# Petco vs Petsmart! Where to get Fish?



## DevilDogDoc (Dec 12, 2014)

I like Petsmart better myself


----------



## Qwe (Jul 8, 2013)

It really depends on the individual store, as each one will have different employees who may or may not know what they are doing. But will the incredible amount of different sources to get fish these days, I don't know why you'd feel the need to settle...


----------



## rick dale (Feb 26, 2014)

*petco vs petsmart*

The local petco where I live always has a bad infestation of black beard algae in all of there tanks. Petsmart tanks are always clean and algae free. So I buy fish from petsmart.


----------



## Gavin Citrus (Aug 2, 2014)

100% you need to go inspect the tanks and the fish. That's the goal.

In my area I have a ton of each. In general I see more high quality petsmart stores, however I have a few real nice petco's in the area.

In my area I have four petcos and three petsmarts, all three petsmarts are excellent and two petcos that are excellent. One of the petco's is very bad.

I recommend going and observing both the fish and how the sales people interact with other customers and you'll learn more that way.


----------



## Betta132 (Nov 29, 2012)

It depends on the staff at the store. Petsmart tends to be a bit better, but you really have to just go and look around. Also, ask the salespeople questions like "so what size tank do I need for a goldfish?", the kind of question where a truthful answer might lose them a sale but will keep a fish from dying.


----------



## mpg (May 28, 2014)

In Florida we have one more big box retailer, Pet supermarket. Its actually not bad at all, they even special order fish for you. I have had better success with them then my nearest lfs.


----------



## PhysicsDude55 (Oct 24, 2011)

I've always had better luck with Petsmart.

They also don't standardize their inventory... different Petsmarts will have slightly different fish.


----------



## nayr (Jan 18, 2014)

I buy from a local petco; only after overhearing an employee refusing to sell to an old lady wanting to put a goldfish in a bowl. I like the idea of asking what size tank to put a goldfish in to test the employees. 

There tanks are very clean and the fish look very healthy, despite the displays often being horribly overstocked..

I bought a bunch of minnows from them; the employee asked me several questions about my setup.. once he realized they had a good home he was happy to give me there entire stock.. All were past breeding age and had reached full size unfortunately, I didnt learn until later they breed young, once I found some young ones to put in the tank the school's behavior changed alot.. thats not there fault really, but I'd of liked younger fish.

Each store is different; they have pretty much the same suppliers so it comes down to how much they care and effort they put into there aquatics section.. and that can be a world apart in the same store a few miles away.


----------



## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

neither


----------



## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

One is not universally superior to the other. It comes down to a store by store basis. Observe the tanks and general well being of each one's livestock.


----------



## iamtechno (Sep 23, 2013)

Neither. I'd never again buy fish from either of those stores. I could list off a number of reasons as to why you dont want your fish from either one. Find a good local reputable fish store and do yourself a favor and avoid them Petco and Petsmart.


----------



## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

Independent LFS are not necessarily better than big chain stores. They all get their fish from local wholesalers. The best thing you can do is observe the livestock and general tank conditions...wherever you happen to be shopping.


----------



## iamtechno (Sep 23, 2013)

Even though the fish a lot of them from Segrest Farms come from the same place, have you seen the filtration for Petco and Petsmart? Very very few of them have any system set up thats worth a damn leaving 99% of their stores with horrible filtration that is all linked up. If one fish gets sick, they all do. I've seen it for myself and know a few former people who would tell you the same thing. Plus most of the people their have no idea what they're talking about and at least at a fish store you can find someone who is somewhat knowledgable. I could go on about this one but I'll leave it there.


----------



## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

Stressed or weak fish tend to get sick, or "catch things" that an otherwise healthy fish will not. It's not all about filtration systems. Multi tank systems are no different than single tank filters. So much depends on general maintenance and upkeep. Like I said before, it comes down to a store by store basis.


----------



## agro (Nov 29, 2013)

iamtechno said:


> Even though the fish a lot of them from Segrest Farms come from the same place, have you seen the filtration for Petco and Petsmart? Very very few of them have any system set up thats worth a damn leaving 99% of their stores with horrible filtration that is all linked up. If one fish gets sick, they all do. I've seen it for myself and know a few former people who would tell you the same thing. Plus most of the people their have no idea what they're talking about and at least at a fish store you can find someone who is somewhat knowledgable. I could go on about this one but I'll leave it there.


Petco employee here, filtration systems aren't the best but they aren't super bad. Depending on your store every 4ft or 8ft of tanks would share a single filter. My store has 7 individual 4/8ft systems, with tanks separate from each other being feeder tank, coral tank, and planted discus/angel.

The main problem is fish are always coming and go, fish coming from wholesale already does bad things to genetics, let alone conditions they're kept in. There's also the stress added to them from shipping. So yea many fish come in poorly and can often pass that to other fish in systems. 

We once had someone moving "good looking feeders" to the fancy goldfish system, anchor worms all over. System was put down for no sales and medicated. Sadly we have no quarantine :/.


----------



## iamtechno (Sep 23, 2013)

A shipment of fish comes in and they are all typically stressed and if one out of maybe a thousand fish has ich, all those tanks filtration which isn't great, is all connected exposing every fish to ich. Its not uncommon to get sick fish from these places. Now most local fish stores will have their filtration with individual tanks containing whatever it may be to a few tanks at most. At the same time, a good fish store knows how to properly QT and wait for a few days to sell certain fish or any fish with questions. Not something you'll typically if ever see at Petsmart or Petco. Also, a good fish store will have better kept tanks.

Bump: A good fish store is better than petco/petsmart, its just the way it is. Petco and Petsmart is where the family goes to get a goldfish or some tetras or something for their 5 year or the aquarium in the living room or whatever. If you are serious about fish than you go to a FISH STORE


----------



## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

I doubt you will find an independent fish store anywhere quarantining freshwater species. Having owned one myself for 5 years, they simply cant afford it. Good for you if you can.

A good thing to do is ask the fish to be fed, and then watch them eat. Aggressive feeding is a good sign of health. Shy or reluctant behavior is a red flag.


----------



## iamtechno (Sep 23, 2013)

Well the fish store I go to always waits at least 2-3 days for all the incoming fish if not up to 2-3 weeks for some fish. Not exactly a QT but not something you'll find at petco/petsmart. I found a good fish store and thats where I go. I'm sure you can find one in most major cities you just have to look around. I'm all about the Crimson Tide, one of the biggest fans you'll find out here but come on man. They just don't compare.


