Gah, my LPS

[ShyDog]

I had heard this place had bad reviews (the lps) from almost anyone that went there, but they had recently moved to a bigger store and on the advice of a friend who bought all her snakes there.. I decided to check it out.

I'm never going there again


It smelled, all the merchandise was gross and dusty. The fish section while extensive and relatively clean was horrible to the bettas. They were kept in short verticle containers that meant the betta had to spend more time swimming to the surface than in any horizontal direction. They all looked sickly and just gah, and just poorly maintained. He was also trying to scam them out for 12$ each (labeled a small vieltail as a "delta King betta") and some other things that they clearly were not (such as rose tail, or double tails).


As if this wasn't bad enough, he came and asked me if I needed anything, and having been shopping for females at the time I asked him where they were.

He said they were ugly and that he would never carry them.


Just ugh...granted I used to be one of those people, but I love my girls to death when females color up it's one of the most amazing things I've ever seen, and the ignorance is rather annoying from some guy who says he's a specialist in fish.

[xbecky685x]

:( the girls aren't ugly :(
x

[Luimeril]

Heavy takes offense to his statement. x: she's a beautiful yellow, possibly yellow Cambodian. Lulu, is the generic "ugly" female color, but is a beautiful black with red and blue on her fins. Spy, is what some would deem as 'ugly', but she's copper yellow, with some purpleish on her fins.

that guy just doesn't understand how beautiful females can be. out of all my girls, i've never seen more beautiful fish. Caroline.... she was a gem. your average Cambodian red, but was still so beautiful, with eyes the same shade of blue as the sky on a clear day. she had an amazing personality to match, too! so friendly....

i don't blame you for never wanting to go there again. it sounds horrid.

[mjoy79]

doesn't sound like this guy has a good business. this is one time when I would hope the bigger pet stores would run him out of town. If he's going to treat fish that way and is ignorant about female betta.

[ShyDog]

Fortunately/unfortunately the "big" pet stores are about an hour away, that leaves our local walmart(s) with the brunt of the betta trade. (They actually do a good job around here (relatively) the cups are always clean, and they try not to overstock too much, and one even has some (good) information taped to the area where the bettas are kept.


As far as his shop is concerned, there is another LPS that is better in every way, but smaller. which means you have to ask them to order in certain things but the quality over time trade off is well worth it .

Originally Posted by mjoy79

doesn't sound like this guy has a good business. this is one time when I would hope the bigger pet stores would run him out of town. If he's going to treat fish that way and is ignorant about female betta.

[Bombalurina]

I know how you feel - my LFS has had to stop having a fishroom because of the lack of trade and being understaffed. He still says he'll order in anything I like for me, though, and I will always go to him in preference to one of the stores where I can buy off the shelves, because I know he treats his animals right, gives good advice and very fair prices (plus huge loyalty discounts!).

[Kytkattin]

I feel really lucky with my LFS because they will order whatever I want. I name the plant, they will deliver (literally deliver!!!). However, just like Bombalurina, they don't have a lot in stock. It just isn't practical. The good thing about that? No impulse buys. Bad? Less exposure to new and interesting species of plants I could potentially purchase.... (Or maybe that is a good? lol)

[Bombalurina]

I would also like to register my poo-pooing of the idea that girls aren't pretty. My not-fish-crazy mother walked into me room this morning and saw Medea in and Artemis in my sorority and gasped at how pretty they are. And these are girls that couldn't sell because they were ugly in the shop.