Howard:
    It seems like I've forgotten some thing I was supposed email to you and
I can't think of what it was. Anyway here are some stories that come from
working in the business:

    I answer the phone at work (nearly the only pet shop in town) and a lady
on the other end says "I'm thinking about putting the aquarium down in the
basement. You don't think it'll be too damp down there for them, do you?"

    At the same store, I'm helping a guy who has a problem with his
aquarium. After he describes what's going on in his tank, I say " I think
you're overfeeding". He says "Oh no, that's not it, that couldn't
be it". So
after a little more question and answer, I again suggest that the problem is
too much food. Again he says, "Oh no, that's not it, that couldn't be it,
I'm very careful about that". So after a little more Q&A, I say
"Everything
you're telling me makes me think that you're overfeeding". He responds "Oh
no, that couldn't possibly be the problem". So I finally get wise and say
"When you feed your fish, how much food do you put in?".
"Just enough to
cover the top."

This may not quite fit into your "What were they thinking category" but it
just might and I like this story. I was running a fish wholesale warehouse
and we had some small electric catfish in stock. Dan (one of the guys who
packed orders) said "I hate catching those things (electric cats), they
bite". I said "No they don't bite. They may electrocute you, but they don't
bite". Todd, a salesman, overhearing this little conversation, interjects
"No way, they can't electrocute you". I replied "Of course
they can. Why do
you think they're called electric catfish?".

"I thought it was just one of those names, like electric blue johanni".

"Nope, not this time. They really are electric, like an electric eel."

"I don't believe it. Those little fish can't electrocute you."

"They sure can. If you don't believe it, just try playing around with them
until you get shocked."

"All right, I will."

So Todd gets a net and catches out one of the little critters and puts it in
the palm of his hand. He stands there looking at it, while nothing happens.
He then pokes at it with his finger, lets out a tremendous howl and jumps up
to the ceiling, dropping the fish on the floor. After I get the fish back
into the tank (without being electrocuted), I check to see how Todd is
doing. He's OK, and he's convinced that they really do have an electric
discharge. I believe he compared it to a cattle prod.

Kevin Thurston
www.zangfish.com
www.concentric.net/~akthurst
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