petco - Page 14

larac · 02/11/2013, 01:58 AM

The Petco we have has tanks that are surprisingly clean. I buy almost everything online but try to visit them occasionally, since it is good to have the option to get salt or something in an emergency without having to drive an hour. I just got some really nice zoo colonies at a great price so I will probably try and check out their coral more often.

The main problem I notice is the customers who refuse basic advice. I am amazed at the people who come in and expect to set up a saltwater tank with no research at all. I didn't even do that back when I had freshwater.

Last time I was there some young men asked me for advice, because someone had given them a tank, and apparently they just decided to come get some fish for it. So I'm explaining about salinity, filtration, and the need to cycle a tank, etc. They nod and say "Yes, but if we wanted to set it up tonight (with fish) what would we need?"

BTW, this was about 15 min. before they closed the store. So yes, more knowledgeable employees would be great, but sometimes you just can't fix stupid.

ggsteve · 02/11/2013, 08:21 AM

I was livestock manager for a Petco in the 90's. Nobody can compete with their prices on saltwater livestock, at least back then. They were ordering direct from the Red Sea and we couldn't keep purple tangs in stock because they were 1/4 the price of everywhere else. My selection was varied, we had the "bread and butter" fish, both fresh and salt, but I was able to get the unusual too, although I was more limited than when I did my own ordering from four different suppliers a week. I went back to that store for the first time in years last summer. Very depressing what has happened there, sterile, boring tanks and fish. Nothing interesting to see at all, and the folks in the fish dept. looked like they would have been just as excited to be selling sunglasses at the mall.

We have another Petco that was built closer with one very good, knowledgeable fish guy. Even one person like that makes all the difference in the world.

Foody · 02/12/2013, 10:13 PM

Any establishment is only as good as it's local management. Petco wouldn't be in business, especially for as long as it has, by being "bad" at what it does. If you find a local store doing something poorly, why not take some pictures with your cell phone and send them to their corporate office with some constructive feedback?

Fishfirst · 03/06/2013, 01:51 AM

LOL corporate does NOT care. I gave them constructive feedback all the time as an employee, and I was pulled into the managers office when I was LIED to by the RCAC and I happened to roll my eyes. She made up this fantasy where all Petco's policies were made by some genus in fish biology and they wrote a book called "fish are people too" well guess what... still waiting to find that on Amazon... These corporate thugs know one thing and one thing only... money... and the money is not in the fish department but is within the cat and dog supplies (at least that is their theory). Everyone who has a "good" petco (although I highly doubt it isn't an ich/oodinium/brook factory) is supporting the 10 other petcos that are killing 30-40% of what they bring in (this is when things get red flagged by corporate... I find anything above 15% irresponsible)

rvales · 03/06/2013, 06:04 AM

Not all Petco's are bad. I happen to live near one that have hobbyist that take care of the tanks and I never see anything dead in the tanks. They receive there deliveries on a Friday by the end of the weekend they are pretty much cleaned out. The fish that come in are in great shape. The water in the bags of fish that get delivered are treated I can tell by the color. It is blue. When the fish come in they turn the lights off in the tank and they also acclimate the fish. The fish have no nips on their fins and I have not seen any with disease. I have purchased many fish from them and knock on wood I have them to this day. I guess I have one that is an exception. Has anyone contacted the corporate office? if so, what did they say if anything?

HumbleFish · 03/06/2013, 10:03 AM

I'll never forget the first time I went into a Petco and saw their s/w section. The overhead lights were flickering, all the aquarium lights were off and there was water all over the floor. This kid (employee) was just standing in the middle of it all with a mop in his hand. Not mopping... just standing there. Every now and then the flickering light would reveal a scowl on his otherwise expressionless face. It was like something out of a horror film.

Down · 03/09/2013, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foody

Any establishment is only as good as it's local management. Petco wouldn't be in business, especially for as long as it has, by being "bad" at what it does. If you find a local store doing something poorly, why not take some pictures with your cell phone and send them to their corporate office with some constructive feedback?

Local management on any large chain store can make a huge difference but regardless of the industry, large corporations will never look good to passionate members of their hobby community.
"Bad" is a relative term. For instance, many on this board may find a 30% mortality rate bad and a 10% rate good. From a money perspective though, that 30% rate is only worse if the cost to get to 10% is less than the profit that 20% of fish could have generated.

Jodah · 03/09/2013, 11:44 PM

I just recently stopped by another local petco. it's even better than the one I usually frequent. Out of all the tanks, they only had 2 dead fish I could find. The anemones were open and not withering away in a corner. There weren't even any betta's lying at the bottom of the cups. It has since become my favorite place to shop for fish and supplies.

The local "mom n pop" fish store near me can't even remotely compare. Aptaisia on their live rock, dead fish all around. The overwhelming snootiness is absent as well.

I say good on them. Sadly, I know they are not the rule, that petco is the exception.

Apocrathia · 03/11/2013, 08:09 PM

I've actually had good luck with my local petco, they keep better care of their fish than my lfs. It's weird because I was sort of juxtaposed between buying from them or my lfs at first, but I got to talk to the main saltwater keeper in the store and realized they actually gave a s**t, which is more than I can say for my lfs... I've been happy with the fish I've gotten from there so far, but that's only one out of a million I'm sure. I can't imagine what some petcos are like.

