Petco
- Thread starter Mosinmatt
- Start date
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Petco can be a hit or miss. Some are good others are the pits. Since you are new you prob can not spot problems with livestock right away. If your LFS is a good one then I would make plans to visit it for live stock and live rock.
Bryson.bobby
Valuable Member
I think u should be fine as long as everything looks healthy fish wise and you quarantine. Personally, I would start out using dry rock and add bio spira to get the cycle started.
Salty Lemon
Doing my best to make waves.
In my experience, an LFS is more likely to hire the aquarium staff that can assist you and properly answer your questions. My local Petco has one guy with lots of saltwater experience. If he isn't working, I won't ask questions. The LFS that I travel to is 35-40 minutes away. I find it worth it. Almost everyone who works there has saltwater tanks of their own and have had years living in the the trenches of this hobby. I believe I keep my tank healthier because of it. Petco is a reputable place, but I would ask the sales people you are dealing with what kind of tanks they have at home before taking their advice on how to care for one.
Irishman
Active Member
All my LFS used to be 45 min away, the ones worth going to at least. I would shop at your LFS for a bit until you get knowledgeable about what to look for.
Also do some research, if your LFS is trying to sell you a sea apple or a $200 fish they’re not that reliable.
Also do some research, if your LFS is trying to sell you a sea apple or a $200 fish they’re not that reliable.
Reefermadness89
Active Member
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Talk to the companion animal leader and ask him to order you some Ora lps once you get your tank cycled. I wouldn’t reccomend their cycles live rock if you want pest free tank, just the nature of the lfs environment where they don’t have qt tanks
Dragon52
2500 Club Member
Here's some info about saltwater.
www.reef2reef.com
The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium
The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean, but it is nowhere near simple. This task is going to take patience, a...
www.reef2reef.com
Bruce60
Active Member
I have a Petco in my town that has an okay saltwater section. I might (and have) bought a fish or two, but I am not sure I would count on them as my main source.
Unfortunately, it is over an hour to the nearest decent LFS, and my preferred one is 90 min each way. That can get tedious after a while. You can also purchase stuff online...more and more LFS stores have an online presence. Some actually have very good knowledge bases for learning.
I would agree that taking the time early in your journey with reef tanks to visit a good LFS and start a relationship can be important to success. But as already recommended, be ready with your phone to confirm some of the stuff you are being told or sold as a way to judge your LFS.
Unfortunately, it is over an hour to the nearest decent LFS, and my preferred one is 90 min each way. That can get tedious after a while. You can also purchase stuff online...more and more LFS stores have an online presence. Some actually have very good knowledge bases for learning.
I would agree that taking the time early in your journey with reef tanks to visit a good LFS and start a relationship can be important to success. But as already recommended, be ready with your phone to confirm some of the stuff you are being told or sold as a way to judge your LFS.
Waters
"...in perfect isolation, here behind my wall."
I get most of my livestock from liveaquaria.com but there are a ton of good sites out there (take a quick look through the sponsers here). I am sure others will chime in. I have only ever ordered actual live rock from salterwaterfish.com....it has gotten much harder to find actual live rock though if that is what you are looking for.
BeejReef
2500 Club Member
Petco takes a lot of heat and probably deserves a lot of it.
There's no saying that your LFS is any good either though. Plenty of LFS horror stories as well.
It's hard starting out bc you don't have an eye for it. That said, bringing home and acclimating a fish that spent an hour in a bag is a lot easier than an overnight shipped fish. I'd hop on your local forum or a fb group and see where the locals source their fish. Probly worth at least getting familiar w your petco as that's almost certainly where you'll end up if you need something for an emergency.
There's no saying that your LFS is any good either though. Plenty of LFS horror stories as well.
It's hard starting out bc you don't have an eye for it. That said, bringing home and acclimating a fish that spent an hour in a bag is a lot easier than an overnight shipped fish. I'd hop on your local forum or a fb group and see where the locals source their fish. Probly worth at least getting familiar w your petco as that's almost certainly where you'll end up if you need something for an emergency.
