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very memorable pet store experience >.<

lilcherna — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 21:00:21 GMT

ooohhhmyyygooodness. this is going to be long, just as a warning...
So, yesterday, I went to petsupermarket to pick up some fish food and some cories "if they were still there." They were. and, as I was patiently waiting for some service, there was a man and his daughter asking what to feed their "Siamese fighting fish." I kind of sensed there would be some trouble just based on that question and the synonym he used for betta. So I eavesdropped, as always lol. The employee, kudos for her honesty, told the man that she wasnt really sure, she was new, it wasnt her department, etc, i'll go find someone who can help you. She also told the man that people sometimes feed them goldfish flakes. ...what? the first thing that popped into my mind was that goldfish were pretty herbi/omnivorous whereas bettas are pretty carnivorous. when she left to get someone, I turned around and told the man that there is food specially made for bettas and he held up a package and said his fish wasnt eating them, to which i recommended dried bloodworms saying that they shouldnt be used as a complete diet though. then he asked if more could be kept together, i said its not a good idea, def. dont keep two males together, "how can you tell?", "well..." and went off talking about betta compatibility. he asked me if i worked there x) and then said i should. then told the poor employee about all my help and how i should work there >.< that was kind of the start of the oohhhhmyyygoodnesss-ness. then i needed my fish... i probaby should have come back when a new girl was not working. cory cats. theyre speedy little guys. first problem, she wasnt sure what i wanted. i didnt really want to complicate things by saying "those false-bandit cories" 1, they were labeled "assrtd. cories" and 2, i didnt really think that would do any good anyways. so i said, those three catfish. the only three fish that could possibly resemble a catfish in the whole tank of black mollies. ...she nets me a pleco. thanks, but no thanks. so i point out the fish again. so, when she finally knows what shes going after, it isnt long until every sword plant along the back of the tank is unrooted and floating. so she takes those out of the tank. im was also a little baffled about how much gravel she was netting. then the thing that shocked me was, when she finally had a fish flopping above the gravel in the net, even when the fish was already in the little container she still poured in all the gravel! i was just......idontevenknow. then i suggested she used two nets and she did. well, that only meant twice as much gravel. but she reassured me that she would take out the gravel. thanks, i feel so much better now -_- ... so it took about 15 mins until there was about 3 inches of gravel, 3 cories, and 3 black molly fry in the container. ya know... i used to ask if i could get some of the fry sometimes and they would say, well if it ends up in the bag, its yours. i never thought that was possible.... now i know... Luckily and surprisingly, my cories are doing very well along with the 3 new fry (just what i need >.< theyre in my 29 gallon for now. but, i have never seen such a struggle to net fish! it was memorable, indeed. Unfortunately, however, it did change my whole perspective of that store. because, even the lady at the register was new and she had trouble too. i mean, its understandable. but, dont they go through training?? i think bagging fish properly and efficiently should be part of that training and not restricted to the fish department person, especially if youre going to send the new kid over there to fill in because no one is working in that area at the moment.
sorry its a little long. i know no one else would get it, so i had to tell you guys x)
feel free to share any of your pet store experiences, good or bad

Brine shrimp hatchery dish

ninkasi27 — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 07:56:16 GMT

I recently purchased a brine shrimp hatchery dish from brineshrimpdirect.com and am so thoroughly impressed by it that I had to post something here. This thing is amazing. No airation necessary, no heat necessary and no added light necessary. Best of all, no bubbling mason jars on your kitchen counter necessary!!!. All you have to do is fill the dish with salt water (chlorine removed and PH raised, if necessary) and add eggs. THAT'S IT!!! In less than 24 hours, I had tons of baby brine to feed to my hungry fry. It's clean and best of all discrete. I keep mine right in my kitchen and no one even notices it. I've also found that it's not necessary to completely discard the water before starting the next cycle. I'm currently on my 4th cycle with the same treated water. I simply suck out any shell casings and crud that has accumulated and top the water off before adding more eggs. In addition, this is not the first time I've made purchases from brine shrimp direct. They carry flake, frozen, pastes, nutritional additives, pellets, brine shrimp eggs of varying hatch rates, rotifers and lots of equipment. Their customer service is exceptional and shipping is fast. They are a wonderful resource for fish people and deserve to be supported. Give them a try. You won't be disappointed!

