# General > AquaTalk >  Dishonest LFSs

## Memnoch

Took a look at my dither cardinals that i bought just the other day at Yishun... and discovered that at least 5 of them were neons!!! no wonder they said cannot choose!!!

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## taz_boy

hmm...yishun...You mean they put in same tank. cardinals and neons together

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## vinz

Frankly, I wonder if the LFS knew. The supplier may have pulled a fast one on them. Suggest you go back to them and tell them about it. If the fishes are still there, point it out to them. See how they react. At the kind of margins that they make from these fishes, I don't think it's worth their while to cheat and risk losing customers and get a bad name.

But, you really should check everything you buy before you leave any shop. I go through every seam and button of any clothes I buy, even if it's branded.

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## Memnoch

I guess you are right... it was a mixed tank clearly labeled as cardinals... It was written on the glass that you can't choose... so i got the uncle to catch them for me...

As for checking... the when they placed it into the bag and pumped in the air, they twirled the bag round several times.. the fishes all giddy by then liao and colours also gone... so it would be hard to verify...

Anyway they lost me... im not going back.. since i dont even live near em... just went to check out daphnia the other day...

To other bros... do check carefully... cheaper does not equal good value sometimes...

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## Jungle-mania

Definitely, but too 'expensive' doesn't mean extra value. I remebered going to a LFS in the east. They were selling pint sized clown killies at twice the normal cost and had ich. I told the saleperson they have white spots, he replied: "yes, thats right!" with a smile and ended with: "would you like to buy some?"

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## Orion

> I guess you are right... it was a mixed tank clearly labeled as cardinals... It was written on the glass that you can't choose... so i got the uncle to catch em for me...
> 
> As for checking... the when they placed it into the bag and pumped in the air, they twirled the bag round several times.. the fishes all giddy by then liao and colours also gone... so it would be hard to verify...
> 
> Anyway they lost me... im not going back.. since i dont even live near em... just went to check out daphnia the other day...
> 
> To other bros... do check carefully... cheaper does not equal good value sometimes...



I had it worse. One LFS in AMK even told me off that he would rather not earned my money if I insisted on catching the 20 cardinal myself when there are only about 30 inside!

I know most shops selling cardinals don't allow us to choose because they are kind of fragile fishes. Before they put them inside the plastic bags, we can always request to check when the fishes are still in the bucket. 

Guess LFS sometimes just mixed up the fishes.

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## Memnoch

Sigh... the sight of the 5 neons (out of what was supposed to be 10 cardinals) make me sick...

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## Talos

some of these lfs are just plain ignorant, conservative and myopic.
these are the shops that won't do so well i guess.
too traditional.

some of them don't allow us to catch ourselves because sometimes when people catch the fish, the stir up too much 'shit' from the bottom and some of the fish that are left in the tank end up dying.

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## bossteck

Hi Memonch, 

Just curious, you got cardinals as dither for what fish? 

I would like to think it is an honest mistake by the LFS, and there was a mix up of some sort, but I seriously don't think so. Else you would be finding cardinals in neon's tank on equal frequency. Responsible LFS owners shouldn't make this type of mistake, especially since the costs differs by a substantial margin. 

Sigh... LFS selling sick fishes with a smile, and mixing up fishes, I wonder what's next and how long I can stay in this hobby.

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## Orion

I think maybe the shop sell large size neon as same price for their not so large cardinal in the same tank or assume they all same price range in their shop so they don't bother to separate.

I think they won't stoop so low as to earn little bucks that will also cost their reputation. No good for business...... maybe fake Altum angels, 'wild' discus, 'wild' rare apistos etc...

No.....! not dither fish for your APISTOS :Crying:

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## Memnoch

Yeah they are dithers for my apistos....
Its not so much the money, afterall they are all 'cheaper' fishes... But I'm most irritated because i dont fancy neons much due to their relatively shorter lifespan amongst other thing...

