The (un)Official PetSmart Thread

[Angler]

3) I was refused an animal that I wanted to feed to something else so they are jerks.
Sorry, this is company policy. We do not sell any live food other than goldfish, minnows and insects. If you really must buy more expensive fish to feed yours to, shut up about it. I would have refused you too. Not only is it against policy, but I would have a problem with it myself. The high cost notwithstanding, my opinion is that for the most part, it's all about the coolness factor in watching your fish chase and eat something else. I know that this is what happens in nature, and that a few fish will not eat anything but live so this is not bashing anyone who does feed live. This is my personal opinion and observation from talking to a large number of people who feed live.

I buy platies from Petsmart for 1.49 each to feed my Barracuda. I hate paying this much for feeders, and sometimes I think of getting rid of the Cuda for this reason. It is absolutely not because of any "coolness factor" that a use platies as feeders. The only other thing that my cuda will eat are goldfish. I would love to be able to buy feeder goldfish as food, but I refuse to because of everything that I have read about using goldfish as feeders. I was buying platies at Petsmart once, and it slipped out of my mouth that I was going to use them as feeders. I was very annoyed when the girl refused to sell them to me. I was thinking "you won't sell me platies for feeders, but you will sell me diseased ridden, un-nutrtious goldfish? That is rediculous!" After I left the store, I realized that this is company policy, so I was not upset anymore.

I am guilty of writting a post that bashed Petsmart. I believe my post was about the lack of knowledge of fish the employees have, and how they sell fish that are to large for people's tanks. Someone replied to my post that many employees in the mom and pop stores give bad advice as well. I realized that was very true. Some people in Petsmart are very knowledgeable about fish, and some people in mom and pop stores are very knowledgeable about fish. Unfortunately, there are a number of people in both types of stores who know nothing of them, and should not be selling them.

 

[dragonfish]

I do agree. I never recommend goldfish as feeders. I see thw way they come in.

 

[Mystix212]

Around my way, many shops have a high number of goldfish tanks, thus the feeders are distributed around the shop better. Reducing overcrowding. That and the superior filtration on most of the tanks. If I chose to feed the feeders, I would without a doubt. Just think of it this way, you buy say, 5. You take them home, open the pack and release 2 into the tank. 10 seconds later. no more goldfish. Then all the bile and gastric juices in the fish's stomach break down any harmful diseases and bacteria the goldfish may have. So how, in this matter, does a goldfish intoduce diseases?

Of course, if they are in the tank for a extended period of time, that'd be a worry.

 

[WyldFya]

I buy platies from Petsmart for 1.49 each to feed my Barracuda. I hate paying this much for feeders, and sometimes I think of getting rid of the Cuda for this reason. It is absolutely not because of any "coolness factor" that a use platies as feeders. The only other thing that my cuda will eat are goldfish. I would love to be able to buy feeder goldfish as food, but I refuse to because of everything that I have read about using goldfish as feeders. I was buying platies at Petsmart once, and it slipped out of my mouth that I was going to use them as feeders. I was very annoyed when the girl refused to sell them to me. I was thinking "you won't sell me platies for feeders, but you will sell me diseased ridden, un-nutrtious goldfish? That is rediculous!" After I left the store, I realized that this is company policy, so I was not upset anymore.

I am guilty of writting a post that bashed Petsmart. I believe my post was about the lack of knowledge of fish the employees have, and how they sell fish that are to large for people's tanks. Someone replied to my post that many employees in the mom and pop stores give bad advice as well. I realized that was very true. Some people in Petsmart are very knowledgeable about fish, and some people in mom and pop stores are very knowledgeable about fish. Unfortunately, there are a number of people in both types of stores who know nothing of them, and should not be selling them.

Platies are not much more nutritious than goldfish, and should have the same QT regiment as goldfish. Really, the fish will be nutritionally useless unless you are gut loading them prior to feeding the carnivores.

 

[WyldFya]

My complaint is that the employees that work in the aquatic section often are clueless. I do not require that they have an intricate knowledge of every species, but they should know what the fish are fed. About a week ago, I picked up a bichir and asked what they were fed. The employee shrugged and mumbled something about feeding them the flake diet that the other species got. None of these fish were eating, and I ended up taking the run home. He's since been fattened up on Omega One Shrimp pellets and is much more lively. I've also overheard a different employee telling a family that "I don't know why, but these mollies are ALWAYS pregnant, all of them!" [Insert giggle here.] They were balloon mollies and of the 15+ females in the tank, one was pregnant.

Another sore point for me is the lack of appropriate food for the fish they sell. They're selling polypteriformes and they lack the recommended food. The only sinking foods there were algae wafers and the shrimp pellets that I ended up getting. When I first asked what to feed them, I was handed a package of floating hikari cichlid gold. The saleswoman assured me that the pellets would "eventually sink" and that the bichir would eat them. When my bichir did not touch it after a few days of attempting this, I brought the package, sans 12 pellets, back to the store to get store credit towards the sinking shrimp pellets. They refused to give me store credit even though it was the employees mistake. Not a huge cost, but it's a matter of principle.

In every pet store I have worked at, ONLY a few employees are allowed to feed the fish. This is good for many reasons. The main reasons are that you must be consistent, and know what and how much to feed each fish. This is a little harder for the chain stores to do.

