Petco

[tgriffin]

I tried to use the search function, but wasn't able to get it to work for me. I know this has been asked but I couldn't find it. I am wondering about buying fish from Petco. I was told by a friend not to do this. Anyone have any input.

Thanks

[Flightpipe]

You have a true friend.

[WaterKeeper]

I haven't heard any horror stories about their livestock, just their advise. At some stores they seem to sell a customer about a half dozen fish, not all especially compatible, to place in a tank they sold less than a week before.

[alphaferret]

i notice alot of dead fish in there tanks-which means they do not have much luck w/ new fish coming in and they don't even have the brains to keep an eye out for such losses and pull them out. Causing the water they have to be in even worse shape. i guess if you have experience you could get lucky. Pick the exact fish you want ands make sure they give it to you.

I would search for a new store to buty fish from and leave petco for other non living items

just my .02 cents

[mstrpoz]

I would say stay away from petco fish with personal experience, their prices are very attractive which is what got me to purchase their fish. But within a week they were all infected with ick and dying. The only way i would now get fish from there is if they are still in the bags they are delivered in (but i would probably still steer clear).

[inovrmyhd]

They opened a store close to me about 4-6 months ago. They must have someone at least somewhat competent working there because their fish always look pretty good. I've learned though that you need to know what you are looking at and what you want because the sales people have no idea. I had one label a $7 purchase as something that was $45 and had to get the manager in order to get charged the right amount.

[Psychographic]

Depends on the store and their staff, not all are evil.

[Alexander180]

I would advise against it. If you decide to be absolutely sure you QT that fish. there is no way i would just cut it loose in my tank.

[WaterKeeper]

+1 on that Alexander. QT any fish no matter where it is purchased.

[YE||0W TA|\|G]

I agree no fish from pet co, although I broke the rule last year but it was to save a flame angel from being put into a small tank. I went to pick up something not intending to buy a fish and they must have got a order in and i saw this flame still bagged. So i snatched it before it would have died. It turned out to be a beautiful fish but only this past week he decided only to start to eat my corals... thought I got lucky with a flame.. Gave him to my LFS for a better home that would suit him well.. just not in my reef..

thats my story

[iFisch]

The one a few miles away from me has beautiful SW tanks, and the fish look fantastic.

A majority of the SW fish are tank-bred. But since loosing my "wild" Ocellaris, I'm going for a ORA extreme misbar as a replacement.


Let's put it this way, I wouldn't feel bad if this was my only option to purchase fish. Thankfully, in Orlando, I have the option of about 8 SOLID LFS's to choose from within 20 miles.

[Ohiomom]

The one by me ALWAYS has at least one tank/fish with ich. Thinking they use a central filtration system, so I don't purchase anything from them even though prices are good..

[killarsox]

I bought a few from there and they were fine, however I also bought some Clownfish there that brought a clownfish disease into my tank a while back and killed most of my fish.

[WaterKeeper]

Back to what Alexander said, "Did you QT the fish or just place them in the display?"

[KarlBob]

There have been a variety of threads on RC over the years about PetCo. Some of the most interesting threads have had input from PetCo employees and managers. There have even been petition drives intended to force PetCo to stop carrying saltwater fish.

My suggestion is to check out your local LFS, then talk to the saltwater specialist at your local PetCo. Go with the people who seem more competent, but WK is right, quarantine is the safest way to add anything to your tank.

[VacavilleFC3S]

i work for said company, my aquatics department is ran by 4-5 girls who have absolutely no real experience with saltwater, i'm the stores main cashier with basically no hope of being moved back there. 2-4 times a week 1 of them has to come and get me off the registers so i can go back and explain to a customer how a protein skimmer or sump works, or what an overflow is, or what equipment they'd need.

now the quality of fish themselves is excellent, our clownfish come directly from ORA, we have triggers,cardinals,groupers,filefish, a few types of eels, a larger invert selection than most privately owned LFS,

but none of that really matters when i come to work on a wednesday and notice all the peppermint shrimp are white and dead upside down, the zoas are all closed bubble coral are totally receeded, softies are melting, and nobody has a clue that anything is even wrong, i check the salinity.............1.009...
one of the girls was gravel vacuuming and filling the sump with freshwater at the same time, got side tracked and killed about $300 worth of inverts and she all she got was a little write up, which it takes 11 of those to be fired.

probably alittle more than you guys wanted to here but it felt good to vent lol

[WaterKeeper]

No problem with being open about it. I think that it is well known with the RC population that many of their the sales people are ill trained. They don't seem to have any knowledge to care for the fish in the store and therefore sell, otherwise good, but mistreated livestock. How about directing them to to reefcentral where the friendly old Waterkeeper-

Can INSTRUCT their Newbie Petco Butts!!!

[KDDG]

Oh, Petco. They have the saddest fish I have ever seen. I have heard of people having nicer stores in their area, but ours around here seem terrible. I QT, but would still not buy them, regardless of price.

[WaterKeeper]

We hear you Kelly but I think that is what Vaca was trying to say. The livestock comes from good sources it is just that it is not maintained well while in the store's care.

[Delr3]

I would have to get a feel for the people working the store before I purchased anything there. At the Petco locally where I live in Idaho there is a guy who has been doing salt water for years and moved to the area and ended up at Petco. I've asked him questions and he knew all the right answer, I seen things in there tanks for week and they all seem to be doing fine each time I go in there. I buy 95 percent of my stuff from a LFS because I like to support small business around the area not large chain stores. The lives stock that I have purchased from Petco all have done well and are still alive. Not all are bad, just as not all LFS are good.

[VacavilleFC3S]

i've tried but they have no interest in actually learning about it, they tried to tell me last month a swing of .005 in the salinity is perfectly normal, i told them it's only normal because you have no F*clue what your doing.


the biggest complaint i have with petco is the fact that my store has had a huge outbreak of aceola flatworms in our invert coral tanks for the last 6 months and because petco does not sell salifert flatworm exit i cannot get permission to use it from corporate

[iFisch]

Originally posted by Delr3
I would have to get a feel for the people working the store before I purchased anything there. At the Petco locally where I live in Idaho there is a guy who has been doing salt water for years and moved to the area and ended up at Petco. I've asked him questions and he knew all the right answer, I seen things in there tanks for week and they all seem to be doing fine each time I go in there. I buy 95 percent of my stuff from a LFS because I like to support small business around the area not large chain stores. The lives stock that I have purchased from Petco all have done well and are still alive. Not all are bad, just as not all LFS are good.

Heck, even finding a "good" LFS for many is hard. As most are out there to make a quick buck. And don't care about the "END" result.

Luckily, where I live, I have the ability to select from numerous stores, and a few are sponsors here on RC. Others are so well known, people from out of state drive down to pick up coral or extremely rare fish.


Like I said, the two Petco's by me, have limited SW selection, but have quality SW fish. No corals or inverts. 95% tank bred selection, which is nice. But I am one for "odd" bared clownfish and rarer fish normally stocked at stores like liveaquaria.com.

[PRDubois]

You can get some really good deals but you need to QT any fish and dip any corals.