my experience of REALLY bad service

DaisyMay — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 08:25:45 GMT

So yesterday I walked into Petsmart to go buy some new fish. I was amazed at how many fish they had there. All of the fish looked healthy...but not happy. Anyways, when the lady was bagging my fish (she bagged 5 fish in one bag with very little water, 1 gold gourami, and 4 flame tetras) she just kept spinning the bag to put the rubber band on! She also held the fish out of the water for a good amount of time. That part always happens and it bothers me...then I went to the checkout. OH BOY now this made me SOOOOO mad! The lady who wrote the numbers on the bag for the checkout people had the wrong numbers written down. So then the checkout person walked to the back of the store with my fish...she just swung the poor fish's bag with the movement of her arms. Gosh, the fish were all having mini heart attacks it seems. When she finally got back with my fish they were all so pale! Then when I got home I acclimated them and put them into my tank. One of the fish I bought was dead. I am soooo not happy with the service. NOT going back there again! The Petco around where I live is not good either...that's a whole other story...

"Crazy Lady"

trumpet103 — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:31:51 GMT

So at the pets store i usually go to, theres this one employee i always avoid but they are ALWAYS there. She always manages to make sure she thuroughly tames the fish by smashing it in every way she can. and best of all, when she has the fish in the container, she is sure to drain it slowly into the bag so the fish can stick onto the side of the container. Conveniently, she has really long finger nails that she can scrape the fish into the bag with If i want a more delicate fish, i make sure i come back later when i see her. She also questions my tank everytime and insists on knowing what the tank mates are. I needed a single black widow tetra, and because it was a schooling fish, she refused to get it in the container because it will "languish and die" (ha you showed me woman). So i lied and said it was for my oscar to eat. I like to have my fun with her.

And at this one pet store that opened up the street, a new employee offered me their job because they had no clue how to get a plant out of the tank. it was potted and she asked me if i wanted to get it out. well she marked it wrong anyway, so i got the by one get one deal and got myself an additional 7 dollar plant for 3 dollars. I like newbees. I am pretty sure she quit after i asked to get my water tested because i had to walk her through it and i haven't seen her in their since.

AquaticLife Fixture - Missing 4 Frame Mounts?

johnlandon009 — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:23:08 GMT

I finally received my 36" AquaticLife Dual T5HO Fixture in the mail.

But it looks like I am missing the 4 frame mounts. The packaging states it is included.

I repacked the fixture in the box and it has a very snugg fit. No room for any additional parts.

Am I overlooking something here? Are the frame mounts inside the fixture?

Hikari Brine Shrimp

DebbieSwagger — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 07:31:28 GMT

I had picked it up to try it out, and my fish go crazy for it.

Filters

JohnandJen — Tue, 11 May 2010 19:05:22 GMT

I am looking to replace my filters in my 55 gallon and my 37 gallon with something better. Right now I just have the filters that hang on the back of the aquarium and sit inside the tank. Dont get me wrong, they work fine, but I am interested in the cannister filters. I know there are different ones with different prices, but is there one that is better than others? What do yaw'll think?

Sarge

DO NOT BUY FROM AQUATRADERS!! Aquatraders review

Tullstone — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:53:59 GMT

The company is horrible. Their staff is also very rude and demeaning.

I bought a light fixture from them and they did not tell me that they failed to process my credit card for 2 WEEKS!! When I called, they yelled at me and hung up on me without ever offering to help with the situation. Then I asked for a refund and they refused to answer my emails or calls for over a week until I had to report them to my bank!

Trust me, buy from some where else!!

Heater Controllers

Rebel1970 — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 14:54:54 GMT

OK What is a good controller? I have heard that JBL is a good one, but what do I know? Any thoughts?

marineland heater recall service

princessotfu — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 09:05:45 GMT

I know it's not really a product per se,

But I did want to give a hearty thumbs-up to Marineland for their swift and pleasant service with the heater recall.
My lab had 4 of the recalled heaters (we use almost exclusively marineland products), and when I called they were very helpful. The box came within a week, and when it was opened, we found 6 replacement heaters instead of the 4 we sent them!

A note for anyone else that has them: If you have the Stealth Pro heaters, I recommend you send them pack as soon as possible. This seems to be the line they are most particularly worried about and the majority of the heater incidents have been with these particular ones.

