Box Stores; Are They Really THAT Bad?

Hello, all. I wanted to get opinions from those in "the know" about the box stores and just how bad they are (or aren't). Are their fish really lower quality than what's commonly seen at LFS? Or is the poor advice that the box stores are known for their real downfall? I ask because as many of you know, I'm waiting for a couple of fish to come in at my LFS, and I've been REALLY tempted to see if I can grab one at one of the local box stores rather than waiting for the LFS to get them in. I also ask because, also as many on here know, a Blood Parrot will be my final fish to go into my tank, and I've seen prices at my LFS anywhere from $21 - $40 for a single juvenile Blood Parrot, while prices at Petsmart are approximately $10, maybe a bit less. Of course, I'd rather give my LFS business as opposed to a big box store, but I'd rather not pay 4x as much, unless we're really talking a large difference in quality! Anyway, as I mentioned, just looking for several opinions, so I'll have a better idea of how to proceed.

Lastly, and on a slightly different topic, on Saturday, I added two Lemon Tetras to my 55 gallon tank, which previously housed 15 tetras (10 Serpae and 5 Lemon). I know the recommendation is to add fish no less than one week after adding the last group. However, since my last group was so small compared to my tank size, and the size of the group of the other fish, would I be able to add my next fish (would be either a Krib or Raphael Catfish) quicker than one week? Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

 

I've had no problems with petsmart, or petco for the most part. My aquarium is alive and well after almost 2 years. I have had a few fish either get sick or die, but for the most part they have lasted. I feed mine once every other day and do a water change once a week.

 

Thanks for the info!

 

Part of it is the terrible advice, no doubt about that!
but many also use a single filtration system, causing various viruses and parasites to move to all tanks, generally a bad practice.

 

Thanks, Plecomaker! I've received some bad advice, so I get that part, and definitely not questioning it. I'm just trying to decide if it's worth the extra time and money to wait for my local LFS to find what I'm looking for, and to pay up to 4x more for it.

 

Depends on the store...
this was posted here today and I thought of it when I saw your thread.

 

In agreement with Plecomaker. The care put into chain store tanks isn't always the best. I've gone to Petco/ petsmart on more than one occasion and seen fish covered in ich or lying on the gravel dead/ dying. On the other hand, I've also seen their tanks in pristine condition.

The bad advice is part of what gets me. Went in for a return today and the manager told me I should only do water changes once a month instead of once a week. Big no no there. Occasionally you'll find someone who knows what they're talking about but those associates are rare and far between.

The main thing that bugs me is the customer service. Many times the associates are in a rush to get you out the store, or they aren't readily available. I went in to use a coupon and was told I'd already used it which I hadn't. They wouldn't let me use the full coupon amount which would have covered the price of my fish either. There as nothing saying 1 coupon/ item. The first time I returned a fish to Petco, I was told I couldn't get anything else without a water sample. Nowhere in their policy do they provide the information that a water sample is necessary for replacement or return.

Maybe it's just me but little things like that put me off of chain stores.

 

It depends on the store. Best to check out the store's entire stock for any illnesses as most big box stores like petsmart have all their fish on the same sump.

In regards to advice. Do your research online and go to the store knowing what you want.

 

My impression of the big stores is that they run from poor to average. I've also seen lfs run from poor to great. Some big box stores have people that are knowledgeable but it's rare. Buying a fish always has some risk, I make sure fish is in store at least a week and feeding, plus do close inspection, is he nervous or scratching? Look for ich or wounds. A qt is the safest way but if they look healthy for a week in the store their probably ok. Test stores water against your tank for largh ph diff.

 

Thanks, everyone! @, I agree with you on customer service. That sort of thing means something to me, too. I definitely prefer the customer service at the LFS as opposed to what you get with the box stores. I also appreciate the local mom and pop feel at the LFS and overall would prefer to give them my business. Mostly, I have given them my business so far, too. But as mentioned in my original message in this thread, I just can't see spending 4x the price on a fish. But, wanted to check with others first to be sure I'm not missing anything, and that I shouldn't spend that extra money if I don't have to.

