local petco fish department noobz

[Schu]

I went into my local petco today to return a yellow cichlid I had purchased a few days earier that for some reason didn't survive the transition. I brought some water to let them test as its required to get your money back. the associate a nice enough older lady tested the water and looks at me and says your ammonia levels are very high above 4ppm and your nitrates are high above 2ppm and she said my nitrates were alarmingly high. I explained to the lady I found that to be very odd because I checked my levels with my master test kit right after I removed the dead fish and all levels were within spec. I asked her if I could get a couple snails and a algea eater to which she denied me because my tank wasn't suitable for life. I chuckled a bit and explained to the lady my other yellow and my upside down cat are doing just fine but she still refused to sell me anything. So I came home retested my ph, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates, ph 7.6, ammonia 0ppm, nitrites 0ppm, nitrates less than 80ppm I did get my money back so it wasn't a total loss, I just wish they would train the employees how to properly test the water, who knows how many peoples fish they kill with bad info.

 

[flvol77]

I went into my local petco today to return a yellow cichlid I had purchased a few days earier that for some reason didn't survive the transition. I brought some water to let them test as its required to get your money back. the associate a nice enough older lady tested the water and looks at me and says your ammonia levels are very high above 4ppm and your nitrates are high above 2ppm and she said my nitrates were alarmingly high. I explained to the lady I found that to be very odd because I checked my levels with my master test kit right after I removed the dead fish and all levels were within spec. I asked her if I could get a couple snails and a algea eater to which she denied me because my tank wasn't suitable for life. I chuckled a bit and explained to the lady my other yellow and my upside down cat are doing just fine but she still refused to sell me anything. So I came home retested my ph, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates, ph 7.6, ammonia 0ppm, nitrites 0ppm, nitrates less than 80ppm I did get my money back so it wasn't a total loss, I just wish they would train the employees how to properly test the water, who knows how many peoples fish they kill with bad info.

Take a picture of your water tests with the sheet behind it and send it to their corporate and tell them about what happened.

Only way for people to get better is to give feedback. It will get their their manager very quickly and you will get an apology and I am sure some coupons, not that you are trying to get something for free but its nice when your feedback is appreciated.

 

[Majbarsalona]

I've had an employee tell me that my ph is extremely high yet my test prove it not and my water comes from aquifers which provides water to most of Long Island

 

[Andy Sager]

I refer you to the current thread I just started. It may help.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f114/support-mom-and-pops-262747.html#post2481908

 

[Aquamandan]

I went into a Petco the other day and asked them if they had any 20 gallon high tanks. The girl just stared at me with a blank look on her face for uncomfortable 10 seconds and then she said, "uhhhh, I don't know what that means". They are clueless in that store, at least when it comes to fish. The only reason I will go into a Petco is because their prices on live plants are about half as what they are at Petsmart.

 

[flvol77]

I refer you to the current thread I just started. It may help.
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f114/support-mom-and-pops-262747.html#post2481908

Wish I could, but supporting local just doesn't happen around my area, we don't have one local fish store that carries freshwater fish. Actually I take that back we have one pet store that sells puppy mill puppies (I know because I got a puppy and took it back and it made the news)

We have some awesome fish stores but everyone carries saltwater.

Plus we have a Petco in Wellington that is just flat out awesome and a very good Petsmart in North Palm Beach. Both have a huge selection, nice employees that are willing to learn and listen. So what is one to do?