03/06/2013, 01:51 AM	#329
Fishfirst Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 986	LOL corporate does NOT care. I gave them constructive feedback all the time as an employee, and I was pulled into the managers office when I was LIED to by the RCAC and I happened to roll my eyes. She made up this fantasy where all Petco's policies were made by some genus in fish biology and they wrote a book called "fish are people too" well guess what... still waiting to find that on Amazon... These corporate thugs know one thing and one thing only... money... and the money is not in the fish department but is within the cat and dog supplies (at least that is their theory). Everyone who has a "good" petco (although I highly doubt it isn't an ich/oodinium/brook factory) is supporting the 10 other petcos that are killing 30-40% of what they bring in (this is when things get red flagged by corporate... I find anything above 15% irresponsible) __________________ Proud member of the Tang Police Current Tank Info: Over 40,000 gallons of saltwater

03/09/2013, 11:44 PM	#333
Jodah Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: CT Posts: 136	I just recently stopped by another local petco. it's even better than the one I usually frequent. Out of all the tanks, they only had 2 dead fish I could find. The anemones were open and not withering away in a corner. There weren't even any betta's lying at the bottom of the cups. It has since become my favorite place to shop for fish and supplies. The local "mom n pop" fish store near me can't even remotely compare. Aptaisia on their live rock, dead fish all around. The overwhelming snootiness is absent as well. I say good on them. Sadly, I know they are not the rule, that petco is the exception. __________________ All tanks dry. :-(

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02/11/2013, 01:58 AM	#326
larac Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: MO Posts: 160	The Petco we have has tanks that are surprisingly clean. I buy almost everything online but try to visit them occasionally, since it is good to have the option to get salt or something in an emergency without having to drive an hour. I just got some really nice zoo colonies at a great price so I will probably try and check out their coral more often. The main problem I notice is the customers who refuse basic advice. I am amazed at the people who come in and expect to set up a saltwater tank with no research at all. I didn't even do that back when I had freshwater. Last time I was there some young men asked me for advice, because someone had given them a tank, and apparently they just decided to come get some fish for it. So I'm explaining about salinity, filtration, and the need to cycle a tank, etc. They nod and say "Yes, but if we wanted to set it up tonight (with fish) what would we need?" BTW, this was about 15 min. before they closed the store. So yes, more knowledgeable employees would be great, but sometimes you just can't fix stupid.

02/11/2013, 08:21 AM	#327
ggsteve Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: North Central MA Posts: 372	I was livestock manager for a Petco in the 90's. Nobody can compete with their prices on saltwater livestock, at least back then. They were ordering direct from the Red Sea and we couldn't keep purple tangs in stock because they were 1/4 the price of everywhere else. My selection was varied, we had the "bread and butter" fish, both fresh and salt, but I was able to get the unusual too, although I was more limited than when I did my own ordering from four different suppliers a week. I went back to that store for the first time in years last summer. Very depressing what has happened there, sterile, boring tanks and fish. Nothing interesting to see at all, and the folks in the fish dept. looked like they would have been just as excited to be selling sunglasses at the mall. We have another Petco that was built closer with one very good, knowledgeable fish guy. Even one person like that makes all the difference in the world.

02/12/2013, 10:13 PM	#328
Foody Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Bergen, NY Posts: 487	Any establishment is only as good as it's local management. Petco wouldn't be in business, especially for as long as it has, by being "bad" at what it does. If you find a local store doing something poorly, why not take some pictures with your cell phone and send them to their corporate office with some constructive feedback?

03/06/2013, 06:04 AM	#330
rvales Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Cherry Hill NJ Posts: 383	Not all Petco's are bad. I happen to live near one that have hobbyist that take care of the tanks and I never see anything dead in the tanks. They receive there deliveries on a Friday by the end of the weekend they are pretty much cleaned out. The fish that come in are in great shape. The water in the bags of fish that get delivered are treated I can tell by the color. It is blue. When the fish come in they turn the lights off in the tank and they also acclimate the fish. The fish have no nips on their fins and I have not seen any with disease. I have purchased many fish from them and knock on wood I have them to this day. I guess I have one that is an exception. Has anyone contacted the corporate office? if so, what did they say if anything?

03/06/2013, 10:03 AM	#331
HumbleFish Moved On Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 4,757	I'll never forget the first time I went into a Petco and saw their s/w section. The overhead lights were flickering, all the aquarium lights were off and there was water all over the floor. This kid (employee) was just standing in the middle of it all with a mop in his hand. Not mopping... just standing there. Every now and then the flickering light would reveal a scowl on his otherwise expressionless face. It was like something out of a horror film.

03/11/2013, 08:09 PM	#334
Apocrathia Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 30	I've actually had good luck with my local petco, they keep better care of their fish than my lfs. It's weird because I was sort of juxtaposed between buying from them or my lfs at first, but I got to talk to the main saltwater keeper in the store and realized they actually gave a s**t, which is more than I can say for my lfs... I've been happy with the fish I've gotten from there so far, but that's only one out of a million I'm sure. I can't imagine what some petcos are like.