# I learned something new today!



## arktixan (Mar 30, 2010)

I was in Petsmart today... buying a Lady friend for my Male Betta, turns out the lady was telling me that Male Bettas when sent to pet stores they traditionally are finished with their breeding cycles , that's why breeders give em away :O...

boy something new everyday!


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## Guest (Jun 4, 2010)

arktixan said:


> I was in Petsmart today... buying a Lady friend for my Male Betta, turns out the lady was telling me that Male Bettas when sent to pet stores they traditionally are finished with their breeding cycles, that's why breeders give em away :O...
> 
> boy something new everyday!


and you believed that? How would she know that?

I bet the employee doesn't even have a clue from exactly which farm their Bettas originate.... ask her next time you are there.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

When you hear something like this, put it on the shelf with 'That fish isn't sick or dead it's just resting upside down at the surface".

Another moron at another chain store. They're less than a dime a dozen.


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## arktixan (Mar 30, 2010)

heh yea.. I kinda thought it was odd, considered I have bred Bettas before, never successful unfort. one point I had well over 50 eggs... all hatched... then a massive heat wave hit my A/C at home broke down an fried em all...

I just thought it was funny, figured I'd post. 

I should have added the sarcasm icon... heh.

Though she could be right... I just read this on a betta forum 
"Many bettas sold in pet stores (usually just the males, but sometimes the females too) are either past or at their breeding prime. After the age of about one year, the risk of deformities and/or weak fry increases. How long have you had the bettas you want to breed? If they were 6-12 months of age (like most males are in pet stores) when you first got them, how old are they now?"


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## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

Was this the PetSmart at Heartland? If so, which employee was it?


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## Guest (Jun 4, 2010)

One of the best ever "pet staff" lines that I've heard was at the Walmart pet department in Parry Sound a few summers past (before they took out the livestock) when the guy catching the fish told a customer... "albino oscars are just regular oscars fed only white goldfish"


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## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

h_s said:


> One of the best ever "pet staff" lines that I've heard was at the Walmart pet department in Parry Sound a few summers past (before they took out the livestock) when the guy catching the fish told a customer... "albino oscars are just regular oscars fed only white goldfish"


The best line I've heard is the guy at Big Al's telling me to dose my shrimp breeding tank with copper to kill a damselfly nymph, which he has said himself that he never heard of.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

That one's fantastic. I heard "Anything south american can go with anything else south american. Anything african can go with anything else african" from a petshop staff member.

*The best line I've heard is the guy at Big Al's telling me to dose my shrimp breeding tank with copper to kill a damselfly nymph, which he has said himself that he never heard of.*

I don't understand how spectacularly retarded people like that keep jobs at pet stores.


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## arktixan (Mar 30, 2010)

Joeee said:


> Was this the PetSmart at Heartland? If so, which employee was it?


Actually it was Heartland, usually I goto the one Dundas/Ridgeway(closer to me) but I was near Heartland due to being in streetsville buying an amazing shawarma.
I cannot remember her name at all... I believe she had reddish hair, and glasses... she was talking to me as I was staring at empty 2.5g tanks, I really wasnt paying attention to her tbh, just kinda nodding, and agreeing because I knew what I was looking for.


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## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

arktixan said:


> Actually it was Heartland, usually I goto the one Dundas/Ridgeway(closer to me) but I was near Heartland due to being in streetsville buying an amazing shawarma.
> I cannot remember her name at all... I believe she had reddish hair, and glasses... she was talking to me as I was staring at empty 2.5g tanks, I really wasnt paying attention to her tbh, just kinda nodding, and agreeing because I knew what I was looking for.


I know who she is, her name is Maddison. XD 
She told me that you might be able to buy lotus plants at Canadian Tire.

Out of all the people there, Drayl has the most experience, he usually works on Fridays and weekends. He buys Bettas from Wal-Mart's supplier.



AquariAM said:


> *The best line I've heard is the guy at Big Al's telling me to dose my shrimp breeding tank with copper to kill a damselfly nymph, which he has said himself that he never heard of.*
> 
> I don't understand how spectacularly retarded people like that keep jobs at pet stores.


I think he guy's name was Eddy, scary thing is that he handles the orders.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

I have also heard the Betta's are sometimes too old but that was from a person that breeds bettas. I thought it might hold true after seeing how small a 3 month old male was that I bought and it took me 6 months about to get him to the size you see in LFS.I bought him at the Octoberfish Auction last year and he is building bubble nest ever day.


