Oh, hurf durf, I adore you all my sweet internet friends… yeah…
Whelp, it looks like one of the players is a no show, so no D&D but that just means I get to watch the Hockey Game. Brooooooooons.
Oh man, I meant to take a nap this afternoon so I would be all awake and peppy for watching the hockey. Oh well.
So, as the Gent and I are to a wedding in a week or so for his cousin it was decided that we might want to get some dress shoes, and well, Chris is going to need a pair of slacks, but we’ll find those latter. So, off we went on a grand cheep shoe buying adventure. I quickly found two pairs that I liked well enough after spending several moments making sad faces at the flats for all being ugly, stupid flats all having dumb bows on them or open toed. So of the two black heels I found and liked, one had a nice sensible heel that wasn’t very high or very pointy but I didn’t like how boxy the toe was, the second pair had a pointy high heel and a nice round toe that I did like. so, now, I haven’t work high heels in at least 6 and those heels were much lower than either of the two I was looking at, aaaaaaand the wedding is outside. Did I do the wise thing, and buy the sensible heels that weren’t pointy and high, or did I like a dingaling pick the pointy high ones. Clearly I picked the pointy high ones with the toe I liked. I walk like a confused drunk baby giraffe in them. Good decisions all around.
On Thursday afternoon, with an excited child, I returned to PETCO and requested help from an employee at the front desk. My son ran ahead to try and find the two fish he wanted. [Redacted], who identified herself as an Aquatic Specialist, joined me on the way to the fish department. I told her we wanted two small goldfish ($2.99 each), at which point she asked the aquarium size. When I informed her it was five gallons, she stopped and informed me she could not sell me goldfish. Stunned, I asked why. She told me that since goldfish grow to ten inches, I would have to have a tank that could accommodate such a fish.
Incredulous, I explained to her that I had purchased the entire tank system only last week, and I had been clear with the previous employee that we intended to buy two small goldfish. She informed me, in her opinion it was unethical to put two goldfish in a five gallon tank, because they would grow larger. I stood agog in the fish department, while my son continued to press his face to the blue tanks in anticipation of his new fish.
My son was still blissfully ignorant of the conflict— children with autism often struggle with change, and this was an event he had been anticipating with great joy. Through rising tension, I told her I would simply purchase a larger tank if the fish grew too big, but for right now, two 2″ fish in five gallons of water was reasonable. She self-righteously stated that was not acceptable, and refused.
Lady, I don’t care that your son has autism. If he doesn’t deal with change well, how the hell would he deal with his ‘beloved’ goldfish dying within WEEKS of being put in a 5 gallon aquarium? Just get the kid a betta. A betta would work out great for a 5 gallon tank.
One goldfish would not.
Two goldfish would not.
You are a terrible person for thinking it’s okay for you to torture goldfish to make your son, autistic or not, happy, and for getting pissed off at the knowledgable employee who tried to tell you that you didn’t have an appropriate setup for goldfish.
The employee was CORRECT in refusing to sell you two goldfish for a 5 gallon tank.
More employees should refuse pet sales to people who have lethally inappropriate setups for them.
The best part?
I spent a fair amount of money on the tank set-up and supplies, and I returned to PETCO out of loyalty to buy our fish. Instead of a friendly experience, we were shamed and more care was shown for the well-being of a two-inch fish than was shown for my child, and for me as a customer.
Oh, shut up, you cruel, entitled, self-centered, bitch.
You and your son are, in fact, NOT so important that it’s okay for you to justify torturing “little 2 inch goldfish” because he has ~*~*~autism~*~*~. Your son having autism doesn’t give you a magic “get out of being a decent person free” card.
There are exactly two people she would have any right to be upset with:
1) Herself, for not bothering to research the needs of a pet she wanted to let her son get.
2) The employee who gave her incorrect information and told her that a 5 gallon tank would be suitable for a pair of goldfish.
You honestly can’t fault the Petco employee for doing her job. Would you want a car salesman to sell you a car that he KNEW would break down in a couple of weeks? Or a tailor to sell you pants that would rip in a month?
The Petco employee is unquestionably correct in her actions in this instance. Get a bigger tank first, sell the one you have now, get over it. Or get a different type of fish.
Disappointment doesn’t outweigh the value of a life. Wish I saw more pet store employees care that much.
While I’m not really down with the nasty way the first responder is talking to OP, I do have to say…it’s pretty rare for pet store employees to even BE properly knowledgeable enough to refuse this sale but to also have the balls to stand up to a customer and say no. Kudos to the employee. My years working in a pet store I have had this same damn argument day in and day out with people and they JUST. DON’T. GIVE. A. SHIT.
It doesn’t matter if it’s “just” a goldfish or if it’s only $2.99. That fish is going to be a pet and deserves to be treated just as humanely and fairly as any other potential pet. Goldfish thrive best in ponds, but if you’re deadset on putting them in a tank than it should be a 50 gallon tank. For one fish.
And don’t try and make the argument that they only grow two inches because they don’t. If you were lucky enough to have a goldfish survive in a small ass tank as a child and it never grew any larger than 2-3 inches it’s because YOU stunted it’s growth and destroyed it’s natural development.
I think that parents should start taking more responsibility for the pets they choose to buy their children. Research the shit out of what you want to take home, and don’t always think that a pet store employee is going to be knowledgeable enough to tell you correct information because 9 out of 10 times they ARE NOT. They do not get proper training on animal care and only work with BASIC knowledge. The rest they are required to learn on their own time through reading and experience and let me tell you something, as an 11 year fish keeper, fish take a LONG FUCKING TIME TO LEARN. There are thousands and millions of species of fish that require ALL different types of habitats (which includes temp, hardness, ph, filtration, ammonia balances, and MORE)
Honestly, if OP would have even picked up just any single book about goldfish, they would have been able to see for themselves that they did not, in fact, have the right set up. It is is far better to spend the extra five bucks on a book written by an expert than having to explain to your child—especially one who has difficulty with change—why there’s a sudden loss in his tank. Why wouldn’t you want a happy, long living fish for him?
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE just research and stop feeling so entitled.
