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Unread 07/12/2006, 09:38 PM   #1
D-Rod
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Talking Petco fish...works for me.

I know some people bag on petco and how they keep there livestock, however the one that i shop at will special order livestock and NOT put it in there tanks they will call me and i pick them up that afternoon. they get the livestock the same places our local LFS get them, it's the same boxes that i've seen.

the only difference is the price.
Scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp 2" $ 12.99
6 line wrasse 1-1/2" $10.99
and some others always alot cheaper than LFS or online.

this is just to let you know for those who want to save some $
i don't know if they all can do special orders?

"THIS IS FOR INFO ONLY"

WE DON'T NEED TO READ ALL ABOUT "YOUR" HORROR STORIES AND HOW YOU WILL NEVER SHOP THERE...WE ALL HAVE HEARD THEM...


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Unread 07/12/2006, 09:47 PM   #2
N_Sarno
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Not a bad idea.. I have friends that work @ Petco.. my only concern would be that they may die after the stress of shipping etc.. and there is no guarantee @ petco... other then that.. pretty good idea because I'd never let a fish that touched their water into mine! lol


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Unread 07/12/2006, 09:51 PM   #3
mleinart
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Yeah I can believe this. My experience with most large chains in general is that you really have to judge store-by-store most of the time. While some (or the majority) of a store's chains may be badly managed, there are nearly always locations where the people _do_ care about their product and their customers and manage their store well.

I generally dislike petsmarts, but there's one near my house that I do go to. Their main fish guy has worked there as long as I've been keeping (freshwater) fish - about 11 years - and always has good advice and knows his stock well.


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Unread 07/12/2006, 09:57 PM   #4
PRESTO2345
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Petco ain't bad if you have someone working there.
The problem in my area is that they have a ich problem, and sometimes come in diseased. Then these fish as kept in the same tank as regular fish and so on and on.

Best thing I've been able to do is QT them for six months before I drop them into my show tank.


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Unread 07/12/2006, 10:35 PM   #5
joeycadre
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petco, just like walmart, is all about putting small locals out of business. if you want to do that and fill the pockets of ceo's a thousand miles away while hard working folks put their heart and souls into small locally owned shops, then by all means do it.


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Unread 07/12/2006, 10:35 PM   #6
Aquabucket
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The Petco corporation kills more livestock than you can imagine! By purchasing your livestock there you are supporting an unethical company just to save a few bucks.


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Unread 07/12/2006, 10:40 PM   #7
RichConley
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I actually have had much higher livestock survival rates from the Petco near me than any other place. That being said, its not just a few bucks. My solarensis cost me $19.99 at Petco. The LFS near me wanted $120.


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Unread 07/12/2006, 10:57 PM   #8
AZDesertRat
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I will second the sucess rate. Every fisn in my current 2.5 year old reef is from one particular Petco store and I have never lost a fish from there. The stores old location was just as good as I have a 14 year old Sebae anemone and had a Hippo Tang that was 13 when I sold my 90 G tank with inhabitants. I also had a Red Sea Purple Tang in that same tank that was 7 years old at that time.
It all depends on the store manager and their staff. Some are good but most leave a lot to be desired.


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Unread 07/12/2006, 11:00 PM   #9
Aquabucket
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Good for you! I can't even stock net collected Yellow tangs anymore because of Petco's low ball pricing. Some local Petco stores do an alright job with their livestock but as a corporation Petco is responsible for killing vast amounts of livestock. They purchase marine life in astounding quantities and treat living beings as a commodity.

I realize that many hobbyists don't have much in the way of alternative sources for livestock in certain areas and Petco may be their only choice. It still does not change the fact that as a corporation Petco is one of the most fined companies in the US in regard to animal cruelty.

Enjoy your savings! Maybe some of the cash you spent there helped off-set some of their fines.

What many hobbyists don't realize is Petco is ruthless when it comes to destroying mom and pop stores and the like. They will undercut prices and take losses to destroy any local competition.

It seems to be the American way these days.


