Petsmart vs Petco......

[Ehydo]

I shop at both stores for things that I do not want to pay shipping at. The local Petco carries SW fish but Petsmart has better prices on salt and and other SW stuff.

[crzy4reefs]

at my store where i used to work at the manager of fish and reptiles we did cary a good selection of inverts......but it would be more trouble to run copper.

[Saltz Creep]

Petco Plumbing for the Invert Tank

[Ehydo]

It that petco plumbing that Petco has or is that petco plumbing that they sold you?

[Saltz Creep]

Just a joke. But seriously though, those people would do something like that because they are extremely unknowledgeable about marine aquaria.

[Ehydo]

How can you say that. Do you know the people personally? If you were a large corporation would you invest in training and equipment to keep your live stock alive? I think they would.

[Saltz Creep]

I say it from experience. They don't know many answers to my SW questions, and I've see dead fish in their tanks when I've been there.

[DgenR8]

None of the big chain stores are well known as a place to get good advice, quite the contrary if you ask people with some background in the hobby.
There are some chain stores that do employee people with a strong knowledge of the hobby.

[Ehydo]

I have been to the chain stores and seen the dead/dying fish. I have also talked to many of them about these issues. What I can tell from just asking questions is that when the majority of the fish look bad they just got a shipment. Most of the fish that they are getting in are sick when they get them. I think that we should be talking down the fish suppliers.

[comrade fishtgutz]

I worked for Petco for approximately 2 years and during this period I ran the reptile department at one store and after moving, I took over the aquatics department at another. First I would like to say that animal care at different stores is extremely dependent on upper management,(for how much time is alotted to perform animal care), as well as the direct care provider, (and yes, often it is just one person with loose supervision). Each district, usually comprised of 5-6 stores is run by a district manager whose primary concern is profit and appearance. He or she makes weekly to monthly visits and complains about dust, or tanks having smears on the glass,(I've seen a DM look at a 33 gallon tank with 10 3" koi and 30 2" goldfish with anchor worms and whine about the wrong color gravel). The other corporate figurehead is the regional coordinator of animal care, this is the person who approves special orders, monitors animal sales, and tells animal specialists which animals they are allowed. When I was an aquatics specialist with Petco, the rcac was Mike Burford. This idiot could not identify a clown trigger if it bit him in the arse. He once told me that during the summer we shouldn't even stock saltwater fish, we should only carry koi,(in our 22,33,and 66g tanks with only cheap powerheads for water circulation), because saltwater hobbyists aren't concerned with their tanks in the summer because they focus on ponds. This is the man who wouldn't allow me to continue to order smaller species of triggers, damsels, dottybacks and lions (the only fish that survived in our bare bones system) because they were not projected "sellers", even though they were selling at our store and were even requested by customers. Instead, I was automatically shipped fish like cleaner wrasses, 6-lined butterflys, and powder blues. I would also recieve invertebrates such as long tentacled anemones, indo-pacifc x-mas tree rocks(w/ porites)and hoseshoe crabs. All of these animals were wild-caught and brought into 22,33, and 66 gallon tanks with nothing but 1 powerhead in each tank for circulation and a cheap phillips flourescent tube over the tank (with open fixtures, I was electrocuted about 20 times during my employment). Only about half of the tanks had heaters which were extremely unreliable and cheap (made by winners, stay away!). No live rock, protein skimmers, chemical filtration and hardly any bio filtration. We did have a ballast for for a uv sterilizer, but the rcac told me that he did not think it was effective, even though all Petco distributors are required to use them. The next man down the totem pole is the general manager, who actually works in the store. There are two types of gm's: those who allow employees ample time to maintain animal habitats and possess actual concern for animals, and those who see animals as numbers and rush their caretaking in order to have employees dust and face. I had one of each. When I was working in the fish room I was fortunate to have a gm who allowed me to spend my whole shift there, of course this was always disrupted by having to help customers all over the store. I did work with one other person in the fish room, but he did nothing except feed customers bad info and scrub algae. His only concern was looking "good". I tried to promote good husbandry and positive change but my efforts turned into wild goose chases. When speaking to management and corporate my concerns were met with false sympathy(at times) and false claims of reform. The only change I caused was that which I did myself with the resources in the store. I ended up using a lot of products off of the shelf, which infuriated management, but they could not punish me because "animals come first" at Petco. Anyways, long story short: a lot of fish die at Petco because of the ignorance of it's employees. I strongly recommend not purchasing anything from companies like Petco, who cares about saving a buck now if it means destroying our natural resources later. Collectors are forced to go deeper and deeper into the reefs to collect popular fish like damsels. Support companies that support sustainable fish harvesting and especially those that deal with tank-raised species(i have to admit that petco deals wiht ORA, but only in small quantity). This is just a short version of my experience with the company that I no longer work for, simply because of their horrible ethics. Oh how much more there is to tell, but I have to get to class. Ps I now work at a lfs.

[lightngsvt]

Wow, thats an eye opener. I have a yellow Tang I bought from a Petco. He looked pretty good in the store. Anyway a year later he is big, fat and healthy. Except for salt and a few odds and ends I buy all my fish / supplies from my LFS.

[late2wake]

"Anyways, long story short: a lot of fish die at Petco because of the ignorance of it's employees."

So true... so very true =(

Support your good local fish store =)

[kenny77]

it depent on the employee that is encharge of the marine area. i use to work in Death CO. and i never never and ever buy a fish from them never!!! and this go with most of the PetCo.

But in the other hand Petland they kind of suck but it depends. i live just about 2 minuite from a pemart. and the guy encharger of the marine aquaris he really know. and he keep all the fish and live stock very well with some eception. i dont like there prices. but in case of an emergensy i know i can call him and he even come to my house. they do special other. some store doent do that. and they have some cool LR. the guy have an area were he sell some of his thing he cultivate in his house. and that the best area. and he has some cool prices in that area since all he sell there goes to his pocket.

