Petco, where I dont go...Anymore!(img INTENSE)

[MAreefer1]

This is deffinatly not just a fish store, but a torture fishery, I visited two Petcos tonight in MA, and I was ASTONISHED! I found many VIOLATIONS of fish keeping, and when I questioned the staff, they were highly un-educated about salt water fish!

I asked some staff members a few questions ... supposobly trained to know all about fish, atleast thats what it said on there name tag,
_____________________________________________


Question: How often do you change the water In the salt water tanks?

Answer: " Iv worked here for 2 years, and I dont think we eva have changed the water."

Question(illigetimate, and just a test): How many yellow tangs can I Put in my ten gallon?

Answer: "I think 4 or 5 would look nice."( said with much enthusiasm):worried:

Question( you wont like the answer): Can I put this purple tang in my 30 gallon fresh water?

Answer: "shure why not, just as long its the only fish in the tank, I think."

Question: What kind of light do I need to grow these corals?

Answer: " Whats a coral?"
____________________________________________

Some Pretty SCARY pictures:



Can anyone give me an ID on this coral?
<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/9615/petcowheridontgo60065jo.jpg" border="0" width="389" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

These brown polyps were being kept under low low lighting!
<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/2687/petcowheridontgo60090re.jpg" border="0" width="389" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

Green Mushrooms

<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/9496/petcowheridontgo60107uc.jpg" border="0" width="389" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

TANG POLICE TANG POLICE HELP!!!
<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/4179/petcowheridontgo60174df.jpg" border="0" width="389" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

This is the other side of the tank above.
<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/6705/petcowheridontgo60184zx.jpg" border="0" width="389" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

These three fish were in the same 15 gallon tank TOGETHER!

The 3 in. Clown Trigger is WAY over Priced.

<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/3535/petcowheridontgo60211jz.jpg" border="0" width="389" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>
<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/9641/petcowheridontgo60292tz.jpg" border="0" width="389" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>
<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img422.imageshack.us/img422/5793/petcowheridontgo60306re.jpg" border="0" width="389" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>






LOOK AT THAT ANGEL IN THIS PICTURE: ITS A 5 INCHER!
<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img452.imageshack.us/img452/788/petcowheridontgo60172vg.jpg" border="0" width="389" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>





I know Im kind of ragging on Petco, but they def. should not be carrying those livestock in there stores when they obviously DO NOT
care about them the least bit. I took these pictures listening to the intercom announcmet:
"Here at Petco, We take great care in the health of our Pets"

Do you get my point yet, Does anyone have feedback or comments please feel free to leave any.

 

[lachrimae]

To be fair, I met one "fish guy" at PetCo that knew more about reefing than any of my LFS "specialists". I know that's not saying much but I was impressed that he recommeded not to purchase a Naso until it had sat there for another week or two while acclimating after the long trip in.

 

[Dubbin1]

Well most people know how bad Petco is but what are you trying to prove with the pictures? You see the same stuff in every other LFS as what you took pictures of. The prices you showed are right in line with what I see all the time at the LFS's.

 

[Amphiprion]

What can you do, eh? There is no real way to stop such an operation as long as the company continues to make money--whether it is at the expense of the hobbyist or not. Showing photos and complaining cant solve much, but never going there again (as in your thread title) will be the best course of action. This is not necessarily because they will lose business (as they will find a new customer as quickly as they lose one), but so you will not have to witness it again. But I agree, it is not a pretty sight and is distasteful to say the least.

 

[physicslord]

I'll say one thing for PETSMART, they sell the supplies but they don't sell any saltwater fish.

 

[Shawnts106]

To be fair, I met one "fish guy" at PetCo that knew more about reefing than any of my LFS "specialists".

Yeah, but that is rare and hard to find now "adays"...

These questions and answers are really hard to believe, geeze, unbelievable how uneducated people working for an establishment like that are!...

kinda like going to the doctor and asking what to do about a cough, and the doctor replys "whats a cough?"...
... ok, sorta!...

We will be having a petco built here in Oxford soon, and with 2 LFS only a mile or two down the ROAD!!!... I dont think the petco will hold up long at all...

 

[MAreefer1]

But the cruelty torwards the animals is horrible, and they are not healthy at all, do you see that at your LFS????????

I dont think so, there always well kept up, I have never bought from Petco and never will.

 

[CrazyLionfish]

I agree with Dubbin on this one. I have heard many many bad experiences of petco like what you're showing with your questions, but in the pictures I don't see any dead/sick fish and the prices aren't too bad, so not sure what you're trying to show from those either. The PetCo near me used to be ok, but is now horrible!! The fish used to look healthy their and I got an undulated trigger for $15 that has been doing great for 2+ years in my tank. But when I went their last week, not one fish looked healthy.

Did he really say you could put a purple tang in a 30 gallon freshwater? lol That seems too dumb to be true.

 

[MAreefer1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6367987#post6367987 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Shawnts106
Yeah, but that is rare and hard to find now "adays"...