----------



## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

I dont mean to imply that local independents are not generally a better source for livestock. Of course they are...or should be. But I do not subscribe to the general opinion that everything you get from big chains are crap. They all come from the same place. That's really all Im trying to say here. It depends a great deal on the individual store, and a little common sense and knowing what to look out for goes a long way.


----------



## iamtechno (Sep 23, 2013)

Not that I'm saying it's crap. Just for me in my instance. You can't find most fish I own in any LFS as I have some fairly special fish. I'd never in a million years consider mixing anything whether it be tetras or whatever from the big 2 in any of my tanks. Anyone who is serious about fish, has fish you wont find in Petco/Petsmart and are typically a little pricier and maybe harder to find and most wouldn't consider mixing either. If it's just a basic tank for the living room or the kids or whatever, it's a great place to go get a little setup and some fish. They cater to different types of people


----------



## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

iamtechno said:


> Not that I'm saying it's crap. Just for me in my instance. You can't find most fish I own in any LFS as I have some fairly special fish. I'd never in a million years consider mixing anything whether it be tetras or whatever from the big 2 in any of my tanks. Anyone who is serious about fish, has fish you wont find in Petco/Petsmart and are typically a little pricier and maybe harder to find and most wouldn't consider mixing either. If it's just a basic tank for the living room or the kids or whatever, it's a great place to go get a little setup and some fish. They cater to different types of people


Totally agree with that. You wont find many uncommon species at the big chain stores anyway, so the point becomes moot. On the other hand, ten Neons from one place or another...there's not a big difference.


----------



## Ganyon (Jun 11, 2012)

I mostly go to the petco near my house only because they're the only local pet store, but their tanks always look really clean and i know the guy that works in the fish department. Lately they've been stocking different fish and even amano and red cherry shrimp. The last time i went they also had nerite snails.


----------



## agro (Nov 29, 2013)

burr740 said:


> I doubt you will find an independent fish store anywhere quarantining freshwater species. Having owned one myself for 5 years, they simply cant afford it. Good for you if you can.
> 
> A good thing to do is ask the fish to be fed, and then watch them eat. Aggressive feeding is a good sign of health. Shy or reluctant behavior is a red flag.


We have a store that quarantine most of their basement stock which includes discus and other big first like foot long clown loaches. NYC too gud :3


----------



## rhiro (Sep 21, 2012)

We have 5 or 6 PetCo's and 1 PetSmart where I live and PetSmart is by far the better store. The fish appear healthier and the tanks are clean and well maintained.


----------



## iamtechno (Sep 23, 2013)

Also, I don't like getting fish from places that come from "farms". To me, fish shouldn't come from farms. Most of my fish are wild or F1 or now my F2's as well and if they aren't those I prefer to get them from reputable breeders that don't use ponds. I'm kinda picky about my fish though. Outside of that I get fish from local auctions of which I can't trace the origins but cool fish are cool fish and I can't pass them up. We always end up getting way to many and coming home with like 2-3 boxes of fish.


----------



## RugburnTanks (Mar 31, 2015)

I know this one fish store called aquatics and exotics. It's kind of far away from me but they DO quarantine their fish and they get them from all over the country and only buy from good genetics. I know this sounds a little crazy but it's true. But nothing is perfect, so the prices are a little high.


----------



## Coralbandit (Feb 25, 2013)

burr740 said:


> One is not universally superior to the other. It comes down to a store by store basis. Observe the tanks and general well being of each one's livestock.


I think the most important thing is the ability to recognise a healthy fish from a sick one personally.
I'll even add "from a distance"!
Meaning you are competent and confident enough to tell if any fish in the "loop"(series filters at chain store) look actually ill,are being over bullied,or kept in unhealthy conditions,have any symptom of ANYTHING,even only 1.
Some fish don't do well in QT tanks so we need to get them positioned quickly and adding just 1 sick fish to an established tank can be devastating.
You need to see and judge with knowledge.
Read up on fish disease symptoms, and know what to look for,research the fish you want so you know about it also.
All before buying .


----------



## Qwe (Jul 8, 2013)

Such generalizations... not all LFS are better than big box stores. I've seen plenty that keep tanks in horrible conditions and I wouldn't use my money to support.


----------



## rick dale (Feb 26, 2014)

*petsmart/petco*

I have a 55 gallon and a 60 gallon tank. Both heavily planted , and both full of fish . A few from petco , and most from petsmart. When I purchase a fish , before buying him ,i watch him closely for any signs that might thro up a red flag. Thats about the best you can do when you have no other options in your area. Also watch the new fish closely for a few days after getting him home. There is a locally owned fish store in my town , very well kept tanks , very nolidgeable staff. I got a red tail shark from them two weeks ago. In 2 days he was covered with ich. Needless to see he went down the river. I have never had ich , and I hope he didnt infect my tank. I guess I will stick to petsmart for the time being , until they prove me wrong.


----------



## Dead2fall (Jun 4, 2014)

Qwe said:


> Such generalizations... not all LFS are better than big box stores. I've seen plenty that keep tanks in horrible conditions and I wouldn't use my money to support.


+1 
I have two mom and pop lfs near me and both are terrible! Dead fish rotting everywhere, melted garbage plants sitting in the tanks for months on end, little to no stock. Our Petsmart looks like a top notch pet store compared to them. Who has the cleanest tanks with the healthiest looking fish out of all them you may ask? Believe this or not.. The Walmart haha. 

About fish store filtration, I think you'd be hard pressed to find many stores without shared filtration.


----------



## Linwood (Jun 19, 2014)

Find out if you have an aquarium club nearby. Go. Get to know some of the people.

Odds are very good some of those raise fish and sell them locally, either semi-commercially or just by word of mouth. 

It's also almost certain these people will know the pitfalls and benefits of local stores (though even there you'll probably find disagreement, but maybe you can get a general consensus by chatting with them). 

Also, some clubs have regular auctions, which are terrific places to get deals -- most things at our club sell for maybe a tenth to a quarter what the retail is. 

There's no nationwide answer to "which is best", all competency is local.

One thing I look for is lack of a common sump. The best two LFS in our area for freshwater uses all sponge filters and air, and does not circulate water between tanks. While it is not perfect -- I don't think they have time or space to quarantine all fish, and I suspect some sloppy employees share nets between tanks though they try not to -- at least one sick fish doesn't infect the whole store.

