Really Petco? That's torture...

[Korkuc36]

Hey everyone. Just a rescue story. I was at Petco yesterday and seen a sebae anemone on it's deathbed. So I decided to play superhero and saved it's life. It was deflated, spewing out it's insides and just looked like death. A day later (today) it is fully attached in a crevice and enjoying the RIGHT lighting for anemones. I go back again today and AGAIN I find the same thing. You will see in the picture below. The now healthy sebae looked like the one on the right. The ugly one on it's deathbed on the right I picked up about an hour ago. I assumed it was from the poor lighting at Petco. Not the case (well I'm sure it's part of it). I decided to use my refractometer and measure their salinity. 1.016!!! I just about lost my mind... Anyways, hopefully the second pulls through like the first one. My maroons already took to the first one and are currently investigating the second one.

 

[ying yang]

Well good on you for " rescuing it" and hopefully you politely informed them of salinity if 1.016 not good with anemone or will do in future ? If does any good who knows.

It's a bitter sweet doing what you done as if no one bought the anemone then they less likely to get one to replace but if buy a poorly looked after/ treated animal then they made a sale and then they replace with another and same can happen again so not knocking you for what you done as that's admirable so bravo but now petco now there a demad and maybe will replace so its a catch 22 situation.danged if you do and danged if you don't

 

[Korkuc36]

Well good on you for " rescuing it" and hopefully you politely informed them of salinity if 1.016 not good with anemone or will do in future ? If does any good who knows.

It's a bitter sweet doing what you done as if no one bought the anemone then they less likely to get one to replace but if buy a poorly looked after/ treated animal then they made a sale and then they replace with another and same can happen again so not knocking you for what you done as that's admirable so bravo but now petco now there a demad and maybe will replace so its a catch 22 situation.danged if you do and danged if you don't

I see what you're saying. I'm not saying I'd do it everytime. Nature has to run its course and I won't always be there everytime to "save" them. But if I'm looking for something and it's looking like it's in bad health I don't mind nursing it back. Especially when it looks great in my tank guess I could have worded the first post differently. I'm not going to buy out the store just to make sure everything lives lol

 

[Korkuc36]

I'm just venting. How the hell are you going to sell saltwater species and the staff know nothing? The manager thought it was a zoa. They should have saltwater knowledge a requirement, if there isn't any there, then give some basic training.

 

[flashsmith]

Not for nothing but... That's pretty normal in any LFS you go into. Sure there's always an exception but 1.016 is pretty much the norm. Especially if ordering fish online.Not saying it's right but it is what it is.

 

[ButteMTDIY]

I live in a place where Petco is the only retail store to purchase saltwater livestock within 100 miles. They’re aren’t that many people with tanks yet they have a huge turnover of stock. What bothers me most is they won’t place special orders. I don’t understand the business model. Seems like it would be more profitable and humane to have a small stock of basic things and order on request. Sad.

 

[Chrisv.]

I stopped into a Petco this weekend to buy cat food and I was expecting the worst, but I was surprised. Honestly they had better and healthier fish than the reef specific LFS that I had just visited. I totally thought it would be a fish grave yard. I guess it varies from location to location.

Sucks that they were mistreating your anemone.

 

[Jib]

Not for nothing but... That's pretty normal in any LFS you go into. Sure there's always an exception but 1.016 is pretty much the norm. Especially if ordering fish online.Not saying it's right but it is what it is.

I've seen fish only systems kept low at LFS' but never a coral / invert system. Always at 1.025. Would be difficult to sell most people corals that are on their deathbed.

 

[Korkuc36]

Not for nothing but... That's pretty normal in any LFS you go into. Sure there's always an exception but 1.016 is pretty much the norm. Especially if ordering fish online.Not saying it's right but it is what it is.

I'm in western NY. Buffalo/Niagara Falls. Every lfs is at least 1.025. never even seen a chain store below 1.023

 

[Chrisv.]

I'm in western NY. Buffalo/Niagara Falls. Every lfs is at least 1.025. never even seen a chain store below 1.023

My LFS in ma keeps fish at 1.015. keep the ich down until you get home. Makes for a hard acclimation.