They also send you the new Visi-therm heaters to replace the old Stealth heaters, I can say I like them a lot better anyway.

aquaclear 30

bettacrazy — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:59:17 GMT

the aquaclear 30 is by far the best filter I have ever owned. it keeps the water crystal clear, and I never see debris floating around in the tank. I would highly recommend this filter to anybody with a 20 or 30 gallon aqaurium! this is relativly cheap for a filter in my experience.

Petco Stories

cscBiology — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:46:44 GMT

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to say that the Petco in my town is AWESOME! awhile back they barely had any display tanks or coral or live rock or even a very good selection of saltwater fish but that has all changed.

Now the PEtco by me has a huge reef display a fantastic frag tank and are in the middle of setting up a 72G as a plant only tank! There selection of corals is amazing (sure the price is a bit high) but along with all the changes they made the selection of fish has greatly imporoved.

Plus the man that takes care of all the saltwater does a great job and knows what he is doing. There is another associate there that is never around and always makes me feel like he is looking down on me but I try to not go when he is there. There was a third employee awile ago that has come back who also knows his stuff when it comes to the biology behind it and there was another female associate that was also really good but has since been promoted to a lead.

Is there anyone else that has a Petco by them that they feel has been increasing in thier stock and knowledge of aquatics lately?? Or do you have a story that is not so positive??

I wanna hear them all!

Fluval Edge Review

CravingBlue — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 07:21:42 GMT

I purchased one of these about a week ago. The glass seams are incredibly clean, which makes it look really elegant and high end. The base and everything looks good even though it's made of plastic. The filter does an adequate job but you definately won't be able to skimp on water changes if you keep any fish that isn't super clean. The lights look very pretty when they're turned on but a tank thermometer is a must! My lights were on for just a few hours and heated my water to above 80 degrees. There is no way these should be left on for any length of time. You can actually slide the tank right out of the base, so this is not a good idea if you have children. It could easily crash with just a small nudge if you accidentally bump it. I have yet to see how I'm going to get a syphon started given the small opening at the top, but once it's going it should be fairly easy to clean. Overall, this is a beautiful tank for adults.

Aquarium Heaters

Rebel1970 — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 18:20:51 GMT

Anone got the straight skinny on a good heater? All I read, it sounds like a crap shoot. I don't mind paying for a good heater if it is worth it, but I hate paying good money for a $3.00 heater that lasts 3 weeks.
Any suggestions will be highly appreciated. I am setting up a 75 gallon fresh water community tank.
Thanks in advance

ZooMed Betta Therm- Betta Bowl Heater - 7.5w

Faraday — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 13:08:41 GMT

Has anyone used a ZooMed Betta Therm- Betta Bowl Heater - 7.5w?
results?

Rena XP4 Reviews

Flowerhorn45 — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:57:00 GMT

Has anyone used Rena's XP4 canister filters? I bought one and about to use it when my new aquarium is delivered, but the reviews that I have seen on the internet are all bad? Did I make the wrong choice in buying an XP4 filter for a freshwater aquarium (150 gallon - S. American cichlids)? Thanks.

Microbe Lift

bmalit — Wed, 04 May 2011 16:23:18 GMT

Has anyone ever heard of the products Microbe-Lift: Nite-Out II and Microbe-Lift: Special Blend? Apparently it cycles tanks in a week or so. I'm wondering if anyone else has used this product. There's an ad of it right here in last year's Aquarium USA magazine (which I love so much ) and apparently, you add in the fish and the plants first, then you add in the products, and you convert all this ammonia into nitrites, nitrates, and then nitrogen gas. Anyone know if this product works?

EcoBio-Block

Cgoldies123 — Tue, 03 May 2011 05:18:04 GMT

i just noticed these advertised on the main fishchannel.com page, and i've been looking at the website for them, they are really interesting. i was just wondering if anyone on here has actually tried them?

here is the website address for anyone wondering what they are http://www.onedersave.com/

Fluval U Series

Starrfish — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 06:09:57 GMT

The Filter in My 20G Freshwater Aquarium is getting old and will soon need replacing. I was looking at replacing it with one of the Fluval U series, and underwater filter. In particular the U2, which is meant for 15-30Gs. Has anyone had experience with this particular filter? Or do you recommend something else? i have a Fluval heater and am quite pleased with it.