Some big chain stores have common sumps and UV sterilizers between them, and claim that is good enough. Maybe it is. There are several independent LFS's here with nothing -- just a big, common sump. That can't be good, ever. And guess what -- both cases of Ich I got was from one of those.


----------



## iamtechno (Sep 23, 2013)

For sure, not all LFS are better than Petco/Petsmart. But they should be. There should be no reason for Petsmart to have a better aquatic section than a fish store, depending on the fish store. Thats why it pays to check out the local stores in the area and see who has what and how things are done. Plus, I'd much rather support my LFS and help keep them open over Petco/Petsmart any day which doesn't need any help. 

And just a note. Go look behind the walls at those stores and see if the UF filtrationis actually on and working. I've enountered a number of times that they aren't and from what I understand, the UV systems are a joke at those places.

Bump: Like I said. It all comes down to how serious you are with your fish. Anyone who is really serious about their fish, wouldn't mix Petco/Petsmart fish with their own. It just doesn't make sense as I previously explained. To many risks I wouldn't want to be involvled with.


----------



## du3ce (Jan 26, 2013)

I've bought livestock from both and had no issues but I prefer petsmart


----------



## agro (Nov 29, 2013)

iamtechno said:


> For sure, not all LFS are better than Petco/Petsmart. But they should be. There should be no reason for Petsmart to have a better aquatic section than a fish store, depending on the fish store. Thats why it pays to check out the local stores in the area and see who has what and how things are done. Plus, I'd much rather support my LFS and help keep them open over Petco/Petsmart any day which doesn't need any help.
> 
> And just a note. Go look behind the walls at those stores and see if the UF filtrationis actually on and working. I've enountered a number of times that they aren't and from what I understand, the UV systems are a joke at those places.
> 
> Bump: Like I said. It all comes down to how serious you are with your fish. Anyone who is really serious about their fish, wouldn't mix Petco/Petsmart fish with their own. It just doesn't make sense as I previously explained. To many risks I wouldn't want to be involvled with.


Not to disagree, but isn't there many problems with wild fish also? Not being used to the aquarium life. Quick change of diet/light cycle/environment multiple times. Bringing in unknown parasites/pathogens.

I work at petco, and usually wouldn't buy from the store, not because of how the animals are kept but because I can usually find cheaper and also support a fellow hobbyist whose focus is that fish/animal.


----------



## iamtechno (Sep 23, 2013)

Anytime you get a fish from anywhere, even a trusted source, there is a chance of getting something. Your chances are just greater from some places. And of course wild fish can have problems which is why you should always properly QT all new fish. I personally have never had any issues with a wild fish. And I'd always support a member in the hobby or LFS than a big chain store.

Bump: Anytime you get a fish from anywhere, even a trusted source, there is a chance of getting something. Your chances are just greater from some places. And of course wild fish can have problems which is why you should always properly QT all new fish. I personally have never had any issues with a wild fish. And I'd always support a member in the hobby or LFS than a big chain store.


----------



## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

burr740 said:


> Independent LFS are not necessarily better than big chain stores. They all get their fish from local wholesalers. The best thing you can do is observe the livestock and general tank conditions...wherever you happen to be shopping.


That's it in a nutshell.

If you don't use the same level of observation in selecting fish from either of the P's or LFS, you'll get burned.

Petco/Petsmart have driven lots and lots of smaller LFS out of business. It's been said a million times, so add one more here. But to be absolutely fair about it, lots of LFS SHOULD'VE closed. The real problem is that you end up with a store that sells a really narrow range of products and a selection of fish that's even narrower. Lastly, try to get them to take fish that spawned for you. There's no working with them on that level whatsoever.


----------



## amcoffeegirl (May 26, 2009)

I have bought fish from both big chain and local shops. In the past few years my big chains near me seem to have started offering a bigger selection and better fish. If I want a specialty fish like a nice angel I will not go to petco or petsmart for that. Also neither sells pygmy cories. I cannot find healthy livebearers in my area from any source. I get fish that flash constant with no symptoms. I don't know what's wrong with the guppies in my area. I have had good luck with the mixed endlers at petsmart. Maybe I will try them again in summer.
I have had 100% success with bristlenose, tetra and even neons. I did lose one rummynose and one neon those were both from a locally owned shop. But my petsmart neons all lived 12 of them. I did not drip them. No bacterial issues. 
Petco near me seems to have better bettas though.
I'm not saying they take better care of them but they have a nice variety. Get them soon after delivery.


----------



## iamtechno (Sep 23, 2013)

This will be a topic of never ending debate but Petco/Petsmart don't have the quality of fish that I'm looking for. They never have and they never will, its just the way it is. Also, the fish stores I go to will gladly trade in fish or buy or trade for little fry that I have and Petco/Petsmart CANNOT do this. They can only sell fish from their source (Segrest Farms), otherwise they'll take a "donor" fish from you and give you nothing for it. They are just a basic place to go to find some goldfish or guppies for the family. It's a good place to take your 6 year old to pick out some cute fish for her room but they aren't good for much more. 

In 90% of the tanks I have are fish that you won't find in any LFS, I'd never in a million years even consider putting in anything from Petsmart/petco. I'd rather wait 6 months for something to be in season or a reputable source/breeder than mixing anything from the chain stores. I'll go out of my way to get good stock vs the crap they sell at Petco/Petsmart from farms. (I might have mentioned, I don't like fish farms)


----------



## agro (Nov 29, 2013)

iamtechno said:


> This will be a topic of never ending debate but Petco/Petsmart don't have the quality of fish that I'm looking for. They never have and they never will, its just the way it is. Also, the fish stores I go to will gladly trade in fish or buy or trade for little fry that I have and Petco/Petsmart CANNOT do this. They can only sell fish from their source (Segrest Farms), otherwise they'll take a "donor" fish from you and give you nothing for it. They are just a basic place to go to find some goldfish or guppies for the family. It's a good place to take your 6 year old to pick out some cute fish for her room but they aren't good for much more.
> 
> In 90% of the tanks I have are fish that you won't find in any LFS, I'd never in a million years even consider putting in anything from Petsmart/petco. I'd rather wait 6 months for something to be in season or a reputable source/breeder than mixing anything from the chain stores. I'll go out of my way to get good stock vs the crap they sell at Petco/Petsmart from farms. (I might have mentioned, I don't like fish farms)


Fact is, these chain stores aren't made for you. You are already advanced in the hobby and know whats best for your animals and where to source them. Petco and petsmart are entry level stores and will never be able to compete with good lfs. These entry level stores GET YOU INTO THE HOBBY, also offer advice that may or may not be best depending on person. 