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Unread 07/12/2006, 11:02 PM   #10
msuzuki126
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Well D-rod. I guess you're going to hear about all the horror stories anyway.


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Unread 07/12/2006, 11:20 PM   #11
Aquabucket
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Its called apathy. Most people don't care unless it effects them directly.

As an ethical LFS marine life coordinator I like to hear favorable results that hobbyists experience at certain localized Petco stores. I am a hobbyist first and have a high regard for living creatures. Its just a shame that a vast majority of Petco stores are poorly run. I don't enjoy raining on anyones parade but that will never stop me from trying to pursuade other hobbyists from supporting this corporation. Most fail to see the big picture.


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Unread 07/13/2006, 08:19 AM   #12
AZDesertRat
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Unfortunately in our quest for the best deal we as a society have created this monster. We are all accustomed to paying lower that what is considered retail price and getting that bargain. Things like mail order and later the internet have perpetuated it also. I like everyone else hate to see the mom and pop places go by the wayside but its almost impossible to stop at this point.


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Unread 07/13/2006, 08:45 AM   #13
RichConley
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Heres the deal:

If a fish was $20 at petco, and $30 at the LFS, I'd shop the LFS every time. Thats not what happens though.

Yellow Tangs are Net Caught at petco, and are $15 around me. THeyre most likely cyanide caught at the LFSs, and theyre $50+. In this case, buying from the LFS is not only more expensive, but it causes more fish to be cyanide caught, and more to die in transit.

Fairy wrasses are $20 at petco. Theyre $75-250 at my LFS. YWG? $12 at petco. $35 at the LFS. Petco has ORA clowns, my lFS has wild. Neon gobies are $7 at petco near me, the LFS, $28.

Its not a case of people "getting a bargain" its a case of the prices being on different orders of magnitude.

The last fish I bought from petco was a 4" Cirrhilabrus Cyanopleura for $22.99. A week later my LFS got a shipment in of them, and was selling them for $125-150 depending on size.

I'd love to do more LFS shopping, but I honestly can not AFFORD it.


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Unread 07/13/2006, 09:11 AM   #14
andyjd
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Mom & pop shops will never be able to compete with petco & walmart on price, they HAVE to compete on quality and service.

And that boys and girls is a FACT


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Unread 07/13/2006, 09:18 AM   #15
RichConley
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Quote:
Originally posted by andyjd
Mom & pop shops will never be able to compete with petco & walmart on price, they HAVE to compete on quality and service.

And that boys and girls is a FACT
Exactly, except the LFS near us says they can't afford to offer guarantees/hold fish,etc, which is why we dont shop there, which is why they can't afford it...


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Unread 07/13/2006, 09:24 AM   #16
Aquabucket
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Yellow tangs are not collected with cyanide. Sorry but you are missinformed here.

Don't get me wrong Rich I understand your dillema. I have even bought fish from Petco in the past. You are fortunate to have one of the better stores near you. For me its fustrating sometimes when I spend hours helping customers set-up their tanks properly and later learn that they purchased livestock from our local Petco. Then come in and ask me what to do about their ich infestations.

Nothing beats an ethical LFS that gives good advice and informs their customers of the special needs many of these creatures need to survive in captivity. The local Petco here will sell a Yellow Tang to anyone with-out even bothering to ask how its going to be taken care of.

I can't count how many customers come in with 20-30 gallon tanks housing Yellow Tangs and the like because the guy at Petco said it would do just fine. Then its up to me to inform them that they made a poor choice. Most customers do not react favorably to this and often walk out of the store. I hope you can understand my contempt for the Petco corporation as a whole.


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Unread 07/13/2006, 09:25 AM   #17
andyjd
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then you can probably wave bye bye to the LFS, not holding fish is just silly IMHO.

If they do close, will they blame petco for putting them out of bussines ? .... probably


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Unread 07/13/2006, 09:28 AM   #18
oldsaltman
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When you just need good advise where do you go then? The owner of a LFS or the kid who works parttime at PETCO? I know where I buy my fish!


