One morning, a young man bought some items from me. He first purchased two meters of 19mm diameter hose for £3.50. Afterwards, he asked for my advice on fish.
"I'd like to buy some fish, but I'm not sure which ones are best to choose," he said.
"What's the size of your pond?" I inquired.
"It's quite big, about two square meters," he replied.
"The best choice is koi, because they are easy to care for, inexpensive, and grow quickly," I suggested. He nodded in agreement.
Having worked with fish ponds for a long time and met many customers, I've learned to distinguish between experienced and inexperienced fish keepers. If a customer quietly observes the same fish for a while, bending down or leaning against the pond edge for a closer look, it usually indicates some experience. Conversely, if someone looks at the fish and talks loudly, pointing randomly, they are likely inexperienced. I noticed the young man hadn't looked at any fish for an extended period, so I assumed he was a novice.
"Do you have any experience keeping fish?" I asked.
"No," he answered frankly.
"In that case, you might start with smaller ones, about 4 to 6 inches. Once you gain some experience, you can move on to larger fish," I advised candidly.
He nodded and said, "I want to buy some fish that can clean the pond, as it gets dirty easily."
"I'm afraid no fish can truly clean a pond, not even sucker fish or pond snails," I told him authoritatively.
"Why not?" he asked, skeptical.
"Because... because the fish are too lazy! Perhaps you could consider something like Indian blue garra—four for ten quid. They work around the clock and might help a little," I said, not entirely sure of the proper answer.
"No, it's not the fish who are lazy. I am Mr. Lazy," he declared.
"No, you are not lazy. The fish are," I insisted.