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## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

I'm very curious as to where I can get younger Bettas, half-moon or dragonscales.


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## arktixan (Mar 30, 2010)

Joeee said:


> I'm very curious as to where I can get younger Bettas, half-moon or dragonscales.


whole hearty agree, most likely from a breeder. I doubt any LFS would have any.

Thats cool you know that employee  she was very nice indeed.. When she mentioned that to me... I was kinda puzzled, at first I believed her, then I didn't thats why I kind brushed her off. Due to me being successful in breeding a pair from a petstore. But then I just googled it just incase she was right, and she was!


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Joeee said:


> I'm very curious as to where I can get younger Bettas, half-moon or dragonscales.


There used to be someone who bred hundreds of nice quality bettas in their basement at Woodbine and Gerrard but they disappeared. There are breeders though in Ontario. Just less conveniently located. The locally bred bettas bought young are noticeably more spunky and interactive.


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## PACMAN (Mar 4, 2010)

h_s said:


> One of the best ever "pet staff" lines that I've heard was at the Walmart pet department in Parry Sound a few summers past (before they took out the livestock) when the guy catching the fish told a customer... "albino oscars are just regular oscars fed only white goldfish"


LMAO this one takes the cake!


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

AquariAM said:


> I don't understand how spectacularly retarded people like that keep jobs at pet stores.


Easy. Work for a similarly (un)knowledgeable/(un)skilled/(un)caring boss or manager.


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## Philip.Chan.92 (Apr 25, 2010)

Big Al's is sometimes really dumb in the way they do things. They were selling neon tetras on special for 3 for 1.99 but apparently only the neons from one tank, the other ones remained the original price. They are exactly the same fish and then they said that they are from different shipments and suppliers, but that shouldn't mean that each batch they get are to be sold at a different price. I don't understand what their manager was thinking, ive been to different LFS and they don't seperate their different batches of different shipments, a neon tetra from one supplier won't be too different from that of another...franchises, they sometimes think if someone has a goldfish in a tank that they are qualified to work there.


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

Philip.Chan.92 said:


> Big Al's is sometimes really dumb in the way they do things. They were selling neon tetras on special for 3 for 1.99 but apparently only the neons from one tank, the other ones remained the original price. They are exactly the same fish and then they said that they are from different shipments and suppliers, but that shouldn't mean that each batch they get are to be sold at a different price. I don't understand what their manager was thinking, ive been to different LFS and they don't seperate their different batches of different shipments, a neon tetra from one supplier won't be too different from that of another...franchises, they sometimes think if someone has a goldfish in a tank that they are qualified to work there.


I think they only sell one tank at the special price as a draw to bring people into the store. I agree they should have all of them for the same price but they can do what ever they want it's their store and policy and if you don't like it you can shop some where else.The deal about working their is I figure they don't tend to pay very well so like anything you get what you pay for


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## Joeee (Apr 3, 2010)

Philip.Chan.92 said:


> Big Al's is sometimes really dumb in the way they do things. They were selling neon tetras on special for 3 for 1.99 but apparently only the neons from one tank, the other ones remained the original price. They are exactly the same fish and then they said that they are from different shipments and suppliers, but that shouldn't mean that each batch they get are to be sold at a different price. I don't understand what their manager was thinking, ive been to different LFS and they don't seperate their different batches of different shipments, a neon tetra from one supplier won't be too different from that of another...franchises, they sometimes think if someone has a goldfish in a tank that they are qualified to work there.


Isn't that double ticketing?


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

There are people who don't even have goldfish in tanks that work there. I once saw the girl at the counter at BA's tell a guy to use CLOUT to get rid of ich on discus. He was keeping them at 80 (moron). I told him all he had to do was keep them at the proper temperature and ich would be impossible.


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## Philip.Chan.92 (Apr 25, 2010)

Joeee said:


> Isn't that double ticketing?


It's borderline Bait and Switch

Bait and Switch:

A popular approach to deceptive advertising, the bait and switch routine entails luring customers in on the pretense of a special price but not having the item available. Chances are most often there was only small quantities of the specially priced item and companies skate around the issue by claiming there was items in stock.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Philip.Chan.92 said:


> It's borderline Bait and Switch
> 
> Bait and Switch:
> 
> A popular approach to deceptive advertising, the bait and switch routine entails luring customers in on the pretense of a special price but not having the item available. Chances are most often there was only small quantities of the specially priced item and companies skate around the issue by claiming there was items in stock.


Its bait and switch all the way! If they run out of the 'special price' neons it's outright false advertising.


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