Why oh why do I keep shopping at petsmart?

[schoeplein]

All stores stocks are dependent upon their suppliers. Even both of my non-chain LFS. One store owner I spoke to talked about how he stopped order power blue and power brown tangs since they were 99% wild caught and had a 100% mortality rate. Similar issues with blue rams -- though I had him order me some, and they've all been super active and healthy for the last few weeks.

The other store was having issues with the angels they were receiving. All of them were very small, with busted fins and feelers. "I have to take what the distributor gives me, and just hope I can bring them back to health enough to sell them," the owner tells me.

I go to PetCo for their discount shelf. I picked up $20 cans of fish food for like, $3. Total steal. I bought my neons from them, too. Paid for 15, took home about 22. Four of them died off pretty quick, but the rest are active and ferocious eaters.

None of the fish I've purchased from PetSmart have lived for more than 3 months. Except for this one, longfin zebra danio. He's almost a year old now. These days, I have very little reason to enter a PetSmart other to look at more boxed plants... I'm not paying 20% markup on something I could have delivered to my home.

 

[UABsleeperSRNA]

Yeah I guess I didn't think of it like that just which mine would take a little more care of the fish once they got to them even if it is already poor stock..

Ha it's opposite for me though I rarely go in my petco I've been several times to both just to compare prices on a filter ect I needed in a pinch never failed my local petco's price was marked up at least 15 to 20% higher than petsmarts.. But I agree it is always cheeper usually online ha if only I had enough patience to wait for it

 

[Fishfanboy]

Everybody hates Walmart too

But we still go there don't we, except those that say they don't and they do too....

Convenience

Our walmart actually is pretty good and they have a 90 day return policy which is really nice.

 

[UABsleeperSRNA]

90 days wow that's pretty impressive

 

[lectraplayer]

Out of Wally World? :scream:

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[UABsleeperSRNA]

Ha well let's just say the neon situation ain't lookin so hot 2 of the 4 neon tetras are goners let's hope the other two can man up

 

[lectraplayer]

The two neons I got from PetSmash McAdory were pale when I got them but they got them (but it was hard to spot while there) but they "got their flavor back" within an hour.

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[UABsleeperSRNA]

Yeah that have all for the most part gotten their color back it's what look like some sort of infection that got the first one and looks like might take this one out also..

 

[Fresh2o]

The last time I purchased fish it was from Petsmart in 2012. 6 longfin blue danios. Flash forward 20 months later and I still have 4 of them. Yes, quite familiar with Ick Attack or Rid Ick because I also brought that home with me as well.
In 2007 I purchased 6 golden tetras from Petsmart. They lived through their share of tanks and even spent a summer outdoors in a pond. I still have 4 left.
I don't purchase fish very often. Recently got into plants and shrimp. Told myself that I would not buy any more fish from Petsmart/Petco unless I properly QTd them. Once my planted tank fills in a bit more I might get some Kuhlii loaches. Probably from the LFS though.

 

[UABsleeperSRNA]

Yeah I don't know what this one had some kind of bacterial/fungal infection .. I have it in a semiQt tank ? b/c my angels in my main tank decided that the shrimp I have might be good bait.. And the two rogue platies heck bent on trying to kill each other so it is also in the tank! Went ahead and started treatment with melafix only think I had that won't kill the shrimp.. Guess we will see!

 

[MeCasa]

I thought I'd add that if you're shopping for a physical fish tank or another heavy/bulky item such as gravel, Petco/Petsmart is generally the ONLY smart place to go.

Even if you're in a big enough city to still have independents, they can't touch the price of a mass retailer because they pay more than the big boys for product and they have to have the tank shipped in on an order. Their costs are lowered because their order will generally include moire than your tank and quite often be on a weekly route but they still higher costs than the big boys.

Petco,Petsmart buy cheaper and their orders are shipped in on loaded semi's drastically cutting their costs.

Simple economies of scale.

You can't buy a tank online because they either have a no ship policy or a million dollars to ship policy.

For good price and availability that leaves Petco and Petsmart

For those few of us that have independents that they feel loyal to and are willing to pay a touch extra to buy a tank from, I applaud you, but most of us are not in that position especially as Petco/Petsmart have put most small independents out of business :-(

And that leaves Petco and Petsmart. You may love to hate them but if it wasn't for them keeping prices down you would own less than you do now.

I hate going in there more than most of you and I buy 90% online but it is what it is and I go there when it suits my needs and yes I whine and denigrate both Petco/Petsmart and Wallmart

Because I can

 

[lectraplayer]

If you want a tank for cheaper, you sometimes can pull a Mackelmore. Birmingham does have several thrift stores where I have been seeing tanks regularly.

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[UABsleeperSRNA]

Hugh what might be the name of these places might have to stop by one of them I'm sure my wife would be thrilled if I showed up with a 150g for our apt she would have a cow

 

[UABsleeperSRNA]

So woke up to find my neons tail looking like this pretty much had fallen off over night any ideas?

 

[lectraplayer]

Is his tail cut off or is that just the optics?

I've seen mine in the position shown often. While I think it looks cool, it could be a swim bladder issue. Of course all mine come from PetSmash or www.edspetworld.com, and I have had trouble keeping neons this year.

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[UABsleeperSRNA]

Is his tail cut off or is that just the optics?

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The pic is from yesterday evening of the same fish the tail literally fell off during the night i''m assuming some type of bacterial/fungal infection you can see the few little twigs hanging on from the bottom.. and no that pic is for real no adjusting the pic.. crazy endless to say i had to freeze him..euthanized him this am.. sad looking fish like i said will not be buying fish from petsmart anytime soon..? at least not the one right by my house.. sad situation for that fish

 

[UABsleeperSRNA]

some reason it didn't upload here it is maybe

 

[lectraplayer]

I would have left him or moved him. It looks like he may have been hit, even if he may have made another tetra mad. Was he acting “normal?"

There's also a lot going on optically, including what looks to be a liner and the water line.

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[treemanone2003]

View attachment 239655
So woke up to find my neons tail looking like this pretty much had fallen off over night any ideas?

You may get better results posting a new thread in sick/disease as this threads topic is far different.

 

[UABsleeperSRNA]

I would have left him or moved him. It looks like he may have been hit, even if he may have made another tetra mad. Was he acting “normal?"

There's also a lot going on optically, including what looks to be a liner and the water line.

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I couldn't leave him like that poor thing had no tail and was just moving in a circle i don't think it got hit nobody has messed with him.. he had a tiny spot at the very top of his tail when i added him to the tank night before last.. and i have watched it progress it got inflamed first which spread to the bottom of his tail and then turned white like either pus had built up or bloodflow had been compromised by the infection and literally and since i had no clue what the infection was.. and melafix had no influence on slowing the progression i didn't want to take the chance of killing the remaining 2 tetra's i have or the rogue platy in the tank.. plus he looked miserable i thought euthanasia was the only humane thing to do..