I have to throw in two cents here regarding the whole customer service issue. Sure it is great to have staff who know something about what they sell, however this is a very complex hobby, its not like a simple cat or dog market when it comes to buying the thousands of creatures that we all maintain in our mini ecosystems. Everyone who has a reef tank/ fish tank stocks it with there own personal preference of fish, corals, sand, rock, and equipment. Many people who work in fish stores may not even have a tank at home or they are new emloyees so we must remember to do our home work when making such purchases. I was once told by Eric Boreman that if a person can keep a thriving reef tank then you can basically consider yourself a mini marine biologist. So if someone at a store who does not have the extensive knowledge to answer a question regarding livestock or equipment remember that to be a successful reef keeper means reading tons of books and magazines, or countless hours of online articles and post, or simply years of experience in this hobby. A person cannot expect that just because someone works in a fish store that they can provide all the answers to your questions or provide the level of advice you want, especially if they are not personally involved in the hobby or if they have little hands on experience. Even if they have the experience, you simply cannot expect a fish store employee to sit down with every customer to spend 10 minutes listening as to what you have in your tank at home so they can advise you what to add or not. The responsibility is that of the hobbiest not a store or employee.
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