Now my aquarium has a few requirements, one being its a planted tank with fish. second do to the design of the tank and stand i have less than an inch between the wall and the back of the tank, just enough for wires. now the architecture of my tank and stand can't move or change so the filter has to be internal and fit in the tank

Thanks for your opinions

fish pet store.

mikey63 — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 18:20:12 GMT

I went to my nearest pet store(pet-smart) & there fish Dept. was rather small,plant were in bad shape. But, they had a sale on White-clouds & neon-Tetras... Got 4 of each, In a week 2 of each died! Should I find another store?
My 1st. test. What do you think?
Nitrate-NO3 -- 15
Nitrite-NO2-- 3.0
Hardness-- 75
Chlorine-- 0
Alkalinity-- 80
Ph.-- 7.2

CaribSea Instant Aquarium Torpedo Beach Gravel

mikey63 — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 11:31:27 GMT

CaribSea Instant Aquarium Torpedo Beach Gravel

Q; Is this a laterite substitute,& can I mix it with my gravel?

Vita-chem

goldie81 — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 14:28:55 GMT

I just recently purchased vita-chem and I was wondering if anyone has ever used it and if so what were the results of the use.

I bought it as a supplement for my fish but don't know if it's worth opening or I should just return it back.

Thanks everyone!

Seachem Prime question

Robd — Sat, 15 May 2010 08:38:44 GMT

I was using Tetra Safe Start but went to a lfs that didn't have it. The owner sold me Seachem Prime instead said it is a better buy. Im sure its good stuff, my concern is that it does not mention neutralizing heavy metals as does Safe Start. I know i some times have a red tint to my water I think its iron. Should I use something for metals?

safestart instead of cycling

white cloud — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 10:00:59 GMT

have read that safestart is an alternative to using fish to cycle tank anybody got some ideas about that

Fish reviews!

plecodiscus — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:08:27 GMT

Post reviews!

include temperament, max size, preferred pH range, temperature range, diet, special needs (if any),and any comments/why you like or dislike the fish.

eclipse 12g replacement bulbs?

pufferfan — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 17:25:59 GMT

After wondering for the longest time why every plant I put in my 12 eclipse tank has died(even java moss), I looked at the bulb and it said it was only 13 watts. I had always just assumed it was approximately 2 watts per gallon like the other eclipse tanks I have owned, but it isn't. Does anyone know where I can get a 24w or higher fluorescent bulb that is 6 inches? (kind of pathetic only 1/3 of the hood's length is devoted to the light fixture.)

Thanks.

Top Fin Aquariums

jsmith11618 — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 14:28:14 GMT

I bought a 29 gallon Top Fin aquarium a few months back from Petsmart. Top Fin is their in house brand.

The aquarium is of equal quality to the name brand aquariums out there, and is apparently made by one of the well known companies and just re-branded for Petsmart.

I bought it for 2 reasons, 1 it was cheaper then Hagen 29 gallon, and 2 it comes with a lifetime warranty where the Hagen only had a 90 day warranty.

gravel quality

Sam fish — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:08:03 GMT

in my tank i have red gravel and i have had it up since x-mas of 09 and now the some of the gravel has the red off before i would use gravel from walmart and it did that but i am using a more hi quality and it still dose it

Eheim

cooltow1 — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:00:57 GMT

Weigh in on Eheim ECCO vs Classic,Your options please. I have come to the point were I have to replace a couple of filters. I have used Eheim Classic in the past.

Rick

Rapids Mini Canister Filter

ninkasi27 — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 11:09:48 GMT

I purchased a Rapids Mini Canister Filter from Dr.s Foster and Smith (no plug intended). It was only $25, so thought it was worth a try. I put it on my 10 gallon half moon containing cardinals and harlequin rasboras . It can stand freely or hang from the back of the tank. I chose to hang it. Right from the start I was impressed by how quiet it is. It is virtually silent. The only sound comes from the water exiting the spray bar into the tank. Because it uses a spray bar, the water coming into the tank is evenly distributed instead of gushing in like a waterfall; a great feature for use with small fish. It comes with filter media including ceramic rings for biological filtration. The rings and other media each have their own compartment making cleaning super easy. No brand specific refill cartridges are necessary. You can fill it with whatever you want. I have since purchased a second one for 10 gallon planted tank. Every small tank I set up in the future will have one of these. I cannot recommend this filter enough! (PS-Big Al's Online sells it for $21.99!)

