Quote:
Originally posted by chrissreef
"who came up with that"
Some cheap SOB that doesn't want to buy salt =P
and someone that got ich in the 1980's
I took a gander at some of the photo shopped aquarium books at petsmart etc. that have pictures of equipment and methodologies used in the 70's and 80's like undergravel filters. One said specifically that salinity should be 1.018-1.021.
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Truthfully, there's a load of things going on at Petcos that range from just silly to neglectful in obvious corporate interest favored over sound animal husbandry when it comes to fish (I am not at liberty to speak of other animals at Petco since I do not feel I have enough experience in their husbandry and retail trade to feel any certainty or validity to my claims). It's a problem where, somewhere down the line, a corporate decision was made to place the restrictions of care and keeping, especially that of sick or injured animals, within strict guidelines. Stocking, feeding, and maintenance are, at many Petcos, determined by corporate regulations. Any hobbiest worth their salt (no pun intended) in aquatic husbandry- or really any animal keeper for that matter- knows that there is no precise answer to a situation, that there are factors involved in every incident and tank that can vary vastly.
To their defense, this is not to say that it is entirely Petco's fault. They are simply operating on what we, as hobbyists, consider to be downright ancient information, as well as the mindset that their tanks are not for permanent stocking situations, as do many LFSs in the country. Keeping salinity at a lower specific gravity to avoid parasites was much more commonly recommended in older literature. As opposed to an emphasis on protein skimmers and liverock, many older books point to large filters and uv sterilizers. To make matters worse, Petco is encouraged to continue in such practices by continued consumer support.
However, just like LFSs, you
CAN find Petcos staffed with wonderful, knowledgeable, caring individuals who do not support the care recommendations and regulations of corporate and take matters into their own hands, albeit in a sneaky manner.