@, thanks! I saw that thread, too.

 

It depends on the store. The Petco near me seems to have really clean tanks, and I find that a few people tend to be knowledgeable. There's are also two Petsmarts near me (an older one, and a brand new one). I haven't been to the brand new one, yet. But the older one has a much better selection of fish than Petco (of freshwater), but their tanks don't seem as clean. I haven't had any problems with bringing dead fish back, or bad customer service.

Eventually I'll go to the brand new Petsmart, my fear is that if I go there, I'll end up with new fish which I probably won't have room for...

 

Bad advice and a higher tendency towards sick fish are definitely the biggest detriment of box stores. Keep in mind that a fish that comes for 1/4 of the price strikes me as dubious. The breeding may not be as good so you may end up with a fish that has issues down the road. That depends on where they get their fish. Some have more reputable sources than others so you may get lucky.
Generally I dislike box stores for their lackadaisical view towards animals. While some have "adoption centres" for cats and dogs they still sell small animals in tiny cramped cages. For example: rabbits. They do best in the house under foot, just like cats and dogs. But most store will have you think you can put them in a little 2' by 2' cage. How awful! Morally I would rather not support a business that is so careless with living creatures at all.
A bit off topic for this forum, but I just hate box stores haha (can you tell I work in animal rescue?? )

 

Part of it is the terrible advice, no doubt about that!
but many also use a single filtration system, causing various viruses and parasites to move to all tanks, generally a bad practice.

That's not just a big box store thing. That's a fish room thing. I don't think I've ever been in a fish store where the tanks weren't connected to one large filtration system, or several large filtration systems depending on the size. Regardless, usually several tanks are running on a circuit. It's also how a good chunk of people run fish sheds and such at home. It's generally better for the fish as ammonia and other toxins are spread around in 1000 gallons of water, rather than just the 20 gallon tank they are displayed in. It is detrimental when a disease is introduced, but very helpful in a disease free environment. Also, the petsmart near me tends to have fish in pretty good condition.
Edit: I've only been to like 5 fish stores though, so maybe not the best pool.

 

Box Stores; Are They Really THAT Bad?!?!?!?!?!?!

I have bought all my sons guppies from the big pet store here in Sweden, we don't have petco but something similar and I have only had one fish die on me, the others are doing really well but at the same time I have seen in some of their tanks fish lying on the bottom and not looking well, I have grown a pretty good relationship with one of the workers in their who actually does care and normally when I see this I normally give them a shout and they take it out and put it into its own hospital tank that's cut off from the rest.

But for my cichlids I never buy from them, I actually drive over 2 hours to Gothenburg to purchase my cichlids. Mainly because that's all he deals in and his fish are really well looked after. But I also believe in you pay for you get, so personally I'd pay the extra to your LFS if you can't find it from somewhere that only deal with cichlids like I have done but ultimately the decision is yours we can only give our personal opinions and like everything else in this hobby you will get a 100 different replies saying different things and its up to you to decide what course of action to take

 

Thanks, all! BenMoffat, yes, I do seem to be getting all types of opinions, which I appreciate. I'll have to make my own decision, no doubt. I definitely wanted several opinions on what is the best course of action and why. I, too have been to the box stores where the fish and tanks look great as well as ones that look sickly. Obviously, I wouldn't buy anything that looked bad. Also, I wouldn't go into those stores looking for advice. If I did go there, I'd go in looking for something specific, having all of my research done.

 

Thanks, all! @, yes, I do seem to be getting all types of opinions, which I appreciate. I'll have to make my own decision, no doubt. I definitely wanted several opinions on what is the best course of action and why. I, too have been to the box stores where the fish and tanks look great as well as ones that look sickly. Obviously, I wouldn't buy anything that looked bad. Also, I wouldn't go into those stores looking for advice. If I did go there, I'd go in looking for something specific, having all of my research done.

Best way mate, we all know to well that half these stores have absolutely no idea what they are talking about and will just spew rubbish to get the sale.

