Working for Petco.......

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
My Petco is alright compared to the others. The employees are at least somewhat knowledgeable in fishkeeping, some are even too picky in letting people buy fish. Once I tried to buy an angelfish, the guy asked what I had in my tank. The tank I intended to put it in was my 55 gallon community with some tetras and platies, yet the employee didn't let me. He said, "Platies require different pH than angels." I do have soft water at around 6, but I've bred platies numerous times in that water! I didn't want to argue so I left.

The local Petco's tanks are okay, but there are times where you see dead fish in the tanks. I once bought two banjo cats. As the employee went to catch one, we found it was dead :(

Petsmart is similar, though the tanks are larger and there are more selection of FW fish. The problem with Petsmart is some of the labels for the fish are inaccurate.

Red-Bellied Pacus apparently have a minimum tank size of "75 gallons"! Balas, Clown Loaches and Tinfoils need a "40 gallon minimum", and Pangasius need a "75 gallon minimum". Terrible advise, I can imagine people buying a group of Pangasius and a trio of Pacus for their 100 gallon!

Also, another bad thing about my Petsmart, they sell Columbian Catfish (Arius jordani), without making sure people know they are brackish water fish.
I know 75 gallons!!!! I think that 200 gallons is the minimum sized tank for 1 pacu.
 
I have four large oscars that need a new home. Two are tigers and two are reds. I live in the Sacramento area... right now they all live together but I cannot afford a larger tank (which they need). I never wanted these monsters in the first place.. they were given to me when I bought the tank (yeah what are you gonna do, tell the knucklehead selling the tank to flop them onto the floor so you can grab your tank and leave? Uh no.) I guess you would call me a sucker... cause it happened twice and now I have four of them.... but seriously, these things eat like pigs. One started out at 11 inches the others at 7, 5 and 3. Now they are all creeping in on a foot large and acting like they want to breed. NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously.. anyone looking for some extra large oscars to add to an extra large tank... they all like each other.. and they are really friendly... just look into their eyes and watch them wiggle... who can resists such fish?
 
Like everyone else, I too have had run-ins in different pet stores.
I think the Petstore culture really needs to change. My general rant is that they do a disservice not only to the customer but to the fish they sell. Specifically, I find something wrong with stores that sell Pacu in general. It's obvious that they are selling them because they look like piranha. I get it, it's a marketing ploy, but it also seems like animal cruelty. I can't think of ever going into a "Super-Pet-Land-Mart Company" that sells a tank big enough to hold one of those tank busters. I really think they should be pulled from the shelves. For those people that have the means to keep and care for them, they probably have the connections to get them if they want them.
That's my rant for the night.
 
Wow you took that lightly imo I would have slapped him in the face and tell him how much of a douche he was for like an hour
 
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