*****: good or bad? ( i need lotsa opinions on this)

[alexandra]

hi guys
ya know, that ***** Purple Tang topic got me really interested: is this a nationwide problem? how many petcos practicing this? should something be done?
i need your honest opinion about how good/bad your local ***** is operating (SPECIFICALLY THE FISH DEPT.) and if you think this is a cause for action. meanwhile, i encourage you to send any complaints or concerns to customersatisfaction@*****.com .
ps--incase you have no idea what im talking about, this is about concerns about the handling and care of fish at ***** stores across the country; popular opinion is that the animals are mistreated and that there must be something done. for more information refer to the ***** Purple Tang Topic in this forum.
<img src="graemlins//confused.gif" border="0" alt="[confused]" />

 

[ebeckels]

I think that some *****'s are ok...some are terrible.

 

[spankr]

80% of *****'s have horrible conditions
15% of *****'s have ok conditions
5% of *****'s have good conditions
Saltwater Fish suffer more than the freshwater fish do, IMO.

 

[turbojoe]

As I have stated in the PURPLE TANG thread......I was formerly empoyed by that GIANT CORPORATE POOR EXCUSE of a pet shop.You can NOT get anything done around there......they EXPECT you too TAKE CARE of everything by yourself.....and you DO NOT have the TOOLS to do the job. Just today.....I was in the RICHARDSON TEXAS *****.....OMG...I watched this kid ACCLIMATING some anemones.....FLOAT DA BAGGY for 5 MINUTES and AWAY WE GO !!!!!!......POURED THEM along with shipping water RIGHT INTO THE TANKS!!!!!...OMG.....***** has WAY too MANY CHIEFS and NOT enough WARRIORS......THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN TRULY SEE HOW BAD THIS COMPANY IS .....IS TOO WORK FOR THEM....And I can tell you this..there are "SOME" VERY KNOWLEDGABLE AQUATICS PEEPS WORKING AT *****...ITS NOT THIER FAULT...ITS THE CORPORATE BS MENTALITY THAT IS THE ROOT OF HOW BAD *****>>>AKA DEATHCO IS.....

 

[adrian]

I have never been to a pet co., we do have a similar store in our area, a smarter store , and their animals are usually in pretty bad shape, but they dont carry SW. I'm of the opinion that most of these super stores operate in a similar manor in that they put money first, then customers, and then the animals they sell. They could care less if the kid they hired can acclimate a fish correctly, or whether or not a fish survies or not, they can always import more, and if they sell one fish they make up for the three dead fish. The only thing most people can do is not visit these stores, if you shop at a store that does not properly care for their animals, you are part of the problem, no pun intended As long as people continue buying animals from places like these, they will be selling fish, and sacrificing animals lives for profit and payroll. The store mentioned are not the only problem, there are tons of store that have similar practices that youve never heard of

 

[blackdog]

Interesting this thread was at the top of the board when I logged on tonight, because I just went to my local ***** today (Peabody, MA) and had quite a good conversation with the guy who must be the fish head, er, fish manager, there.
He was quite knowledgeable, obviously cared about the fish, and was familiar with many of the web resources, including this one. He even correctly guessed the company when I told him I planned to get aquacultured rock.
I didn't agree with some of his opinions -- he was quite cavalier about the possibility of copper in my tap water affecting my planned new reef. However, he was clearly a hobbyist and not som e buffoon stocking fish like he would heads of lettuce.
I'm no big fan of *****. I've been bitter ever since they bought out Just For Pets. And the guy did admit to the sin of using copper in some of their tanks. But the fish there appear healthy to my untrained eye. And the store stands behind their product -- even more so if they know you and you're not some random customer. They beat the hell out of my local independent specialty pet store.
Despite my anitpathy toward chain stores, I'd have to say Petcos probably vary widely depending on local management.
--Dave
p.s. Their fish stock arrives Wednesday mornings. I noticed the name of their source on the boxes last week, and then promptly forgot again. I'll see if I can catch it tomorrow.

 

[reefcrazy]

i lived in chicago and been on like 3 different petcos none off them are a good place to get fish from, every time i go in there i find 3 or 4 fish dead in there. the rest of them all have ick and some are swimming funny just waiting do die. i realy tink ***** should stop selling fish, not only that they keep anemones in no bulbs, all the grabel and decorations are full of algea and when you ask some one a question they don't know notting. one time i ask one of the workers there about the lighting requarements for a carpet and he told me that it will do fine with one no bulb and didn't need to feed it and these are places were new hobbys go to and don't know better. i will realy like to help out on having the store stop selling fish, but i don't know were to go to get some help.