As I said personally I would pay the extra but that's me or if you have a quarantine tank you could put the cheaper ones in that for a while to monitor them etc

 

Thanks, BenMoffat. I don't have a quarantine tank, so that won't be an option. So, if I do go with a box store to get the cheaper price, what exactly do I need to look out for? Do you think they'll actually be sickly?

 

Most of my fish I bought from my local Pet Supermarket which is a southern pet store chain like Petco or Pet Smart. They get their fish from Seagrest Fish Farms down here in Fla as most of the stores do. I have had no problems with my fish to speak of. My koi angel I bought at an LFs about 26 mile from where I live. He was the only one that had the koi angels, My plecos I bought on line. I don't have a problem with the big box stores. Alison

 

Thanks, BenMoffat. I don't have a quarantine tank, so that won't be an option. So, if I do go with a box store to get the cheaper price, what exactly do I need to look out for? Do you think they'll actually be sickly?

Just the normal stuff really, are the fish active in the tank or just sitting at the bottom, do they look like they have fin rot, bloating, white poop, white spots or sunken bellies. If your buying from a major pet chain, I think you could pick up some parasite medication to treat the tank although not sure if this is a good idea or not, someone with more experience can advise you on that one.

But you might be fine, it's always a 50|50 chance with major pet chains I've personally never had any issues myself, but I know people that have

 

I agree that it depends on the store.

My local Petco is great. They ask about your tank size before selling you fish, and the aquatics manager is super knowledgable. I don't buy fish from their fish wall cuz I'm paranoid, but I rarely see ich. I've seen pet stores look a heck of a lot worse. Their bettas always look great and if you hand them one that looks sick or died on the shelf, all of them get an immediate water change. I will buy shrimp here.

The Petco in the next town over is worse. Their fish always look a little sick at best and they're always medicating (I've bought shrimp once or twice here and the water in the bag always smells like it). Their bettas look alright but not great. They appear under staffed and the woman who is always working aquatics clearly cares about fish but she's always mega stressed out and a little aggressive. The one fish I bought from there died from dropsy after 2 weeks.

My local PetSmart is ehhh. The fish wall looks okay except for the snails. Always tons of dead ones. Their bettas are sitting in heavily medicated water (bright blue or yellow) and many of them have finrot. I recently rescued one of these and he's doing better. The staff is enthusiastic but not educated. They don't pretend to know anything, and if I ask a question any more advanced than "do you have this in stock" they respond with a, "huh, I dunno." Which is fine lol.

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Thanks, again, folks! It really does sound like a crapshoot! It sounds like an inspection needs to happen, but that if all seems well, things can be fine when buying from a box store from what I'm hearing. I can pick out ich, and discoloration, as well as a sunken belly seems obvious to notice. However, I'm not sure how to spot dropsey, swim bladder, fin rot, etc as I'm in the beginning stages of fish keeping, still.

If folks reading this can point out the pros and cons of shopping at a box store, it would be appreciated. But, as most have mentioned, and I've acknowledged, it really is sounding like the luck of the draw.

 

Thanks, again, folks! It really does sound like a crapshoot! It sounds like an inspection needs to happen, but that if all seems well, things can be fine when buying from a box store from what I'm hearing. I can pick out ich, and discoloration, as well as a sunken belly seems obvious to notice. However, I'm not sure how to spot dropsey, swim bladder, fin rot, etc as I'm in the beginning stages of fish keeping, still.

If folks reading this can point out the pros and cons of shopping at a box store, it would be appreciated. But, as most have mentioned, and I've acknowledged, it really is sounding like the luck of the draw.

Depending on how you look at it; every place you can buy from is a shoot. You could have your tank up and running with a nice stock, buy a fish from a rep breeder that has no problems, but it could bring something to your tank your fish never encountered and boom. Infection time.

This is where a QT tank and keeping your fish/tank as healthy as possible comes into play.

 

Box Stores; Are They Really THAT Bad?!?!?!?!?!?!