 

[ying yang]

I see what you're saying. I'm not saying I'd do it everytime. Nature has to run its course and I won't always be there everytime to "save" them. But if I'm looking for something and it's looking like it's in bad health I don't mind nursing it back. Especially when it looks great in my tank guess I could have worded the first post differently. I'm not going to buy out the store just to make sure everything lives lol

Yeah I understood you not going keep buying everyone they replace ,but others might.
But it's what you like in your tank and it ended up perking up in your tank so that's great.
And agree totally with your post below this one .if they sell livestock there should be at least one person working there that knows what they on about and how to give proper care then pass on the knowledge to other staff. But guess there's lots of factors like if staff stay there long enough to learn and you get me there's probably more to it.but if I was in charge I would be saying get Internet out and research stuff that we selling or try get more knowledgeable staff when recruiting but again it's if they can get them .
Seems like there's always a " but" pffft
But anyway I hope your other one perks up and you and your family get great enjoyment from them and rest of your tank ^_^

 

[Korkuc36]

My LFS in ma keeps fish at 1.015. keep the ich down until you get home. Makes for a hard acclimation.

All of my lfs run copper and keep fish separate from corals and invertebrates. They usually have a few salifins that aren't for sale in the coral tanks

 

[ButteMTDIY]

I should add that I wasn’t bashing the local Petco. I think they do the best they can but they’re systems aren’t set up to support anemones or coral.

 

[UkiahTheTurtle]

Hey everyone. Just a rescue story. I was at Petco yesterday and seen a sebae anemone on it's deathbed. So I decided to play superhero and saved it's life. It was deflated, spewing out it's insides and just looked like death. A day later (today) it is fully attached in a crevice and enjoying the RIGHT lighting for anemones. I go back again today and AGAIN I find the same thing. You will see in the picture below. The now healthy sebae looked like the one on the right. The ugly one on it's deathbed on the right I picked up about an hour ago. I assumed it was from the poor lighting at Petco. Not the case (well I'm sure it's part of it). I decided to use my refractometer and measure their salinity. 1.016!!! I just about lost my mind... Anyways, hopefully the second pulls through like the first one. My maroons already took to the first one and are currently investigating the second one.

1.016?!?! That’s the salinity of my brackish tank

 

[Korkuc36]

I should add that I wasn’t bashing the local Petco. I think they do the best they can but they’re systems aren’t set up to support anemones or coral.

Yup. And if they order corals and inverts, they should have a separate tank specifically for corals and inverts at the right salinity. They obviously don't carry parasites like ich and velvet.

 

[dedragon]

I should add that I wasn’t bashing the local Petco. I think they do the best they can but they’re systems aren’t set up to support anemones or coral.

In most cases they are not, they dont have the lighting to support it. The petco in Union square NYC has a reef setup, but still has a gen 1 (pretty sure gen 1 or 2 latest) radion on this one tank. It is not cared for well at all though

 

[Korkuc36]

In most cases they are not, they dont have the lighting to support it. The petco in Union square NYC has a reef setup, but still has a gen 1 (pretty sure gen 1 or 2 latest) radion on this one tank. It is not cared for well at all though

The one in Niagara falls has basic flourescents with a purple cover to give it the actinic look LOL.

 

[dedragon]

that anemone on the right probably has to go through a cipro treatment, cant tell if they might be bubble tip anemones as well but either way you got them out of a tank with 1.016 salinity (anemone death), at the least i would inform them it should be 1.024 at minimum if they have invertebrates, you cant do to much in the face of a huge organization that really doesnt give a crap (as a company in general) about good healthcare of any animal that they sell.
Some stores are better as the employees themselves are more informed and know how to care for certain animals but in general, sadly, this is what you will see at most petcos

 

[Jeeperz]

What gets me is if Petco, or anywhere, treated dogs or cats this way, they would be fined, jailed, or shut down. Why do fish/coral get the shaft treatment? It's still animal neglect/abuse which is now a violation of federal law

 

[Korkuc36]

that anemone on the right probably has to go through a cipro treatment, cant tell if they might be bubble tip anemones as well but either way you got them out of a tank with 1.016 salinity (anemone death), at the least i would inform them it should be 1.024 at minimum if they have invertebrates, you cant do to much in the face of a huge organization that really doesnt give a crap (as a company in general) about good healthcare of any animal that they sell.
Some stores are better as the employees themselves are more informed and know how to care for certain animals but in general, sadly, this is what you will see at most petcos

They both looked like that. The first one was just as bad. I acclimated it, threw it under 300 par and a day later it couldn't be healthier. Hoping the same for the second. I know I'm taking a chance with it. I'm definitely keeping a close eye and staying up late babysitting it