta novice (May 9, 2010)

they can be jerks sometimes


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

luluo said:


> I had an employee laugh at me when I told her that I had my betta in a 10 gallon. I just said, "well, he's very happy."


You handeled that well! I hate the fact kids just arent trusted!


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## Kaylin (Apr 14, 2011)

I lucked out with the PetLand near me. One of the guys who works in the fish department is very knowledgeable, and tries his best to care for the fish while he's there. His main specialty seems to be Koi and plants, but he's really good about other fish too.
He does have a Betta set up at home. A 5 gallon I think. He said Bettas do much better in larger tanks than the Zen Garden tanks that are frequently sold at the store.
I also second a letter to the Store Manager. If not the Store Manager, perhaps the General Manager. It's always good to list where you get the information from too, that way people can look it up if they wish, and gives your letter a little more weight.

~Kaylin


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## beta novice (May 9, 2010)

true true


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Great! Fix it one pet store at a time. Thats all we can hope for.


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## beta novice (May 9, 2010)

yeah i wish everyone was like him


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## Arashi Takamine (Mar 3, 2011)

beta novice said:


> good idea i might do that or find there contact info


 I'm a teenager too and I was so angry I went and found the managers twice to complain....

I might have to complain about my local petco too. Their betta's especially the girls are so small they could still be considered fry.

(Maka is still small and a little small but she dwarfed a little CT girl who was barly moving.) Poor things I doubt would ever be able to eat betta pellets when they should be eating egg yolk and fry food still...


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

@ beta novice: Like the fish store guy or Kaylin?


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## Ai Shimizu (Apr 14, 2011)

It's a shame that some people think it's funny to hear the proper information instead of take in the knowledge to make their performance much better. I don't believe that correcting an employee at a store is wrong at all. If I was the employee I'd listen very closely and make sure to ask questions to improve the care of the fish.


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## beta novice (May 9, 2010)

fish store guy


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Money makes the world go 'round...unfortunately.


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## beta novice (May 9, 2010)

money cant buy love


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Yeah, but money can seperate it. (ie caste system in many countries)


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

In my opinion, so long as you were polite and sounded well informed, you were perfectly in the right to do so. I do it all the time.... I've gone as far as to interrupt an employee as he was trying to sell a betta in a 1/2 gallon tank along with a non-aquatic live plant, and plant tabs. I politely told the lady that he was incorrect, and showed her the real aquatic plants, before suggesting she get a larger tank. To say the least, I'm not well liked at my local petsmart, though I honestly do try to be polite and well mannered when I correct the employees.

Neil D: actually, the caste system is only in india/hinduism. Social classes are world wide, so they are probably what you were thinking of.


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## xxcaveat (Apr 7, 2011)

Granted, but many pet stores may refuse to take proper care of their animals (land hermit crabs for instance - allowing the correct amount of substrate), because it may impede sales. So while money may not buy love, it does make the world go 'round.


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## beta novice (May 9, 2010)

The customer is always right


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## Gizmothefreaky (Apr 10, 2011)

I guess i am lucky because my fish salesman at the store i buy my fish from used to breed bettas. XD


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## beta novice (May 9, 2010)

lucky


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

JKfish said:


> In my opinion, so long as you were polite and sounded well informed, you were perfectly in the right to do so. I do it all the time.... I've gone as far as to interrupt an employee as he was trying to sell a betta in a 1/2 gallon tank along with a non-aquatic live plant, and plant tabs. I politely told the lady that he was incorrect, and showed her the real aquatic plants, before suggesting she get a larger tank. To say the least, I'm not well liked at my local petsmart, though I honestly do try to be polite and well mannered when I correct the employees.
> 
> Neil D: actually, the caste system is only in india/hinduism. Social classes are world wide, so they are probably what you were thinking of.


Yes, youre right. Im indian, so its the first thing that hit me. The caste system is only prevelent in the traditional families, so our family doesn't give a care. We live in the US any way, in the 21 century, what good would the caste system be anyway? Anywho, yes, I was thinking of social classes.


