PETCO in HERDNON

[Caribbean Jake]

PETCO in Herndon at The Clock Tower Shopping Center located in the corner of Centreville and Fox Mill has a variety of Slatwater fish.

 

The Fish Manager knows about saltwater fish, but can't say the same about the attendants. They had the yellow damsels under Yellow Lemon Peel Angel and a Flame Angel under a French Angel subject, but besides that everything else was right and at good prices. E,I. a Coral Beauty $19.99, Yellow Tang (sml) $24.00, Damsels $4 or $5, and Dragonet Mandarin $19.99. Of course is up to you to either support or not that PETCO provides/offers slatwater fishes to customers. I think is an option for those looking in a budget for low cost fishes. My advise, please take your time and look, and look, and look again at what you are buying to make sure that the fish is healty and capable of surviving.

 

I bought the Coral Beauty for $16.99 after some % discounts and so far is doing great in my 55 G tank.

 

Jacob

[dbartco]

quarantine, quarantine, quarantine.

[Guest alex wlazlak]

i think more places like petco should carry saltwater fish. i know that none of the petcos around here (PA) dont carry saltwater fish, and petsmart doesnt. i thnk if petsmart would carry saltwater fish, theyd have a good bit more business...

[Caribbean Jake]

PETCO has the yellow tangs (Med) at $24 and (Large) at $24 or $26. Also they have a (Med) Blue Hippo at $59. Several others like grouper, puffer, snow eal, chromis, key hole angel, and damsels available at reasonable prices.

[emissary]

Just went by the there the other day. For the most part things were okay, but one maroon clownfish tank had 3 dead fish. 1 on the ground and 2 on the overflow -- one was bright white and 1/2 disintegrated. It always bugs me to see the tanks not being monitored...

[fishface]

I think that they shouldn't sell anything that breathes whether with gills or otherwise. The staff turnsover constantly, and the ones that stay, well, one look them and you start to wonder.

 

I believe that the corporate office must put out bid requests and go soley with the lowest bidder. This means that some of the aquaculture and collecting companies that choose to bid to sell them sells volume at a cut-rate and they could care less, and Petco clearly doesn't care how many of these animals never make into a cage, tank or whatever. To the accountants, it's just a loss factor when ordering these to stock a store and sell whatever doesn't die.

And if (disclaimer coming) this conclusion is incorrect, then what does explain the obvious mortalities? For fish, they can't scoop and flush them fast enough. You alsways see corpses. My kid is 3 , and Petco was kind of fun to take him while eating out in herndon, and keeping him occupied while dinner is being made. But once he start realizing that there are dead ones, it's got to confuse him.

 

I think it's important to vote with our dollars. Let the big stores supply the dry goods that they can't kill. Let the LFS and e-tailers with the knowledge and concern sell the livestock. I don't like paying higher prices, but I do feel that along with a critter or coral, if you get experience and information then it's worth it. Otherwise, you are just....:wall:

[Guest RastaMan]

The local stores don't order. It comes from corporate. They are told to keep the tanks highly stcoked and that is why you see 4-5 YT in a 20G. I was at a PETCO on Dale Blvd. Friday and they had a 7" Blue Naso in a 20G along with 2 other fish (can't remeber the type). I made a comment and the reply I got was that they would be gone by Sunday. They had just received a shipment and there were at least 4 dead fish either in tanks or bags.

 

Never would buy from them.

 

On a side note, iIwas at Super Pets yesterday and their fish looked horrible.

 

Rick

[Ocean - Tech]

I hate Super Pets. The emloyees there do everything they can to avoid talking to you. The last time I was there my brother was in town visiting, we were in the area so we decided to stop in and see what fish they had in. My oldest daughter was tagging along she was about 6 at the time and loves pet stores. As we were browsing a tall slender man (maybe in his early 40's that I've seen there before and asked him for help several times on previous visits and always have gotten attitude instead) walked right into my daughter almost knocking her into the floor, but luckily my brother grabbed her in time. The SOB turned and looked for a moment and kept walking no excuse me or anything. I was about to explode at this point. So I yelled a couple of profanities in his direction as my brother was dragging me out of the store.

[Caribbean Jake]

Is this Super Pet in Annandale?

[Ocean - Tech]

Is this Super Pet in Annandale?

41337[/snapback]

 

Yea thats it

[Caribbean Jake]

you have the choice and voice. Your money $$$ is your voice. Just walk away and don't buy there...t aht simple, and you will voicing your opinion without opening your mouth. If you and anyone else does the same thing, they will one day learn or go out of business, it's up to them cause we, THE WAMAS CLUB can go on and buy somewhere else... after all that is our right as cosumers... we can go to another store or internet and buy our selections.

[fishface]

I've gone by Super pets because 3 years ago I worked in Alexandria and I have Freshwater too.

A year ago I decide to look again, this time at the SW livestock. I was at the cashier with a really great looking shrimp that I didn't realize was the dreaded Saron Shrimp. Maybe some people don't have a problem with them, but on the whole, they prey on Zoos, softies and even Tridacnas. I think the cashier was the manager filling in, and he asked me whether it was going into a FOLR tank, because he personally had one wipe out half of a mushroom colony in his own tank overnight.

If he wasn't there to stop it, that would have made a mess of my reef. And my 6 inch Derasa.

 

I'm voting, I stay away.

I have to admit, even my preferred LFS has not always screened it's customers, or checked that the customer equipment or tank is proper for the eye candy on display. But I focus on how they handle me and my tank issues, which is always with expertise.

 

FF

[fishface]

Hey Ocean-Tech:

 

What do you say a few of us head over there and stick the SOB's head into a vat of uncured Live Rock? Maybe a Mantis will crawl up his nose. Teach him some manners!

 

FF

[Caribbean Jake]

That will be a normal reaction for a father, human, individual. But by walking away you demonstrated perosnality, integrity, and good morals. Just take your $$$ some where else... and you have conquer victory.

[martin]

Super Pets

 

Good place to go if you don't want to buy anything. They have lots of tanks and things on disply, see it before buying it elsewhere. The staff hate customers, I complained once about the rudness to the owner/manager. Wally's isn't great on fish care, but the staff is always nice and tries to be helpful. Thats where I go for dry goods.

 

Their SW fish are a bit peaked at times. Some nice FW species, but this is WAMAS......

[Steve G]

I think it's ok if they (Petco, Roozen's, etc.) overstock their tanks as long as they have high enough turnover that the fish are going to good homes before they get too cramped and as long as they take precautions so they don't incubate and transfer too many parasites.

 

If they sell to uninformed customers who will not research and care for the livestock properly, that is frustrating, but I figure if I buy their livestock myself then it's going into a WAMAS member's tank and will have a shot at being kept responsibly. I also try to gently and subtly educate the sales person (by asking them leading "questions" like should I quarantine this for 2 weeks or 4 weeks and if they say "nah, don't bother', I tell them horror stories) and let them know about WAMAS.

 

The only reason I would outright boycott is if I thought they were obtaining their livestock from unscrupulous collectors. Is there any way to check up on LFS suppliers' collection methods?

 

I had a Flame Angel that I was sure was cyanide-caught. It died within weeks and had the tell tale signs, expelling its guts. It was sad and frustrating. IT was a few years ago so I can't remember which store I got it from, maybe Tropical Lagoon in Silver Spring.