PETCO

[ccCapt]

A new PETCO recently opened in my area, Wilkes-Barre, PA. I went to check it out and what I saw put me in a rage. I sent an e-mail to PETCO which is posted below, and the reply I got back from them. This was the only PETCO I was ever in so I don't know if they are all like this, but my e-mail will explain. You all can decide if this is good or bad.

my e-mail to them:
I have recently visited the new PETCO located in Wilkes~Barre, PA. I went to the saltwater fish department and was shocked at what I saw. Every saltwater tank was overrun with cyanobacteria algae and was in horrible shape. The fish were in even worse condition. Virtually every fish was covered with marine ich and dead fish were present in almost every tank. There were also a few piece of rock with mushroom corals on them. Needless to say, the water quality in those tanks is no where near the quality needed to keep coral alive.

I have been keeping a saltwater reef tank for close to 15 years and the condition of the livestock in that store is appalling. If that store is in need of someone with the knowledge in keeping and maintaining saltwater species, I can help. As it stand now, the saltwater section of the Wilkes~Barre, PA store is a disgrace and very disheartening to any avid saltwater enthusiast.


this is the reply I recieved from them the same day:
Thank you for your e-mail. I am sorry to hear about the condition of the fish tanks at our Wilkes-Barre store. PETCO takes animal care issues very seriously, it is always disappointing to hear that a store is not keeping up PETCO's high animal care standards. I am going to forward your e-mail to the store Manager and to our Regional Companion Animal Coordinator who is in charge of animal care standards for the stores in your area. If you have any other questions please feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,
John Winfrey
Customer Satisfaction Coordinator
(888) 824-PALS

[Menagerie]

8O
The only thing you can do now is wait and watch (and be a constant reminder that their fish are in trouble). I have never seen a PETCO like that, but I don't go there that often.

[nashbog]

The petco in my area is very well kept, the fish and plants are in excellent condition, I guess it depends on who's in charge as with any LFS.

[xxmoorishmanxx]

kudos to you for emailing them about there poor animal treatment.
JC

I'm also sick of people who typecast fish places, just from one experience. Every place is different, just as every person on Earth is different from each other. Let us know if they get the SW section fixed, or if they were just pulling your chain.

[ccCapt]

I'm also sick of people who typecast fish places, just from one experience.

Who type cast a fish place?

A new PETCO recently opened in my area, Wilkes-Barre, PA.

I specifically name the location of the PETCO. No where did I say all PETCO stores are like this. And they were just pulling my chain, so to speak, to pacify me I guess. I have since gone back to the same store and it's in the same deplorable condition.

You should see all the people who bad mouth Wal-Mart and their fish section. I've seen some Wal-Mart that have excellent fish quarters. And I didn't say you said ALL of the PetCos were like that, I was speaking in general. How long did you wait before you went back (for example, if you went back the next day, I'd doubt they even got the message or had time to medicate their tanks)? Did you talk to anyone at the store? Perhaps they are in the process of getting it fixed.

[GoldiesNGuppies]

Hello, I'm new here. Just browsing the forums and thought I would add my 2 cents. I have purchased fish from our local WalMart and Petco (really don't have any other LFS in my area.) My local Petco's fish dept. is always in excellent condition, very clean tanks and very seldom do I even see a dead fish. I only keep FW tanks so don't really look at the salt water fish much. The people who work there in the fish dept. have all been very helpful and seem to know what they're talking about whenever I have a question.

The WalMart I have purchased fish from also has a well kept up fish dept. I got most of my Guppies there and they are all healthy, beautiful fish.

Fishy Hugs,
Pam

[Bearfan]

The Petcos I shopped were in good shape, and I always had good luck with the livestock.

The Walmart is....well...Walmart. I don't go to a Home Depot to shop for shampoo...they may have it, but it's not their thing. I think Walmart's department is about as good as you can expect in a major retail chain.

[ClamKnuckle]

The PETCO near me is a mixed bag...while the fw section seems to be good, the wall of sw tanks is a mess...when they do have fish in the tanks about one out of every five is actually alive, and the ones that are never seem healthy

[fish_doc]

Keep in mind this was a new store. It takes time to properly cycle tanks and thus part of the reason for the ich. Give them a few months and go back and check. Then tell us if they have gotten any better. I do know that the Petco near me only has about 6 or 8 saltwater tanks and they are usually in fairly good shape.

[Apocalypse_Gold]

My closest Petco needs to examine their priorities. The girl in the fish dept knew very little about aquariums, fish diseases, etc., but the casheir was able to give me all sorts of advice and help. Also I got a killer case of ich from there. I tried three different products and nothing worked. (This was before I knew about this site and the salt + heat method.)

[DoctorKewl]

I live in a small town near scranton PA and our PETCO in Dickson City sucks A$$ also. There saltwater tanks are always bad and the fish have ich 9 out of 10 i stop in there and advice sucks. Here is what i got out of them:

i was new to this hobby and my fish had ich. tank had $500 worth of live rock in it and I told them that. they gave me a treatment and said it was only bad for the snail, crabs and other inverts (which died for the med they gave me). well the crap had copper in it and well copper and live rock dont mix so i am ticked at them so maybe i'll send them an e-mail. PETCO'S IN PA SUCK BIG TIME. STAY AWAY FROM THEM.........

[jaowl]

I was in the local PETCO last weekend early in the AM. There were more death fish in the tanks than I would have liked to see in a business!!!

The local Wal Mart has been having healthier looking fish!!!

[ReefGuru]

Great job dude,

I did that recently with a PetsMart in my area. That was 4 months ago. I phone the regional office and gave a very detailed explanation of what was wrong with the store. Now, that store has been shut down. We can stand up to stores and save the animals.

Andrej

[revhtree]

I understand all your animosity, and we should make sure animals are taken care of. But, for your protection, I would leave the names of stores out of discussion and use abbreviations. I have heard of some major lawsuits over this sort of thing, and I really don't want to see any of you in any trouble for slander.

I my personal experience, of large chain pet stores, I have seen nothing good when it comes to SW fish.

[Sparky]

WHAT IS "SLANDER"?
Slander is a spoken defamation.




WHAT IS "DEFAMATION"?
Defamation, sometimes called "defamation of character", is spoken or written words
that falsely and negatively reflect on a living person's reputation.


Rev...you may be right, but I would say that if it is a "proven" fact that these stores are what they are, it is not false. Therefore it must be true, and not Slander....base of course on Boolean Logic...LOL

The proof is in the pudding. If they have crappy stores and you say they are crappy, well, then they are crappy. Sometimes the truth hurts and lawsuits are the only means of getting back at some people. But they don't always work that way.

Trust me, I have been there. It really never got to court and they backed off because I could prove what I said.

Mike

[nodoubt471]

well, if yall are ever in torrington CT come and visit me up at torrington petco- im the aquatic specialist there, and let me tell you my tanks are PRISTINE i would have nothing less, and ive never sold a customer a fish i wouldnt take home and put in my tank. i guess its different in every petco, but our petco has three dedicated fish staff, so there is somebody knowledgable there 24/7. i swear, not all petcos are bad!!!!!

[revhtree]

I agree with you sparky. I was just wanting everyone to be safe, if you know what I mean.

[Sparky]

I know Rev, and they should be safe. You just gotta have the proof tp back it up when the time comes. It is easy to say things not ever meaning no real harm, but you are right, Corporations get thier feeling hurt too easy....LOL