Heyyy Guys Im Back With Wonderful News

[devinzbaby 0]

So i havent been on here in a few months. I've been busy with college and work. But a few weeks ago i quit my job at Toys-R-us, because quite frankly, i was sick of dealing with all their Bull. And can you guess where i've been working for the past 2 weeks? vvvv! I love it. I'm around Fish ALL the time. Because i'm a pet care specialist. I'm learning so much about goldfish, as well as all tropical fish. I even get to bring home babies from livebearers FREE. this past week i've brought home 6 babies. i think 5 are swordtails or platys, and i have no idea what the other is. I'll find out eventually. ^.^

Its just so much fun, and i've been BEGGING them to give the bettas bigger containers instead of those TINY cups, but so far no luck. But i've been taking care of things as best as i can, and i get 15% all pets and supplies, how cool is this!?

PS, when i move out of my parents house in the summer, I'm getting a 55gallon tropical tank, and a 30 gallon for my 2 goldfish ^.^

The guy i Open the store with tomorrow, has a 55, a few 20's, and a 90gallon tank! he's awesome. He finds me baby fish to take home.

So if anyone lives near New England states, like NH (where i live), VT, MA, NY, and is looooooking for a particular fish, let me know, and i can see if we are eligable to get that fish in.

*i'm in love with fish now more than ever*

[dfernandez77 6]

Very cool!

Congrats on the new job.

[Shamu23 8]

thats really cool!!

[alexiscool 0]

congrats on the job

and welcome back

[koko 14,340]

Congrats on the job, I have always wanted to work at a good LFS....congrats.

[Lolafish 1]

Big chains needs honest, caring fishkeepers in their fish departments, so I am very proud of you! Congrats!!!

[devinzbaby 0]

Thanks so much ^.^

Its wonderful being around animals all day. I mean, literally i hang around the fish dept. But i get to prepare the meals for all the small animals, take care of the new arrival and sick animals, and clean all the fish stuff. The thing that gets me the most is how many fish die. We literally check out water with test strips 2 times a day, and take out the dead fish in the morning and at night. And its really sad that we are REQUIRED to carry the tropical anglefish even tho their water requirements are different than all the other tropicals, so almost ALL the anglefish we get in die since all the tropical tanks share the same water/filteration/etc. So we are trying to make it so that they dont send us any more, since its not fair to the fish.

And i love all fish and everything, But it makes me so sad to bag feederfish for people... i know big fish like oscars need to eat, but its also not fair to the poor small comet goldfish and minnows.

But i really really love this job, and even though im in college for graphic design, i plan to stay at vvvv well after i graduate. its just a great and fun place to be. Plus, who doesnt want free baby fish?! I'll try to bring my camera to work with me one day and on my break take pictures of the fish tanks. We have some nice looking fish. We even let the goldfish (the huge ones) alternate around in the tropical tanks for a few hours sometimes and they love it because they eat all the small neucence snails that come in with all the orders and keep reproducing! I thought goldfish needed like Low temps, but they dont mind being in the trop tanks for a few hours, and the love the free snack

whats even better, is that i have the right ro REFUSE sale. so if someone comes in, saying they have a 10gallon tank, and want like 25 commet goldfish, i nicely explain to them that they can have 1fancy goldfish at the most in that 10 gallon, and if they complain, i say "sorry, but if you dont care enough to take the proper care of your fish, and take their needs into concideration, then you will not be getting any fish here"

My manager tells us to refuse to people that wont care for them properly, or if we do give in, write on the bag and reciept "NO RETURN" lol.

[dickey_moe 0]

fREE FISH! what could be better!! Congratulations!!

[goldfishpassion 0]

congraz with your new job. I always want to work/own fish store.

[devinzbaby 0]

thanks )

Oh my god you guys, I dont mean to be rude, but some people that have fish know NOTHING about them. a guy comes into my work today and hes got a betta fish at home in a 5gallon acrylic tank. But he comes in wanting more fish "a buddy for his betta". me an nick had to politely inform him that ANY fish he puts in that tank will be attacked by the betta and one of them would die. And he was like "even if i got another male betta the would fight?" and i was like "buddy thats the WOST thing you could possibly do. One would lie within minutes. so we talked him into getting a 2.5 gallon to move his betta into, and 2 dwarf platys for his 5 gallon tank. So it all worked out. i mean, he was really nice about it and everything, but i thought that EVERYONE knew that bettas can't be placed in the same tank with ANYTIHNG especially other bettas. the poor guy didn't have a clue. lol