 

[WyldFya]

At my LFS(Beverlys Pet Center:great store by the way), if you want to be in sales you have to take a 100 question written exam on medications and fish, care, water changes. Anything you can think of is on the test. I applyed so ill let you guys know if a third grader could of passed...

I can't believe that they are doing that. If I applied for a position like that, and they handed me a test like that, I'd laugh and walk out.

 

[WyldFya]

Recently there have been a number of threads posted about PetSmart, most being quite negative. The purpose of this thread is to rebut some of the statements. I asked for, and was given, permission by a mod to do this as long as it was kept civil. I will try to address all the statements made that I can recall. Yes I work there. Some of these issues I agree with, some are not company wide, and some are off base. This is not intended to insult or argue with anyone, just my perspective after four years there.
1) There are only kids working there who don't know anything and don't care.
On this one I disagree with parts. Yes, there are alot of young people who work there, that happens in a retail industry. They do not care. Maybe true in some stores but not in all. My "kids" all try to give the best advice they can based on what they know and are told by the customer. The fact that they are young does not mean that they do not have knowledge, or does that mean anyone on this site under a certain age is also an idiot. And if they paid to get "qualified" help that everyone wants, then the prices would go up accordingly. You have to find a happy balance.
2) They are only interested in a profit, not the welfare of the animals.
There are policies in place regarding the sale of all pets. A sale can be refused if it is deemed detrimental to the wellbeing of the animal, including fish. Unfortunately this is not always practiced. It does depend on the individual store and management team. If it is done in a professional manner and upper management backs you it works. If they don't then all it takes is a call to corporate with a complaint. It gets kicked down to the store director to handle. If you handled correctly and are backed it works. If on the other hand the only concern is the complaint, not the facts, then they get an apology and a gift card. Once again, goes by the store. If an individual makes a bad sale it could be the way the store is run or it could be the tenth customer of the morning who know everything and doesn't want to listen. It does get disheartening somedays listening to the cavalier attitude some have because they are only fish.
3) I was refused an animal that I wanted to feed to something else so they are jerks.
Sorry, this is company policy. We do not sell any live food other than goldfish, minnows and insects. If you really must buy more expensive fish to feed yours to, shut up about it. I would have refused you too. Not only is it against policy, but I would have a problem with it myself. The high cost notwithstanding, my opinion is that for the most part, it's all about the coolness factor in watching your fish chase and eat something else. I know that this is what happens in nature, and that a few fish will not eat anything but live so this is not bashing anyone who does feed live. This is my personal opinion and observation from talking to a large number of people who feed live.
4) They have no knowledge. Sorry this was partialy covered in 1.
Once again I have to disagree. We have 13 habitats of reptiles, 17 of small and furry, and 10 of birds. We are expected to answer any and all questions posed on the animals we carry and on alot we don't. In addition there are 100 tanks, most with 2-3 species each to take care of. So on top of care, maintenance, stocking, cleaning and customer service, you want to complain that we don't meet your accepted level of knowledge on a particular fish. This one I have a problem with because most of the people making these comments are the ones also asking alot of questions on this forum, some pretty basic. So if you have to ask so many questions, why would you expect someone working at a store, of any type, to know everything. I personnally have been given bad advice many times from the experts at the LFS. Depends on the individual.
5) The literature and data cards are crap.
I got to give you this one. Alot of the info is wrong, but complaining about it on hear will not change anything. Contact the corporate office but don't do it with off hand remarks and rudeness. Offer detailed info, pics of measured specimens, hard data. If enough people do this it might make some difference. Then again it might not.
6) They mismark the fish.
All fish come in from one supplier. We get them marked as to species id. I have yet to see any outright mistakes(I keep hoping) but some that I question.When the trimacs came in I was quite excited, having never seen one live. I don't know if I have yet. Looking at pics of some on here from reputablr dealers they look like some but not like others. So we sell what we are sold as we were sold it, unless there is an obvious labeling error. Then again I have seen alot of "ID this fish" threads so not everyone knows every fish.
That is all for now and to any who actually read through this, I thank you. Even if you completely disagree with everything I said, thank you for your time. If you have anything to add please feel free to do so. Please keep it civil so it doesn't get instantly closed. If you have a problem with one of my statements and wish to discuss it in a less than civil manner, feel free to pm so it can be discussed without turning the thread into a flame fest.

Many very good and valid points. I have worked both sides of the fence, and hated working the corporate stores. Partially due to the management setup, and partially due to the customers.

 

[Mystix212]

Sticky anyone?

 

[ShadowBass]

Then all the bile and gastric juices in the fish's stomach break down any harmful diseases and bacteria the goldfish may have. So how, in this matter, does a goldfish intoduce diseases?

Of course, if they are in the tank for a extended period of time, that'd be a worry.

Where are people getting this?

Feeders should be quarantined regardless of the species and regardless of how long it takes your fish to consume them. Nasty bacterial infections can infect your fish with nothing more than minimal contact, and it doesn't take long for certain parasites to enter your tank.

At the least, feeders should be treated for intestinal parasites, regardless of species and regardless of whether they appear to be healthy. Anyone is taking a risk with feeders, no matter the species, if they don't know the source is clean or they haven't quarantined.

Not to derail the thread, but I would hate to see someone take this as fact since it is seemingly logical at first glance but in reality completely false.

 

[dbcb314]

i like petsmart


thats all i ave to say