Fish from pet co

Yes the female is the larger one, also the female is the more aggressive of the 2, you will probably notice this when you see them eat.

Yes anemone and shrimp should be a good indicator of the health of the system over all.

You have been patient so far, I do not see you jumping the gun impulsively as we all did as new hobbyist.

 

Thanks corailline, its hard, but I'm so nervous ill mess something up that I think that's why lmao. I don't want to see my investment go down the drain (literally) and have to start over.

 

I'm surprised this thread hasn't been closed. We're not generally allowed to talk about this store's livestock...

I wouldn't get livestock there no matter what. Ever. Never.

 

Well I know I'm a noobie to this hobby, but as far as this particular store goes, when I first started I went to the store and was instantly turned away by the way the tanks looked. Then one Sunday I need some salt for a water change, so I went back. When I walked in I noticed the tanks looked completely different. Now I realize this could have been a coincidence, maybe I walked in after a routine cleaning. Then I noticed a woman taking care of a customer and I asked if she cared for the tanks. She said she did and she also said she had just started working there. She has 2 sw tanks at home a 90g and a 125g. I've noticed a big turn around in the saltwater section of this store after she started working. Now am I in no way trying to promote other 3reefers to try pet co again, simply stating that if some cares and knows what they are doing then even pet co could be ok. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we've gotten bad info from a lfs. So how is pet co any different, and yes there are some things in that store that many of us would say they need to change. Example, tangs in small tanks, but if that's all they have for them than I guess pet co should look into changing that. But I'm sure we can all walk into a lfs and see something that we'd say needs to change. I'm sure I will get flamed for this but hey, that's my .02.

 

Sounds like a logical agrument to me. People tend to paint with too broad of a brush IMO, you can make generalizations but sometimes you need make exceptions when appropriate.

 

I agree, I've been into quite a few petcos over the few years I've been on the hobby. Most are sub-par at best. However, I have been into 2 or 3 where they tanks are clean and most the livestock looks fairly healthy. I'm sure there are some petcos out there that have some knowledge in saltwater systems.

 

My comment on this thread. An anemone being alive doesn't impress me. They die slowly. In fact, it can take them months to die. I'm not sure I would use that as a barometer as to whether the water is good or not.

Trust me, this thread is being monitored. The word "deathco" has already come out. That doesn't bode well for the fate of this thread. They aren't a sponsor or anything. People tend to paint too broad of a brush when discussing this company. I know of quite a few stores where their saltwater stock is maintained well. I know from reading other's experience, where it's completely the opposite. Member's behavior controls the closing of threads, not the opinions of the moderators.

 

Some of the Petco don't have any control over what is sent to their stores. I went into a Petco a few weeks ago out in Chandler, AZ. I was baffled when I looked at their saltwater stock. They had SPS acros', Derasea clams and a few other SPS corals. I spoke to the employee and the girl in charge of the saltwater ordering and she was just as upset as I was. She was trying her best with what they have to care for the livestock. All the SPS was placed as high in the tank as they could be along with the clams. With only 1 flourescent bulb, there was no chance for their survival. It truly is sad that the Petco Corporation sends livestock thike this to the store in hopes they will sell it before it perishes. Kind of a waste of life if you ask me

 

The female is always bigger. They are all born males and when they pair up, the stronger one turns female.

 

From what I have heard from LFS's opinions about Petco is this = that they are not allowed to use anything on their fish that they do not carry in the store. Im not sure if it varies by area but my local Petco store does not have any chemicals for saltwater, and they are always labeling fish wrong. Petco locally used to be ok because a former employee would buy the necessary quarantine chemicals and treat the fish, but she stopped working there.

My girlfriend bought a cichlid from there that they had just gotten in, had it tagged wrong, and when we were checking out another employee that works in the fish section checked us out and said "i love the ruby cichlids!". Well, it wasnt a ruby cichlid and doesnt look anything like a ruby cichlid, but it just shows the knowledge they have. They also usually have heavily stocked small tanks from what I've seen.

Also, with our local store there has only been one time we have went in there and they did not have a section of their tanks blocked off with "Fish not for sale" signs. Usually these tanks consist of several dead fish.

Like stated, this is just my local Petco. If you were to purchase I would definitely quarantine and make sure everything is ok before diving right in. Im not trying to bash Petco by anymeans, and I LOVE their $1 per gallon sale, but their fish can be "iffy"