adventures at the LFS.....

[icebear]

i don't know if i ever posted it here, when i was working at an LFS a few years ago some of the strangest things were being done by the strangest customers, one of wich was the guy who angrily called me back a few hours after buying an air pump (and various other incompatible things which i advised against, and omitted suggested necessities), telling me that it didn't work. That was the guy who put the air pump IN the tank and plugged it in...

well, this newest one dosen't top that, but the sheer foolishness was just another addition to my list of "The stupid things people put in their tanks"


This new guy put in a set of DEER ANTLERS



real antlers, i mean, come on. and he stood there looking cynical, chewing on a toothpick (does anyone realize how many IQ points this simple act removes from your appearance, specially in a conversations involving antlers) while i explained to him that its not such a good idea and why.

i pointed to the plastic waterbuffalo skull w/horns that we sell and suggested that as an alternative.


of course, the wife's spark of brilliance came in the form of her question
"if we take out the antlers tonight, can we put fish in then?"

[Tim224DT]

Originally Posted by icebear

of course, the wife's spark of brilliance came in the form of her question
"if we take out the antlers tonight, can we put fish in then?"

Tim

[Fly Guy]

AS long as they were cured and cycled they should be fine. Of couorse, i would like to see you try to explain how he could go about "cooking" them before putting therm in the tank

[Doug1]

Holy Cow, that would be funny if it werent so sad. Not much people do surprises me any more

[icebear]

Originally Posted by Fly Guy

AS long as they were cured and cycled they should be fine. Of couorse, i would like to see you try to explain how he could go about "cooking" them before putting therm in the tank

it seemed pretty gross to me, aren't deer antlers mainly calcium and protein?

if so, the protein would peutrefy and the calcium would just kinda look ugly.

i didn't think into it very far, the concept just immediately seemed wrong

[icebear]

Originally Posted by Doug1

Holy Cow, that would be funny if it werent so sad. Not much people do surprises me any more

the scary part was that they wanted to start up a salt tank. and they were eyeing MY trigger

[Fly Guy]

To be sure......the whole concept is kind of sick and wrong, but i dont see why you couldnt as long as all that was hung in there was the antlers and all of the tissue had been cycled/cooked out.

Im not one for pieces of dead animals hung anywhere though. Not that im that anti, i do hunt as i like the meat, but you just wont see pics or parts of dead things in my house. Lots of fish pictures but they are very much alive when any pic was taken. IF its a nice hatchery steelhead/salmon, we just bonk it AFTER taking the pic

[icebear]

it makes me think of those post-monsoon images you see on nature programs, yanno...the ones where they show carnivorous fish swimming through the skeletal remains of drowned deer or buffalo, picking off stringy remnants of flesh. the water has this scummy yellowy tint and there's sinister background music...

i don't know why that would be desirable in a tank. its not for me.


...and i am an enthusiastic consumer of venison.

[Little Luey]

All I can say is WOW!

Thank you for doing your part educating people.

[BLEEZY]

yesterday a woman was asking about some of the tanks and was eyeing a nano they had set up. she was asking why there were rocks in the tank. she said she wanted a tall cylindrical tank in her office and was gonna go fancy golfish and neon tetras and other boring stuff. then the guy told her it was a salltwater tank and the rock is to balance the tank. (her face)
she asked if salwater was a lot of work and the guy told her she just needs to do monthly wc's. to which she replied"well how do i get tehe water out of the tank? i have had tanks for a while and never did that before." bottom line the guy sent her home with an unholy 36 inch tall tank and a sump some simple plumbing. she didnt know what a waterchange was or anything and the guy basically told her it was easy as goldfish pie.
they were just trying to sell something and it sucked, why didnt they send her home with a goldfish and a little airstone for her tank.
well i bet shes in for a surprise when they try to explain to her the different concepts of keeping corals in a closed system.
(god forbid he should give her a coral)

[icebear]

the simplest, non insulting way i try to explain the difference between fresh and salt tanking is.... "if you find it hard to schedule basic maintenence on a freshwater tank or feel it to be bothersome or irritating, then you probably won't want to keep a salt tank."

i try to steer people away from the impression that marine tanks are hard or next to impossible, because we know they are not. its just got some different ways to it and a few more things to keep an eye on, but thats what makes it more than the sum of its parts & accessories and price tag.
but i also don't like to simplify it so much that it seems as easy as keeping a mud puddle next to the garden hose.

[Doug1]

[quote] keeping a mud puddle next to the garden hose.[unquote]


Thats about my speed these days

[ouccmich]

Lmao.

[icebear]

[quote=Doug1;834331]

keeping a mud puddle next to the garden hose.[unquote]


Thats about my speed these days

[leveldrummer]

i had a customer steal a pair of leopard tortoises from a store i worked at, they were only 4 inches, and i really dont think he realized how large they get and how to care for them, very sad.