# People really don't have a clue about goldfish!



## Bradley (Aug 26, 2009)

I was in a local shop today that sells quite a few things from furniture to garden things and also have a pet section. This shop actually has two tanks on display with fish from a local fish shop - one tropical and one coldwater.

I was down one aisle and down then next there was a family with a teenage girl and her mum and dad who were discussing getting goldfish. They went to the aisle with the tanks, picked up the smallest goldfish bowl, gravel and discussed how it would be fine for three of 'those goldfish with blobs on their heads'. 

The mum was saying that's all fine you don't need anything else just the fish now. The daughter then said what water they needed and the dad just said tap and she would know when they needed cleaning because the tank would start to smell!

All this time they had two 5 inch common goldfish on display in an ample sized tank. I think they was then off to a fish shop to get there three fish that would be fine in the small bowl. 

I think it is such a shame that people still think that they can just be put in bowls. People don't think they can get as big as they can because there are very few people who provide them with ample space so they can reach their maximum potential. i just hope that the shop they were going to buy the fish from questioned them beforehand on what the fish were going in! Well anyway rant over for now!:whistling2:


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## Moscowlynny (Jul 1, 2012)

Bradley said:


> I was in a local shop today that sells quite a few things from furniture to garden things and also have a pet section. This shop actually has two tanks on display with fish from a local fish shop - one tropical and one coldwater.
> 
> I was down one aisle and down then next there was a family with a teenage girl and her mum and dad who were discussing getting goldfish. They went to the aisle with the tanks, picked up the smallest goldfish bowl, gravel and discussed how it would be fine for three of 'those goldfish with blobs on their heads'.
> 
> ...


Get this all the time working in a fish shop. People buy 12ltr tanks or the small 15ltr Bi-Orb and then want to put 3 or 4 orandas in. When you explain that they can't, it's too small etc, you get the generic reply of "there's loads of room, the fish won't grow any bigger if they're in a small tank".


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## Spreebok (Jul 4, 2012)

One of the many reasons I stopped working in a generic pet shop. We had to sell people goldfish, even if we knew they were doomed for a bowl, hell, we even sold bowls. I felt such guilt every time I handed over the bag of 'Nemos', knowing they'd be dead within a few weeks


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## ChazzieJo (Jun 14, 2012)

I get the same response at the pet shop I work for. It's the same thing every shift, which is one the reasons I hate working within that department! It's always the same old story, mother comes in with her excited kids after buying them some cheap novelty 14L tank with the promise of them all being able to pick out a Goldfish each. Upon telling them the tank is too small, I get the usual look of distain whereby the educated mother tells me "but they're only <---> this big?"... after explaining how large goldfish can reach, "even in this tank?"... yes, love, unless you stunt the poor thing with your rubbish water, which you will considering you have no clue what ammonia/nitrate/nitrite and tap safe is, it will reach a hefty size. Grinds my gears.

I once had a middle aged gentlemen come in who had bought one of those rubbish BiOrb bowls, It was a 30L. I asked how many Goldfish he had in there already and he said three, I told him I wouldn't sell him anymore as the tank is already overstocked and he yelled at me saying "I've kept fish for years! I've had eight in there before!" and promptly left the store shouting he'd go elsewhere. Charming.


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## Ony (Oct 19, 2012)

If the RSPCA decided to change just one of those annoying guilt tripping puppy adverts for one that educated people a little about goldfish it would do so much good. I would actually start supporting them then XD.

"This goldfish has been swimming in its own waste so long that its got chemical burns. Its growth has been stunted by the small container, causing his internal organs to compress, eventually this will lead a very painful death. He can't scream or cry so his owners have no idea how much hes suffering. If you are worried about your goldfish please check our website for advice..."

Of course that would involve having a decent webpage and not having the fishy bits so deeply buried that you cant find them.


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## ChazzieJo (Jun 14, 2012)

Ony said:


> If the RSPCA decided to change just one of those annoying guilt tripping puppy adverts for one that educated people a little about goldfish it would do so much good. I would actually start supporting them then XD.
> 
> "This goldfish has been swimming in its own waste so long that its got chemical burns. Its growth has been stunted by the small container, causing his internal organs to compress, eventually this will lead a very painful death. He can't scream or cry so his owners have no idea how much hes suffering. If you are worried about your goldfish please check our website for advice..."
> 
> Of course that would involve having a decent webpage and not having the fishy bits so deeply buried that you cant find them.