When you first started no matter how old you were I'm sure you didn't look up you're local breeder and say hey, ill take a colony of your rare fish. People usually start with a [censored][censored][censored][censored]ty set up with [censored][censored][censored][censored]ty decor and [censored][censored][censored][censored]ty mix of fish, move on a bit more with knowledge gained from mistakes and get a proper set up. And eventually if they're passionate of the hobby search for exotic stores/breeder.

I started cause my mother kept an oscar with goldfish, then moved onto a few more tanks, one with nothing but livebearer fry and another, a 20 or 29 with swordtails, neons, and convicts. I now happen to work at these chain stores that once gave me false advice just to increase their sales and do the opposite with better results. Would I buy a fish at my store? Maybe for the right price, but I'm more knowledgeable and seek fish elsewhere like my lfs, mainly because of price and deals :3.


----------



## nonfucious (Apr 3, 2014)

I'm not sure why people discount Petsmart/Petco just because they are big box retailers. The petco near me seems to have trouble keeping it's tanks healthy while the Petsmart seems to do a decent job. One LFS is very vigilant about quarantining tanks where they detect illness and the other LFS I won't buy from because there are visibly ill fish and dead fish floating in multiple tanks every time visit. One advantage of LFS is less traffic so you can sometimes get fish that have been around for a while while at Petsmart you are probably getting what came in on Tuesday so you take more of the losses that can be blamed on shipping stress. I have had pretty good results with Petsmart fish. I will continue to buy from them. You do need to do your own research though as not all of their employees are knowledgeable.


----------



## RugburnTanks (Mar 31, 2015)

Thanks for all the feedback. It's sorta fun to watch all the comments build up


----------



## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

RugburnTanks said:


> Thanks for all the feedback. It's sorta fun to watch all the comments build up


See what ya started, LOL!!!!!

This one never fails to get folks going. We all look at the hobby from different perspectives. I've been at it for just over 50 years (Yikes!) and I can honestly say I've seen it all.

In the end, my reason for not patronizing either of the P's is simply because of what they've done to the economics of the LFS business. 

I said it earlier, lots of LFS that closed should have. But just as many deserved better. The box stores took away their bread and butter and left the good ones to fight over the more discerning hobbyists. I go to great lengths to make sure I spread out what I spend in the hobby in a handful of deserving stores. It's surely not enough to keep any one of them in business, but the last thing I want to face is the day when there's ONLY a Petco or Petsmart to choose from. We're not far off.

So if the conditions, quality, selection, and knowledge at your local box store works for you, have at it. But realize that it will never be any better, any more diverse. Special orders? Not happening; wait to see what comes in with the next Segrest farms shipment.


----------



## iamtechno (Sep 23, 2013)

Exactly agro. Thats what I've been trying to say. They cater to different people and anyone serious about fish, wouldn't dare mix with their fish. Also, I'm with bushkill. I'd much rather give my money to actually help support the hobby locally with a good LFS.


----------



## Linwood (Jun 19, 2014)

Bushkill said:


> I said it earlier, lots of LFS that closed should have. But just as many deserved better. The box stores took away their bread and butter and left the good ones to fight over the more discerning hobbyists.


I find the whole situation a frightening case of deja vu. I'm a photographer, and the demise of the independent (and sophisticated) camera store was started by the chains (think Ritz) and then they and others were finished off by the mega stores and Amazon. 

To some extent it is inevitable, though with fish the idea of local and fresh is a bit more meaningful than for cameras. But one of the same problems exists... 

If the independents do not learn to offer a distinction from their mega store competition, they will go out of business. And, sad as it is, they should. 

I tried hard to support the LFS's when I started this hobby, looking for expertise, and looking for quality, and paid more knowingly for some items. But what did I frequently get - sick fish, bad water, and bad advice. One has already gone out of business, the other is doing OK but was where I got ich twice, RODI water measuring 350 TDS and was told "that's fine", and incredibly amounts of bogus advice. 

Those two were the best nearby - three others were just idiots with no selection.

There is another that is further that struggles, but is making an honest effort - he's emphasizing the planted aspect and fresh (most others nearby are salt centric), he's honest about his advice, and he sells well below retail to try not to make the amazon comparison so bad. But honestly he still has trouble - he just can't stock the variety you can get online, or even in comparison to the big box stores. 

It's an uphill battle for these guys. But frankly if they can't figure out a good reason for people to shop there beyond "feel sorry for me", they are going to fail. I applaud those who are trying (e.g. the planted one mentioned above). But honestly, most of these guys are not businessmen -- they are hobbiests that (once) turned a profit doing their hobby. If they had some business savvy, they would be looking for that distinction. They are just "I'm as good as the Petsmart" (mumbles) just more expensive.


----------



## mistuhmarc (Oct 1, 2013)

I myself prefer the local fish store, as they're usually more experienced than those who work at petsmart and petco, but there are good times where there will be people there who genuinely know what they're doing. Does that mean I'll leave the big chain stores alone? No. I use petsmart and petco primarily for looking for dry foods or other items I would normally not find at the local fish stores simply because they can managed to hold the stock in their inventory. But the local fish stores always have that eye for that fish you're looking for. The guy at my local fish store spent time to actually go down to Florida to look for fish for hobbyists who were serious in getting one type of fish. 

The few petcos and petsmarts I know of in my area are fairly alright. I know of one petco a little farther off who has an employee that will go out of their way to special order certain fish from the wholesaler whenever someone's looking for a certain something.


----------



## mattjm20 (Nov 2, 2013)

burr740 said:


> Stressed or weak fish tend to get sick, or "catch things" that an otherwise healthy fish will not. It's not all about filtration systems. Multi tank systems are no different than single tank filters. So much depends on general maintenance and upkeep. Like I said before, it comes down to a store by store basis.


What? This is an ignorant and simplistic view. Yes, weaker fish tend to get sick and healthier specimens tend to stay healthier... But you're talking about hundreds of fish going in and out of tanks as they are shipped to the store each week. Not only is there high turnover, but those fish will naturally be stressed. So the poster's point about mass filtration systems being a negative is very much correct. Can you imagine one fish with Camallanus worms coming into that network of tanks? That's frightening and I've seen it happen.