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Unread 07/13/2006, 09:30 AM   #19
andyjd
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Quote:
Nothing beats an ethical LFS that gives good advice and informs their customers of the special needs many of these creatures need to survive in captivity.
Exactly... i'm happy to pay a little more at a LFS and get good advice
(i've got fish from LFS & Petco in my tank)

Not wishing to highjack this thread but:
Remember "Teenage Ninja turtels" and how huge they were, every kid wanted a turtle as a pet, then got bored of them and dumped them.

How long before this happens with Nemo & Dory?


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Unread 07/13/2006, 11:23 AM   #20
oldsaltman
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The only I read this post is because of the following:
I should have stated earlier that I have only been to PETCO two times. I was going to my LFS about a month ago and there is a new Petco two block away. I went in and looked around. That was my first time in one of their stores. They did have a nice clean store with lots of fish. I didn’t really price them but they looked healthy. Yesterday I went back to my LFS and decided to stop in Petco and get my dog some treats. I was really disappointed when I saw their fish. They are sick, diseased and not being taken care of. My fish are happy and healthy and it hurt me to see their fish in that condition. I don’t know if I can stand to go back!


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Unread 07/13/2006, 11:37 AM   #21
RichConley
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Quote:
Originally posted by ghughes57
When you just need good advise where do you go then? The owner of a LFS or the kid who works parttime at PETCO? I know where I buy my fish!
I go here, and to my local club, etc.

The advice, IME, from LFS in general, is like 1 step up from Petco. Most of them will tell you its fine to put a yellow tang in a 55, or that you need to have that big fancy $200 product that you have no need for. Theyre under economic pressure, they need to make sales.


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Unread 07/13/2006, 11:49 AM   #22
oldsaltman
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"from LFS in general, is like 1 step up from Petco"

Sorry, but if that were my LFS I would find a good one!


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Unread 07/13/2006, 11:54 AM   #23
RichConley
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Quote:
Originally posted by ghughes57
"from LFS in general, is like 1 step up from Petco"

Sorry, but if that were my LFS I would find a good one!
You can get great advice from LFS owners, etc, but the general employees in most LFS are worse than PetCo employees. Atleast the the petco kids will tell you they have no idea what you're talking about. The LFS kids usually have a small tank, have some xenia, and think they have can give you advice about keeping reasonably difficult fish.


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Unread 07/13/2006, 12:04 PM   #24
nodbugger
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To go to any fish store I need to make a 20 minute drive to Orland Park. Not very far away. There are three LFS there that I go to, then there is a Petco and a Petsmart. I get all the dry goods at Petsmart because it is very close and much cheaper than the LFs. One LFS has a nice selection of moderately priced corals, and a decent fish selection. Another has an excellent fish section, and over priced corals. The other I have gone in there, but haven't bought anything from there, they never have anything I want.

I have not been to Petco in a long time. I remember they had decent prices. Sometimes everything looked healthy, other times things looked horrible.

Petco doesn't have corals here and probably never will. When ever I go into the two better LFS there are always at least 10 or so other people in there looking as well. The only thing the chains really beat an LFS with is dry good prices.


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Unread 07/13/2006, 12:24 PM   #25
D-Rod
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You can try to blame big box stores for causing small independent
stores too close down! however, how many times do you into one and there are 1 or 2 customers there! why, there are way overpriced. stores that close down have more problems than a new store opening up, they have RENT, INSURANCE, WORKMANS COMP INSURANCE, UTILITIES, PAYROLL etc... and a POOR BUSINESS PLAN and the unwillingness to change untill it's too late. so any slight change in there stores business pushes them over when there already hanging by one finger...

i seen LFS's sell a tang or other fish that will grow larger to people who have small tanks. and they always hear the kid or mom say "Oh of course were eventually getting a bigger tank"
and here on RC it must happen 15 to 20 times a day that there is a message "can i keep this fish in my Nano or 20g" why "because he just got it from his local LFS" it happens EVEN IT THE BEST OF THEM! your ingorance not too see this BLINDS YOU.
so your better off keeping your hands off the keyboard.


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