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Petsmart- why do I keep going there!?

16K views 38 replies 23 participants last post by  Solarfall 
#1 ·
Every once and a while I convince myself that maybe that new chain store isn't that bad and I should visit. A new PetSmart opened nearby and I thought I'd visit it. Well, it was that bad. It really, really was. Here's an email I sent to PetSmart today. I just don't feel OK visiting a store like that and keeping my mouth shut. I hope others will speak up with me.

I recently visited the Fish section of this store. I was excited to visit it because it is new and large and I was hopeful about the conditions the fish were kept in.

When I arrived, I was extremely disappointed. I saw two fish in particular that worried me- a fish with an extreme case of Ich and one with Fin Rot so bad that it no longer had any fins. Both of these were extremely far progressed and the fish had clearly had the condition for some time. These fish were clearly sick and contagious and should have been quarantined. The more reputable fish stores I visit refuse to sell any fish from a tank with a sick fish in it. However, the employees seemed to have no idea that these fish were sick and did were quite happy to sell those fish and others from the tank.

These fish are not only being improperly cared for, but you are doing a great disservice to all of your customers. Anyone who buys fish from these tanks runs the risk of infecting all of the healthy fish they have at home. I asked your employees if they had any training in fish health and they said yes, but the training must not have been very good. All that would be needed to train employees to identify these types of illnesses would be to simply show them a picture of a similarly infected fish.

I brought this subject up with the store manager and she said she would speak to the Fish Care manager the next day, as he was already gone for the night. However, I did not hold out much hope for the situation as these fish had been sick for a long time and the Fish Care manager was either uninformed or negligent enough to not remove them earlier. I do not see why someone like this would be appointed and maintained as the person in charge of the health of fish.

The obvious sickness of these fish depressed and disappointed me. Clearly I cannot purchase any of your fish as I run the risk of seriously infecting my current pet fish. I am a member of the Boston Aquarium Society and of a popular online fish forum and will be sure to warn every fish keeper I meet to buy their fish from a better kept store.

I'd certainly like to give your store a try again sometime, but right now I don't have the heart to return.

Regards,
Maeve
 
#3 ·
I've had mixed experiences with Petsmart. The store closest to my college is absolutely abysmal. In your letter, you cited one bad case of ich and a really bad case of fin rot. The store near campus ALWAYS has disease running rampant through their tanks. The cichlids are always covered in ich, every last one of them with a really bad case of it. There are dozens of dead fish in their tanks at any given time.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, another Petsmart near me actually has some fairly well-informed employees. I've been to this store several times now, and each time I've actually witness them refuse to sell fish to people for all sorts of reasons (incompatible fish, hard fish to keep for beginners, people who were buying tanks at the time so obviously hadn't cycled their tanks yet, etc). Additionally, someone actually removed a lot of the official Petsmart information labels from the tanks and has replaced them with hand-written cards with information that's actually accurate. Not to mention their prices on certain equipment are much cheaper than my other LFS's, though they're generally more expensive than online shops.

All in all, especially considering the anecdotes you read about Petsmart from other members of the forum, I'd say more often than not that Petsmart is a pretty crappy place to shop. I don't mind buying some supplies there (like fish food) but for fish, I definitely prefer my LFS and for supplies, I'll mostly stick to online supply shops.

Maeve, hopefully you'll actually get something accomplished with that letter. I haven't written to that one crummy Petsmart before, but I have had chats both with the store manager and the Fish section staff many times about the poor quality of their fish, and every single time they act like they've never heard complaints before and are completely surprised that they have diseased and dead/dying fish in their store.
 
#19 ·
On the opposite end of the spectrum, another Petsmart near me actually has some fairly well-informed employees. I've been to this store several times now, and each time I've actually witness them refuse to sell fish to people for all sorts of reasons (incompatible fish, hard fish to keep for beginners, people who were buying tanks at the time so obviously hadn't cycled their tanks yet, etc). Additionally, someone actually removed a lot of the official Petsmart information labels from the tanks and has replaced them with hand-written cards with information that's actually accurate. Not to mention their prices on certain equipment are much cheaper than my other LFS's, though they're generally more expensive than online shops.
As I am still a freshwater newbie it might not be as apparent to me as I would like it to be but...

The Petsmart near my home (State College, Pa. Home of the Nittany Lions!!!) is actually very, very nice. The staff are very thoughtful, caring and all the aquatic life, even thier plants, are well taken care of. I have yet to see anything inside of the store that worried me save for one Oscar that was already quarentined. I did check to see if the tank that he was in had a note on it saying that there was a sick fish, but there wasn't a sign there.

