toothybugs
10/13/2015, 07:42 PM
Only I'm not new.
Quick background: I was meeting someone on my way home from work to drop off/ hand off a purchase of all my unused sand, so it seemed reasonable to find a fish shop between us for a meeting point. I got there a few minutes early so I decided to take a look around. Hadn't been to this place since March or so of last year, so I was "the new guy" to the shop owner.
It was just the two of us, so a quick Hi was followed by "what can I do for you?"
Here's the rest of the conversation as per best memory serves:
"I'm upping my 40 to a 75. It's modestly stocked for now and will be up in probably a few weeks so I have QT time and then they can go in after its been up a few days. The Wife wants a couple show fish for the bigger tank. What do you have for algae grazers or something showy and reef-safe?"
"Well tangs are always good, a tank that size you can have a Blue Hippo and a Yellow for a neat color contrast, or a Sailfin and a Blue Hippo. Stay away from any of the Powder tangs, they give each other ich."
"Don't sailfins get huge?"
"...Well yea, but, they only grow to the size of your tank. So these two little ones here would be fine in your 75." (That sailfin was already 7 inches long and the Hippo was 6...)
"Uh, what else do we have available?"
"Well I also have this nice Scopas tang..." and that's pretty much where I quit paying much attention.
Over the next few minutes I learned that I couldn't afford a Purple Tang (despite never being asked if I was interested, what my price range was, or anything else about me to possibly give such a suggestion), rabbitfish actually aren't venomous unless you get stabbed when the fish is out of the water, lionfish only eat shrimp, a Kole Tang would be fine if I just wanted a cheap (inferred "boring") fish, and an Emperor Angel (8" already) would be fine if I didn't have any corals.
I've been around the block, but this was the shop owner of a well respected Chicago-area store giving me this advice ((not Reefwise, and that's all you're gonna get ;) )). I was optimistic about it since it was an easy out-of-the-way diversion from my normal route home. Unfortunately, I won't be going back and I won't recommend to any of my friends that they do.
SO, moral of the story: they just want your money.
I debated not posting this but it was too ridiculous to resist.
Quick background: I was meeting someone on my way home from work to drop off/ hand off a purchase of all my unused sand, so it seemed reasonable to find a fish shop between us for a meeting point. I got there a few minutes early so I decided to take a look around. Hadn't been to this place since March or so of last year, so I was "the new guy" to the shop owner.
It was just the two of us, so a quick Hi was followed by "what can I do for you?"
Here's the rest of the conversation as per best memory serves:
"I'm upping my 40 to a 75. It's modestly stocked for now and will be up in probably a few weeks so I have QT time and then they can go in after its been up a few days. The Wife wants a couple show fish for the bigger tank. What do you have for algae grazers or something showy and reef-safe?"
"Well tangs are always good, a tank that size you can have a Blue Hippo and a Yellow for a neat color contrast, or a Sailfin and a Blue Hippo. Stay away from any of the Powder tangs, they give each other ich."
"Don't sailfins get huge?"
"...Well yea, but, they only grow to the size of your tank. So these two little ones here would be fine in your 75." (That sailfin was already 7 inches long and the Hippo was 6...)
"Uh, what else do we have available?"
"Well I also have this nice Scopas tang..." and that's pretty much where I quit paying much attention.
Over the next few minutes I learned that I couldn't afford a Purple Tang (despite never being asked if I was interested, what my price range was, or anything else about me to possibly give such a suggestion), rabbitfish actually aren't venomous unless you get stabbed when the fish is out of the water, lionfish only eat shrimp, a Kole Tang would be fine if I just wanted a cheap (inferred "boring") fish, and an Emperor Angel (8" already) would be fine if I didn't have any corals.
I've been around the block, but this was the shop owner of a well respected Chicago-area store giving me this advice ((not Reefwise, and that's all you're gonna get ;) )). I was optimistic about it since it was an easy out-of-the-way diversion from my normal route home. Unfortunately, I won't be going back and I won't recommend to any of my friends that they do.
SO, moral of the story: they just want your money.
I debated not posting this but it was too ridiculous to resist.