Bad tank in a LFS

So i recently found a new pet store in my area, Only has 2 tanks set up in the store.. the tanks are absolutely covered in algae, my question is do you think it would be alright to buy from there ? or should i stay away because of the state of the tanks....?

 

Same situation for me and a lfs in my area, if you were to buy anything i would most definetely quarantine it. Even then I wouldnt give it a guarantee that its healthy and would survive.

 

So the chances of it bringing something bad into my tank are pretty high eh ...

 

i wouldnt buy anything from any type store that didnt take pride in appearances. and since these fish can be tempermental , id be worried it wouldnt be healthy. just my thoughts

 

When I moved here a few months back I had to find a new one. The one I finally settled on has a quarantine area, has spotless tanks, has a 'recover tank system' on separate loops or dosing, and overall knows their stuff. And it's a fish only store. They even run low salinity (1.020) to combat disease and run everything through UV sterilizers.

IMO you need one like that, or just go through an online store. Not worth the hassle to have fish just come home to die in your tank or infect your current population. Even with ich it may not be noticed until the fish is stressed in your DT and out of quarantine.

If you do decide to buy I'd give it a FW bath and QT for a bit.

 

The crappy thing is that i live 3 hours away from a decent store, so i just got excited to find one in my area haha, but your right whats the point in buying something there and having it wipe my tank.. ohhh well ..

 

+1 on divott & rogers post ....not a chance.

 

Whenever I enter a new LFS, I ask them about what i need to set up a tank and what has to be done before I can add any livestock. I then look around at the tanks and how the store looks. If I get honest and good answers from staff and their tanks look decent, I will buy from them. If I am lied to or their tanks are disgusting, I walk out right away.

 

Agreed. I think the best ones will be able to explain their quarantine process and disease prevention/medication. If they can't or give you a BS answer then probably a no to buying from them.

A weird looking tank is not always cause for concern, they may be testing a new process or medicating or quarantining the tank because it has a disease... As long as they have a good reason and it's clear that that tank is not a normality.

 

Well thanks for all the pointers folks, appreciate it