Petco- Butterfly fish

[nursedude]

Our local Petco, here in small town Colorado, has a butterfly fish for sale. You might have to pay a premium because this one has cool white spots on it.

I just don't understand how they can think this is responsible husbandry. In the first place, why stock such a difficult species in a chain store. Next, no quarantine/hospital tank, put this guy out for sale. Then, let the sick fish share the same water with other fish.

[tkeracer619]

I've seen male genicanthus angelfish several times at the one here. It's best to avoid that store so you don't see it.

The shame is they have the opportunity to revamp the whole process and now with the LA purchase the know how but they continue along the same path. I guess it isn't profitable.

I've seen them sell a clownfish whos jaw was rotting off and dangling to an old lady because he was so adorable. Then the same sales guy turn around and ask me if this NO t6 bulb would be enough for their anemone. Turns out it was but only because the anemone is on the background picture... and no... I did not just make that up.

[falcona2552]

I've seen some poor practices in petcos, but in my area of colorado it extends to most LFS as well.

[1stanker]

It's not just Colorado, at the union city Petco here in the Bay Area in Ca I recently saw a quarter sized blue tang with full blown velvet in a sales tank, it looked like he was dipped in sugar and swimming into the pump return, the other fish in the tank were glancing on the decorations as well. I almost bought it just to humanely euthanize it. I talked to the clerk and pointed out the situation and recommended they dose there whole SW system with Cupramine, they had it right there on the shelf. The kid said the "fish guy" was off that day and that he would tell him when he came in the next day. Ughhh!

Flip side of that coin- here in my home town of Alameda Ca, the Petco fish dept is one of the healthiest lfs I've seen, I complemented the clerk on their good practice. He was great full for the compliment and remarked they were lucky enough to have a couple of "real fish people" who run the systems as if they were their own.

The tank is only as good as the person behind it IMO

Another thought- I used to work at the Oakland Zoo as a gardener, whenever there was aconflict between profits and animal welfare the animals lost.

[nmotz]

Yeah I'm always amazed by how many people work at fish stores that know almost nothing about the animals they are keeping. I also avoid places like Petco so I don't have to see the god-awful stuff they have going on in there. Like anything else that makes people money, people don't seriously consider anything else but sales potential. Selling "Dory" or "Nemo" is the first priority, learning about their care is a distant second.

Ironically, businesses don't choose to accept that they would fare much better financially if they learned how to keep healthy fish in the first place. They'd have better reputations with experienced aquarists like many on this site, wouldn't lose as much money down the toilet, and would be acting more ethically in the process. Win-win-win.

[tri4god]

I agree. Going to Petco does not help one learn about fish at all. Are the fish treated before added to community tanks there?

[tkeracer619]

No, they aren't.

[Tripod1404]

This is probably an exception but one of the Petco stores in Spokane, WA that I regularly visit has one if the healthiest and most extensive fish stock in the city. They even have quarantine and hospital tanks with separate filtration systems (I was really surprised to see that in a Petco). The guy who is responsible for the saltwater tanks is a real reef enthusiast, so he keeps really good care of the fish and inverts. If Petco is really interested in going into this kind of business they should get people who know what they are doing...

[nmotz]

Originally Posted by Tripod1404

This is probably an exception but one of the Petco stores in Spokane, WA that I regularly visit has one if the healthiest and most extensive fish stock in the city. They even have quarantine and hospital tanks with separate filtration systems (I was really surprised to see that in a Petco). The guy who is responsible for the saltwater tanks is a real reef enthusiast, so he keeps really good care of the fish and inverts. If Petco is really interested in going into this kind of business they should get people who know what they are doing...

Every now and then I hear about local Petco's like the one you are talking about. Keeping fish commercially should be done only by those with specific qualifications in my opinion. I'll just say it like this: if I ever opened an LFS, I would make some kind of qualifying exam for hopeful employees. If they passed then they could get the job, if not they would be welcome to try again once they had learned the prerequisites.