I can't see it helping anyway. People don't care about fish, because they're not cute and cuddly, their welfare doesn't matter. Customers quite often shout their defence when told their environment isn't right with "it's just a fish?". I can't tell you how many run-ins I've had with customers over such trivial things.. I've had so many people come in that keep their Goldfish with tropical fish, they're idiots.


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## mrkeda (Nov 6, 2012)

The goldfish definatly has the :censor: end of deal in the pet trade. 

I blame the parents, buying kids goldfish or hamsters or any animal to teach them responsibility and all the crap. Mind you if you saw the farms these animals came from they're probably better off.


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## Ony (Oct 19, 2012)

ChazzieJo said:


> I can't see it helping anyway. People don't care about fish, because they're not cute and cuddly, their welfare doesn't matter. Customers quite often shout their defence when told their environment isn't right with "it's just a fish?". I can't tell you how many run-ins I've had with customers over such trivial things.. I've had so many people come in that keep their Goldfish with tropical fish, they're idiots.


Some people are idiots but many are just horribly misinformed and its tough to sort good advice from bad.


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## Moscowlynny (Jul 1, 2012)

ChazzieJo said:


> I once had a middle aged gentlemen come in who had bought one of those rubbish BiOrb bowls, It was a 30L. I asked how many Goldfish he had in there already and he said three, I told him I wouldn't sell him anymore as the tank is already overstocked and he yelled at me saying "I've kept fish for years! I've had eight in there before!" and promptly left the store shouting he'd go elsewhere. Charming.


Do you get the classic; "I've had fish since before you were born"?


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## ChazzieJo (Jun 14, 2012)

mrkeda said:


> The goldfish definatly has the :censor: end of deal in the pet trade.
> 
> I blame the parents, buying kids goldfish or hamsters or any animal to teach them responsibility and all the crap. Mind you if you saw the farms these animals came from they're probably better off.


I hate it when I'm selling an animal to somebody and they casually say "Oh, I only popped in for dog food, but (my little brat) wanted a hamster.. and well, I'm too soft!"... great, clearly a lot of thought has been put into this new addition. Nice to hear!



Moscowlynny said:


> Do you get the classic; "I've had fish since before you were born"?


Yep. I'm 21, soon to be 22, and they all refer to me as a "teenager" suggesting I know nothing. Haha. Off my own back I got a fish tank back when I was 16 and I did a little thing called research, which taking into consideration the amount of books distributed and internet forums, isn't difficult to do. I can't understand why people are too lazy to do it. I want to know EVERYTHING before I jump into buying an animal.


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## mrkeda (Nov 6, 2012)

ChazzieJo said:


> I hate it when I'm selling an animal to somebody and they casually say "Oh, I only popped in for dog food, but (my little brat) wanted a hamster.. and well, I'm too soft!"... great, clearly a lot of thought has been put into this new addition. Nice to hear!


Scum bag parents! Do you work for a big chain pet shop?


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## IceBloodExotics (Sep 17, 2012)

Think that's bad!
I was working one day when people came up behind me and asked for 4 of 'they' fish...
My instant thought was 'oh they must have a pond' but as I went on to question them further it works out they have a 12ltr bowl!!!! 'they fish' were 4 INCH KOI...

So I refused the sale, only for them to say...whatever! Were away to the other pet shop to get them...

:bash::bash::bash:


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## mstypical (Feb 16, 2011)

Guiltily, I don't put as much research into my goldfish as I have done my reptiles, ignorantly believing for a long time that you could just stick them in a bowl, job done. I've never actually done that though :lol2: I do make an effort with all my animals. Mine (just the one) is in the biggest Bi-Orb you can get (can't remember the actual size in litres), with some live plants (I don't know the name!) as the pet shop told me they stop the glass going green and benefit the fish in some way. My fish has been in my care for just over 5 years this month, looks a very vibrant colour (I've seen burns on Google, none of those!). The water was initially treated when I set the Orb up about a week before the fish went in, again I don't know what with I asked the woman in the shop and she gave them to me, and since then I change a small amount of water every few weeks. 

Willing to improve anything as I guess i'm doing at least one thing less-than-perfect : victory:


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## Cleopatra the Royal (Nov 29, 2008)

IceBloodExotics said:


> Think that's bad!
> I was working one day when people came up behind me and asked for 4 of 'they' fish...
> My instant thought was 'oh they must have a pond' but as I went on to question them further it works out they have a 12ltr bowl!!!! 'they fish' were 4 INCH KOI...
> 
> ...


