shih-tzu mom

Went to the LFS-big ale, and went to get more meds for sick fish, and of course had to look at betta's and oranda's. As i was looking at the betta's i noticed the fish nets in- I think a 3-gallon container holding unit and at least 8-10-fish nets in it and just filthy, with bugs swimming around and i said to one staff member;"No wonder my fish are sick, with anchor worm" And a couple of minute;s later a young boy came up to me and said Bella are you the one that said the nets and stuff were dirty? and i said yes and he was busy cleaning away at the tank. but all in all the tank looked just as bad when he finished cleaning it as it did when he started.As far as i can see that should have been washed and scrubbed and disinfected and some meds added to protect fish-but then no money would be made for the store.This was more then disgusting as disease would be a very popular breeding ground right there. lol and the young boy's in there are never really cleaning.As Shawnie mentioned in another post i have had just about everything a fishkeeper can have in a very short and un-experienced time.This is why i won't buy anymore fish there.bella

Dozey

I have a Big Al's, a PetSmart and a Walmart close by. They are all disgusting. It terrifies me to have to go buy more fish for my tank. I don’t mind paying for the fish but the fish is all I want. They can keep their parasites and diseases. Really they should pay us to save these fish in exchange for us buying food, heaters, pumps, filters etc.

Lucy

I'll never understand why stores who sell fish don't care enough to take the best of care of them.
After all, it's a store, they have every available resource to keep things in good condition.

It's just really sad.

shih-tzu mom

Dozey,Lucy-What burns me is all i had to throw out and re-buy after this worm thing and then what i saw-I mean how much would it cost the store to use some methane[sp] blue for their nets and would save us some heart-ach and money lol bella

Biscato33

I really do hate how all the fish stores are so self-centered about the money. Maybe if the staff would just take a look around and see all the experienced fish-keepers that come to the store, see the conditions of the tanks there, and leave, never returning again, then maybe they would think: "Hey, why don't we tidy up a bit here to keep our must valued customers?"
Anyways, I guess if all the fish lovers on fishlore opened a fish store, it would be the best fish store on the whole entire earth!!!!!!
The big al's near me, my LFS, isn't half as bad as most Big Al's I've been too. Sure there is always a diseased fish here and there, but what can you expect? A beautifully perfect fish-store? Never...

~ Ali - In part of the disgusted fish moms and dads out there, who think fish deserve better.

catbtony

I was at W-mart one day and seen a betta in bad shape pointed it out to the fish worker and he told me some guys had poured two male betta together to watch them fight and had not had time to clean yet...I stood there and waited for him to fix the problem..he did but only after I said "do you want me to do it?"
The next time I went in the store I seen the betta bowls dirty and told the fish lady and she said " Oh the regular fish guy was out sick" and I said "its not the fishes fault" she got pretty rude and hatful and I told her to get a manager "NOW" she walked off I got the mnager and told him what had happened and I stood there until I seen actions,,,must say no happy=camper
money-money-money-who cares that it is a FISH-its sad that some are like this-but it is up-to US to educated ourselfs on correct fish for our tanks and to speak for the fish in stores-we can make a differece -TO-THAT-FISH

fishlover78

to put it purely and simply, if they treated fish they would make no money. I no longer go to petsmart, petco, or walmart. ALL the tanks at these places have at least 5-10 dead fish in them each. I got into a dispute with the petmart manger recently about Betta treatment in the stores, and also the condition of the tank and fish in them. I was very loud ( I used my big mouth that doesn't ever shut up!) in talking to this person they called the manger about the place. I have told everyone not to go there either, and on my way out I told everyone at the door my story, most of the people entering the store for fish or supplies turned around and walked out the door! my dispute with him was loud and polite!

Dozey

I can only guess that the vast majority of people that take up fish keeping give up on it within a year or two. I can’t imagine what people go through when their only source of information is the LFS.

Constantly buying new fish, and treating sick fish and having them all die because the meds they were using wiped out their cycle which they know absolutely nothing about or why a week or so after treating their fish all their fish end up dead.

My own wife is a perfect example. She started with a goldfish bowl with a betta. No heater, no filter. Dead in a week. Then did the “smart” thing, bought 2 goldfish for the goldfish for the goldfish bowl. Dead in a week.

So it was back to the fish store for a 3 gallon tank, filter but no heater and 2 cichlids and a pleco. The first night we watched the cichlids eat the pleco. The following night one of the cichlids died.

That’s when I found FishLore. I feel like one the very few blessed with actual knowledge about keeping fish. Thank you FishLore

Mike19

the best (service wise) store i have been to is a store that specializes in the sale of birds with a small amount of fish. i remember when i choose my first fish the store owner rejected me and told me you don't want that one it has been bitten. he could have sold me it and got rid of the damage stock in his tank although he didn't. the place were i bought my 2nd batch of fish were awful and this was a LFS, my third batch will be from a different store again who i have heard good things about and their prices seem fair this place is huge three levels of fish its huge lol.

The Fish Head

My 4 area Petcos have the saddest and unhealthiest looking bettas, those little bowls are less than half filled, disgusting.