OMG!!!! tell me these guys at LFS are morons

saltyESQ · #1 06/18/2007, 01:27 AM

I went to exotic life on Topanga Canyon in the valley and was checking out a foot long stars and stripes puffer. Their list price was $346.00, which I thought was outrageous and began negotiating with the owner. As we were talking, one of the employees told me he was feeding the puffer crickets and roaches because they floated to the top and all of the regular fish food was being eaten too fast by his grouper tankmate.

In shock, I said you feed crickets and roaches to your fish?! The employee said they are filled with protein and asked me if I have ever stepped on one (roach or cricket) because the guts that come out when they are crushed are all protein.

Needless to say, I didn't purchase the fish due to price (his "bottom price" was $260) and the "high-quality protein" fed to the fish.

Anyone else think this diet is outrageous?

Scissorhand · #2 06/18/2007, 01:31 AM

As long as they did soaked them cricks in sum garlic I think it's a-oOokay.

j.k no idea if that's okay or not... do know that certain fishes eat insects though.

er1c_the_reefer · #3 06/18/2007, 01:36 AM

depends where the crickets and roaches came from. i used to have freshwater oscars that i'd feed crickets, roaches, and mealworms that i got from the reptile store. i also had archer fishes that had crickets as a staple.

Scissorhand · #4 06/18/2007, 01:41 AM

Didn't know you could sell roaches.

if anyone needs some lmk and I'll put up a FS thread. I've got tons. Shipping Fedex Next Day only for live arrival guarantee.

xxvietxjustinxx · #5 06/18/2007, 01:55 AM

Yes, a lot of fishes do eat insects. Most, if not all of them are freshwater. Arowanas go nuts for crickets and roaches, but pellets are still the best IMO.

FOSELONE · #6 06/18/2007, 01:55 AM

a scissorhands...maybe we could start a business...ive been breading roaches for years...lmk

laverda · #7 06/18/2007, 02:38 AM

Roches and crickets are land based and not appropiate food for saltwater fish. Same with gold fish and guppys. they are hard for marine fish to break down and can clog the stomachs of marine fish.

critmin · #8 06/18/2007, 02:50 AM

Haha, I don't think his explanation of stepping on a roach and all the gooey stuff being protein was a very good way to explain it. Sure they have protein but it's the ratio of protein to other suff that matters. Also like some other people already said, it is quite rare for a saltwater fish to have the opportunity to eat insects so needless to say it isn't part of their natural diet. You can do it on occasion for "fun", but definitely not a good idea to use insects as a staple food. And by the way I work at a lfs and I don't think I am a moron but I've been wrong before.

supernareg · #9 06/18/2007, 04:29 AM

thats fine man lol when i used to have a 60 gal cichlid tank, with a red devil, green terro, and some other big (4"-7") cichlids, i fed them anything and everything i found flyin around the house.

mosquitos, wood lice, flies, anything that was unlucky enough to get caught by me went into the tank.

needless to say i had huge, beautiful, healthy thriving fish

nava405 · #10 06/18/2007, 05:17 AM

i don't know about the crickets and roaches in US, but back in my country i remeber my uncle used to feed his red arowana with those things lol..

Foogoo · #11 06/18/2007, 08:18 AM

My philosophy (and I know many others follow this as well) is if they don't eat it in nature, don't feed it to them.

Needless to say I don't think crickets and roaches are found in the ocean. But that's just me...

sm007h · #12 06/18/2007, 09:24 AM

Unless you saw him actually feed them to the puffer, it sounds like he was yanking your chain or getting you out of the store.

Or maybe it won't hurt for a few weeks, I dunno.
The long term effects of feeding weird stuff to a fish wouldn't really apply to a fish store where they're going to move him out fairly quickly, in my opinion.

Not that I'm defending it, but necessity isn't the same as recommending feeding roaches to fish.

Because after all, I don't think that's an outrageous price for a beautiful foot long puffer eating well.

saltyESQ · #13 06/18/2007, 10:02 AM

I first thought he was yanking my chain also, but I honestly believe he was telling me the truth.

"Because after all, I don't think that's an outrageous price for a beautiful foot long puffer eating well."

The employee claimed he was feeding it crickets and roaches because the puffer was not eating well due to the grouper eating all the food. Additionally, while the owner claimed otherwise, that fish was a drop-off.
I always purchase drop-offs! I purchased my 9" queen trigger, that was a drop-off, for $90. Exotic life sells a 3" queen trigger for $90.

n8rad · #14 06/18/2007, 10:12 AM

I dont see why not, and what it would hurt. Its a puffer, they will eat anything, if roches and crickets could some how make there way floating out in the ocean, tons of fish would eat them.

