Good fish sickness info

[Betta1]

I just got a job at a pet store and was wondering if anyone had good links for info about things I might run into with customers, I've encountered alot in the past year but theres always more to know

[jones57742]

B1: Brace yourself.

My typical example is as follows:

I am in my local PetCo (the fish manager then, Davis, was a real guru believe it or not).

A couple had purchased a 5G hex and approximately 20 guppies a week prior.

They were wanting a refund for the tank and the dead and dying fish.

Davis was explaining to them that he had encouraged them to cycle the tank before purchasing the guppies, had proposed them purchasing a sponge filter as he knew that that they were really going to overload the tank and a test kit.

They would not accept his responses and continued asking virtually irrelevant question's for like 20 minutes.

I finally said "folks: Davis is giving you very good advice here and you are not accepting it do you mind if I borrow him for a few minutes and then yall can continue."

They got PO'ed and left but I anticipate that only 20 guppies suffered a terrible death instead of 60 guppies doing the same "down the road".

TR

[Betta1]

Well at least your store has someone knowledgeable enough to give that advice, in the past my experiences with large chain pet stores is the people working fish know virtually nothing about their stock and advice they give is useless if not completely wrong. I haven't been allowed to work the fish section yet as I've got to prove myself by being a stocker and working the register first but what little I've overheard of people giving fish advice is pretty bad, even the "fish guy" doesn't know that much. Working the register I take every chance I get when someone is buying a filter or fish and throw as much advice into the minute and a half they are infront of me lol

[Fishfirst]

Betta1: Dealing with customers is hard. Disease is always a tough issue because you can't even see what the symptoms are. I always ask many many questions to get right down to the bottom of the issue. Some diseases are easily identified... however, always ask for them to bring in a water sample and to list the tankmates. Most diseases are caused by some kind of stress... including water quality, aggression, socialization, ect.

In general (very very general)

White spots, itching, heavy breathing, gold flakes, bugs on the fish all point to a parasite

red spots, white patches, fins rotting, mouth rotting, scales raising, white fuzzy stuff on the mouth all point to a bacterial infection

white/gray fuzzy stuff on the body of the fish point to a fungal infecton but probably with a bacterial cause.

[Betta1]

Thanks Fishfirst, apparently it's virtually pointless to bring a water sample into my work, we use strips and I've heard they're very inaccurate. I believe that now as one guy came in a few days ago with a water sample and complaining of dieing fish, I was on the register so couldn't really help much but two days late while working the fish section I found out why he had dieing fish. Apparently he started a fresh 5g (overstocked several gourami's and serpae tetras) then 10 days later while in the height of his cycle he dumped everything into a 10g with a new filter and gravel, so he moved his fish during the most stressfull time that can be and began yet another cycle. The odd part is the water he brought in tested as perfect..... After talking to him more I helped him cure for ich and he'll be back. I've come across a few that you've listed, heard of a few more and the rest I haven't heard of, I'll do some research based on your post and refresh/educate myself.

BTW thats a great avatar, a dentist cleaner shrimp?