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## tsoto80 (Nov 26, 2010)

Well you wanna hear something bad? I gave my mother-in-law a 15 gallon tank. I told her to cycle it. She had it running for a few weeks but did not put anything in it to make it cylce. She decides to go into Petco listen to that stupid emploee rather than me. That employee told her to take a lil bit of water out of both tanks and switch them and that will cycle it. This is a tank that has never had the gravel vacuum and only water that gets replaced is when it evaperates-* if that.* Then she tells me you can only keep two goldfish in a 20 gallon yet she wanted to put over 6 in there. 

Okay if you were wondering I gave her the tank because I already have a total of 6 tanks I was going to replace my 5 with the 15 but it would not fit in my son's room and I did not want the 15 gallon tank to "go to waste." I am trying to teach her the right way but it is getting hard


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## DoNotDeclaw (Apr 1, 2011)

It's never wrong to speak up. JKfish, I've done the same thing, butting in. I eavesdrop, wait for a lull in the conversation, then add my 2 cents. The awesome thing about my local pet store is, I haven't had to do that yet.


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## Ai Shimizu (Apr 14, 2011)

When I visited Wal-Mart there was an employee trying to make this clueless woman purchase a 1/2 gallon tank, but I decided to butt into the conversation and correct what the employee had said. I explained in a polite mannor that a betta could not live in a 1/2 gallon tank because the ammonia builds up too fast and ends up hurting it or killing it. The employee was a bit angry with me for correcting her, but I didn't care because I didn't want a fish to suffer when it didn't have to. When it was time for me to check out the woman who was going to purchase the betta thanked me for giving her the correct information and told me that she'd purchase a much larger tank after a visit to the bank. She didn't take the betta at that moment, but I'm positive that she took my advice and went back for it after she purchased a suitable tank. I was respectful about what I said and it worked out fine, so as long as you were respectful about what you said there shouldn't be a problem with correcting the employee. :-D


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## beta novice (May 9, 2010)

oh ok thanks


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

One guy at my lfs said they can live in small areas because they come from small puddles in Thailand. Small my betta's butt! I wanted to say that soooooo bad! But other than that he gave me good advise.


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## beta novice (May 9, 2010)

ahh


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

beta novice said:


> ahh


Ahhhhh?


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## Arashi Takamine (Mar 3, 2011)

Yeah I even directed someone towards a betta when it looked like a goldfish was going to end up in a tiny tank....I pointed to the one on display in the tetra and cory tank and these two kids stared in amazement....(Note: I say tiny because goldfish get really big and I know they have at least 1 gallon tanks for sale.) They didn't take any of the betta's at the moment...

If I ever buy another betta....When I have the money to afford another tank...I might buy that store one so they can put the girls in there....I really am going to be adament about it and keep taking pics of what's proper and what isn't and show it to the manager.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Do that! One pet store at a time...


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## Arashi Takamine (Mar 3, 2011)

I'm so gonna do that. I also might suggest that they put the females at my local Petco in with cories and feed them BBS because they are so small they can NOT be adults. Sure they got their full colors but they are only the size of my thumb nail. Too small to survive.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

That small?!?!? They would get sucked into my filter! Theyre on sale?


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## Arashi Takamine (Mar 3, 2011)

Yeah! Right in the cups that are too big for their little bodies. Barly active, look skinny....Ugh makes me wanna go do some major tank shopping and try to save one of them.


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## Neil D (Apr 10, 2011)

Shouldve! JK. I know it's expensive, etc etc


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## Arashi Takamine (Mar 3, 2011)

Neil D said:


> Shouldve! JK. I know it's expensive, etc etc


 Not if I buy another cookie jar tank. We still have gravel too..

*sigh* Unfortunatly the price of the HM's and CT's are waaay too much. Besides they get proper care most of the time so it's a waste.

Trust me I want to get another fish....But I am so tempted to take all of the females mis-mark them as VT's and get a huge tank to let them finish growing up eating fry food. (I'd hatch sea monkeys to feed them.)

Trust me I am tempted but it's just...*sigh* Unrealistic.


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