So I go to my local PetLand to talk to the manager..

[William]

About ordering some fish I want, Namely.. Two Black and White Clownfish and a Watchmens Goby.


Well, I'm there.. and the Manager is talking with some people who bought some SW fish in to trade in cause they couldn't keep them anymore [ One was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL Lionfish, about 6 inches long ].


Well, I'm waiting my turn.. watching how they handle the fish, When he does the most absurd thing I've ever seen. He just takes the fish from its nasty, dirty water that it was in, in the bucket, and dumps it right into their tanks. They didn't even take a reading on what the params of the water were in either bucket or tank to even see if they were close.

The Lionfish was begining to loose color almost immediately when it hit the store water.


I should also say this store is not the cleanest in the world, Their SW tanks are underlit, poorly maintained and I swear half their fish have tissue necrosis.


He was also going on about how its okay to feed freshwater fish to SW fish [ From my understanding, thats a big no no ] and some other things.


It just really irked me, They really do not treat their fish well at all, and this was kinda like the straw that broke the cammels back.


needless to say, I turned around and left. Other than PetLand there are no LFS that I've found that deal in SW aquaria, but I'd rather do without then have to do with them.

I'm kinda glad I saw this, to. Cause my normal LFS trip day is tomarrow, and they always have the store looking better when I come in. [ I always tell them how to do their job. ]


I was contemplating asking for an aplication since their hiring, Needless to say I didn't after seeing that. I'd get fired way to fast, Cause you know... They'd loose money with me working their, Cause I would be telling people that they shoulding buy and oscar for a 5gal tank, or that a Arowana won't be a good pet in a 20long. I'd also be taking heaters and what not off the shelves to treat fishes, cause they have a major outbreak of ich atleast 2 times a month.


Blegh. I feel better now that I got this off my chest.

[reefrunner69]

Other than PetLand there are no LFS that I've found that deal in SW aquaria, but I'd rather do without then have to do with them.

What part of FL are ya in, maybe I can recommend something?

[millipede]

Is petland a chain store? Just a thought here... even though most of them only seem to care about money, I bet if you could call someone in their corporate headquarters you could really change things there... at least a little anyway... There really should be some sort of protocol for these places... quick story slightly off topic... when I was getting ready to move to arkansas I drove from Massachusetts to NH to get a Uhaul trailer, I brought it back to my house and then noticed it had a lock on it. I called them and they said cut it off... so I did. The trailer was full on someone's stuff. I called back and they told me to bring the stuff to them.. I thought about it and called them back and then I let them talk to my brother who is a little bolder than me. He was telling them how far I drove and I was packing to leave like the next day, the guy started swearing at my brother but I was not driving all the way back up there... So I called uhauls 800 number and told them everything. They called me back and said they had someone on their way to pick up all the stuff from the trailer.

I keep hearing stories like this about so many pet stores... ones that are independantly owned by idiots , well.. maybe they'll end up going out of business and learn their lesson... but any larger corporations should have to answer to someone... I don't know exactly how, or what impact it could have, but I think all of us here that know a little better really need to stand up and make a statement... If that was the only store near me I'd probably bug them to the point they either listened to me or kicked me out permanently... Of course I'd probably see if there was someone I could call and "tell on them"... ......... man, I wish I had a punching bag nearby or something... that just really ticks me off the way people don't care about the animals they sell... Can you see the steam coming out of my head right now???????

[William]

Originally Posted by reefrunner69

What part of FL are ya in, maybe I can recommend something?

Just a few yards south of the orlando city limits.


The only LFS I've found in my area are PetCo, PetLand,PetSmart and a place called Ocean Blue Aquariums.

Ocean Blue is privately owned, and their really arrogant people that treat you as if your not even needed. They specialize in SW, but I will not go back there after the way they treated me the last time I was there.

[William]

Dern, no editing in this subforum.


I ment a few yards east of the orlando city limits, Got my compas backwards.

[TankGirl]

I am sorry to hear about things like that, but I am glad you saw it, so you know how they do things there. I hope you can find a little Mom and Pop type SW shop somewhere hidden away that will treat you right and order the things you need. I have ordered FW substrate and rocks from a SW only shop, just because this guy wants my business and will give me a better price than his competitors to keep me away from them. I have run into some snobby SW shops that won't even talk to a freshie, but there are good folks out there, it is just a matter of finding them.

[stoneydee]

Tankgirl is right on with that. . . even if you can find a LFS specializing in FW, you might be able to explain the situation, and the owner might help you out.

I must have the best LFS in Arkansas - they have SW, FW and reef supplies and livestock, and the owner is totally cool. Twice now, he has special ordered stuff for me that I've seen ads for in aquarium magazines, and he is always honest with me if he thinks I can get a better deal money-wise by ordering myself (like biospira). Yesterday I was in his store, and talking to him about stocking an empty tank. He gave me a couple of huge lava rocks, because I was disappointed he didn't have any texas holey rock, and trying to finish aquascaping the tank. I do a lot of business with him, and he appreciates it.

[William]

Originally Posted by stoneydee

Tankgirl is right on with that. . . even if you can find a LFS specializing in FW, you might be able to explain the situation, and the owner might help you out.

I must have the best LFS in Arkansas - they have SW, FW and reef supplies and livestock, and the owner is totally cool. Twice now, he has special ordered stuff for me that I've seen ads for in aquarium magazines, and he is always honest with me if he thinks I can get a better deal money-wise by ordering myself (like biospira). Yesterday I was in his store, and talking to him about stocking an empty tank. He gave me a couple of huge lava rocks, because I was disappointed he didn't have any texas holey rock, and trying to finish aquascaping the tank. I do a lot of business with him, and he appreciates it.

Thats the kind of place I want to find! *glows green with jealousy*

[Menagerie]

We ALL want a place like that!!!

[LAGlocker]

I dont think I have ever recieved anything for free from my lfs, but I do get great deals here at two of them. Not Petsmart of course. I really do try to avoid that place if I can. Have one here that will order just about anything I want, and have a couple of real good ones less than a hour drive from here, so pretty much I can find great deals around town. I recently went in to my lfs and one of the employees gave me a problem about ordering a fish. After I went to a different lfs and ordered, talked to the manager, got a apology and a card to recieve half off my next purchase, figure that was a good deal.

[WarOrks15]

i think i have found my pet store. World of Fish it is called and it is in MN they have 30 part time people working in this little house. so if there is some one you dont like come in the next day and there will be all different people working. but they have tons of FW and a good amount of SW and corals. but the person i deal with every friday is vary nice. he dose not know much because he is just starting his first sw reef tank too but he will ask every one who work there to find out the answer to your question. and with 30 part time people working there has to be some one who knows.

[webmoose]

Hey William I don't know if your PetLand is at all associated with the one near me or they just share the name.. I went to one near me the other day. I was killing a few minutes.. Thought I would just see the types of fish. Not planning to buy from there. I got to the Rainbow's section and there were 6 dead fish. I was quite suprised.. I often see a single dead fish in a trip to a store but not that many in one tank.. It was so sad.. I understand tanks are overstocked and there will be fish loss etc. but to see so many dead in a tank was pretty crazy.. There was 6+ in several tanks.

[Menagerie]

Moose, the Petland on Macleod Trail is gross. They have dead fish and mislabeled fish. They are also WAY over priced.