# Big Als question



## connor5848 (Jan 2, 2017)

Hey guys,
Kinda a dumb question here.
When buying fish from Big Als, can you/do you walk around with the fish guy and choose your individual fish?
Beginner here 

Also, would you recommend buying from BA or independent LFSs?

Thank you!


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## planter (Jun 9, 2008)

Yes you can pick out your fish but I don't tend to walk around with the employee. I look around myself and find what I want. When I'm ready I ask for help. 

Big als is a good place to buy fish in my opinion but buying from a breeder is better option if you can find one. Also check out finatics if your in the Mississauga area. It's one of my favorite places for fish. Their pricing is also fair.


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## infolific (Apr 10, 2016)

connor5848 said:


> When buying fish from Big Als, can you/do you walk around with the fish guy and choose your individual fish?


Most certainly for expensive fish. And typically for most others too, but I try to go when they're less busy. I won't do it for things like neon tetras or oto cats since they all look the same. Check out the fish in the bag before you leave the store too for obvious signs of illness if you didn't pick them.


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*picking fish*

totally I pick my fish ... I chk out tank for a bit and see if I am happy with whats in there ... then fill out the paperwork then just wait , and when he comes to tank I would pick the one I want ...


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## connor5848 (Jan 2, 2017)

Awesome, 
Thanks so much for the help guys.
Im glad I can choose the specific fish as I am quite picky


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## Fisheye (Jan 13, 2015)

Hi Connon5848,

Have you checked out Menagerie on Parliament? If you like nano's, shrimp and snails, then ShrimpFever is great-worth the trip to the north east part of the city.

What kind of fish are you looking to stock? (just curious)

+1 what Infolific said "Check out the fish in the bag before you leave the store too for obvious signs of illness if you didn't pick them". 

Have fun!

Jackie


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## connor5848 (Jan 2, 2017)

It's a 120 Gallon,
I was looking at a few varieties for a community tank with angels as the centerpiece 
But thanks for the info!


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## Jesurex (Oct 6, 2011)

please remember to do your homework before going. it's better to have an educational conversation with the fish room staff than an argumentative one.

happy fishing 😊

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## planter (Jun 9, 2008)

Jesurex said:


> please remember to do your homework before going. it's better to have an educational conversation with the fish room staff than an argumentative one.
> 
> happy fishing &#128522;
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk


Yeah that's important it's not fair to expect someone at the store to know everything about every species long term needs. I'm not saying that someone there doesn't know but they may not be in or working elsewhere. It's up to you to know how to care for the fish you intend to buy.


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## connor5848 (Jan 2, 2017)

Totally agreed guys.
Just wondering if I can choose specific fish haha.


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*picking fish*

try to not go while its super busy that way u wont have the fish room attendant rushing u thru u wanting to pick specific fish ...weekdays during the evening I find pretty good as long as u don't pick the shark feeding nite .
they are pretty good and it all depends on the fishroom guys or gals ...
cheers 
tom


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## SaltLife (Jan 19, 2017)

I have never filled out the form personally to have them get my fish i prefer to watch them and pick the ones i want

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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

I want to pick my stock personally, every time. So far, the staff at my local and other Big Al's have been quite accommodating. Most stores are, but then, I never shop at Petsmart for fish! I will say that I make a point of being as polite and friendly as possible to staff in stores because I know I'm picky and I don't want the staff to dread my appearances.

I usually try to pick a quieter time of day to shop for livestock, because I do expect to pick the fish I want and that can take a lot of extra time. 

Mississauga Al's is my closest store and by now some of their staff know me by name because I'm in there at least once a week. Too many of the cashiers know my VIP number by heart, which tells me I spend wayyyyy too much time and money there! 

At Al's, I just automatically follow the staff member to the tank. Those that know me know what I want. If they're new, I let them know what I'm looking for. I often have some pleasant conversation while picking proceeds and I have learned some useful things from an assortment of staff people this way.

Because I don't work and am rarely in a hurry, I think it's a bit unfair to other customers for me to use up a lot of the staff's time when the store is slammed. I have options that many do not about when I shop. If for some reason it can't be helped, then I'll tell them I'm happy to wait while they serve others who are in a hurry. 

I make it a practice to buy livestock in the best possible condition. I won't take one with a deformity, wound or blemish I can see - it takes some time to really look at them carefully. Before the bag is taken away to be closed up, I check every critter and if I see something I don't want, I speak up. Occasionally, you don't notice something that's a bit off until after a fish is in the bag. 

If there is any Ich visible, I will wait; either for new fish or until they are fully cleared of Ich. I don't blame the stores for Ich or other parasites either. Fish get them on the farms and stores rarely have any control over what happens on fish farms. The best they can do is treat the problems when they appear. One hopes that they won't sell the fish until they are successfully treated. Mississauga Big Al's, so far as I've seen, treats fish that show up with Ich and doesn't sell them until they're clean.

What would I do if I ran across some rare species I badly wanted and had been waiting a long time to find and then it turned out they had Ich? If they were otherwise ok and were not heavily infested, it's possible I might take a chance. If I did, I'd be hoping, very, very hard, that it was not a resistant strain of Ich and that the fish actually were in good health otherwise. In any event, I'm going to QT new livestock for at least 8 weeks, if not longer. It's sensible and can prevent many losses down the road.


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## canadianeh (Dec 26, 2016)

connor5848 said:


> Totally agreed guys.
> Just wondering if I can choose specific fish haha.


of course you can. I do it all the time with ALL of my fishes LOL
You are the customer anyway.


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## fishyfishy (Apr 21, 2011)

I also always pick out my fish at Big Als. I'll typically fill out the paper work and stay by the tank to keep an eye on the specimen that I want. When the staff come over I point it out and away we go


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