Aaah! Petco's aquatics is horrible!

[DopeCantWin]

Originally Posted by nuxx

Yeah that's pretty bad

Even bothers me when I got to a LFS and 3 employees are sitting around talking to each other and there are dead fish in their tanks...

I had the same issue with an LFS here. Every time I'd go, they would have some super cramped fish, lots of dead fish, but great prices. So once in a while I'd make the mistake and pull the trigger. Still have one of the fish even, around 4 year old Candy Hog. So they moved, and I went to check out the new location. It was even worse, more dead fish, and the live ones in even worse condition. But now it was overpriced as well. I was lied to over the phone, and when I tried to get a manager, apparently he was too busy. So I went ahead and wrote a pretty scathing review online, talking about my experience and what I saw. It ended up with the manager contacting me by phone a world of ****ed off. Saying things like why I don't call out other stores with dead fish and poor conditions. I explained that other stores in the area didn't have dead fish and poor conditions. Finally he asked me what I wanted, apparently he though I wanted a deal or a bribe or something. He was very confused when I told him I didn't want anything, I had already gotten the Blue Tang I wanted from another store and wouldn't be coming back. Still have the little guy from around 2.5 years ago. For fun, I found the review

"I wanted to share my experience with this store today. They've opened in the new location, on the bright side your feet won't get wet anymore. I called ahead and asked if they had any Blue Tangs. I was told the tiny were 34 and the small were 40ish. So I went on the trip all excited. When I got there, as usual, there were a ton of dead fish in the tanks, at various states of decomposing. The tiny Blue Tang I was going to get had red spots all over him and was about to die. They had one just slightly larger, we're talking 1/4", and I was told $60. This was the most I've ever seen for a Blue Tang that small. In the other location their prices were always great. So I asked to speak to a manager. The manager said he couldn't talk to me because he had to get to a meeting, but would call me if I left my number, which I did. Upon closer inspection, you can see most of their fish are sick. I saw Ich and bites on the Moorish Idol. Bacterial infections on a bunch of other fish, most of which look severely underfed."

[FinzAquatics]

Originally Posted by andrek787

Does anybody where does petco get their fish from?

CIS Tropical Fish International
Sustainable Aquatics
Quality Marine
Seagrest
ORA

Same places as most local fish shops

[BuzzPion]

On another thread someone is thinking about opening a LFS and I was harangued by some for suggesting that we should not shop at stores with diseased livestock and dirty tanks. Seems some think that it is impossible for a LFS to maintain clean tanks and healthy animals and that I was being unreasonable for event suggesting that they should.

[DopeCantWin]

Originally Posted by BuzzPion

On another thread someone is thinking about opening a LFS and I was harangued by some for suggesting that we should not shop at stores with diseased livestock and dirty tanks. Seems some think that it is impossible for a LFS to maintain clean tanks and healthy animals and that I was being unreasonable for event suggesting that they should.

Absolutely not true. I've seen several LFSs that have had fish always in good shape. One that I've been visiting for around a decade.

[jminick2]

well that was depressing

[nuxx]

Originally Posted by jminick2

well that was depressing

My wife wants to "rescue" fish any time we're every at Petco.

[BuzzPion]

Originally Posted by DopeCantWin

Absolutely not true. I've seen several LFSs that have had fish always in good shape. One that I've been visiting for around a decade.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...7#post23874027

[Genera]

Originally Posted by andrek787

Does anybody where does petco get their fish from? My first and final fish purchase at petco was a stripped butterfly that just arrived and was still in the shipping bag. I wasn't able to get him to eat anything and he didn't last more then a week.

I don't really get how the fish distributor can keep the fish alive without them eating any prepared food.

They don't. They sell them to you whether eating or not. Unless they specifically show you the fish eating. What kind of 'striped' butterflyfish is it, because I know of many butterflyfish with stripes, and I don't know of a specific species called the Striped Butterflyfish?

Originally Posted by SoloChromis

The tang had been hit by a *boat rudder*???

I meant propeller or whatever the spinning thing is that makes the boat go forward lol. I don't do vehicles. But it did indeed get struck with a boat part, kind of like the sea turtles and manatees, except it was a fish.

Originally Posted by GilliganReef

Which Petco where you in? Burnsville, Minnetonka, or Maple grove? I know when I go inside any petco, I wish I had the money and tanks to save most of the fish.

The Petco in Maple Grove, MN. In the shopping center. Same with me, but if you bought all the fish, they will fill up the tanks with more fish, potentially causing more suffering.

