Anyone have any?????

[mistahoo]

Sometimes it's not worth the risk of trading. Yours may be sick or an unwanted fish. You gotta realize that most of them in it for a living. Most of those places that took trades back then are basically closed now. I don't know of any that will trade fish, but I do know many take donations or buy next to nothing. I can sympathize with them. What would I do with huge Oscars or Pacus or any other ca/sa? They'll most likely sit in a tank, taking up space, food, and money until they eventually die.

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[crash83]

Sometimes it's not worth the risk of trading. Yours may be sick or an unwanted fish. You gotta realize that most of them in it for a living. Most of those places that took trades back then are basically closed now. I don't know of any that will trade fish, but I do know many take donations or buy next to nothing. I can sympathize with them. What would I do with huge Oscars or Pacus or any other ca/sa? They'll most likely sit in a tank, taking up space, food, and money until they eventually die.

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Believe me as a former shop owner I know the risks all to well.

[mistahoo]

Yep. You must really understand why they don't do it as well then I presume? I know if I had a store, even I wouldn't take trade ins.

[morpheus]

I used to work for a pet store that took trades and gave store credit for them. some of the stuff he got as trades sat in the 90gal tanks for months upon months. some people do not research the fish they buy, they outgrow the tank, and they dont know what to do with it. the owner did refuse some stuff, like red devils and snakeheads (when they were legal to sell) for example. once they trade in, its difficult to find another person to buy with that big of a tank already. so yes he was essentially jsut feeding these fish for however long until finally got a buyer.

[jughead]

If a store sells juvi pacu,rtc,etc,they should take the trade.or quit selling the small ones

[BiGPiNK]

If a store sells juvi pacu,rtc,etc,they should take the trade.or quit selling the small ones

So the stores should be held liable for people who don't research / buy fish knowing they cannot care for the fish for its entire life???



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[jughead]

why shouldnt they be .if a shop owner brings in-sells fish that no hobbiest can house as an adult,then they are hurting the hobby.imo,they can do the right thing,or be greedy.a relative went to the big box pet store about a year ago asking for cheap catfish for his tank of angels and congo tetras.he got 2 1.5" channel cats.they told him these would be okay.i guess he was in the wrong(for listening to the employee)

[BiGPiNK]

why shouldnt they be .if a shop owner brings in-sells fish that no hobbiest can house as an adult,then they are hurting the hobby.imo,they can do the right thing,or be greedy.a relative went to the big box pet store about a year ago asking for cheap catfish for his tank of angels and congo tetras.he got 2 1.5" channel cats.they told him these would be okay.i guess he was in the wrong(for listening to the employee)

To be perfectly blunt... Yes, he was. The best advice that gets passed around, yet consistently ignored is...
Research BEFORE you buy.
If you expect to get the best advice from the guy who's making a profit off you... Well I don't want to insult anybody so let's leave it there
That's not to say there aren't conscientious store owners out there, there are many in houston. But if you buy something based on the recommendation of the sales guy, rather than doing your own research, you get no sympathy and certainly shouldn't expect the stores to pay you back for your poor decisions

[morpheus]

i can see both sides of it. i think it is up to the consumer to know and understand what they are buying, and also is on the store/employee to get a feel for their tank and what they can or cannot fit/mix. not everyone who owns a tank knows more than just wanting fish, and they rely on the employee to advise them. i talked people out of buying certain fish "just for the colors" because i knew they would die or not match fish in their tank.

most big stores like petco and petsmart have high school age kids with no background in aquariums selling their fish...and customers see them as knowledgeable. stores should take into consideration what the person knows before putting them in a dept, but they will never screen in that manner. i have informed employees at those stores in the past when they tell me wrong info to my face, or i hear them telling people who are obviously amateurs in aquariums wrong info. they get basic info wrong constantly

[jughead]

most people are not as deep in the hobby as us(boxers),plenty of people get most of their info from retailers,right or wrong.nothing wrong with a shop owner doing the right thing and making a living.selling pacus at pet stores is wrong.

[morpheus]

exactly...most people dont know any better and rely on the store for help. but stores still sell fish that nobody can grow to adulthood. i have seen pacus being pulled from many big chain stores. but they still sell lots of things that shouldnt be there like channel cats, iridescent sharks, red devils, etc. Things that grow so big and just die from deformity, or are so mean they kill everything.

[mistahoo]

Why should people who can house the fish at adult size suffer for people who can't and don't research before they buy?

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[morpheus]

by that logic of "why should people who can house the fish at adult size suffer", then every pet store should carry fish like your L095 just because the minority of aquarium owners can house them properly. and then watch people buy and shove into a 20gal tank for it to die early.

the fish are the ones that suffer, not the buyer/seller. its not really punishing people who cant house to adult size. you just ensure the fish is cared for in the best manner IMO and dont tempt those who cant.

people who do their research and really want a specific fish, you can always special order it somewhere from a reputable person/shop. am i suffering waiting an extra week or two for something i dont have in the first place? i would rather wait for fresh healthy stock

[mistahoo]

I'm not saying they should carry them. What they stock is all on them. If they do stock l95 that would be amazing. They're such slow growers that by the time they're sold, they'll find a better home. Research before you buy and you won't be stuck with a 18" common pleco in a 55gal that can barely turn. Common plecos are in almost every store. Why? They're commonly sold to eat algae... You see them in 10gal tanks even on the box. It's sad. That's just one of many fish that are sold. Just shows that the store is only there for money and not the fish.

Also special order doesn't mean healthy fish. There's so much that can go wrong from point a to point b that could result in dead or dying fish.

Speaking with the logic of "fish suffering" in mind, we should all stop buying fish and imprisoning them in glass cages for the rest of their life. They were better off in the wild with a much larger body of water to live in.

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[morpheus]

haha touche on the last comment. and the common pleco is a very good example.

i know special order doesnt always equal healthy stock...thats why i specified reputable person/store. anything can happen in shipping, but some people are far better and dependable.

but i agree. many stores just turn profit. i said i could see both ends of the arguement. i am more on the side of research before you buy, but thats just my opinion. i wish they would carry more or less of certain things, but again that on them as you said. i also cant make a business hire people who know their stuff, so more of the onus falls on me (the buyer) to ensure i make a good investment to my tank.