This reminds me of my honeymoon in maui, we went to bubba gumps for lunch and we got seated right next to the window with the ocean right below. The water is crystal clear there and there were at least 3 unicorn tangs, and huge puffers, i started feeding them my lunch

they ate pieces of shrimp and stuff which is no suprise but then i started throwing pieces of just fat fried and they scarfed them down.

saltyESQ · #15 06/18/2007, 10:38 AM

n8rad, I have an experiment for you. If you own a dog you should go feed it chocolate (it is better to make is dark chocolate)
most likely your dog will eat it and scarf it down just like the fish you fed pieces of fried fat.

don't get angry at me when your dog is dead.

sm007h · #16 06/18/2007, 10:45 AM

My dogs ate chocolate all the time.
I never understood why people claim they die...because I haven't met one person who had a dog die from that.

Regardless, there is actually a reason people claim dogs die from chocolate...having to do with a specific chemical.

*If* you can point out a specific chemical in roaches and/or crickets that are suspected to be lethal to fish or puffers, *then* I will accept your analogy. AFAIK, the clerk was correct in his assessment that crickets are primarily protein...dunno about the roaches.

jlnguyen74 · #17 06/18/2007, 10:52 AM

Chocolate and avocado gives dogs Diarrhea, and without sufficient drinking water, could lead to fatality. Roach mentioned I believe is Madagascar roach, not cockroack

sm007h · #18 06/18/2007, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jlnguyen74
Chocolate and avocado gives dogs Diarrhea, and without sufficient drinking water, could lead to fatality. Roach mentioned I believe is Madagascar roach, not cockroack

LOL, that's why happens to my nephew, too

Is there a difference whether it's a hissing roach or a cockroach! :P

Texsun · #19 06/18/2007, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nava405
i don't know about the crickets and roaches in US, but back in my country i remeber my uncle used to feed his red arowana with those things lol..

Yup, you gut load them with vitamins, carrots... anything you want to enhance the color. Not that I would know about owning one of these rare, exotic and illegal fish.

reefinsocal · #20 06/18/2007, 11:55 AM

Thats not half as bad as when I went there. I bought 2 ricordia for $20 per head. So I hand the guy my cash a $100 dollar bill, and he hands me like $16 dollars back. I look at my change, and I am like "What the hell?". I hold out my hand and I say " I think you messed up" He says: It's $20 per head and that one has 3 heads!!!!!!! He then pointed out the 3 MOUTHS. I said OK, then I don't want this little Ricordia for $60!!!! Keep in mind he is still hold the bag in his hands to give to me. This is where it gets good;

I'm sorry, we don't give refunds!! I fricken flipped out!!! In the matter of 2 mins he managed to steal an extra $40 from me and refused to give it back. He even called his manger at home and the manager said yea a head is the same thing as a mouth... I was steamin. So, I told him: "Your options are this, Give me my money back or I go into the parking lot and POST ON EVERY MESSAGE BOARD IN THE REEF WORLD WHAT BS THIS STORE IS!!!!

I guess you can see what happend.......

STAY AWAY FROM THAT PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sm007h · #21 06/18/2007, 12:00 PM

hmm, I'm curious...does your ric still have three mouths?

reefinsocal · #22 06/18/2007, 12:02 PM

Yup, 4 months later. And if you knew Ricordia you would know that mouths do not indicate splitting......

sm007h · #23 06/18/2007, 12:03 PM

lol, what are you waiting for?

reefinsocal · #24 06/18/2007, 12:05 PM

???

saltyESQ · #25 06/18/2007, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by reefinsocal
Thats not half as bad as when I went there. I bought 2 ricordia for $20 per head. So I hand the guy my cash a $100 dollar bill, and he hands me like $16 dollars back. I look at my change, and I am like "What the hell?". I hold out my hand and I say " I think you messed up" He says: It's $20 per head and that one has 3 heads!!!!!!! He then pointed out the 3 MOUTHS. I said OK, then I don't want this little Ricordia for $60!!!! Keep in mind he is still hold the bag in his hands to give to me. This is where it gets good;

I'm sorry, we don't give refunds!! I fricken flipped out!!! In the matter of 2 mins he managed to steal an extra $40 from me and refused to give it back. He even called his manger at home and the manager said yea a head is the same thing as a mouth... I was steamin. So, I told him: "Your options are this, Give me my money back or I go into the parking lot and POST ON EVERY MESSAGE BOARD IN THE REEF WORLD WHAT BS THIS STORE IS!!!!

I guess you can see what happend.......

STAY AWAY FROM THAT PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

that's awsome!