This story sounds all too familiar. I had a family of customers who wanted something very similar, I talked to them about the necessary requirements for the 4 8" Koi they wanted (for a 100 gallon pond, with 8 already in it!) for a while. End of conversation. I go on lunch, come back to find my 'minimum requirement' information had suddenly been doubled and installed to their garden within 20 minutes. At least that was what the colleague was informed they had. Out the shop they were walking with *6* 8" Koi.

Sorry, rant over. Just needed to let off some of my steam from ignorant people.


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## Ony (Oct 19, 2012)

You can lead a horse to water...


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## Ieuan7 (Dec 19, 2012)

Yeah I hate it when goldfish are mis-treated, I love them :/

My Chinese Water Dragon is also very fond of them  (Evil laugh)

---

All jokes aside, PetsAtHome are generally good! You have to complete, a form and everything.

I own tropical (Silver Sharks, Plecs, Guppies etc) just basic stuff but beautiful none the less!


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## ChazzieJo (Jun 14, 2012)

mrkeda said:


> Scum bag parents! Do you work for a big chain pet shop?


I do indeed.



Ieuan7 said:


> Yeah I hate it when goldfish are mis-treated, I love them :/
> 
> My Chinese Water Dragon is also very fond of them  (Evil laugh)
> 
> ...


I have to say we have some really fish-savvy people at my store who give out genuinely good advice. The only thing I don't agree with is that we don't promote fishless cycling which I can't understand at all, but still, I can't imagine our customers going to those lengths to create a safe environment, they get annoyed just having to wait 3 days!
:devil:


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## Ony (Oct 19, 2012)

Why is the advice 3 days? Surely after leaving it overnight to get the temperature right and off gas there is nothing more to be gained unless you start a cycle.

Not having a dig, just curious.


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## Ieuan7 (Dec 19, 2012)

Yeah I wonder that also...

I know its to allow potentially harmfull chemicals to be removed or something.

But when I do 100% water changes with my fish they seem happy, as with the turtles.

I think it could depend on the area your in...Soft water/Hard Water that type of thing.

Perhaps certain areas have more chemicals in regular tap water.


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## Ony (Oct 19, 2012)

Its stressful for fish to face sudden changes in water PH, GH and temperature. Thats why its better to let water sit for 24 hours to off gas temporary PH buffers before a water change, why fish should be carefully acclimatised to a new tank and why 100% water changes are discouraged. 

Still doesnt explain why PAH advise a 3 day wait.


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## Moscowlynny (Jul 1, 2012)

To ensure all equipment is working correctly etc with it being a new set up....


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## Salzburg (Oct 17, 2011)

I absolutely love goldfish, and I work in a pet shop where we do sell goldfish and tropical fish (as well as small furries etc etc.). If anyone want to buy a fish from us they have to answer quite a few questions to make sure the fish are going to a suitable home. On average we refuse at least one person every day, and it's almost always goldfish. 
Same typical stuff, they have a tiny bowl (we don't stock filter-less fish bowls thank goodness!) and want four or five goldfish etc etc. They get mad when we refuse the sale, and they just go off to some other shop and probably lie about the tank size so they can get what they want. Such a shame as I don't want them to suffer


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## Ony (Oct 19, 2012)

There again theres a guy who just posted on PFK who was refused in two shops and then went online to find out why. Hes now on the straight and narrow so maybe some of your customers do the same.


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## Salzburg (Oct 17, 2011)

Ony said:


> There again theres a guy who just posted on PFK who was refused in two shops and then went online to find out why. Hes now on the straight and narrow so maybe some of your customers do the same.


I hope so. Some people do seem genuinely interested when I explain that they shouldn't be kept on bowls, actually need filtration, stunted growth and all that jazz, but more often then not people have a go at me for 'not knowing anything about fish' and storming out.


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## Spreebok (Jul 4, 2012)

Salzburg said:


> I hope so. Some people do seem genuinely interested when I explain that they shouldn't be kept on bowls, actually need filtration, stunted growth and all that jazz, but more often then not people have a go at me for 'not knowing anything about fish' and storming out.


Not to mention the good ol' chestnut of 'I had one in a bowl that lived for 'x' years!"
:banghead:


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## Devi (Jan 9, 2011)

Spreebok said:


> Not to mention the good ol' chestnut of 'I had one in a bowl that lived for 'x' years!"
> :banghead:


X quite often being a number below 5, not good!


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## Spot (Jun 15, 2011)

ChazzieJo said:


> I once had a middle aged gentlemen come in who had bought one of those rubbish BiOrb bowls, It was a 30L. I asked how many Goldfish he had in there already and he said three, I told him I wouldn't sell him anymore as the tank is already overstocked and he yelled at me saying "I've kept fish for years! I've had eight in there before!" and promptly left the store shouting he'd go elsewhere. Charming.


