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Posted by Duncan on April 3, 2006, 9:08 pm
Please log in for more thread options I returning to fish-keeping after a break of 3 years, but before that had
several aquaria and tried various filter methods over the years. I used to
get totally fed up with trailing cables, heaters coming un-suckered,
wobbling and detaching uplift tubes, pipes to and from external canisters
etc so I decided to get an all-in-one tank with all the machinery in a box
in the corner. The local aquarium shopkeeper's reply when I asked about
these systems was that he would of course sell me anything I wanted, but
what I really wanted was his cobbled-together package of bits as nothing but
undergravel filtration actually works, and no other method is able to
convert nitrite to nitrate. When I pointed out to him that I kept a tank
going for 3 years without losing a single fish and with plants growing out
of the top, with external filtration, he replied that my fish had been
living "on the edge" (but I didn't think cardinal tetras could survive "on
the edge"), and that "you'll only get nitrites converted to nitrates with an
undergravel filter". My last tank hardly ever had any detectable nitrites
and was obviously making nitrate somewhere, but he practically called me a
liar when I told him this.
Are there many like this one? Rudeness is not the way to persuade customers
to spend their hard-earned cash (rather a lot of cash, as it happened,
although he wasn't to know that as he never saw a penny of it), particularly
when another aquarium shop has opened 200 yards away, run by a very helpful
man and trading very well.
Duncan
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Posted by NetMax on April 3, 2006, 9:24 pm
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>I returning to fish-keeping after a break of 3 years, but before that
>had
> several aquaria and tried various filter methods over the years. I used
> to
> get totally fed up with trailing cables, heaters coming un-suckered,
> wobbling and detaching uplift tubes, pipes to and from external
> canisters
> etc so I decided to get an all-in-one tank with all the machinery in a
> box
> in the corner. The local aquarium shopkeeper's reply when I asked about
> these systems was that he would of course sell me anything I wanted,
> but
> what I really wanted was his cobbled-together package of bits as
> nothing but
> undergravel filtration actually works, and no other method is able to
> convert nitrite to nitrate. When I pointed out to him that I kept a
> tank
> going for 3 years without losing a single fish and with plants growing
> out
> of the top, with external filtration, he replied that my fish had been
> living "on the edge" (but I didn't think cardinal tetras could survive
> "on
> the edge"), and that "you'll only get nitrites converted to nitrates
> with an
> undergravel filter". My last tank hardly ever had any detectable
> nitrites
> and was obviously making nitrate somewhere, but he practically called
> me a
> liar when I told him this.
>
> Are there many like this one? Rudeness is not the way to persuade
> customers
> to spend their hard-earned cash (rather a lot of cash, as it happened,
> although he wasn't to know that as he never saw a penny of it),
> particularly
> when another aquarium shop has opened 200 yards away, run by a very
> helpful
> man and trading very well.
>
> Duncan
I would not call him rude. Ignorant, dishonest and maybe desperate might
be more appropriate words. Obviously all filter systems convert NH3/4 to
NO2 and to NO3, though at different rates of efficiencies - and UGFs have
a lot of characteristics stacked against them when compared to alternate
systems.
--
www.NetMax.tk
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Posted by 2pods on April 4, 2006, 5:17 am
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>> Are there many like this one? Rudeness is not the way to persuade
>> customers
>> to spend their hard-earned cash (rather a lot of cash, as it happened,
>> although he wasn't to know that as he never saw a penny of it),
>> particularly
>> when another aquarium shop has opened 200 yards away, run by a very
>> helpful
>> man and trading very well.
>>
>> Duncan
For rude you want one of our local shops (well, they're both bad, but
still..).
One of the chain names (NOT Maidenhead, think Victoria Wood and Julie
Walters and a certain antique shop.)
The staff know nothing about fish, don't care about fish, and certainly
don't care about customers who come in for fish.
They'll play with the Hamsters, Gerbils and other furries, but fish ?
Sign over the tanks said " These fish are being treated. ALL the fish ! So
don't even ASK"
I wish I had had a camera phone....
