LFS offer no support
 

brief history of my LFS/pet store experience

My girlfriend wanted a veil chameleon, so I finally snuck off to the pet
store one day and bought one for her with everything (cage, food, etc.). I
bring it home to an excited yet concerned woman. She tells me that
everything they instructed me to buy was wrong ...The cage was glass (not
mesh) and now he could see his reflection. It was also to short and didn't
provide for enough ventilation. The heating pad was wrong too. They need
to have a light and never a pad because they will walk on it and burn
themselves and also because they are never on the ground. I also didn't get
told about the special UV light I needed to prevent a calcium deficiency
disease. I went back and bought a UV bulb and a heat lamp along with some
other things. I also decided to build my own cage.

When I was starting off with African Cichlid's I went to the petco because I
didn't trust the LFS/Pet store that sold me the Chameleon. I was able to
get some advice from the kids working there, but again I was getting false
information and this time I knew it because I had been researching (this was
something I was into unlike last time it was my girlfriends thing). I ended
up getting a nice collection of Cichlids up and thriving, but it was hard
for me to figure out what most of them were. I spent many hours searching
the Internet looking for what type of Cichlids they were. I went to 4 other
stores only to get pushed in the wrong direction each time I also noticed
their tanks were so dirty and nasty that I would not want those fish, so I
always ended up coming back to that petco because they at least had
clean/healthy looking display tanks.

/brief history

Well now my problems with the LFSs are compounded. I am trying my hand at
marine tanks and I am on my own as far as they are concerned. I have been
back to the 'chameleon' store to be told to come back when Chris is working
(he is never working) or to PetLand where they only sell salt and skimmers,
no fish, no help. I went to a feed place on the west side that sell
sal****er fishes. They were rude and the tanks (which were a lot) looked
bad. The LR was 8 per lb! I made it back to Petco hoping to get some help
and I was directed to the "sal****er guy". I'm asking questions and making
my list of things I'm going to buy when I get to the question about LR and
he stops me there. He doesn't know anything about it??? My questions from
that point on went unanswered.

That is the point where I doubled my reading on the subject and started
reading every post in NGs like this. Thank you all for taking the time to
answer posts.

I think I'm going to search my butt off for a close by sal****er group or
club.. I'd love to get into reefing (after I move) but wouldn't mind have a
few tanks to look at in real life first.

I went to a feed place on the west side


West Side of what city?

~Mort

Rockford, IL


"Mort" wrote in message
om...
I went to a feed place on the west side


West Side of what city?

~Mort

"CheezWiz" wrote in message
...
If you like books,

Check out "Natural Reef Aquariums" by John Tullock...
I find that book very useful to newbies. Anytime I have friend interested,
I
loan them that book. They always get off in the right direction with
little
help and are successful...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/off...?condition=all

CW

I went to the bookstore the other day and ran across "The New Marine
Aquarium" by Michael S. Paletta. It was a good read and had many nice pics.
Gave a great 'over all' view of the hobby. Thanks for the info!

Rockford?.. Im down in DeKalb :D

Rockford, IL


Nice, I am in Chicago myself.

There is a club that meets usually every third Saturday in Schaumburg. Kind
of a cruise for you but there are a lot of decent reef LFSs in the area.

Here are a couple of links for you...

http://www.cmas.net/

http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumd...s=&forumid=180

One more link of interest?

http://www.masna.org/members.php

CheezWiz wrote:
If you like books,

Check out "Natural Reef Aquariums" by John Tullock...
I find that book very useful to newbies. Anytime I have friend interested, I
loan them that book. They always get off in the right direction with little
help and are successful...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/off...?condition=all


snip
Hey,

I am new to reef keeping as well(8 months now), and would have to
second the nomination for this book. I have learned just about
everything from this and my local fantastic LFS. My new starfish (Red
Linchia (sp?) )went in Friday and is still alive! :)

S.

--


-- GNU/Linux is user friendly... it's just picky about its friends.

"Mort" wrote in message
. com...
One more link of interest?


Thanks for the links!

Yeah, he is a good author..
I think this is his best book.

I actually know him, I am originally from Knoxville, TN where he started
Aquatic Specialists. His shop got me into reef keeping back in '89.. Super
nice guy who was always willing to share info..

CW


"Steve Schreiber" wrote in message
...
CheezWiz wrote:
If you like books,

Check out "Natural Reef Aquariums" by John Tullock...
I find that book very useful to newbies. Anytime I have friend
interested, I
loan them that book. They always get off in the right direction with
little
help and are successful...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/off...?condition=all


snip
Hey,

I am new to reef keeping as well(8 months now), and would have to
second the nomination for this book. I have learned just about
everything from this and my local fantastic LFS. My new starfish (Red
Linchia (sp?) )went in Friday and is still alive! :)

S.

--


-- GNU/Linux is user friendly... it's just picky about its friends.