Of course the comeback to that is, "Where are the other 5 now then?"


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## ChazzieJo (Jun 14, 2012)

Spot said:


> Of course the comeback to that is, "Where are the other 5 now then?"


Thats what my manager always says :2thumb:

I had a guy wanting to buy six platys the other day for a 17L tank... beggers belief! One look at that tank and you can see it's too small! Surely it's all common sense?


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## stumpeh (Mar 11, 2008)

get this at least a few times a week at the shop i work in, and usually ends up in being bad mouthed by the customers and the usual you know nothing, i had a goldfish in a bowl for years and he never grew and was healthy" :whip:

had a funny one, had a customer come in for a unit/bulb; 

-idle chithcat-down to the bit"

other employee "oh ok, is it a jewel light unit you have then?

customer "no, single"

made me :lol2:


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## ChazzieJo (Jun 14, 2012)

Customers can be such pains in the backside! I try to give them the best advice possible, but once I start discussing water samples and ammonia, their eyes glaze over and they have no idea what I'm talking about!

I genuinely cringe whenever I overhear a parent say to their kid 'we'll just get this fish now and you can get that one once this dies, it wont be here for long so then you can have another', whenever I tell them they can only have so many. What an example to set and I hear that very often!

I had a lady come in with a bowl once wanting a fish, no filter, no idea about cycling. I told her we don't sell fish to 'tanks' without filters, and if she had any concern for the fishs welfare she'd look at getting a proper set up (she obviously wanted a goldfish).. why can't these people just do a google search? It's not difficult!


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## Ony (Oct 19, 2012)

I guess its because most people think of them more like a houseplant than a pet, with about the same level of care.


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## Salzburg (Oct 17, 2011)

Speak of the devil, I had a lovely gentleman swearing at me today and telling me I know absolutely nothing about fish because I refused to sell him a goldfish to go in a bowl. He then pointed to probably the smallest tank we sell and asked if he bought that today would I sell him a goldfish to go with it. I nicely tried to explain but he didn't really want to listen :lol2:


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## liam peel (Sep 26, 2011)

When I was doing my work expeirence when in school I did it at a pet shop, a guy came in and asked if there was any toys for goldfish, bit of a silly request but I like people like that, just becuase they are goldfish does not mean that you shouldn't try and make their lives fun.


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## Jibjab (Feb 5, 2012)

I also work in a pet shop, we are divided between reps and fish.
I get this every couple of hours while working people haveing a 15-20 litre tank or bowl and wanting 2 or more goldfsh. when i tell them i cant sel more than one goldfish for a tank that sze and only if it has a flter blahblah usual common sense. the responses are mad
' but i have 2 children , how can they _share _a fish?'
'but they have already decided on names for the 2 of them'
' looks sonny if you wern't meant to keep fish in a bowl _I_ would know about it'
i once had a customer call me a PETA supporting brat. i told him it was unfair on the fish to put a pair in a small tank. Luckily i reminded him i was a member of staff and insultng me would lead to being banned from the shop.
I really do think people dont realise fish are alive. When lookng at fish people only care about looks not care requirements.


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## Spot (Jun 15, 2011)

It's particularly galling that people should be so uninformed in this day and age with almost universal internet access and the relative ease of research.

When we were first thinking of getting a fish tank (rather more years ago than I care to admit!), the guy in the LFS nearly swallowed his tongue in shock when I asked him to recommend a book _before_ we'd bought anything else. He was so pleased he spent over an hour with me explaining the bacterial cycle, talking me through different equipment etc. and considered it time well spent despite the fact that I had no intention of walking out of his shop with more than a book or two.

I remember that back then it used to infuriate him that people would spend several hundred dollars on a set-up (this was in the US), followed by maybe a hundred dollars on fancy fish but wouldn't stump up $8.99 for a book to explain it all!

You'd think the ready access to information would have changed things since - sadly not.


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## mdoire (Feb 1, 2013)

Spot said:


> It's particularly galling that people should be so uninformed in this day and age with almost universal internet access and the relative ease of research.


Exactly! The other night, in My pet shame, a young mother of two bought them two turtles. Poor souls, they were adults and they were in a 30l.tank. She placed books under a corner of the tank to create a "dock" and it only had a little brownish water. Wee turtles did not have the space, so they were one over the other. She called to the show because she did not know why their shells were kind of pudrified... Honestly, it was unbelievable.


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