Ever feel really sad after visiting fish store?

[Animal-Chin]

This is why its our job to take responsibility for our purchases. I've had issues with livestock from every local store. Velvet, acro flatworms, you name it I've purchased it and brought it home. There are issues with every local store in the area. I've seen entire shipments of really nice sps turn totally brown in one store due to poor lighting and I've seen another store trying to sell totally dead sps. I've seen large tanks with 50 baby hippo tangs die off in days because of the disease they brought in. I've seen $600 6 inch cross hatch triggerfish in a 20 gallon tank lying on the bottom. I've seen zoa colonies with more aptasia than zoa's on them.

There is a lot of bad merch in our local stores, if you find one crosses the line say something or stop shopping there. Most importantly be careful when your buying. If you REALLY REALLY want a Naso Tang and the store only has one skinny rough looking one, don't buy it, wait for a healthy shipment to come in. I feel bad for first time shoppers, its easy to make mistakes. My first coral was covered in green briopsis algae that at the time I thought was a bonus cause you get a coral with a plant for the same price...lol

Side note, the very first reef tank I bought was a biocube from a local store and while I was buying it they asked if I had researched before I came in. I said I saw some stuff online and they asked if I ever went to Can Reef. I said now and they said good because you can't believe anything you read on can reef, the people here are horrible...lol That LFS is now out of business but man did they hate Can Reef.

[Dearth]

This is why I deal with reputable LFS only if you shop local for convenience at a place where you know fish, coral and inverts are in bad shape then deal with it confront the manager sales staff. Sometimes it's as simple as education sometimes the staff don't care and are just taking your money.

Yes I've sympathy bought before just because I felt sorry for the fish but sick and starving fish are a good way to infect/kill your tank.

If you shop for convenience why not save up and go to a reputable LFS where you know the livestock is well cared for. Using excuses like the inconvenience of shipping or the inconvenience driving up to 4 hrs away for livestock doesn't wash with me. I live in the north it is no more difficult for me to order than someone who lives in a major centre with a store 20 minutes away. It's inevitable if you stay in the hobby long enough you will get a bad order it happens.

Basically don't sympathy buy or feel like your saving xx livestock from so and so store because you end up paying the price. As I said confront the staff/manager sometimes it's as simple as education other times all they want is your money.