Thanks, again, folks! It really does sound like a crapshoot! It sounds like an inspection needs to happen, but that if all seems well, things can be fine when buying from a box store from what I'm hearing. I can pick out ich, and discoloration, as well as a sunken belly seems obvious to notice. However, I'm not sure how to spot dropsey, swim bladder, fin rot, etc as I'm in the beginning stages of fish keeping, still.

If folks reading this can point out the pros and cons of shopping at a box store, it would be appreciated. But, as most have mentioned, and I've acknowledged, it really is sounding like the luck of the draw.

Swim Bladder:


If you google fin rot and check the s you will see what to look out for

Don't really think there are any pros and cons mate it's like you said luck or the draw, I think the pros with big pet stores is that their stock is normally cheaper and the cons is there is a good chance they come with parasites/diseases but like I said I've never had any issues with the guppies I've bought just make sure to inspect the fish your buying and inspect all the other fish around about them

 

Thanks, again! I'll check out that article as soon as I'm able. The only thing really holding me back is that I've already added all of my schooling fish, and they were from the LFS. Now I'm onto my centerpiece fish, so I understand that I'm gambling a bit more at this point if I do decide to go with a box store.

 

Box Stores; Are They Really THAT Bad?!?!?!?!?!?!

Thanks, again! I'll check out that article as soon as I'm able. The only thing really holding me back is that I've already added all of my schooling fish, and they were from the LFS. Now I'm onto my centerpiece fish, so I understand that I'm gambling a bit more at this point if I do decide to go with a box store.

It's a gamble either way mate, like I said just check them out before hand and see if they look ok also make sure they are compatible with the fish you already have so you don't add them and end up with a blood bath

Just went back to the start of the thread to see what fish you had in the tank, is this the tank with your tetras?? If so there is a chance the blood parrot will kill them, although know one can say 100% I've read people that have them together and been ok but others who have not ended so well.

 

Thanks again, BenMoffat. Yes, it's the same tank...I only have one. I've done extensive research on compatibility and nowhere have I come across any information saying I'd have difficulty with the tetras and Blood Parrot. This research includes reading from online sources, using AqAdvisor, talking with staff at the LFS and talking to several folks on here. Like getting quality fish, adding different species together also seems to be a bit of a crapshoot, but all signs point to things being fine from a compatibility standpoint. Let's hope I'm right!

Any thoughts on the other question I asked in regard to adding a Krib less than a full week after adding two Lemon Tetras?

 

Thanks again, BenMoffat. Yes, it's the same tank...I only have one. I've done extensive research on compatibility and nowhere have I come across any information saying I'd have difficulty with the tetras and Blood Parrot. This research includes reading from online sources, using AqAdvisor, talking with staff at the LFS and talking to several folks on here. Like getting quality fish, adding different species together also seems to be a bit of a crapshoot, but all signs point to things being fine from a compatibility standpoint. Let's hope I'm right!

Any thoughts on the other question I asked in regard to adding a Krib less than a full week after adding two Lemon Tetras?

Not really sure mate, I have always waited 2 weeks in between adding fish after I cycled my tank with TSS, but I can't see it being that much of a issue if your only adding one fish, would imagine it would only really cause major issues if you were trying to add a good few fish. But that's just my opinion someone else maybe no better than me.

In regards to the blood parrot and tetras like I said I've read people say that it's worked fine and others that have said different, I personally have no experience with them so I couldn't say was just remembering something I read a while back.

 

I can tell you that out of my six rasboras, three come from an All Pets Emporium (like a petco) and three came from my LFS. Well, the ones I got at the LFS are huuuge and so colorful! They're also a lot more active than the other ones. I can literally differentiate which came from where just by looking at them. For products, food and meds I don't mind going to a regular pet store, but I probably won't risk buying any fish at a box store again just because my LFS is great and their fish are exceptional.

 

Thanks! BenMoffat, I've been waiting a week in between adding groups of fish, with the exception of adding my second group. Due to waiting for the cycle, there was a two week period in between. The only reason I'd consider adding another fish sooner than a week is because the last group was two tiny fish added to a larger group, and also because the next fish would just be one.
andrearamirezo91, thanks so much! Very helpful info!