These questions and answers are really hard to believe, geeze, unbelievable how uneducated people working for an establishment like that are!...

kinda like going to the doctor and asking what to do about a cough, and the doctor replys "whats a cough?"...
... ok, sorta!...

We will be having a petco built here in Oxford soon, and with 2 LFS only a mile or two down the ROAD!!!... I dont think the petco will hold up long at all...

These questions are true, I know they might seem unbeivable, but its the sad truth.

 

[CrazyLionfish]

Sorry by the time I typed that.. I think.. I see you've added captions for the pictures which helps. I think that first coral is a very sick looking bubble coral, not sure. I now understand the pictures except the last one, they could have sold that angel before you got there.

 

[MAreefer1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6368003#post6368003 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CrazyLionfish
I agree with Dubbin on this one. I have heard many many bad experiences of petco like what you're showing with your questions, but in the pictures I don't see any dead/sick fish and the prices aren't too bad, so not sure what you're trying to show from those either. The PetCo near me used to be ok, but is now horrible!! The fish used to look healthy their and I got an undulated trigger for $15 that has been doing great for 2+ years in my tank. But when I went their last week, not one fish looked healthy.

Did he really say you could put a purple tang in a 30 gallon freshwater? lol That seems too dumb to be true.

UNFORTUNATLY yes it was true... she was so uneducated to be working in the fish department, maybe she should be working with the squeeky toys for dogs...:rolleye1:

 

[MAreefer1]

no Im sayin that the Angel is in the middle of the tank under the fake coral thingy, in the tank with the 6 or seven yellow tangs, 2 miger triggers, and a pink tailed trigger.

 

[CrazyLionfish]

Sorry my mistake, I see it now.

 

[Saltz Creep]

I once saw a yellow tang at Petco with no eyes whatsoever and the body was totally skin and bone. Rather than just putting the animal out of it's misery or giving it away, they were trying to make a buck off of it by selling it at a reduced price. That's just sick.

 

[MAreefer1]

Wow... Ya I seen something like that before, but with percula clowns, there were 4 DEAD clowns floating around the tank, eyeless, and almost totally white, and to top it off, being eatin buy 9 or 10 other clowns in the tank!

 

[Worldwithin]

There is a LFS near me that makes Petco look like the best fish store in the world.... No pictures available, but just imagine a7 - 8 inch emperor angel in a 10 x 10 cube. The tank was the length of the wall, but divided up into many smaller areas to keep the fish away from each other. This poor guy had just enough room to turn around, and that was it. Top that off with over medicated water (basically yellow water), and you have yourself a LFS that has no concern for its livestock. If it were not for the fact that I am unable to house that poor little guy, I would have taken it home to give it a real home, not just a friggen box to live in.

I wish there was somewhere that one could go to and complain about the conditions that some of these stores provide for these fish. I would comment to the owner, but I have a feeling that they really don't care. (I won't get into details as to avoid offending anyone). The only option that I can come up with is to inform local reefers to avoid the shop and spread the word.

I just about get sick when I go in there to see if there is anything I can save from them.

:fish1::hammer:

 

[tdman3627]

Hey i work at a petco in gainesville FL, i got hired there because i know a lot about fish. Our department is way better looking than the pics you posted above. Most of the time with the fish overcrowding is because of some retard up in the corporate office. I have almost been fired three times by a big wiq from getting in there face about the pushes of fish they send us. As far as prices go we are cheaper than any of the lfs's in gainesville, and our fish are all healthy. We dont have any corals in our tanks because i wont let our manager order them or ill quit lol. They pretty much let me call all the shots. I would take pics but we arent allowed and i dont know how you got those pics lol they are supposed to stop you so you dont go make a petco sucks website. Anyways thought I would share a little bit, not sure if it helped.
Ryan

 

[rizkeeper]

petco can be bad, but I don't see much wrong with those pics...other than the brown GSP....

No LFS is going to put 3 small yellow tangs in a 200g tank.....it's product in and producto out at all LFS, petco or not....

I've seen way way worse at Petco and other LFS....

 

[MAreefer1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6368302#post6368302 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tdman3627
Hey i work at a petco in gainesville FL, i got hired there because i know a lot about fish. Our department is way better looking than the pics you posted above. Most of the time with the fish overcrowding is because of some retard up in the corporate office. I have almost been fired three times by a big wiq from getting in there face about the pushes of fish they send us. As far as prices go we are cheaper than any of the lfs's in gainesville, and our fish are all healthy. We dont have any corals in our tanks because i wont let our manager order them or ill quit lol. They pretty much let me call all the shots. I would take pics but we arent allowed and i dont know how you got those pics lol they are supposed to stop you so you dont go make a petco sucks website. Anyways thought I would share a little bit, not sure if it helped.
Ryan

How can we get more people like you up north?

 

[rizkeeper]

petco can be bad, but I don't see much wrong with those pics...other than the brown GSP....

No LFS is going to put 3 small yellow tangs in a 200g tank.....it's product in and producto out at all LFS, petco or not....

I've seen way way worse at Petco and other LFS....

I don't think your interview summary is too accurate...very hard to believe