I use to have a second job at Petco. All I did was saltwater maintenance. I only worked there because I love the hobby. So I would absolutely buy fish from there. There are a couple of vendors but most comes from Quality Marine. As far as the store. It really depends on who’s running the aquatics department. Some people know what they are doing and some don’t know what a fish it.
^This. As far as the local PetCo locations (or any LFS), it comes down to the people and the policies of the store's management. In another life, I was a store manager for a local-to-me farm and garden store that had a fairly robust little pet department (think, rodents like bunnies and hamsters, ferrets, some basic birds, the obligatory ball python, and freshwater only fish). When I was there, I was very active in the fish area, and pushed staff to keep clean tanks. After I left, the tanks are largely dirty and green, with dead fish floating, and employees largely standing around picking their noses, and I'm sorry, I won't buy fish from a store like that. And that's freshwater fish. I am much more critical of anyone selling me a $50+ saltwater fish that I can't even eat if it croaks ;-)
Quality Marine is likely where most LFS get 50+% of their stock. They're liveaquarias primary wholesaler. There is functionally no difference between that fish and a fish from LiveAquaria or your lfs other than you're assuming the wholesale shipment loss (every lfs assumes some % loss on ship in from wholesaler and eats that cost/passes it on to you)
I have just never heard of Quality Marine. However, my thought was that if I order from PetCo.com, certainly they would be using some large wholesaler, and this would avoid the fish even seeing their local tanks and staff.
I have purchased a few fish from the store but I don’t think I will ever mail order fish because I want to see what they look like and how sick they are before I bring them home.
Mail order coral is a risk but fish as higher order animals suffer more during transport and I don’t like putting them blindly in the mail and hope they are well enough to make it.
Just me.
You have a point for sure, and that's how I would really like to purchase my fish. But, the closest real saltwater fish store I have is a dump when you walk in. They get good reviews, and say they can order anything I want, but the place is a dump, and I just don't see it.
I have two very good reef LFS's in my area, but they are each almost an hour drive, so kind of a pain for me.
I bought a yasha goby from PetCo.com in Dec. I had a good experience with them & plan to order again soon. I received all healthy & good looking fish.
Awesome! Thank you for sharing your experice with PetCo.com!
I should add that if anyone has any other ideas for where to order a Yasha Goby, I'm all ears!
Thanks guys, I appreciate your help very much!
I will look, but I'm not sure that any of those places have a Yasha Goby instock. PetCo.com popped right up with at least one in stock, and what I think is a decent price.
