Is YOUR Wal-Mart a Responsible Fish Retailer?

[dogofwar]

This poll is to assess whether your local Wal-Mart is responsible in the sale of fish and other aquatic animals that it sells.

• Are the stock that it sells healthy?
• Is there someone who knows about the stock who can advise purchasers on proper care?
• Are fish properly labeled and maintained?

This thread is NOT a discussion about whether you CARE about the welfare of animals that Wal-Mart sells, Wal-Mart's labor practices, whether PETSMART and LFS suck, or whether you like shopping at Wal-Mart.

Please comment on which stores are doing a good job and which aren't.

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

my local one sure doesn't, but it is good enough priced to buy some supplies for my tanks there though

 

[LionDancerKN]

my local one sure doesn't, but it is good enough priced to buy some supplies for my tanks there though

yea same here but they still leave the dead fish in the tank and dont take them out but the supplies really are good

 

[Oddball]

My local store takes miserable care of their fish. They arrive somewhat healthy then, they're placed in an unheated wall rack system with central filtration. Fresh, brackish, SA/CA, african, tropicals, and non-tropicals (goldfish/koi) share the same unbalanced dechlorinated tap water. System water flow is sub-par with no additional aeration. They appear underfed or not fed at all. I've yet to see someone regularly assigned to the care of these animals. I saw someone ask an employee in hardware to catch fish and he had to guess which fish he was bagging and pricing. I told the customer to rethink their purchase (oscar, pleco, platys, moor goldfish, dwarf frogs, GSP). I was told to buzz off since they've mixed them before. The employee said nothing and went back to stacking paint cans.
The manager I spoke to said the fish center won't be a problem soon since all Wal-Marts carrying fish are ripping the sections out when their country wide remodel schedule catches up to them.

The store is in Bastrop, LA

 

[dogofwar]

"The manager I spoke to said the fish center won't be a problem soon since all Wal-Marts carrying fish are ripping the sections out when their country wide remodel schedule catches up to them."

Any more info on this?

I'd bet the economic downturn isn't going to expedite things

 

[LionDancerKN]

that sucks but also good for the fish =)

 

[koop171]

I just love to see the tank at my walmart that's JAMED full of firemouths and the oscars have crazy ick. I mean BAD one time they had about 5 Os in there tank and one of them you could have swore was a albino b/c he had so much ick. Needless to say if I buy anything fish related from them it's only cheep supplies like check valves and air hose.

 

[Oddball]

"The manager I spoke to said the fish center won't be a problem soon since all Wal-Marts carrying fish are ripping the sections out when their country wide remodel schedule catches up to them."

Any more info on this?

I'd bet the economic downturn isn't going to expedite things

No updates from the LA store. The store in the area I just moved from in MS went through their remodel and they've sold off their rack system. They still carry bettas in cups in their pet/garden center. That store is in Greenwood, MS.

 

[Cichla dude]

My wal mart is great!! They stock and care for there fish every week. This week they had severums, oscars, firemouths, eels, and convicts. the owner orders the fish and cares for them. He is the one who does w/c and feedings.

 

[Yota]

The manager I spoke to said the fish center won't be a problem soon since all Wal-Marts carrying fish are ripping the sections out when their country wide remodel schedule catches up to them.

I go to 2 different ones. 1 was already they way they are remolding all the other ones. It still has fish.( will never go back there. Can't anyways) The one that's right near me just got done with the remodel and they kept the fish department.

I did get the one near me to STOP carrying Pacu a while back and they still have not ordered any sense then. A few pics of them through growing stages and talking nicely to the Manager was enough for him to realize that they grow bigger then the 10" they have on their tag. The one closes to me also takes really good care of there fish. The other one I stopped going to the day I walked in there and 12 oscars all had MAJIOR HITH and I mean bad. There is no way that any of them would have lived. A few where missing 1 eye. 1 was missing a gill plate. I mean I have NEVER seen so little care given to fish. And that includes walmart's. ( Fish department is the first place I head to if I stop in a different one. If they have one) I was so pissed. I went to the manager and told him off. I was escorted off the property by the police.

Should also say that There are 2 People that have a clue as to what they are doing there but dont think wal-marts should in any way be selling fish