I would generally agree with this, but I've seen most "mom and pop" stores where the fish are FINE, and I'm sure their fish are shipped from somewhere too. Could be smaller shops tend to buy from places where the fish are housed better, but still. I'd support a small local establishment before I'd go to a chain store.
petco find
- Thread starter Dieprophezeiung
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I would generally agree with this, but I've seen most "mom and pop" stores where the fish are FINE, and I'm sure their fish are shipped from somewhere too. Could be smaller shops tend to buy from places where the fish are housed better, but still. I'd support a small local establishment before I'd go to a chain store.
Anecdote: My only case of ich came from a mom-and-pop lfs. OTOH, I've gotten most of my fish there and not had a problem but for that one instance.
I do understand where you're coming from, but I'm willing to withhold judgement for the time being. I haven't been to Petco in a very long time, probably 8 years, until pretty recently. The fish I got tended to sprout ich shortly after getting them home, or dying after a few days. I went in about a month ago, just to waste time while the wife and kids were doing some clothes shopping, and that Petco has undergone a *major* change. The fish section was enlarged, and the staff much more knowledgeable than I had previously experienced. I asked some questions I already knew the answers to, and some that I suspected the answers to (just logical assumptions that I hadn't had verified, but have had the answers verified by my preferred LFS), and received good answers. The fish and plants look healthier than they had in the past. I even overheard one of their sales reps refusing to sell fish to an aquarium newbie "because an already cycled tank is an easier transition for the fish, and both you and your fish will be happier for it" and gave instructions on a fishless cycle, and sent that customer home with tank fixings and test strips. That Petco, and another I searched out, don't seem to have a tank big enough for an arowana, but they have several tanks that should be reasonably suitable for juvenile discus as they are pretty tall. I'll wait and see before dubbing this a failed experiment in Petco stocking.
yeah
thank god my petcos don't carry them, but they sell them onlinethe oto is eating its slime coat
mine doesnt carry them, but they are ok with fish. although my petsmart is much better. i havent seeen a bad petsmart yet.
In my area petsmarts are generally better than petcos. But on stuff that actually goes into the aquarium like filters and such, petco wins with the prices between the two. But meijer and wally world still beat them on prices but generally fail in caring for the fish. I found that the best place around here to get fish is birds and beast pet shop. They quarantine before putting them out for sale.
When I get fish from the big box store, I usualy just assume the people working the fish section are not very knowledgable unless they show otherwise. So I usualy just point and say, "I want this one". 