Now, I agree with other posters that you really just have to judge on a store by store basis as it mostly depends on the staff. As a former "fish specialist" at Petco as a teenager 10+ years ago, I can tell you that I ran a pretty good fish dept for someone who worked part time... but most of the Petsmarts I see are far better than Petco. That's just the stores in my area though.


----------



## DavidZ (Nov 17, 2009)

neither of the 2


----------



## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

mattjm20 said:


> What? This is an ignorant and simplistic view. Yes, weaker fish tend to get sick and healthier specimens tend to stay healthier... But you're talking about hundreds of fish going in and out of tanks as they are shipped to the store each week. Not only is there high turnover, but those fish will naturally be stressed. So the poster's point about mass filtration systems being a negative is very much correct. Can you imagine one fish with Camallanus worms coming into that network of tanks? That's frightening and I've seen it happen.


You're talking about extreme case scenarios rather than the norm. And glossing over the fact that the same worms were probably in the lfs 5 miles up the road too, because odds are they get their stock from the same regional wholesaler(s). At least petco/petsmart *should* have decent UVs running. But again, like Ive been saying all along itt, it comes down to a store by store basis, regardless if you're talking about a big box or local independent. For common species, one is not universally better than the other.


----------



## mattjm20 (Nov 2, 2013)

burr740 said:


> You're talking about extreme case scenarios rather than the norm. And glossing over the fact that the same worms were probably in the lfs 5 miles up the road too, because odds are they get their stock from the same regional wholesaler(s). At least petco/petsmart *should* have decent UVs running. But again, like Ive been saying all along itt, it comes down to a store by store basis, regardless if you're talking about a big box or local independent. For common species, one is not universally better than the other.


Camallanus is extreme, but insert any other more common issue and it is easy to see my concern. I've got one GREAT LFS and when I see a healthy batch of fish that he's had in his tanks for a few weeks with no issues, I can be relatively confident that they won't carry something awful since the filtration systems are not shared. Also, when the system isn't shared you can easily quarantine fish that do inevitably get sick. That's kind of my point... there will be fish that get sick. It's easier to isolate that without one giant shared system.


----------



## BeardedCrow81 (Mar 6, 2015)

Either store has incompetent employees, which result in sick fish.
However I had to choose between the 2 evils, it would be petsmart. Better selection of fish.


----------



## All4Fish (Jun 23, 2014)

My local PetCo is amazing, tanks are always clean, healthy, never saw a sick fish, staff is extremely knowledgeable (keep personal tanks) and willing to share information and ideas for my tank as well as a great selection and able to get special requests!! Does not get much better. I don't think you can generalize as it depends on the local store and staff.


----------



## jr125 (Mar 5, 2015)

There are people at different levels in all hobbies. For many the options are limited. See what they are. Visit with the people working there. Talk to Managers. Ask about where they get their stock. Is there a guarantee? Inspect the condition of the tanks and of any fish you are thinking about purchasing closely. If there is something that doesn't seem right you are probably better off going elsewhere or returning later to see if things have improved. If adding new fish to a tank with existing stock quarantine the new fish first. Have the quarantine tank properly set up and cycled in advance of adding any fish. If there is a problem you can treat for it much more easily in the quarantine tank. If the quarantine tank is not set up properly you will just add additional stress to fish that are already stressed.

I have been to the lfs, the Petco and the Petsmart in my area and generally the Petsmart tanks are cleaner, they have a better variety of fish and the staff is more knowledgeable and helpful. That's just where I live. Everybody's situation will be different.


----------



## Qwe (Jul 8, 2013)

Linwood said:


> Find out if you have an aquarium club nearby. Go. Get to know some of the people.
> 
> Odds are very good some of those raise fish and sell them locally, either semi-commercially or just by word of mouth.
> 
> ...


Just wanted to +1 this, perfect answer.


----------



## Matak (Aug 10, 2005)

iamtechno said:


> Neither. I'd never again buy fish from either of those stores. I could list off a number of reasons as to why you dont want your fish from either one. Find a good local reputable fish store and do yourself a favor and avoid them Petco and Petsmart.


Didn't the owner of one of those two initiate a reverse class action lawsuit against several members of a well known fish forum? And won?

That would be enough reason for me to stay away.


----------



## Bloomer (Mar 22, 2014)

They're all different, the individual stores have to be considered. Stores from both chains near me go through clean and dirty phases fairly regularly, so the one to buy fish from changes a few times a year. The petsmart closest to me just renovated their fish department and it looks super clean at the present. 

The closest petco is a magnet store and they had a Marine Biologist doing graduate work for an associate for a while. She was probably the most knowledgeable fish salesperson I've ever met, no big surprise there! Their tanks always look good; a different petco's tanks appear to be covered with nerite eggs, but no one knows what the specks are, I'll pass on that store. 

I got camallanus in a rasbora from a different petsmart; also in swords from a reputable on line seller. They thought they were reputable, but only treated if they found a problem, really dumb! 

Bad experiences, but the education on meds, qt's and cross contamination received because of that experience was invaluable. A hard way to learn to be cautious and qt everything!

LFS's are the same, some are hideous, some are very amazing. Same with on line sellers. There's really very little control required for fish quality, it's mostly up the the stores to do well.


----------



## Linwood (Jun 19, 2014)

Matak said:


> Didn't the owner of one of those two initiate a reverse class action lawsuit against several members of a well known fish forum? And won?
> 
> That would be enough reason for me to stay away.


That would be a more interesting statement if you could say which and show a reference to support it. Otherwise it, to some extent, defames both.


----------



## Bloomer (Mar 22, 2014)

What is a reverse class action suit? Class Action I get, and I'm not a Lawyer, but an individual can sue more than one person, it happens all the time in patent disputes, but I don't know what the process is called. 

Reverse class action seems like pulling the pin on a grenade and not throwing it; I don't understand the term.


----------



## toriless (Jun 4, 2014)

I have seen dead fish at my LFS store too but generally their source are more reilable the Petsmart or Petco. Locally, my Petsmart has 3 times as many fish as Petco and the tank seem better maintained because of it. When it os a more important part of your business you usually take more care of it. Look at the volume and percentage of the store and how clean the tanks are. When is PetSmart's aquarium area the staff will always come over and they get involved help you. At Petco, if I'm not shopping for mammals I'm often ignored until the employee has nothing better to do then ask if I "have any questions". No one really works the fish department at Petco but Petsmart always has some assigned to monitor that area just like they do their dog recreation area in the bigger store that have those. I go to Petco mostly for litter for my cats. I use Amazon.com for some Aquarium equipment and the LFS for everything else like Plants, Fish, supplies I do not need in bulk, decorations, etc. I also custom build a few items with acrylic from Home Depot.

