Re: [APD] The non-aquatic plant issue (Nick Andrews)

[Jerry Baker <jerry at bakerweb_biz>]

Bill wrote:
> Never underestimate the power of the consumer when he or she decides to 
> wield it.

This all assumes a flow of information though. In this case, people have 
to first become aware that what Walmart or the other substandard place 
is telling them about keeping fish is wrong. Once they find that out, 
then they'll go seek the legitimate information. Most of the time the 
employees selling the fish know nothing about it. Just stand around the 
fish section at Walmart and listen to what they tell people.

Imagine the transaction from the point of view of the customer. You see 
some pretty fish at the store and the employee tells you that all you 
need to do is buy X, Y, and Z, fill it up with water and dump the fish 
in. Throw some food in every day. A week or two later your water turns 
cloudy and your fish are gasping for air at the surface. "Oh, you need a 
filter" the employee tells you. You buy a filter and some cartridges and 
probably some Novaqua or something to "help the fish." After another day 
or two the fish start dying. You go back to the store and the employee 
sells you some medicine to fix the sick fish. You go home and dump in 
the miracle cure but most of your fish die anyway.

I don't think this scenario is too unusual, and the customer doesn't 
even have the opportunity to learn that what they "know" about fish is 
wrong. They just know that keeping tropical fish is "hard."

I believe the rate of people being born who will eventually buy fish is 
greater than the rate of people learning about fishkeeping. This gap is 
where retailers like Walmart live.
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