My local petco now sells frags!

[BAngieB]

I will not buy a saltwater fish or coral from Petco ever. there tanks are disgusting. if anything looks healthy its because they just got it in. nothing survives in there tanks for long. I do buy from live aquaria because I know those facilities care for there live stock. there is a huge gaping whole between live aquaria and Petco. maybe one day corporate will figure out how to make live aquaria and Petco protocol one in the same. I don't want to save a coral or fish either from petco. I know that's how some people justify buying from them. every time a purchase is made it just becomes data for corporate. if everyone stopped buying fish and corals from petco there would be no data and they would have to stop selling.

There will always be people new to the hobby that will purchase fish from Petco bc they don't know any better. That's what will keep corporate thinking that their saltwater fish must be just fine. I used to purchase the fish at a discount because they are so sick it's not possible to sell them at full retail price. I'm not justifying purchasing them, I just couldn't stand to watch them suffer day after day.

 

[sanchezkk]

Isn't there like a society (ASPCA, ect..) that they can be reported to or what?

 

[Frag Corals]

.....they look so sad :/
at least they put as much effort into their coral as they do their fish...

They are overpriced and they are horrible.

 

[Frag Corals]

Petco has poor Quality when it comes to their frags. Also they are way overpriced.

 

[Bob Escher]

My local Petco changed their whole fish area around. Went to white tanks, got rid of the big 90 gallon tanks full of plants and feeder fish. But I'm still Larry of buying anything from them

 

[Efranco]

The Petland Discounts by me sells corals...they're either dead or dying..smh

 

[Starwar]

I'll stop by Petco on my lunch break every now and then...always find the same poor corals just sitting there waiting to die...ticks me the hell off. they use the crappiest of lighting and way over priced so they dont sell. couple weeks ago, all coral were 50% off just so they could clear out the dying stock

 

[pfoxgrover]

My local petco is one of only two fish stores within about 50 miles of my house that sell saltwater fish and coral. The petco has better corals most of the time than the other shop and sells some captive bred fish. I qt all the fish and do the works on the frags, remove plugs and two separate dips. Not ideal but I get some pretty good stuff some times. Like someone mentioned, I think the GM is a hobbyist.

 

[ahiggins]

My local petco is one of only two fish stores within about 50 miles of my house that sell saltwater fish and coral. The petco has better corals most of the time than the other shop and sells some captive bred fish. I qt all the fish and do the works on the frags, remove plugs and two separate dips. Not ideal but I get some pretty good stuff some times. Like someone mentioned, I think the GM is a hobbyist.

You should order coral online lol it's so easy. The only negative is shipping is the price of a frag so that's one less frag you can get

 

[pfoxgrover]

You should order coral online lol it's so easy. The only negative is shipping is the price of a frag so that's one less frag you can get

I totally agree although I pretty much have to take the day of work to receive the package since I work during the week.

 

[reeftank220master]

There saltwater anything looks like garbage every time I see what they have and there prices are very high only for them to die a slow death.As far as shipping costs go spend over $150 and most places throw shopping in..

 

[Jorge Linares]

If your patient you can find some gems.

Found this leather: %5BURL=http://s524.photobucket.com/user/linarestribe/media/81BA018B-FBE3-4DA7-9068-03ACA35043DD.jpg.html][/URL]

Now: %5BURL=http://s524.photobucket.com/user/linarestribe/media/DD1BCB20-4E39-4D4B-8F3E-7F9A60D66D27_1.jpg.html][/URL]

These candy canes too: %5BURL=http://s524.photobucket.com/user/linarestribe/media/A2047768-82FE-4171-A5FA-E7166663F499.jpg.html][/URL]

%5BURL=http://s524.photobucket.com/user/linarestribe/media/0145253D-8F66-48F6-B186-A733FB44CD06.jpg.html][/URL]

%5BURL=http://s524.photobucket.com/user/linarestribe/media/698CCDC8-B7BC-4685-AEC8-CB891C4BAB9A.jpg.html][/URL]

 

[Mpal771]

I've bought fish and corals from my Petco. I don't go there with getting a healthy fish or coral in mind. I look a the price and shipping cost I would pay online. I have a QT set up that runs 24/7. Anything I buy from them or anywhere will be Medicated and rehabilitated for 2 months. I have had success with their livestock sick and healthy. I can't beat the low prices anywhere else.

The hobby has come so far. Even an ultra newbie won't touch this stuff.
Consider what we spend. Then imagine the resources Petco has to run a boutique coral operation with aquacultured- only fish & coral.
It would put a serious knock on the hobby-quashing legislation and have widespread support. Educational workshops, sponsored school display tanks, etc...
For those old enough to remember Home Depot at the beginning and what they sell now...not so far fetched and the profit margins on tanks/skimmers...wow.

 

[Marlon2024]

Picked up this guy on a live rock that came in. Took a little while to get him off the rock and he ripped but the ripped part attached itself to a rock already so maybe I'll have to. MM anemone. Nice purple red and green

 

[Hockeypunk1]

R2R is a huge community. Maybe we could insight change in corporate petco policy. Real hobbyists, not exactly their target demographic but if they did things right they would have some new customers and not such a tarnished reputation in the reefing community. We should send a letter to them asking for their methodologies in caring for salty critters and reply with a helpful critique, just like any other newbie that comes here asking advice. Even the best fish shops lose fish everyday. Huge corporations have no business in this hobby if they don't do things the right way.

 

[Reef addict...]

They have a saltwater section at the pet Co near me that sells coral frags as well. Thankfully the person that they have taking care of it is a reefer. He actually taught me alot in the beginning. You know, when you don't want to listen, rush to put things in the tank to early and wonder why everything is dying. Thank god for their low prices. I still have 2 fish and a ton of recordias i got from them that are growing like weeds in my tank. You should be careful no matter where you purchase your livestock. Supply and demand for any animal usually ends up with some of them being very poorly cared for in the name of profit. It's sad to see any animal being mistreated. Especially from a national company specializing in pets.

 

[ron b]

The Petco where i stay in Wilmington Nc has frags. I will say overall, I believe Petco doesn't properly take care of saltwater livestock, but here they actually have 2 people working in the fish dept with marine biology degrees. That being said they do the best job they can and overall the frags look great as well as fish. They do have some issues but not from lack of training or care. Petco doesn't give them all the tools they need to succeed. That being said they do what they can, and ive picked up some good deals and some good frags on occasion.

 

[sanchezkk]

The Petco where i stay in Wilmington Nc has frags. I will say overall, I believe Petco doesn't properly take care of saltwater livestock, but here they actually have 2 people working in the fish dept with marine biology degrees. That being said they do the best job they can and overall the frags look great as well as fish. They do have some issues but not from lack of training or care. Petco doesn't give them all the tools they need to succeed. That being said they do what they can, and ive picked up some good deals and some good frags on occasion.

That must be nice. My local Petco does a mediocre job and the frags and livestock don't look too bad. I mean 5 years ago I picked up a pair of occilaris clowns and they're still alive. I also have a toadstool and devils hand and they've been successfully growing for the last 5 years now.

 

[ahiggins]

I totally agree although I pretty much have to take the day of work to receive the package since I work during the week.

Why? I just have fedex hold the package. It's free to do. But then again, I only order coral online.

 

[WhiskeyCoffee]

Petco near me sells some frags and anemones, most looked in decent health but what blew my mind was the price. They were selling RBTAs for like $90. I bought a beautiful rainbow RBTA at my LFS for something like $50 or $60.

99% of my freshwater stock is from Petco and all my fish are healthy. I have had minimal illness and/or death. (knock on wood)