Bump: I have some pretty decent Koi clubs in the area but no fish clubs.


----------



## [email protected] (Mar 4, 2012)

are you kidding Petsmart or Petco? I'm a custom cabinet maker, that's like comparing me to Menards, Home Depot, or Lowes. You get what you pay for!


----------



## cavemanNY (Aug 11, 2014)

Around me (in Westchester County, NY), PetSmart seems to be more knowledgeable about the animals. This shows in that their animals and generally the tanks look healthier than at Petco. However, when I need equipment or supplies, Petco is generally MUCH cheaper.


----------



## JMN16150 (Jul 21, 2012)

Agreed, but my Petco is more aquatic plant base, always having aquatic plants in stock, and a really poor variety of fish, just a few African cichlids and goldfish. To combat this, they also have THE BIGGEST variety of betta splendens. I love them. From the dumbo varieties to dragon scales to the common veiltail.
However, Petsmart has a bigger variety and some betta varieties. The Petsmart around me only carries tube plants and bulbs
Overall, it depends where. From my options, I'd choose petco for bettas and petsmart for things like tetras(not to mention tetras are often on sale for $1 ea.)


----------



## SyKoTrApS fish (Apr 5, 2015)

just go to a LFS unless you are looking to buy décor for your aquarium I whould just go to a LFS


----------



## Like_A_Boss (Jun 11, 2011)

*Check the Store, Then Decide!*

I used to be an aquatic manager for PetSmart. I can say first hand I agree that each store within a company needs to been individually evaluated. I know PetSmart has good company standards for their fish on paper, but the execution is definitely going to vary. During the last few years with the company there was definitely a decline in the consistency of training of employees. Aquatics knowledge is not a prerequisite for hiring at a PetSmart. In my experience, associates do not gain much training unless they are lucky enough to be partnered with another knowledgeable associate or manager.
Equipment wise, the efficiency of the aquatic system varies as well with each store. There are several different vendors that outfitted PetSmart's fish walls over time. The system at my store had 96 tanks with shared water. There was an ozonator, UV sterilizer, Fluidized bed, a section for bio-balls, along with some mechanical filtration.


----------



## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

IMO it varies at each store.. petco has a 30day return for dead fish, petsmart only has a 14 day one, so thats somethign to consider.. I've had nothing but incompetent interactions at petsmart when trying to get fish. Petco.. 50/50 for employees knowing how to catch fish without unnecessary stress... at petsmart one lady literally killed an oto and neon 2 tetra pushiness large decor around trying to catch fish-she as too stupid/stubborn to take out the decor and it cost fish lives... she also dropped a fish on the floor.. >.<)
My petco I can order fish their chain will carry (gold rams, otos, cherry barbs, etc), petsmart is just useless here "we just get fish in"".. well can I ask for you get get some extra""no!" "...."

Personally I'd buy from a mom and pop shop before a chain store if there were any left (they've all gone now near me :c)


----------



## TINNGG (Mar 9, 2005)

Even mom and pops have their issues. The one closest to me uses retired walmart systems. I'd love to know how they managed that. Hah! They consistently put the angels - when they get them - in the same system as the Africans "they're cichlids too, you know". They also have the plan of "we get our fish from x wholesaler, but we'd be happy to take donations if our tanks weren't full". I asked them once about ordering a long fin albino bristle nose. They wanted 4x what I got one at petsmart for, and they wanted the funds upfront.

One of the three petsmarts in the area, I'll only get supplies from. I don't know if it's a maintenance issue or a water supply issue, but pretty much every fish I've gotten there has died (except for the three I bought still in the shipping bag. Those lived).


----------



## FishFan13 (Jan 15, 2015)

There is a petco I have found that is really good. I went in and immediately when I looked at their tanks, I was impressed. I saw no dead fish, all of the fish were colorful and did not look stressed all. I even got a pair of German Blue rams from them. One is still alive to this day(I killed the other with an accidental mini cycle). All of their plants looked amazing too. I went back to another petco closer to home and all the fish looked horrible.


----------



## jasonpatterson (Apr 15, 2011)

A reputable online retailer is often your best bet in terms of price, health, and customer service. Someone like msjinkzd is amazing when you are in the market for the fish she sells. There are such people for most major fish groups. 

While it's far faster and easier to just drive to PetSmart and pick out the fish you want from the wall o' tanks, you know what you're getting with a good vendor, and it's worth the wait.

My two cents: I've never had a positive experience at a Petco but have had a few that were truly nasty. That doesn't mean that all of them are bad, but I have yet to find a good one. Most of the time I run into high school/college aged kids working at Petsmart who at least try to do a good job and who will typically admit ignorance rather than making stuff up. If I had to pick between the two based solely on the sign, Petsmart.


----------



## ichy (Apr 6, 2015)

Qwe said:


> It really depends on the individual store, as each one will have different employees who may or may not know what they are doing. But will the incredible amount of different sources to get fish these days, I don't know why you'd feel the need to settle...


indeed....the petco near me is as good as a lot of lfs.
The Petsmart sucks...a fish jumped out of the net once, landed on the floor and the attendant was going to put it in the bag and sell it to me!:icon_frow


----------



## BettaBabe (May 1, 2015)

My local fish store is nice, but has a very limited stock of fish. I usually go to bowling green when I want fish. I loved the lps there, but it's gone now. However, the petco, petsmart and Meyer all have knowledgeable staff and healthy fish. (At least they did last time I checked.)


----------



## DHElder (Apr 18, 2015)

I'm totally brand new to the hobby and just looking for a tank for the living room.

Been to Petco, Petsmart, Pets Supplies Plus and several local LFS. Probably about 12 stores in total. 

One of the Petco stores had the brightest / healthiest / active group of fish around with very clean and planted tanks with a good variety of fish selection. 3 of the Petsmart also had very clean tanks and health looking fish with platies I like. All 3 have knowledgeable staff. Petsmart is in the middle of changing their fish stock so not sure what is coming in new yet and each store carried some of the same fish and some different. 

Pets Supplies Plus, both stores had knowledgeable staff, clean tanks and one even pointed me to a lfs for getting fish. Check out the lfs and the Lemon tetras I am interested in were not for sale as the lfs was holding the shipment for two weeks to see how the fish do before selling. Another lfs was a specialty store with single fish of some kind going for a $1000. It has some reasonably priced tetras and platies that were not carried in any of the other stores I checked out. Other lfs looked like he was surviving but offered a good 'different' selection of platies and swordtails at a higher price than the big stores. He was working on tank maintenancen as I talked to him and most of the tanks looked fine and were larger than the big store tanks with some plants in most of them.

