Petco "Going Blue"

[Twistersmom]

Sometimes "blue" is just not enough!
Even with good tank maintenance and water changes, there have been times I have had to resort to Maracyn & Maracyn-Two.

 

[Lupin]

Why are they doing this?? Fish get sick from a number of reasons. Heck, the stress from catching one outta the store tank, putting it in a bag, and then introducing it to your aquarium can cause them stress which in turn can cause them to get sick. I think it is ridiculous for them to get rid of the meds from the store.

Sometimes "blue" is just not enough!
Even with good tank maintenance and water changes, there have been times I have had to resort to Maracyn & Maracyn-Two.

Correct.:iagree:

It's ridiculous to remove antibiotics out of the shelves. Prevention is the best cure. I can agree with that but can we totally prevent any problems at all? No. No matter how much you try to prevent your fish from getting sick, they will still get sick.

 

[pinkertd]

While I can understand Petco trying to keep inexperienced hobbyists from dumping unnecessary meds into their tanks, it leaves the experienced aquariast in a bind to get much needed medication in a hurry. Mail order is often cheaper anyway, it's just not fast. Sometimes the need for proper fish meds comes as a result of a secondary infection due to a scrape or a fight with the fish. It's not always due to owner ignorance about keeping fish and tanks. And to suggest to have to go to a licensed technician or something like that in the future to get proper antibiotics when needed will drive the cost of the meds up even more, something the hobby in this economy does not need. Sorry, but this is one of the most laughable articles I've ever read. Petco wants to teach people how to properly keep fish and maintain the aquarium properly when their employees in the stores near me rarely know what they are doing. True experience with fish and tanks comes from keeping them, from failures and successes over time, not from a quick training session for a new employee in the back room. Otherwise Petco wouldn't irresponsibly sell fish like common plecos and clown loaches to customers, all the while telling them the fish will be fine in their 10G tanks! It would be a better idea if they had decided to stop selling all those calorie-laden doggie treats at the doggie treat bar that are loaded with all kinds of things that are really bad for a dog's health. Or they could really show they care about educating the consumers by supplying each customer with a reliable fact sheet on how to properly care for the type of fish being bought along with a fact sheet on fish maladys/diseases, symptoms and proper remedies/cures!

 

[Sploke]

What a freaking joke.

They probably make more markup on crap like mela/pima anyway....antibiotics actually cost money.

 

[Somervell]

I think that the reason is a little more hidden. There have been numerous articles about people using fish antibiotics on themselves. I think that companies like the aforementioned are trying to limit their corporate liability and it has NOTHING to do with fish or going green.

 

[Sploke]

I posted this comment on the website...lets see if it gets "moderated" or if they actually let it through

You want to do the right thing? Forget this PR stunt. Try actually training your employees on the products they sell. You'd gain a lot more credibility through the aquaria hobbyist market if your store associates were able to recommend appropriate stocking levels and compatible community mixes, or even have some sort of idea on identifying disease/illness. I know there are some employees with a decent amount of knowledge, but they are certainly in the minority. You state that one of the driving forces behind this effort is increasing fish health - by properly training employees on species compatibility, care and maintenace, and enabling them to pass that information on to potential customers, you will do worlds more good than simply removing a handful of low-markup products from your shelves.

 

[dundadundun]

good for you sploke... i say we all copy and paste... or write up our own feelings and flood their website with reality from a fish keepers point of view... not a marketing scheme point of view.

 

[excuzzzeme]

I put my .02 worth on there but I full well know nothing is going to change the "New" philosophy. This is simply a cover to end sales of a product that costs more to stock than the profit they make from it. All the more reason to quit patronizing these box stores. LFS - I hope you see a jump in sales!

 

[Riiz]

Another reason to skip by that place, besides their lack of skill in maintaining healthy fish stocks.

 

[Wycco]

Point to note: Petco arn't saying there is not a time and place for antibiotics- they're just not selling them themselves. People can still go to a competitor or a LFS.

Usually a LFS will be able to give better advice than a Petco regarding anti-biotic use- and since Petco deals with customers in volume and less likely to be able to talk one-on-one to each customer they are going to sell anti-biotics inappropriately from time to time even if they were staffed with aquatic geniuses. (unless they were "behind the counter" type sales only).


It's not a perfect solution- and sure it will bite the butt if you need antibiotics in a hurry and Petco is the only store in town... but I see more positives to this than negatives.

... that said, I think an earlier poster is probably more likely right- they're doing this to protect themselves legally rather than from any "being responsible" angle.