Aquarium Dude Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 I was in Animates on Saturday and overheard a sales assistant advising a customer that the electric filter the customer had could in no way shape or form aerate the tank at all, and that she needed to buy an airpump to inject the air into the water????? Surely thats not right... or is it???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 That's about as right as left. IF the customer was using an internal filter below the water surface maybe. Sounds like the sales assistant didn't know surface movement aerates the tank. You could say they did it to get the sale, but top sales people don't really work at animates, I'd say they're genuinely stup... er misinformed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 No, its not right. Gas exchange (oxygenation) happens at the surface of the water - so long as that keeps moving all they'll be no problems. A lot of (misguided) people think that airstones work by 'forcing' bubbles into the water; they don't, they cause the surface water to move which allows the gases to exchange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 Many of the smaller electric sponge filters have an optional air intake that can suck air in with a venturi action or a spray bar. Both methods (as explained by conch) increase the total surface area and therefore increase the rate of exchange of CO2 & O2. Aeration is not necessary but allows a higher stocking rate of fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OscarBoy Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 so what are u trying to say animates don't no nothing about fish if u r i argree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 Not always, I know at least one member of this forum who works at animates and would strongly disagree. Getting all staff knowing the fish business isn't really going to happen, but it would be nice if they don't pretend to know what they dont. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 Yeah think it works along on the lines of the surface moving creating more surface area allowing more gases to escape.. In my main african display tank I had no end of trouble even with 2 externals disturbing the surface even to the point they were blowing bubbles eveywhere and I had to stick an air stone and grunty pump in.. Some people recommend having both so that if your external (even if it comes unstuck) or air pump fall over you still have a back up and dont wake up to dead or dying fish gasping at the surface (been there a few times managed to fix it ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jn Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 I can't be that hard for a bigger shop selling fish to have at least one person on staff who knows what they're talking about for each type of 'critter' being sold. Be it the manager or just some staff.. who knows... but yes..people shold be told "I could answer you but I woudln't be sure" or have someone call during the week to speak to someone who knows.. or again.. have a nice little booklet of FAQs that the staff can refer to or a handout for customers to take home... I just don't understand how they can fail to provide such a basic service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 I think it just comes down to $$ and cents, alot of us know what were talking about but earn alot more than what we could at a petshop.. And they seem to have a high staff turn over as people get better jobs.. Also it probably comes down the fact people wont get a refund if they kill fish so any sale is a sale regardless if they give bad advice and they die.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 It wouldn't be hard (or cost much) to produce an info sheet that the staff could refer to or give customers when they bought a tank / fish / etc. - especially if you consider the cost of a worsening reputation. They've probably already cost themselves a lot of business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jn Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 eXaCTly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newfish Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 It wouldn't be hard (or cost much) to produce an info sheet that the staff could refer to or give customers when they bought a tank / fish / etc. - especially if you consider the cost of a worsening reputation. They've probably already cost themselves a lot of business. Very well said!! I agree... The other thing is if you work somewhere, then you should at LEAST learn the basics.....where is peoples work ethic's!!!!!!!!!!!!! IF you DON"T know SAY SO!!! Man thats like me selling a bottom end waste unit for a family of 5!! no way it would do the job properly! and its very simple basic knowledge in my JOB! I studied for a month going over my works standards before I start selling kitchens becase I didn't want to give the wrong advice! Its not that hard to pick up a book or ask someone with more knowledge, so when a customer asks you know the answer..... I just DON'T get some stores and there staff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evilknieval69 Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 It wouldn't be hard (or cost much) to produce an info sheet that the staff could refer to or give customers when they bought a tank / fish / etc. - especially if you consider the cost of a worsening reputation. They've probably already cost themselves a lot of business. Wouldn't cost anything, just give them a small slip of paper with 'www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom' written on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 lol unfortunately alot of stores wont advocate or promote a site or anything probably even more so this one because people sell fish alot cheaper on here than they do And yes they could do alot of things to give good advice, but I don't think they would make as much money And thats what it comes down to in the end for them I guess.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newfish Posted November 13, 2007 Report Share Posted November 13, 2007 And yes they could do alot of things to give good advice, but I don't think they would make as much money And thats what it comes down to in the end for them I guess.. Well its a sad world when its comes to THAT!! I won't shop somewhere that treats me only in $ signs and doesn't give right advice or just pain unhelpful. -- warning to any shop owners now :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindy500 Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 alot of the bad advice given from people at animates stems from them being told things from individual fish keepers, right or wrong... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 I would advice to do your homework. At least on here you can get a number of opinions and decide what is best for you. If you rely n advice from one shop assistant you only have one opinion--right or wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Yeah agreed fish keeping is like everything else people can only offer their opinions on what they would do and what works for them.. There are some basics most people will agree on but almost everything else is opinionated and all you can do is get all the opinions and go with the one you agree with the most Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
me love fishy Posted November 15, 2007 Report Share Posted November 15, 2007 Sometimes there are more variables than right or wrong though, if the person only had an external filter and no spray bar then IMO they would have to get an airstone, you may have only heard part of the conversation. In the end animates staff are only retail staff, and it would be difficult to know everything about fish if you don't keep them yourselves. Plus fish are not the only thing they have in store. I'm not saying that they shouldn't be more knowledgeable, but have you been into bunnings, ask anyone in there anything and they can be just as useless. Some staff make it a priority to learn a bit about the products they sell and some don't. If you are a lowly paid person, which I'll bet most of them are, then you aren't going to give a rats a*se. the only ones with knowledge have been there a bit longer than the others at those chain type stores in my experience. If you find a good one then remember their name for next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tHEcONCH Posted November 15, 2007 Report Share Posted November 15, 2007 Sometimes there are more variables than right or wrong though, if the person only had an external filter and no spray bar then IMO they would have to get an airstone, you may have only heard part of the conversation. In the end animates staff are only retail staff, and it would be difficult to know everything about fish if you don't keep them yourselves. Plus fish are not the only thing they have in store. I'm not saying that they shouldn't be more knowledgeable, but have you been into bunnings, ask anyone in there anything and they can be just as useless. Some staff make it a priority to learn a bit about the products they sell and some don't. If you are a lowly paid person, which I'll bet most of them are, then you aren't going to give a rats a*se. the only ones with knowledge have been there a bit longer than the others at those chain type stores in my experience. If you find a good one then remember their name for next time. In that kind of situation I think it falls to management to provide easy to use resources for the staff - info sheets, etc, that give answers to commonly asked questions or explain basic things, but yes, if you get paid $3.50 an hour there isn't much incentive to learn about things you aren't interested in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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