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## griffin1

i reckon its a mistake. i've had good experiences with the fish shops in yishun (at least the two "major" ones). 

i'd call them to tell them, so that they can be more careful in future since they reputation is at stake. one time i bought 6 otos and they died within 2 days. i made sure i told the uncle about it the next time i went and he spent time explaining to me how i should better acclimatize them. 

sorry that you had a bad experience though.

barbara

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## bryan

There are quite a number of LFS in Yishun though.

Reminds one of the good old days when the LFS would sell you goldfish, tetra,mixed cichlid,tiger barb, fishtank and airpump all at one go if they had the chance. "Dun worry won't fight one!"

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## Dragnet88

> Took a look at my dither cardinals that i bought just the other day at Yishun... and discovered that at least 5 of them were neons!!! no wonder they said cannot choose!!!


Please advice how to differenciate neon and cardinal?
Thanks.

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## budak

Do a simple search on the Net. It's not too hard. Thanks.

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## low

I encounter 2 unhappy experience from 2 Famous and Reputable LFS. just to share......make sure you check and check and check before you pay.

http://www.arofanatics.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=194963

http://www.arofanatics.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=79369

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## aqualover

my personal encounter with one LFS in Yishun - I was short-changed in the quantity of cardinals - 48 instead of 50. It may not be their fault, cos they were all pre-packed from the farm.

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## Orion

It's funny and I think the LFS is really dishonest. I don't think it's really packed in farm at all as claimed.

Pre-packed from farm normally includes a few more not less because to compensate for fish lossess.

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## vinz

But seriously, if you've tried counting large numbers of small fishes, you'll know it's easy to get it wrong, and re-counting by re-netting will stress the fish.

Besides, how much can any LFS make from cheating by 2 cardinals for every 50?

I really don't think it makes sense for them to cheat in this way because the price of ill-repute is worse then the paltry sum they gain.

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## genes

But perhaps there are some out there that are out to fleece this sort of little money. 

my experience with another shop was with the lead weight used to tie the plants. The shop owner told me that the roll of lead weights are now more expensive due to the rise in the cost of lead. I had bought the same at a lower price from him another week before. Didn't buy from him but got it at another shop with the price before his so call "cost of lead have increased"

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## low

> But perhaps there are some out there that are out to fleece this sort of little money. 
> 
> my experience with another shop was with the lead weight used to tie the plants. The shop owner told me that the roll of lead weights are now more expensive due to the rise in the cost of lead. I had bought the same at a lower price from him another week before. Didn't buy from him but got it at another shop with the price before his so call "cost of lead have increased"


ha ha......if the shop is in Serangoon North then maybe i know which shop.....I have the EXACT encounter as you. :Flame:

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## Memnoch

at least he didnt catch 7 neons and pass them off for cardinals

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## Quixotic

> Just got bad experince yesterday. Got 10 cardinals from a Yishun shop that stated cannot choose on the tank for $8.
> 
> Did check after the uncle pack them in bag, but cannot really verify as he pumped in air and twirked the bag.
> 
> End up with 3 dieing fishes, found the died fishes the next morning.
> 
> PLEASE DONT BUY FROM ANY SHOP THAT STATED CANNOT CHOOSE.
> Don't understand why cannot choose, we are paying what we want to buy.


Fishes may die due to some reasons or another. To be fair, the FLS may not be responsible for what happeend to your fishes.

How did you aclimitise the fishes in the first place? What were the water conditions of your tank when you introduced the fishes? Can long did you cycle your tank before introducing the fishes? What is your bioload of your fishes? These are just some of the things that may affect your fishes...

Just a friendly advise to be careful on where you tread the line.

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## bryan

My turn yesterday, I bought 50pieces of cardinals from the big Jalan Kayu shop. I couldn't check properly as the fish had faded from fright and the shop was dim. When I released them in my tank, I ended up with 5 pristella among the cardinals. So guys please check properly, especially buying in bulk.

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