[stravo71]

See thays the thing. In my area of Pennsylvania I have three petco within 30 min of each other. Two of them their salt selection is horrible and not taken care of. Nobody knowledgeable there working ever. Always have to google my own questions. But the petco in Harrisburg pa is amazing they are considered a magnet store. Get whatever you want and the staff is awesome. Have always had a great experience in that store. I just got a blonde naso today. And I absolutely love it. Their coral selection is amazing too and a lot cheaper than most of the other places around.

[GilliganReef]

Originally Posted by Genera

They don't. They sell them to you whether eating or not. Unless they specifically show you the fish eating. What kind of 'striped' butterflyfish is it, because I know of many butterflyfish with stripes, and I don't know of a specific species called the Striped Butterflyfish?


I meant propeller or whatever the spinning thing is that makes the boat go forward lol. I don't do vehicles. But it did indeed get struck with a boat part, kind of like the sea turtles and manatees, except it was a fish.



The Petco in Maple Grove, MN. In the shopping center. Same with me, but if you bought all the fish, they will fill up the tanks with more fish, potentially causing more suffering.

Last time I was in the MG one I bought hermits and asked for extra shells. The lady said she would have to charge per crab for extra shells. Lol I said fine just give me my hermits. Lol

[joshky]

Originally Posted by BuzzPion

On another thread someone is thinking about opening a LFS and I was harangued by some for suggesting that we should not shop at stores with diseased livestock and dirty tanks. Seems some think that it is impossible for a LFS to maintain clean tanks and healthy animals and that I was being unreasonable for event suggesting that they should.

I'm sorry but you were saying that all fish AND corals have to be 100% pest/parasite free. No LFS is that thorough that I know of. A lot of LFS's run a low amount of copper to make their fish look and feel healthier, but problems will present themselves outside of the holding tanks if you do not QT as that is only a band-aid. We should all get in the habit of QTing our own livestock, period.

I was not saying that their tanks shouldn't be clean, of course they should be clean. I just think it's unrealistic to think all livestock should be QT'd for AEFW, red bugs, FWs, nuisance algae, flukes, brooklynella, ich, the list goes on and on and you would have to have a huge operation to handle such an endeavor and it would make prices much higher.

I imagine there might be a shop out there that strives for this ideal, but it's definitely not local to me. I'm sure wherever it is it's in a larger reefing community like LA.

[DopeCantWin]

Originally Posted by joshky

I'm sorry but you were saying that all fish AND corals have to be 100% pest/parasite free. No LFS is that thorough. A lot of LFS's run a low amount of copper to make their fish look and feel healthier, but problems will present themselves outside of the holding tanks if you do not QT as that is only a band-aid. We should all get in the habit of QTing our own livestock, period.

I was not saying that their tanks shouldn't be clean, of course they should be clean. I just think it's unrealistic to think all livestock should be QT'd for AEFW, red bugs, FWs, nuisance algae, flukes, brooklynella, ich, the list goes on and on and you would have to have a huge operation to handle such an endeavor and it would make prices much higher.

We use to have an LFS which would keep all new fish in a separate system. Monitoring them, etc. They also had a treatment system for the sick fish. Never saw a single dead or sick fish in their care. By far the best store I have ever seen, and they got a ton of my business. The entire community was very sad when they closed down.

[domination2580]

***....turn it in.....it's not worth letting the fish die...it's places like these that cause the issues with taking ocean fish from Hawaii. And the new tricky rules that they causing ....seriously research on who to get a hold of and turn them in and shut them down

[Genera]

Originally Posted by FinzAquatics

CIS Tropical Fish International
Sustainable Aquatics
Quality Marine
Seagrest
ORA

Same places as most local fish shops

I'm pretty sure most get their fish from the cheapest importer they can find. The Petcos with the truly knowledgeable employees, might order stuff from ORA, Sustainable Aquatics, Seagrest, Quality Marine, and etc.
Off topic- I got my beloved budgerigar, Lucky, from Petco, and I regret it after seeing and reading about the conditions he came from link, but feel good for saving him from the horrors. He came with an upper respiratory infection, and clipped wings. Now he is healthy, and is able to fly completely. A bird that can't fly is like a human that can't walk. It's their way of getting around. Poor things. Read the linked article for more about where he came from, it's pretty horrible.