But this is generally speaking not the way that Petco employees (or any minimum wage paid position for that matter) are selected. They just need someone to watch the fish department and find anyone they can. I'm sure it's easy for me to say, but it seems to be a much better idea to find people who actually care about what they are doing to maintain the fish department. That way more Petcos like yours in Spokane become the norm. Unfortunately, I just don't see that happening.

[reef thief]

I went to Pco for some vitamins for my son's panther chameleon today. They sell "frags" at this one. Frag rack tipped on it's side with standard T8 lighting in an open system to all of the cyano rocks they sell there. On the plus Banggais were on sale for 13$ juvies!

[atraperegrinus]

most petcos will threaten to fire any employees who try to take it upon themselves to set up QT's and hospital tanks in the back.

my buddy here at the local petco was told he had to remove the LED's over the coral tanks and put the shitty lights back over it because it was company policy, and he was told where the door was if he didnt like it.

[TauntingBeef]

My petco tries there best

[aznflyfisherman]

I dont think most lfs qt their fish either, i see it all the time they get it in and straight into the tank. Those small lfs cant afford to qt them imo, if they qt them and they die the loose money so i guess thats why most dont qt, they just want to sale them asap. Petco just dont care, if the fish dies, it dies. Just like thye sell corals and anemone all bleach and they just let it slowly die and wont even put them on sale to get rid of them.

[noob916]

Yea i agree. Same goes with live plants for aquarium. Their light isn't sufficient enough to keep them alive. They just slowly die off unless someone pick them up.

[Kjreiner1]

It is definitely not beneficial for Petco or LFS that don't have knowledgable staff to bring in saltwater species that require advanced care. My local Petco is now stocking corals and the corals don't look that good but they are putting fish in with them that are not reef safe.

[Sk8r]

The problem is not the company, but the hiring practices. They NEED somebody to manage the tanks: they HIRE the local who didn't understand that the blue water the specimens may be shipped in should not be poured into the tank. You cannot manufacture 10 years of reefing experience in an earnest teenager who says, I have fish tanks and you will not look for it as a manager if you don't understand the problem.

[dallen2233]

Petco is one of those places where I'll look at the fish, but I'd never buy one from their tanks. Al most all have ich or something worse after being in their tanks for a few days.

[ncaldwell]

I go there to see what I can buy cheap to nurse back to health. Just bought a purple tang with bad ich that is almost gone after some simple tank transfers for $50

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[MrDaniel]

I'm surprised Petco even carries salt water fish. It takes a lot of knowledge to care for so many different animal species. I doubt the people working there are properly trained or paid enough to understand what is required. It is exciting to see so much progress in fish breeding, hopefully that trend will continue.

[ncaldwell]

I'm surprised too, it's their biggest loss of revenue with how poorly they take care of them

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[nate16]

My local petco is a disaster. Ich everywhere. Would never buy out of those tanks and it makes me sad just looking at their creatures.

[GTR]

The corporation has operating procedures in place, the stores just need to follow them.

[lespaul339]

I did something I never said I would do. I bought a fish from Petco a couple weeks back. I was surprised to see the quality of the tanks and fish health had gone up since last time I had been there. It's either that or they just got some new fish in and that's why everything was looking better since disease hadn't set in yet.

Anyways, I bought a coral beauty angel. Just couldn't let the pretty fish meet it's doom there. Plus, it was only 30 bucks. I really liked the color of it and it was fat and healthy and eating. It definitely came with ich, but I get fish with ich from pretty much every vendor now. Whether I order online or buy locally it seems all fish are infected now days.

The coral beauty is almost on it's last tank transfer and now shows no signs of ich. She's gone through a couple rounds of prazi, and a formalin dip. After a month of observation she is going in my display if all goes well.

[justindinh24]

I think it just depend on store manager who hired staffs. I have no issue with my local petco. I bought all fishes from them all time ( purple yellow safin tangs and flame angle).

[RobZilla04]

I haven't had a problem with anything I've purchased from my local Petco in St Augustine FL. I know they take delivery of new stock on Tuesdays so typically I'll wait until the end of the week to purchase to ensure a healthy live animal.