Fish stores can be you best friend or worst enemy when it comes to doling out advice on aquarium husbandry techniques and related topics. On one hand, stores and their employees experience so much more than your typical hobbyist. This gives them all sorts of experience when dealing with fish diseases, pest identification and removal, and whatever else you could think of. So, its easy to assume that their advice is founded on sound methodologies meant to provide a healthy product to their customers. On the other hand, these stores don’t necessarily respond to aquarium related maladies in the most responsible way possible, and certainly not in the way that your typical hobbyist would. Aquarium hobbyists are willing to throw lots of money at their pets in order to keep them healthy and happy, while a store may make a decision that is more beneficial to their bottom line. While it’s easy to assume that keeping fish alive and healthy is the most beneficial financial route, keep in mind that things like quarantine aquariums, medications, and even water changes are expensive.
This tip is not suggesting that aquarium stores operate underhandedly. Instead, it’s just a reminder that they operate differently than your typical hobbyist. Huge water volumes, huge numbers of fish, and huge bills all affect how stores respond to various issues, and their unique perspective could invalidate much of their advice. As we’ve stated before, just be skeptical of advice and try to verify any that is given to you before trying it out on your expensive aquarium setup.
