i work in a pet shop and we sell fish. we have quite a few people coming in to buy fish that have no idea what goes with what and just general fish keeping rules which is annoying enough but when people go to buy a sailfin or other common plec and i ask them ' how big is your tank?' and they reply oh about 2ft and i then tell them that the fish will grow up to a foot long and will therefore out grow the tank. they then say too me OH BUT THE FISH WILL ONLY GROW TO FIT THE SIZE OF THE TANK!!!!!
how annoying and usually when i say that this is not the case.... they try and prove me wrong! obviously i refuse sale but its still SOOOO fustrating. there needs to be a campain to stop people thinking this way as its cruel

Unfortunately, there's nothing the government can do as it's purely down to opinion and the RSPCA wouldn't give a rat's a$$.

The only thing that can be done is that retailers use common sense and educate the uneducated customers. Maybe a poster campaign in aquatic and pet stores could have an effect?

Internet forums are also the way forward in making people realize and getting the message across.

i did mention to my boss that we could get a poster made or a sign to put at eye line on every bank of fish and she hopes to do so when our tanks get redone!

up, after working 7 years in pet shop retail, mostly as an aquarium specialist, then i know exactly what you mean.
all you can do is explain it to them, and if push comes to shove, refuse the sale. problem is, fish are given very little protection by law, and thus the RSPCA cant really do anything about it. and even if they could, then i doubt they would, as thy would see the bigger furrier pets worth more of their time :/