 

When I was looking for a betta both petsmart and petco had sick bettas. Some were dead floating in the cups. The ones that were alive had various forms of fin rot, and probably parasites from how the feces looked. Walmart also always has sick, dying or dead fish floating in their tanks.

The other reason why I bought my betta online, is because I didn't really want to contribute to the buying bettas at my local store, to have them replaced with more bettas who will probably end up sick too.

When I want to stock my 40 gallon breeder, I might be buying fish from a different local fish place. It's not a chain store though, more of a ma and pop fish shop. The people there seem to know what they are talking about as far as cycling and tank size goes. The fish all looked healthy too. I still will be doing four week quarantine just in case.

 

Thanks! BenMoffat, I've been waiting a week in between adding groups of fish, with the exception of adding my second group. Due to waiting for the cycle, there was a two week period in between. The only reason I'd consider adding another fish sooner than a week is because the last group was two tiny fish added to a larger group, and also because the next fish would just be one.
andrearamirezo91, thanks so much! Very helpful info!

Yea, I really don't think adding one fish will do that much and if your paranoid like me you could always test the water every other day

 

Thanks! I could do that, but the only problem is...testing every day isn't going to help me if I've already purchased a diseased fish. But, like we've said many times, that could happen buying from anywhere.

 

Thanks! I could do that, but the only problem is...testing every day isn't going to help me if I've already purchased a diseased fish. But, like we've said many times, that could happen buying from anywhere.

Exactly bro, when I said you could test the water every other day I was more talking about if you were paranoid about adding more fish before your "really" meant to.
Like you said you could buy a diseased fish from anywhere, so just make your decision go to where you want to buy it, check out the fish they have and look for obvious signs of illness and check out the blood parrot you want to buy and look for signs of illness.
If you clearly see fish around that look ill and not in good shape or you see the blood parrots not in good shape you can just walk away and go somewhere else

 

NEVER BUY FISH FROM WALMART!!

 

Lol

 

OMG I didnt even know Walmart still sold fish. I've only ever seen Bettas there and I haven't in a while. Where is that?!! Sooo many fishies crammed up together. Poor babies

 

Thanks again! No worries! I'd never buy fish from Wal-Mart! If anything, it'd be Petsmart or Petco.

 

OMG I didnt even know Walmart still sold fish. I've only ever seen Bettas there and I haven't in a while. Where is that?!! Sooo many fishies crammed up together. Poor babies

Walmart baltimore, md..sickening

 

Walmart baltimore, md..sickening

So many beautiful and cool fish that are all going to die

 

In agreement with Plecomaker. The care put into chain store tanks isn't always the best. I've gone to Petco/ petsmart on more than one occasion and seen fish covered in ich or lying on the gravel dead/ dying. On the other hand, I've also seen their tanks in pristine condition.

The bad advice is part of what gets me. Went in for a return today and the manager told me I should only do water changes once a month instead of once a week. Big no no there. Occasionally you'll find someone who knows what they're talking about but those associates are rare and far between.

The main thing that bugs me is the customer service. Many times the associates are in a rush to get you out the store, or they aren't readily available. I went in to use a coupon and was told I'd already used it which I hadn't. They wouldn't let me use the full coupon amount which would have covered the price of my fish either. There as nothing saying 1 coupon/ item. The first time I returned a fish to Petco, I was told I couldn't get anything else without a water sample. Nowhere in their policy do they provide the information that a water sample is necessary for replacement or return.

Maybe it's just me but little things like that put me off of chain stores.

It's on the back of the purchase card, printed on the bag, and online. Just for future reference.

Most of my fish I bought from my local Pet Supermarket which is a southern pet store chain like Petco or Pet Smart. They get their fish from Seagrest Fish Farms down here in Fla as most of the stores do. I have had no problems with my fish to speak of. My koi angel I bought at an LFs about 26 mile from where I live. He was the only one that had the koi angels, My plecos I bought on line. I don't have a problem with the big box stores. Alison

This is also where my Petco gets their freshwater fish. I love this vendor but occasionally we get a bad batch. Could just be shipping stress though.