Like i said it dependt on who is encharge of the marine area. my other LFS waoo he really is a cool guy and he really know. he has the best LR i ever seen and some beautifull fish specimen. he even has a coral farm. and most of his sells come from special others

[Entropy]

My Petsmart does not carry SW, so Petco is the better store for me by default out of the two...

[Mike@ReefVenture]

I've talked to many managers and employees at different Petco's all of them tell me the same thing. Corporate refuses to buy replacement lamps for the UV sterilizers and if the ballast dies they don't fix or replace it. Then they buy the cheapest fish they can so they end up killing more fish than they sell. I just can't see how not fixing some simple hardware is worth the cost.

[JENnKerry]

Personally, I don't go to Petco. If I need frozen food or something of that nature, then thats a little different. I was in Petco earlier this year (actually it was the last time I was in there) back in March getting some food. I was checking out their saltwater fish. I was suprised that all their fish looked relatively good. But you talk about the people not knowing anything. They had a beautiful regal tang and they didn't even know what it was called. They referred to it as "Dory". They didn't know what they ate or their requirments are.
I can only speak for myself here. If I ever got a job at a LFS, Petsmart or dare I say Petco I would learn as much as I could so that anyone that came in there and asked a question would be that much more knowledgeable when they walk out.

[JENnKerry]

Actually I do go to Petsmart quite frequently. My wife also has a 20 gallon freshwater tank and she gets a lot of her plants, fish and supplies from there. Fortunately all the Petsmarts within a 50 mile radius of me don't sell saltwater livestock. That being said, I can't say anything bad about Petsmart.

[DoinkMobb]

I used to work at Petsmart as a stocker/aquatics associate/back-up cashier. When I worked in the aquatics area, my job mainly consisted of talking idiots out of buying fish.

"No, you can't put 3 oscars in your 10 gallon tank."
"No, they won't grow to the size of your tank."
"No, you can't mix goldfish with tropicals."
"No, your betta will not eat the roots of the plant it came with in the vase - buy some food for it. "
"No, your fish do not like having the lights on 24/7."

I like to think I at least saved some fish from dying a slow, horrible death in some moron's tank.

[lagarz]

Originally posted by AJ31655
I am pretty sure it was the Petsmart in Coon Rapids MN.

That is the Petco in Coon Rapids I believe. The Petsmart there only carries freshwater Livestock, unless I am missing something. I am in that area a couple of times a month. Unless they have just started within the last 2 months. (The last time I was in that Petsmart) I was at the Coon Rapids Petco a week ago, and they had SW livestock. But they had 3 Sohal Tangs, one yellow tang, and a Flame Angefish in a 40 breeder.

The Petco in Roseville, MN is the best I have seen around for SW livestock. The have live rock, Corals and other items, most in fairly good condition.

[AquariaUSA]

Originally posted by Saltz Creep
PETCO
For all things pet.

rofl!

depends on the market (usually metro), the stores in the area, and the demographics. You will most likely start seeing Petsmart carry SW wherever there is a Petco close by. Lots of "the grass is greener on the other side" stuff in retail.

[KrazyJenn]

Arent Petco's franchised??? I know that petland's are... If so then really you cant blame the company since they would be independently owned and opperated.
I Have worked in the LFS for over 4 1/2 years now, and I have to say that It all depends on the store, often times my stores had the healthy fish ( granted I was not in a petsmart or petco) and I never sold a fish that was not healthy and eating. Personally if you ask me NOONE should sell a fish that doesnt eat and the consumer should always ask to see it eat
Jenn

[Vessper]

The reason I was given when I asked Petsmart about SWF, was because alot of the fish provided by their suppliers are still being wild caught. And quite honestly, my local Petco is in better shape then my local Petsmart. I have a 100 gal FW and buy my feeders there 3 days a week. However, the Petco that is in the next town over, is in horrible shape. Their FW livestock always has ick and the tanks look nasty. Luckly being in the DFW area, their are many places to choose from when buying FW or SW.

[cyan0069]

Petco is a corporate chain, much like Petsmart. I do agree, however, that it does depend on the staff, and the store as a whole. I am fairly fortunate that both store aren't terrible. Most of the tanks are clean and the livestock looks pretty well taken care of. I personally don't buy anything from either one, other than some occaisional supplies. I spent nearly three years of my life as an LFS employee (Petland), and I am willing to admit to a number of mistakes that I made in the beginning of my duration at the store. A lot of these places hire kids in high school with no experience keeping fish (or any other animal for that matter), because they are willing to accept the wages that they can pay. That is why websites and clubs are so valuable to the health and continued wellbeing of this hobby. It should be a prerequisite for employees who work with saltwater fish, corals, and inverts to subscribe to this board, or at least read no less than 10 books on animal husbandry. I have learned so much in just a short amount of time on here and I am so thankful for all of the help I have received. I think that it would completely turn around the situations that we see so many of these store in.

[theaquariumguy]

im currently working at a local petco, and used to work for the petsmart thats like two miles away.

petco doesnt sell dogs or cats, we also use adoption groups
we are also starting to accept small animals for adoption so people don't just stop taking care of them. we always have hamsters that r up for adoption although we also have them for sale.

and at our store we have 3 SW experts and 4 FW experts, that keep up the fish daily and check the tanks every hour. I have been working there for about 6 months and have seen only 2 sick fish, yes the fish are a little cramped, but at our store they sell fast so they arent cramped for long

[MarineTeng]

where is this petco u work at, all mine have dead freshwater fish that doesn't encourage me to buy salt