Anyway, there is another store a couple towns away from home that is, like Batman said, with absolutely abysmal conditions.

Reguardless it doesn't make much of a difference to me. The only thing that I buy at Petsmart is decor, as they have a bigger selection than the local Pet Store. Speaking of the local Pet Store the gentlemen that owns it could write an encyclopeida on Saltwater, Freshwater, Filters, Skimmers and anything else aquarium related.
 
#5 ·
Surprise was pretty much the response I got from the manager. I used those two fish as examples because they were so obvious, there were certainly other sick fish. I mean seriously, if you can't identify a fish as sick when it has NO FINS why are you selling fish!?

Luckily, I have a great LFS. I just always like to check out the new places, and every single time it depresses me. Mostly because if people didn't shop there they would have to shape up or go out of business.
 
#6 ·
Ya know, I'll be honest. I haven't had any issues with Petsmart. While they aren't as up to snuff as my LFS they aren't a little shop of horrors either. There are three within five miles of my home (I have no idea why) and I have never seen a dead fish in any tank or any sign of serious disease. Admittedly I've only been cruising them for about a month but I stop by usually at least once a week and they seem to do pretty well. While I'm going to buy my fish from my LFS (prices actually beat Petsmart most of the time) I wouldn't feel too nervous taking home a fish from any of the three.

Now the local Petco, I wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole.
 
#7 ·
I've found Petco to generally be slightly higher-quality than Petsmart but with higher prices. I don't buy anything from Petco except for their driftwood. That's the one good thing about the place: the Petco closest to me always has one of their tanks filled to the brim with decent-sized chunks of driftwood with even the biggest pieces going for $10. I can't argue with that.
 
#8 ·
well done to you for sending that letter.
these people are so silly,they would make far more money
if they looked after their live stock,as we would frequent
them more often.
my LFS will not sell any infected fish,and nearly always place a sticker on the tank,informing people of it being medicated.
 
#9 ·
It's always hit-or-miss with these stores. My local Petco musta gotten their behinds handed to them because they started putting signs on the tanks with the sickies saying they weren't for sale, and last time I was in poking my nose around someone that actually knew what they were talking about was working, and when I asked about a fish that they didn't have they actually recommended looking at one of the one of the good LFS's. PetSmart's actually getting worse, I think. Only good for the plants.
 
#11 ·
Kudos from me too for writing the email, but I'm skeptical as to how much it will change things. I wonder if it would make any difference if all of us (with bad experiences) wrote?

I've had varying luck at both Petco and PetSmart. Unfortunately there aren't many stores left to shop at as they've driven all the LFS out of business near me. There are a couple left here and there, but their fish aren't much better. I even had a LFS owner complain to me that "there is no $ in fish" as she was selling me 2 Bettas and some guppies! What the???

I'm seriously thinking about just doing all my shopping online. I think I'll get more experienced fish keepers and better products.

Hmmm...maybe I will shoot an email or two off to Petco and PetSmart to let them know their quality is seriously lacking....
 
#12 ·
There is a Petco and a Petsmart in my city (pretty small suburban city, but it has everything, literally). I go to Petsmart probably every 1.5 weeks, as we have a dog, rabbit, and bird, and I have never seen any disease-full fish ever., and rarely a dead fish (which is still bad). The employees there are pretty smart as to fish stuff, though. I have got 4 fish from there, all doing great (3 red wag platies which is now 8, and 1 Clown Pleco).

As to Petco, I like their variety better, but all of their fish are tiny. And, I would never get anything SW from them unless it is like a bag of salt. As batman said, they do have really good driftwood for sale in the tanks and in the reptile section which I buy, but I have never bought a fish from them. Most employees there aren't too smart compared to 'Mart.
 
#13 ·
I got a pretty nice response from the store manager actually. I intend on emailing him back and asking him if he actually intends on educating his employees, and if they have a system for QT (as all the tanks are plumbed together). Here is his email:

Dear Ms. O****,

We have just recently received your e-mail concerning the health and well being of the fish kept in our establishment. I would first like to say thank you for your e-mail as it shows your true compassion for fish keeping. Your most recent visit to our store left some concerns with you which is completely understandable, however I would like to share with you that we do try everyday to maintain great standards in our fish keeping. We are now looking at all of our fish to ensure that they are healthy, and ready to be purchased by our customers. If there is anything I can do for you please let me know. Again, thank you for the e-mail as it brings great awareness to our finned friends. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call me at 1-617-349-3481.