I'll be buying from all the stores mentioned at some point. They all offer something to me.


----------



## Vancat2 (Jun 23, 2010)

neither. msjinkzd


----------



## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

Bottom line for me is to be able to identify healthy fishes compared to obviously unhealthy fishes.(or tank's)
The sheer number's of fishes passing through dealer's tanks on weekly basis should make quarantine a no brainer.
These chain stores do not make any money from selling the fishes, and most figure in 35 % loss right from the get go with each order.
They make the lion's share of their profit from all of the equipment that is needed to care for the fishes and or that stuff that they convince folks that they need.
I buy fish from breeder's,online stores,petco,petsmart and the Petco here will order fishes that you want if they can get them from supplier, and you can pick up the fish still in bag's before they hit the often small ,crowded 15 gal display tanks where all manner of disease is possible.
Some stores,dealer's,breeder's,take better care of their tank's/fishes than other's .
Can't single out chain stores as the root of all evil's when purchasing fish but I will say that those who breed fishes for sale often take better care of their stock if it is their livelihood.


----------



## shloken38 (Aug 17, 2012)

I'm with roadmaster on this. I have a Petsmart by my house that I buy fish from all the time; never had a problem. I also have the luxury of having 7 lfs's within a half hour driving distance, and all are pretty good. You just never know sometimes.

I bought 10 rummy nose in the lfs that would be at the top of this list as far as healthy stock, knowledgeable staff, etc and all 10 died. Only problem I ever had there. Yet, I buy neon tetras from my Petsmart for $1.00 and never have a problem. Go figure...


----------



## Italionstallion888 (Jun 29, 2013)

I have both in my area and they both have several locations. I won't buy fish from either of them, I've yet to see a location not have seveal dead fish floating in the tanks, poop everywhere, green water. I buy supplies and dog food from petsmart. Everything else is LFS.


----------



## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

It would have to be one heck of a fish for me to buy anything that swims from either one.

Aquabid feedback scores tell one heck of a story. I've yet to see anything close to what folks are breeding in their basements in either of the warehouses. If you want quality, you won't get it for pennies. The point's already been made here: they sell fish to lose money and draw traffic in the process so you'll buy dog food there and not complain too much about the quality of the Seagrest farmed fish they throw away.

There's still a handful of brick and mortar stores that really try to do it right and I'll go out of my way to spread what I have left, in a discerning manner.

Keep buying from them and we'll eventually be dealing with them only.


----------



## Solitarianknight (May 28, 2015)

Ew, Petsmart and petco? No my friend, Walmart. It's the best there is  Whichever ones are still alive in the tanks are obviously the most healthy survivalists you can get. 


Online is honestly best policy imo. However, you still need to be careful of where your fish come from and what state their wild counterparts are in. Just because you got a "wild" fish doesn't mean youve done a great thing, many species are now endangered due to over collection of wilds for the hobby. 

Don't put down farms either, if it weren't for them, i bet the majority of us would have never fallen into the hobby. Not all fish farms are horrible awful places. I've toured quite a few here in FL and these guys do their best to take care of their stock and produce it for you. Fact is, even if there were only 100,000 fish keepers here in the US, if maybe 10,000 of them wanted say, zebra danios, it'd be up to the handful of danio keepers to breed, sell, and ship them to all those other people.


----------



## BettaBabe (May 1, 2015)

Years ago, our walmart had great fish. The girl in charge of the pet area really knew what she was doing. They moved her to a different area of the store and needless to say, they all started dying.

Someone was buying walmart goldfish today. I really REALLY wanted to hand them a bottle of ich guard and say, "Here. You're gonna need this."
I've had to learn to shut up though. If people are buying from our walmart's tanks, they most likely don't know what they're doing anyway.


----------



## Dead2fall (Jun 4, 2014)

One of the Walmart stores near me beats the petsmart that is across the street from it hands down. It's very very well kept, and has a decent stock list. I've seen GBR, silver dollars, hatchets and harlequins in there just to name a few. Last time I visited there wasn't even a speck of algae to be seen.


----------



## TINNGG (Mar 9, 2005)

I was in a wallyworld one time, patiently waiting for the proper assistance, when a couple of kids came along, hunted down the necessary supplies, and caught/bagged their own fish. When the girl grudgingly showed up, I told her. She informed me that she preferred it that way. Wha?!

I occasionally rescue bettas from there. Occasionally. I try to remember that a new betta isn't like a new tetra - q/t and plop in the display eventually - and is actually extra work. It works - now - because I remember a little nervously those days when I had a dozen or so betta tanks all over my kitchen.


----------



## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

Solitarianknight said:


> Ew, Petsmart and petco? No my friend, Walmart. It's the best there is  Whichever ones are still alive in the tanks are obviously the most healthy survivalists you can get.
> 
> 
> Online is honestly best policy imo. However, you still need to be careful of where your fish come from and what state their wild counterparts are in. Just because you got a "wild" fish doesn't mean youve done a great thing, many species are now endangered due to over collection of wilds for the hobby.
> ...


Well, I should've clarified my issue with "Farms". It's more of an issue with the wholesale supply chain. If you ever saw what a Petco pays for a neon, you would understand why those fish don't get fed for LONG periods and get handled like trash in the whole Farm to Petco process. To be absolutely fair, the process isn't any different when LFS buys from a "Farm". If you were to sit back and just rationalize the whole process, folks would have a much better understanding of why the mortality rate is as high as it is. You get one VERY stressed fish for your 99 cents which just leads to frustrated folks new to the hobby and shortens their experience with it.


----------



## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

I have a few thing's I look for when purchasing fishes from chain store's.

Check the store tank's for overall cleanliness.
Check the color of fishes per species norm.
check to see that fishes I am interested in have no obvious sign's of disease like fungus,finrot,ICH.
See that fish has all it's fin's, Both gill's working ,good coloring of flesh inside gill's (should be meat red rather than pink,grey,white.
See that fishes eye's are both intact and clear.
Stay away from schooling fishes that are isolated in the corner of tank away from other's and or hanging at the surface in a corner away from the other's.
Don't buy fish from tank's where dead fish are laying about.
Don't buy fishes that just arrived that day (ask when they receive their shipment's)

Too many post's about folk's that say they did not realize the fish had this or that till they got em home.
A little time observing the fishes closely can save some money, stress on the hobbyist .


