Dozey

I’ve read many posts from new members that get the worst possible advice from their LFS. And I certainly have seen many posts from members that get great advice from their LFS. So I’m hoping to get a consensus on the quality of advice given by the average LFS.

So the question is… How do you rank the advice you receive from your LFS?

agabr123

honestly, i've never actually asked my LFS for advice. and i've overheard both good and bad advice. i also go to several different stores so i can't really say definitively either way. i put "neither good nor bad" for that reason

pinkfloydpuffer

Um.... usually it's me giving them advice But, depending on the store, it goes from excellent advice at Fish4U (cycling, BW for GSPs) to awful advice at another store (plecos will be fine in BW :P)

AlyeskaGirl

My only small lfs gives great/excellent advice, basically they know the world of fishkeeping and they can answer your questions about the fish they have in stock, what is compatible and not and tell new people who want to jump into it about the nitrogen cycle first.

jack--sos

I mainly go to the Independant Fish shops so i know who the knowledgable employees are, once i asked about the Gold Nugget Plecos they have and he told me they carry 2 different types, even correctly stated their L numbers when we were at the other end of the shop, and they wern't even printed on the tank. I was VERY impressed.

Another Time i over heard a different employee talking to a customer that wanted to buy a bala shark, he asked the dimensions of the tank and he said they could not buy the shark because the tank was too small.

jgon_

Depends on who I ask in the store. The woman that runs the register and the owner's wife don't know much. The owner and one of the employees really knows their fish and their plants. And then there's this one young kid who works there whos a moderator on the PufferForum so he knows all the puffer stuff too-makes for good conversation when I go there.

Jupiter

Our LFS employees are fellow hobbyists so I can get great advice. The problem is they are very expensive. As in any job, when you are starting you are still learning. If only the new/less experienced employees would say "I don't Know the answer-let me ask someone" instead of giving wrong advice- they would probably keep more customers. As the saying goes- if you have a bad experience to tell everyone, if you have a good experience you only tell a select few. (Or something like that)

KyWildFish

There are a couple branches here in Cincy of the big LFS. Its hit or miss. They have people who are fish lovers and some that are the more warm blooded fuzzy variety. The fish people are generally really good, the cat/dog folks arent the best but usually ask for assistance.

aquatic mouse

I <3 my LFS. My LFS is Jacks Aquarium and Pets. They ask a lot of questions about your cycle and the fish currently in your tank before selling you fish. They help people to be responsible fish keepers. They also test your water and have a notepad they write the results on.

MissMTS

Good and bad depending where I go There is one place that I really trust for advice, but I always double check it by posting it on the forum anyways

CHoffman

I voted good. They are very good about the obvious things..Like.."no you can't put that Oscar in a 20 gallon" or no...cichlids and neons aren't compatible..lol...But as far as cycling a tank I wouldn't trust the advice.

Shawnie

prior to learning and reading and the helpful advice from this site, I thought the LFS were genius's ...now, most are out to make a buck like car salesmen ...now and then you find great advice and true knowledgeable people, but seldom

Dozey

Obviously we don’t shop at the same LFS. My LFS sold my wife 2 cichlids and a cory along with the 3 gallon aquarium she was purchasing. And then later sold me a rainbow shark as “it will be fine in your 35 gallon aquarium”.

Red1313

I don't really ask my LFS much anymore. It's not like most of their advice is bad it's just that I usually know what I need and don't need their help. However having said that I have gotten the standard bad betta information from them. Also other then one guy I've never met anyone who could tell me if a plant was truly aquatic or not.

Amanda

I don't really ask much advice anymore.
I have many LFS around me, along with 4 chains.
It depends on who you ask also.
I have a friend who works at Petsmart, she's fairly knowledgable. But she's still been taught to make $$.
Even my LFS try to make $$. I overheard them telling a customer that "Sure 3 goldfish can go in a 10 gal. no problem!"

heartsongsinger

At least two of the workers own and breed their own fish, some of which they sell at the store (got my bristlenoses from one of them). I've actually had on of the workers tell me to go talk to the other guy because that was more his things

sirdarksol

I've heard mostly good advice from LFSs, but have been given a few bad pieces of advice that really taint my opinion, so I went with "neither good nor bad."

The chains, on the other hand, have been so horrible (with a few exceptions), that I would rate them as "awful."

TedsTank

I only ask advice if it is a specialy question. With internet today, I always research first. As even on this forum we often do things a little different and end up with the same results. Weigh out and balance all the advice against your own setup, and you will win. We all have learned from failures, or worked too hard on our systems to really enjoy our tanks at times....but someone else has "been there, done that" and has a solution.


I live in an area with no LFS except Petco and Walmart, so have learned to rely on internet and now this wonderful forum.

dvc_r

The last two times I went to Petsmart the employees asked me for advice and to help a customer because they thought I knew more than them! I thought that was funny, since I've only been in the hobby for less than 2 years. All I know is the fish and plants that I personally have.
Although I have 5 tanks (had eight) and LOTS of fish, I still think most hobbyists forgot more than I've learned so far!

AMEN to that brother!

navyscuba

Went to get some Black sand last week and while there I looked for some TSS but they were out so this girl comes to me and said you need any help finding something? I said i looking for TSS and she said I don't think we have that for freshwater and then she said you can get some feeders and put them in the tank and since they are she you don't have to worry if they die. I said Nope I'm leaving. Went to a different store and got my stuff.