[Bpb]

At this point if you're just now discovering petco is less than desirable with their fish keeping policy and execution, you're clearly new to the hobby. That's like starting a thread complaining about the fish keeping practices and staff knowledge at Walmart. Enter the store with appropriate expectations

[Paden]

I went into the petco last Wed in BrooklynPark.I really think it was the dirtiest tanks of death i ever seen!.I asked the kid who finaly came from the back just why the tanks looked so bad,andhe replied that he just hasn,t had time to clean the glass.Told him the substrate,plants and decorations could not of been cleaned in the last week to look like that.I spoke to the manager who was like don't ya know we clean the tanks on Tue.Yeah you could tell she was a burnout.This is the same store that had their saltwater fish taken away by corp cause they could NOT keep clowns,angels etc alive.
Paden

[acidblondie]

I've seen even worse things at some of the LFS's around here and some less than acceptable things at some of the premium shops. Just gotta watch what you're doing where ever you go. That said I got a 4 1/2 inch purple tang at petco for $120, looked fine when I got him and he's doing just fine now 8 months later

[thestreetzking]

I noticed petco now only sells through live aquaria online now, whats the chance thats where there getting there fish for the stores now? might be better but still if the employees suck i dont think it will matter

[Zerodeception0]

It varies from location to location is what I have seen. I go to one that is amazingly clean always. I managed to pick up a black clown (I think) hosting a condy. After about one month, still doing great. She is in my avatar. I have seen some places horrible in tank maintenance from saltwater to freshwater. Those animals don't deserve that but better.

[thestreetzking]

whats funny is my petcos selection of freshwater is amazing and everything is great, I have picked up many cichlids with wonderful results.

[CStrickland]

It's like they are factory-farming the stock. Except unlike with food animals none of us have the excuse that we can't afford to buy properly handled animals cause unlike eating, hobbies are optional. But it's harder to support ethical practices with shady sellers driving prices down.

I'm losing hope that the liveaquaria partnership is going to do any good

[Shawn O]

Originally Posted by moondoggy4

We have three real good Petco's all run by reefers from local clubs, the one close to me not, I was there on shipment day and they had three fish I wanted still in the bag I wanted to buy the three but they would not sell me the fish unless the were first put into their tanks then netted and put in a new bag, I said I would save them the trouble, give me the bag with the fish in it and they said that they were not allowed to.

Have them put the entire bag into the tank and then remove the bag with a net. Maybe their policy is to get them out of the shipping water into clean(er) water asap?

Originally Posted by thestreetzking

I noticed petco now only sells through live aquaria online now, whats the chance thats where there getting there fish for the stores now? might be better but still if the employees suck i dont think it will matter

Petco now owns LiveAquaria.

My local Petco, which just opened this spring, has a decent SW section. Nothing dead, no obvious illnesses, etc. The Coral/Anemone MARS unit went through a bad Cyano outbreak but has been good since. Their corals and nems don't look too good but the fish are all healthy looking, except for a pair of Zebra Barred dartfish, who look underfed. The fish may just look be healthy looking due to replacing them with new fish as soon as they get sickly looking, who knows?. A few of the employees there seem genuinely interested in the well being of the fish, at least for now...

[Genera]

Originally Posted by Bpb

At this point if you're just now discovering petco is less than desirable with their fish keeping policy and execution, you're clearly new to the hobby. That's like starting a thread complaining about the fish keeping practices and staff knowledge at Walmart. Enter the store with appropriate expectations

No I discovered this years ago. This is the first time I've been to a Petco in a few years other than $/gal sales, and I checked on their fish to see if the fish were in good health or not, in this case, the with were not healthy. Some of the Petcos I've been to, one of them in particular, is actually quite good at maintaining their aquatics. The problem is they already have disease and pests inside of it. So if they treated it and kept it that way, then that store could probably rival an LFS. The problem is the good employees don't work every day.

[Dkuhlmann]

Originally Posted by moondoggy4

We have three real good Petco's all run by reefers from local clubs, the one close to me not, I was there on shipment day and they had three fish I wanted still in the bag I wanted to buy the three but they would not sell me the fish unless the were first put into their tanks then netted and put in a new bag, I said I would save them the trouble, give me the bag with the fish in it and they said that they were not allowed to.

This past Tuesday I tried the same thing with a Royal Gramma, they just got two of them in and I wanted one of them. BUT only if I could have it in the shipping bag as it was. Nope they couldn't do that.

[SaltyDoug]

I just went to a BRAND NEW petco in shrewsbury ma. I found 4 dead damsels and a foxface who looked like his face was covered in a spider Web I had no idea what it was. I told the employee about all the dead fish but he didn't seem that concerned. All the tangs clearly had ich as well :/