EcoBio-Block

lilcherna — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 17:48:39 GMT

fromt he website: "EcoBio-Block is a Block (or Rock or Pebbles) made of porous volcanic rock, cement, beneficial bacteria and nutrients that are released regularly upon immersion in water. The beneficial bacteria changes the ammonia from fish waste, left over feed etc. into nitrites and then into safer nitrates, thus clarifying aquarium water, and creating a healthy eco system. It was originally developed as a natural cleanup system for pesticides, fertilizers, waste water, household waste water and industrial waste water in the environment."

heres the how it works page: http://www.onedersave.com/how-it-works.htm

it seems like it may work and ive read reviews that it does but i just want to see if anyone actually has this product.

i was thinking of putting them in my ponds, theyre small the biggest being no more than 100 gallons i'd say but im not positive.

A question on heating cable for the aquarium

leobayr — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 11:48:29 GMT

Mr. David Lass I would like to read your opinion on this, because you are a wholesaler and deal with these matters all day long.
This is the only way I know how to ask you and anyone else for that matter a question. I have been reading a book on planted aquariums and came across heating cable for the substrate. Have you ever heard of, used this product. If so what did you think of it. It says it is better than the submersible and mat style and also cheaper in the long run uses less power to maintain temp and also won't electrocute you if it breaks or tears open due to the low voltage required. Again what do you and any one else think about this product.

question

DaisyMay — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:31:51 GMT

I was wondering where I could find a buddha aquarium ornament. Is there a store or website I could find one? please help

lighting requirement

shannonsmom — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 09:53:55 GMT

Does anyone know if on a 55 gal tank you should use 2 24 " hid/t-5 fixtures or would 1 48" fixture work better. Wonder if with 48" fixture the middle brace would create a problem.

Fluval FX5 would you recommend this filter?

Puffycombs — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:40:13 GMT

I have 120 gal. tank I am getting ready to set-up. Do anyone have this filter, is it to big for my setup, also if its not is their a way you can control the flow? and would you recommend this filter?

Filter Media

BBradbury — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 09:38:28 GMT

Am a real fan of the "KISS" approach to fishkeeping and am always on the lookout for easier and less expensive ways to do tank work, without sacrificing quality upkeep for my plants and fish. Anyway, HBH, a company from Springville, UT has something I haven't seen before and thought I'd pass it on to anyone interested. This company makes phosphate, carbon and ammonia filter pads that replace the bags many of us have been using. The pads are cut-to-fit and I have started putting them in my Aqua Clear power filters. I have a 30 Gallon gallon tank with quite a few plants in it and just a few fish I use as a "test tank" for new products. I'm familiar with the standard ammonia and carbon media bags, but the phosphate filter pad is new to me. The product seems a little more convenient than the bags and the cost is about the same or less. My plan is to replace the filters every two weeks or every two water changes, per the directions.

Has anyone used these pads and how did they work?

BBradbury

Recommended heaters/thermos?

lonewolf — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:05:56 GMT

While setting up my 120g-er, I had concentrated so much on looking for the ideal filter that I forgot about the heater and thermonitors. When I went to the LFS, she recommended the Theo brand for heaters and instead of using one 400watt heater (which was the product's recommendation) she suggested using 2 x 200watt heaters so in case one failed, the other would still be running and lessen the shock to the fish.

You guys have any other suggestions/recommendations for types of heaters and setups?

Marineland Canister Filter

Hedgehog82291 — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 19:57:39 GMT

We are thinking of purchasing a canister filter. We are thinking of purchasing a Marineland Magnum 350 Canister Filter. We have a 37 gallon and this particular filter is for up to 100 gallons and filters 350 gph. Does anyone have any reviews or comments about this filter, or any suggestions?!? Thanks for the help!

Garlic Xtreme

Flowerhorn45 — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 17:47:09 GMT

Just want to hear if anyone has used Garlic Xtreme and validate its effectiveness. I was told that it is useful to fight off parasites, bacteria, and fungus. It will also entice fish to eat, when they are not currently eating...thanks.

Eco Aqualizer

Flowerhorn45 — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:29:56 GMT

I recently read an article from the internet on Eco Aqualizer. It is a gadget that you connect to the outlet tubing from your canister and uses ionic bond technology to make your aquarium water clear and free of diseases. If anyone had used it before, can you tell me what you think of it???