I sent him home with like 6 fish care guides one on bettas, one on platys, and a few other small tropical community fish since if all goes well with the platys, he'll be back in a few weeks to get a 55 gallon tank and get mollies, tetras, a pleco, and platys and possibly some guppies. (i needed to inform him that he could not put an oscar in with them, because of cours, the oscar would eat every last one of them) So hes going to studdy what i gave him. lol

[Hidr 4,961]

That is so true. I have tried to stop many people from putting 6 feeding goldfish in a 10 gallon tank for the kids. Most get them anyway after all its just a cheep fish and they have lived a year in that tiny tank before. /grrrrrrrr

[Anic 37]

... whats even better, is that i have the right ro REFUSE sale. so if someone comes in, saying they have a 10gallon tank, and want like 25 commet goldfish, i nicely explain to them that they can have 1fancy goldfish at the most in that 10 gallon, and if they complain, i say "sorry, but if you dont care enough to take the proper care of your fish, and take their needs into concideration, then you will not be getting any fish here"

My manager tells us to refuse to people that wont care for them properly, or if we do give in, write on the bag and reciept "NO RETURN" lol.

I need to work there! That's awesome that a store is more concerned about the health of their animals than the profit they can get from them. When I go to nnnnnn, I always want to buy all the sick, tiny fishies... mmm is much better than they are, but still not as good as where you work.

[devinzbaby 0]

yea i know! its amazing. And we treat all our sick animals, and have a vet come in every week to look in on them and perscribe more meds if needed. I get to help medicat the sick chincilla that has namonia. the poor little guy.

I brought home 3 more baby fish today. 2 platty's, and a molly. hopefully they all live.

It really is a great job. We spend 3hours taking care of the animals every morning before we open. they are spoiled. ^.^

[alanworm 0]

Congrats on the job

[Ranchugirl 17]

Free fish! And a job most of us would die to have - congrats, Jenny!

In my case I would worry about so much more than free fish - free birds, free reptiles, free... And yes, they do care the most about their animal well fare. I have seen numerous chain stores, and although it always depends on the management of the individual store, overall Pets*mart was in most cases the store with the most care.

[devinzbaby 0]

You have nooo idea. i almost brought home the chincilla....my parents would have killed me tho.

On another note, my pregnant black mollie is no longer pregnant, she gave birth on the 7th, to about 50 fry. I've been doing 20% water changes daily, and only lost 2. ^.^

I very much LOVE working there, and work tonight from 5pm to 10:30pm. (were open late the next 2 weeks) So thats always great.

I'm majoring in graphics roght now at college, but when i graduate in 2009, i just may need to go back to school for boilogy. I want to work at a zoo.

Im going to bring my camera to work tonight and see if i can't get some pictures for you all.

Edited December 10, 2007 by ~^~Jenny~^~

[Sally2007 1]

congrats on the new job

[Faust 0]

Sounds Awesome!

[ktinal900 0]

Congrats on your job! And thank you for sharing about it; I know so many people (perhaps myself included lol) have certain views and possibly misconceptions of chainstores, especially how some don't care enough about the animals so it was refreshing to hear your insider take on it!

[glitterfish 0]

Congrats!! You sound so happy!

[Fish_Fanatic 19]

You have nooo idea. i almost brought home the chincilla....my parents would have killed me tho.

HAHAHAHAH i so know what you mean! im petcare too but im mainly in birds and small animals. i help out in fish and reptiles all the time though. you will probably want to take home EVERY animal who is in isolation. i know that if the pets are too old or had a past illness or injury that makes them unable to be sold, they are put up for adoption. ohmygosh dont get sucked in. i almost took home a gerbil with one eye, but then he got a home, and then a budgie who flew into a window and got brain damage, but then someone adopted him, and then two canaries with broken legs...... and i already have fish, a dog, a macaw and a hermit crab. but yeah... long story short, i know what you mean.

and congrats on the job! pets*mart is so awesome!

the customers however...... i have been yelled at WAY too many times. I would tell a customer something that is completely true and then they would yell about how they are right and i am wrong. this one lady came and yelled at me because she kept a budgie in a cage the size of a shoe box and it lived for "FOUR YEARS AND I THINK THATS LONG ENOUGH!!!" (ummm... theyre supposed to live at least ten...)

but if that ever happens, just get a manager. way easier

and thats awesome about the baby fishies!!!

Edited December 11, 2007 by Fish_Fanatic