>
>
> I would not call him rude. Ignorant, dishonest and maybe desperate might
> be more appropriate words. Obviously all filter systems convert NH3/4 to
> NO2 and to NO3, though at different rates of efficiencies - and UGFs have
> a lot of characteristics stacked against them when compared to alternate
> systems.
> --
> www.NetMax.tk
>
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Posted by Feral Boy on April 6, 2006, 10:24 am
Please log in for more thread options
Have you ever tried taking a fish back, to a Maidenhead? They will say
absolutely anything to avoid admitting that there responsible. Unless its
stamped on the dead, dying, or psychotic fish!!
Feral Boy
>
>
>>> Are there many like this one? Rudeness is not the way to persuade
>>> customers
>>> to spend their hard-earned cash (rather a lot of cash, as it happened,
>>> although he wasn't to know that as he never saw a penny of it),
>>> particularly
>>> when another aquarium shop has opened 200 yards away, run by a very
>>> helpful
>>> man and trading very well.
>>>
>>> Duncan
>
> For rude you want one of our local shops (well, they're both bad, but
> still..).
> One of the chain names (NOT Maidenhead, think Victoria Wood and Julie
> Walters and a certain antique shop.)
>
> The staff know nothing about fish, don't care about fish, and certainly
> don't care about customers who come in for fish.
> They'll play with the Hamsters, Gerbils and other furries, but fish ?
>
>
> Sign over the tanks said " These fish are being treated. ALL the fish ! So
> don't even ASK"
>
> I wish I had had a camera phone....
>>
>>
>> I would not call him rude. Ignorant, dishonest and maybe desperate might
>> be more appropriate words. Obviously all filter systems convert NH3/4 to
>> NO2 and to NO3, though at different rates of efficiencies - and UGFs have
>> a lot of characteristics stacked against them when compared to alternate
>> systems.
>> --
>> www.NetMax.tk
>>
>
>
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Posted by Gill Passman on April 6, 2006, 10:45 am
Please log in for more thread options Feral Boy wrote:
> Have you ever tried taking a fish back, to a Maidenhead? They will say
> absolutely anything to avoid admitting that there responsible. Unless its
> stamped on the dead, dying, or psychotic fish!!
>
> Feral Boy
>
>
>>
>
>
I guess it must depend on the Maidenhead in question. I use two - one
you have to fight tooth and nail for credit/replacements - the only time
I was successful was when I took in a list of all recent purchases over
the last month and how many had gone to fishy heaven (didn't take any
bodies though). The other one are very good, they will replace or give
credit for fish (again without the body) - the first time I got credit
from them I was just chatting to one of the staff about some Yoyos he
had sold me and he had the credit note book out before I even thought of
raising the subject - I was just making conversation and trying to find
out if there was a problem with the fish or if it was something that I
might have done...
BTW I usually pick a quiet time to tackle the issue of
credit/replacements....
Gill
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>had
> several aquaria and tried various filter methods over the years. I used
> to
> get totally fed up with trailing cables, heaters coming un-suckered,
> wobbling and detaching uplift tubes, pipes to and from external
> canisters
> etc so I decided to get an all-in-one tank with all the machinery in a
> box
> in the corner. The local aquarium shopkeeper's reply when I asked about
> these systems was that he would of course sell me anything I wanted,
> but
> what I really wanted was his cobbled-together package of bits as
> nothing but
> undergravel filtration actually works, and no other method is able to
> convert nitrite to nitrate. When I pointed out to him that I kept a
> tank
> going for 3 years without losing a single fish and with plants growing
> out
> of the top, with external filtration, he replied that my fish had been
> living "on the edge" (but I didn't think cardinal tetras could survive
> "on
> the edge"), and that "you'll only get nitrites converted to nitrates
> with an
> undergravel filter". My last tank hardly ever had any detectable
> nitrites
> and was obviously making nitrate somewhere, but he practically called
> me a
> liar when I told him this.
>
> Are there many like this one? Rudeness is not the way to persuade
> customers
> to spend their hard-earned cash (rather a lot of cash, as it happened,
> although he wasn't to know that as he never saw a penny of it),
> particularly
> when another aquarium shop has opened 200 yards away, run by a very
> helpful
> man and trading very well.
>
> Duncan