Petco Frag Tank

[AC2020x]

So the very beginning of my fresh and saltwater aquarium experience began at Petco.. Once I got into saltwater a bit more.. it didn't take long before I realized I no longer wanted to support petco in anyway. So my purchases have come from online and 2.5 hour trips to the nearest decent aquarium store. Everytime I've gone into Petco i've always seen their saltwater section in terrible shape. Fish with Ick, huge fish hiding in small tanks, and just unattractive fish that didn't look healthy or happy.

I have been out of the hobby for about a year since my current realtor does not allow aquariums. But I'm going to moving soon and setting up a 29g +29g sump system.

I went into petco today just because i'm getting excited about my new tank, not expecting to find anything good. To my surprise, the fish actually looks alright, not great... but not bad from what I've seen before.

Then more surprisingly, I can across a rimless frag tank, lit by T5's with dozens of coral frags. They were moderately priced and they all looked quite healthy and happy. Although I swore to myself I'd never support petco after what I've seen before, its going to be difficult to keep away from a frag tank only a mile away from my new apartment. Maybe they got some new staff with some saltwater experience?

Has anyone elses petco recently expanded their saltwater section into having a separate frag tank that looks good?
Thoughts?

 

[Travis55]

I was in petco the other day and they had cleared out ALL saltwater fish and was told they were redoing all the sw stuff. I havent been back but its to my understanding that all petcos should be undergoing new renovations.

 

[nanshaw2001]

Glad to hear it! Pretty much all I have to chosse from here!

 

[jammoye2]

I am guessing it is on a store by store basis. The Petco near me had decent saltwater fish a few years back....then they moved and the saltwater section went to hell. My guess would be you have a hobbyist who is working in or running the fish section. Lucky for you!

 

[EricSIny]

It appears that some petco locations have slowly been shaping up their saltwater section since they recently teamed up with ATM (tanked)

They still have a long way to go before they earn my business, but atleast it seems to be a step in the right direction.

 

[ken55]

I shop at Petco. (I also have parakeets, which the LFS can't help me with at all). I buy supplies such as carbon, frozen food, etc. there. It's the identical product and always 5-6 bucks cheaper than the LFS.

Ever since I started to know and recognize what I'm looking at I have been less than impressed with the actual livestock. However, if they were to shape up and get their act together I would certainly be open to the idea of live purchases.

 

[wildman926]

If the livestock looks decent, get a quarantine tank set up, and save them from Petco. You will be doing the livestock a huge favor.

 

[bskiba]

In San Diego a few of the stores have the upgraded SW setup. I still dont think it is the best but it is probably better than some LFS in most towns. It is the right direction and the fish are priced right but I still wouldn't but anything other than occelaris clowns or something simply. And I would but them first from a store that I trust prior to petco.

 

[Travis55]

Ive also heard that they are putting much more intelligent people in charge of the sw departments. Schooling is needed to hold the job.

 

[secrest]

The Petco closest to me seems to be stepping up their sw department as well. It was in terrible shape before, so they still have a long way to go. Not sure if I'd buy any livestock from them, but it's nice to see them making an effort.

 

[AC2020x]

I'm glad to hear of all the improvements going on with Petcos around the nation! .. yeah it seems like a hobbiest is definitely in charge of at least the frag tank.. It looks very well set up and maintained.. I will need to further inquire about it.. Possibly it is brand new and thats why it looks good and the corals are still doing well... I just hope there not using petco salt with it!!

 

[pop0tart]

You're about 45 minutes from Coral Reef keepers in Duncansville. Take the 22 exit off i99, then then take the 764 north exit to municiple drive. It's behind Sheetz. Also, what types of frags and at what prices?

 

[AC2020x]

Wow, I can't believe I never knew about that place.. looking at their website it looks really good and awesome! I'll definitely have to check them out! Thanks!

I honestly didn't have much time to look at it but from what I saw the frag tank at petco had some acros, ricordia, green digitata, zoas and certainly some other stuff.. I'm going to stop back in sometime later this week when I have more time... They all looked pretty healthy too.

I really like the ideas of coral reef keepers though and think they might be getting my business... I'm pretty new to corals and don't know too much about different types of corals.. but from the website they seem well educated and are also very into aquaculture. I have no idea where petco is getting their stuff... So i'll def. have to check it out!

 

[Hwang]

I remember scratching my head when I saw ATM building a tank for PETCO. I would think Petco, as one of the biggest pet stores in the nation, would be able to build a tank by itself.

 

[pop0tart]

Glad to help and tell them Doug Sent you. I am very glad to have a reef store in my backyard. I used to have to go to Pittsburgh. Skip the Altoona Petco, btw.

 

[AC2020x]

Glad to help and tell them Doug Sent you. I am very glad to have a reef store in my backyard. I used to have to go to Pittsburgh. Skip the Altoona Petco, btw.

Yeah, will do.. I don't have a tank set up currently but as soon as I move into my new place next month I'm setting it up. I'll be sure to take a trip up there.. maybe even before I setup my new tank.

When you say Pittsburgh, did you go to wet pets and friends? Cause I've been there a few times and its a really nice place!

 

[moshi1ry]

I have heard the show tanked is teaming up with petco. I think? Maybe this is why i had read a different thread on RC saying how we should see big improvements in petco SW section. Just think a petco with frag tanks what a dream for some of us. Like you i have to drive quite a ways to get any kind of good SW stuff.

 

[MAVX]

My guess would be you have a hobbyist who is working in or running the fish section. Lucky for you!

Luckily, someone I know (<-------) took over the aquatic section of the local PETCO.

PETCO is a great company, it just takes a person who actually cares and knows about the hobby to upkeep and maintain quality life for fish.

 

[ken55]

Luckily, someone I know (<-------) took over the aquatic section of the local PETCO.

PETCO is a great company, it just takes a person who actually cares and knows about the hobby to upkeep and maintain quality life for fish.

This is by no means a swing at you or Petco. Just an observation and curiousity. Absolutely no offense is intended.

Fresh water tanks have their own set of maladies, problems, issues and all sorts of stuff that can go wrong. However, when I'm in any one of the four local (to me) Petco's the FW tanks always look nice. They are clean, the water is clear, I do occasionally see a dead fish (I do not count the feeder tank in this) but there must be a couple of hundred fish. Fish that are supposed to be active are in fact active. All in all, if I were there to purchase a FW fish there is nothing to make me think I shouldn't make the purchase.

I often wonder why the SW tanks look so rough. Sure it's a different ballgame but why such a drastic difference? It's not even nessecarily a more difficult ballgame, just a different one. Any notions on why it seems this way?

 

[EricSIny]

I often wonder why the SW tanks look so rough. Sure it's a different ballgame but why such a drastic difference? It's not even nessecarily a more difficult ballgame, just a different one. Any notions on why it seems this way?

Like you said, it's a different ball game.

Petco ties all their tanks into one system, one for FW and one for SW.

As we most know FW fish are not as sensitive to change as SW fish are. I did FW for years before salt and I never acclimated a fish other than a quick temp acclimate. We all know that's not the case with SW livestock, they require more TLC and patience which most of these employees don't have or just don't care about. Also of course diseases and parasites are much more easily treated in FW than SW. So what happens when petco gets a shipment of fish and 1 fish has a parasite or disease? Well since placed in tanks tied into a main system you just infected every single fish in there. I mean just think for a second on just how many parasites are introduced into that system with every addition of a sick fish and think just how many parasites are living in their sandbeds, you too would be pretty unhappy if contained in such an infected system.