 

[luke]

***** is evil!!! I don't doubt that there are knoledgeable workers there... but the livestock is gross. I have been to the two stores in Reno an many in the Bay Area, all of which had sick or dead livestock. All had the imfoumous purple tangs (everyone with ich). Most of the fish there are dieing of some parasite or another. What is amazing is they do run copper in those tanks and they still have problems!! They import anemones that are dieing, half jellied sarcophyton, and white christmas tree worm rocks (Porites is usually brown or other color ) I do think they should do what many big places do and just sell FW. It is far less finiky to poor conditions.
Luke

 

[cyn]

I have been to many ***** stores in the greater Houston area and all are a sad place to be a fish! Especially if you are a saltwater specimine. Most if not all of the SW fish have ich or some parasite. The tanks are usually filthy. The store staff usually know very little if anything about Saltwater. I only go to ***** to get parrot food, and then only if Walmart is out and the parrot is too. All and all, ***** is a dissapointing place to me.
cyn

 

[alexandra]

thanx for the feedback. Do you guys know of any organizations in the north east USA that could help me with this? i have been to every ***** in the state of NH and they are ALL TRASH. Something must be done!!
customersatisfaction@*****.com for complaints!
<img src="graemlins//yell.gif" border="0" alt="[yell]" /> <img src="graemlins//yell.gif" border="0" alt="[yell]" /> <img src="graemlins//yell.gif" border="0" alt="[yell]" />

 

[sinner's girl]

The ***** in shreveport is ok. They only have a few sw tanks. the fish looked ok. i didn't see any dead or dying. they had about 4 purple tangs for $125. I felt sorry for them in such small tanks, but there was only one tang per tank and nothing else. we bought two clowns from them. Both are alive and well. One we've had for 8mns. the other only a two weeks or so. I agree the personal knew nothing.
I've have never been to another ***** so i can't compare. But i would buy another clown from there if i wanted another one.

 

[namar the submariner]

Two weeks ago I was in the ***** in Ann Arbor Mi. They had the most beautiful orchid dottybacks crammed into small tanks so that they were ripping each other apart. It was a very sad and gruesome sight. Dead and sick fish were everywhere. I would not buy a thing from that comapany. <img src="graemlins//yell.gif" border="0" alt="[yell]" />

 

[blackdog]

Alexandra, do you have a local shop that you patronize? I'm on the North Shore in MA and haven't found anything yet. Another person who is in Andover I think was also looking for a local shop. She said Sea World in Salem NH couldn't be trusted.
You can e-mail me off list if you prefer blackdoggraphics@mediaone.net
Thanks,
Dave

 

[jakob4001]

well as was stated before, ***** is a business;concerned only w/ profits and NOT pet care; like it or not; we are mostly a dog/cat society and of course there are all sorts of agencies to aid in the protection of those animals;course, when was the last time you saw a fish rights activistathon...fish are reguarded most in part by society as food; look how most bettas are kept in petstores; fact is, IF ***** happens to have what I want/need at reasonable price, I will purchase it; usually have learned only to purchase a fish form there that I know has been there for at least a week or more;figuring if it can survive that long there, how much better it SHOULD be in my tank; I have yet to see a local ***** offer anemones here yet;was told that you could make special request though;not that I would do that, unless they held my fish before releasing it

 

[marty]

originally quoted by spankr
80% of *****'s have horrible conditions
15% of *****'s have ok conditions
5% of *****'s have good conditions
Saltwater Fish suffer more than the freshwater fish do, IMO.
<hr></blockquote>
Man, you must travel ALOT to be able to give these percentages. I must live in the 5-20% of the country that has the ok to good conditions. The local ***** is decent, not wonderful, but neither is the lfs store either. BTW, when did you come to Dallas to check these stores out?

 

[kumiko]

i know i've posted about this before, but i'll say it again..
i work at a corporate pet store, and the only reason we would ever have sick fish is because the place we order them from sends them like that. i guess it is essentially the store's fault for continuing to order from them (not mine, i don't get to order.) and it's not exactly easy to not have 9 tanks full of fish with ich (freshwater, not saltwater) when you have a marineland system where all the tanks use the same water. and once again...my store cares a lot about our animals, including the fish. my manager used to have his own independent pet shop, and has fish tanks himself. we spend more money on caring for our fish than we do on any other animals in the store, and in return we sell a lot more. so next time you go into a pet store consider the fact that it's not really their fault that fish come in sick. and don't judge the people working in the store unless you actually get to talk to them (that should go with any situation.)

 

[hawkfish]

Davenport, IA
***** is terrible . whenever i go in there to get salt i cant help but look at the swtanks. always, ALWAYS, at least 3 dead clownfish in the 5 clownfish tanks. Usually at least 5 other types of fish with at least 1 other dead tankmate, and almost all tanks are infected with some sort of disease/parasite. I have never been forced to watch the acclimations, thank God. Others are right ETCO IS EVIL

 

[iswimwithmyfish]

I've personally been to several Petcos...
My local one, I would say, is 'fair'. They have their fish and the majority of them live, but if they die, they don't remove the fish for a while and if a fish is sick, they ignore it. I can see they actually attempt to put an effor into their marine fish.
One of the other ones I went to was absolutely terrible. They had a saltwater section, but no saltwater fish! Instead everything was growing the nasty brown algae... and ALOT of it. The purple barnacles you could buy (if u know what i'm talking about) had aprroximately 6 inches of that algae growing on it! It was horrendous! Luckily, in my opinion for my Local *****, i have a stupid yet entertaining theory...
"ANY FISH THAT MANAGES TO SURVIVE AT ***** FOR 3 WEEKS OR LONGER, IS CLASSIFIED AS A 'HARDY' SPECIES TO ME"

 

[jakob4001]

yep, that should be true w/ each situation kumiko; but guess the difference is that national chains make it easier to stereotype and make a more easier target than various specialty LFS; to tell the truth, it's amazing how incredibly cruel the pet trade in general actually is

 

[mlm]

The one that is close to New Orleans has tanks in which there main goal is to culture ich. They put some fish in there about once a week so they can grow more ich.