Sincerely,

Scott Shanley

Store Manager

PetSmart
 
#14 ·
Blegh, unfortunately, the email address he sent from was a do-not-respond.

It sure is *cute* that he's looking at all the current fish, but won't really do much in the long run. In fact, him saying that means almost nothing to me. Sick fish will inevitably come in and they don't seem to have any way of dealing with them.

Rrr...I guess I'll call him. Not happy about it though! I'd much rather email!
 
#15 ·
Hi- I stumbled onto your post. I LOVE fish, and also happen to work at a Petsmart. I completly agree with you all and am happy that you emailed the store manager. I would greatly recomend brand new petsmarts for supplies (because they get them before established stores do), however, I would NEVER ask their help for fish. The new store, although pretty and bright, have brand new employees. The best knowledged people are in your older stores. Petsmart does an okay job of educating us about fish, but it takes a long time (at least 3 months) for the common employee to have a decent amount of knowledge about fish. I am asked all the time if I know about fish. I tell the truth. I am still working on Cichlids, but am pretty competent on the rest of the fish we sell. I try to cite to the customer where my information comes from (besides for the very basics), so that they can cross-reference me. I even pull out books to explain things. Do I make mistakes - ofcourse. Do I know what ick looks like - yes. Do I know why a goldfish can't live in a bowl - how many reasons do you want? lol

I digress. . . give your older stores a try. Ask the employee their knowledge level. Heck, ask how long they have been employeed with Petsmart. Ask what other stores they like in the area. (Just to see if you agree with them) I would even ask if they like fish. We are required to know about all the animals, so we end up learning more about the ones that we like best. I hope you don't give up on us completly.
 
#16 ·
I hate Petsmart so much! They recently took over an awsome pet store chain (SuperPet) and turned it into crap. The prices are way to high on many fish, some are loaded with Ich and they never have any sales on anything. Whos willing to pay for a skinny, pale, ich infested, tiny clown loach for over 12$, no joke. I hate it so much!


**** Petsmart!
 
#18 ·
That is most defiantley not true. I have only one Petsmart in my area that has decent fish. The other two or three, are terrible. The bettas are usually the best too.

I have noticed that Petco seems to be better, and not just with fish. Their reptiles are in great health and are cared for properly (at least all the ones I have seen). But then again, everything depends on the store.
 
#21 ·
Maybe I've been unlucky but the two non-chain pet stores around me suck so bad petsmart looks great in comparison. One guy has a wall of fish but he won't even try to answer questions, which I suppose is better than giving the wrong answer, he gives out a business card of some kid who thinks he knows stuff but doesn't. This kid told me to chlorinate the water just a tiny bit to get rid of nitrates. The other place is only fish and I've never seen the owner, maybe he knows his stuff, but the employees are rude and the place is filthy. There's dead fish all over the floor under every tank and the prices are double petsmart. I finally met a guy who does credit card processing and his side job is fish, so next time I need something I'll try him.

But I've always found petsmart to be clean and friendly and with decent prices. And you can find experts online for the tough questions.
 
#26 · (Edited)
You have to admit, though, that fish intelligence isn't also as high as other four-legged pets. Animals that act on instinct alone are looked down upon. I'm not sure that's a horrible thing, it's just human nature.


Insects act on instinct, also. They look for food and mates, just like fish, rather exclusively. If we had the same sentiment towards bugs as fish, our homes would be over run with vermin.
Cats and dogs not only seek life's essentials, they also desire love and companionship. They all want to be petted, have friends, and they don't like to be disciplined or punished.



Some might say that their fish are highly intelligent. Maybe their behavior is habit and ritualistic? (not the people) Who knows. I'm not "siding" with places that don't care about the critters they sell, because I have pets, too. I have a cat and I sure enjoy my fish. I guess I'm just playing the devil's advocate.
 
#31 ·
And that reminds me of a brief conversation I had with a Catholic friend of mine a few days ago. I asked if he wanted to go have sushi on Friday (which is now today, Good Friday). He commented on it being okay because he can't otherwise eat any other meat.

I then inquired about Lent.. etc.. etc... without either of us looking it up, we agreed that other animals' meat is sacrificed while fish/seafood is not because the Apostles were fishermen.
 
#30 ·
Well, Tyy, you and I will have to agree to disagree about the nature of domesticated dogs.

But I can attest to my fish also associating me with food. Meh... This topic isn't worthy of being argued over though. ;)
We all like all our pets. Nuff said. :)
 
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