----------



## TINNGG (Mar 9, 2005)

I dunno - I've bought fish still in the shipper bags and had good results. Sometimes it's better than letting the dealer in question mess with them. (most recently with the crazy arse angels who proceeded to start pairing up within days).


----------



## Solitarianknight (May 28, 2015)

I had a friend on UltimateBetta who worked in a betta warehouse. These fish are brought overseas and plopped into little containers on shelves in unheated and dim rooms en mass until they are shipped to stores which is why i advocate only getting betta from small scale breeders or getting them for free by asking for price alterations on sick fish. 

Not entirely sure why i typed that all out, this thread just made me remember and i figured id share.


----------



## Bloomer (Mar 22, 2014)

I think Solatarianknight almost got it right with the comment in post 77 about fish that can survive Walmart tanks being the best. I believe their _offspring_ would be the bombproof ones! :biggrin:

I bought 4 bumblebee cats from a nearby petsmart that had just redone the fish dep't: new tanks, filtration, all was looking great! It was a wall of septic tanks for years and the new equipment was very welcome. 

Four months later, the cats are fine, growing well, very healthy, I sent them through 3 weeks of parasite and bacterial qt before introduction to a 75 gal with Rainbows.

They came into petsmart the day I bought them and were maybe 2 cm long in a bare tank full of 3-4 inch Kenyii Cichlids. I didn't originally plan on getting fish that day, but they were on special, $5 each, I think, very cute and if I'd come back the next day to get them, was pretty sure they would have been "sold" and the Kenyii's suspiciously pudgy!

So, let me add "Well, I had to put them somewhere!" to the growing list of stumbles and fumbles.


----------



## Solitarianknight (May 28, 2015)

Bloomer said:


> They came into petsmart the day I bought them and were maybe 2 cm long in a bare tank full of 3-4 inch Kenyii Cichlids. I didn't originally plan on getting fish that day, but they were on special, $5 each, I think, very cute and if I'd come back the next day to get them, was pretty sure they would have been "sold" and the Kenyii's suspiciously pudgy!
> 
> So, let me add "Well, I had to put them somewhere!" to the growing list of stumbles and fumbles.


HA! On my fish farm we grew tilapia fry out in a 75gal tank before putting them back out into the 500's. Well a teacher at the school had 75 tiny little kenyi fry at the start of the year in a 10gal tank, and kept them there for 6 months. In the end, she still had about 30 severly stunted kenyi, i mean, these guys were trying to breed and they were only about 1-2.5" max. It was the weirdest thing ever. So i rescued them and put them in the then empty 75. Well I come in the next day and one of the other students had collected tilapia fry from the main system, about 80 of them, and decided that since they were all cichlids they should get along, and threw them in with the kenyi. 

Half of the kenyi ate themselves to death. Literally died. The other half went to my LFS in a special setup that he still has, they all have stayed under 4" and he keeps them in a show tank, it's really neat but he doesn't sell them.


----------



## KnownSyntax (Mar 15, 2014)

Personally it matter store to store. I've found that Petsmart out here has the most freshwater stock, while Petco is the only one to have saltwater stock.

The nearest Petco near me ALWAYS has every single fish with Ick all over it, or the fish is stressed or not healthy (red tailed sharks for example are light grey compared to being jet black). The nearest Petsmart by me has great fish without only the obvious one or two fish being sick or ill (they have this extremely bloated and ammonia burned rosy barb that has been there for months now).

As far as Bettas, Petco will win hands down. For plants, it honestly depends as I find different plants at different locations when going to Petco (very limited quantity of tube filed ones however a lot of ones within the tanks), and Petsmart normally has all of the same tube filled plants for sale.

As far as equipment, both near me are almost equal in pricing and value, however Petco has more as they required to see both freshwater equipment and more saltwater equipment then Petsmart has. The return policy at Petco is better, but the one near me is not worth me spending time and money trying to get their stock healthy compared to at this Petsmart I normally don't really have to QT at all.


----------



## joshrocker (May 16, 2015)

I was actually going to ask this same question! 

I have a LFS that's a 45 minute drive from me. As I was setting up my new tank I was determined to get my new fish from them. I kept thinking about that drive however and decided to stick to the much closer chains. 

I have a small petsmart that's 5 minutes away but they have a very small fish section. I've actually done pretty well with their stock but they don't carry much variety. I've wondered because they have such a small fish section if the fish aren't moving quite as fast which has helped with stress related deaths? 

I have another Petsmart and Petco about 20 minutes away. The Petsmart tanks generally look better but the Petco has a much better variety.


----------



## BeardedCrow81 (Mar 6, 2015)

I'd recommend neither.

I found a large bunch of denison barbs at petsmart, 3.50 each. Couldn't resist as the local fish shoo nearby sells them for 13.99

So I got about 15 of them, 5 of them perished from not eating with a week.

I checked out their filter system, every tank shares water. It sickens me.

Will not be going to them anymore, the employees usually do not care for the fish at all, not all stores, but I haven't seen one that I considered well maintained.


----------



## Blackheart (Jul 5, 2011)

Definitely neither. Although I recently did purchase some neon tetras from Petsmart. It's not your typical Petsmart though. They're almost like an outlet. Smaller store and less stuff, also smaller tanks. Their tanks were pretty clean and all the neons had great colors. So since they were only a buck I figured I'd pick up some and they're actually still alive.

Other than that rare scenario, I'd definitely say no to either one.


----------



## oldpunk78 (Nov 1, 2008)

Sigh*

Both of our petco and petsmart stores scare me. I think the 2 lfs are probably worse. The only one that used to care shut down years ago. Now I just feel like I'm rescuing fish from where ever I buy locally now.


----------



## cardex (May 22, 2015)

In reply to #79 my I am in a small farm Town about 10 miles from major college in early may I went into the local walmart to get cat littler, went to look at the fish they had harlequins in stock but no price on them so I ask the department manager how much they cost she looked at them and told me that one batch of them came in before x-mas and that she did not think she had sold any of them would do a clearance price of .50 each got all 9 they had in stock and have not lost a single one. The sad thing is when I went back in the store the other day all the tanks were changed out to be glow fish or gold fish


----------



## rick dale (Feb 26, 2014)

*Store*



burr740 said:


> One is not universally superior to the other. It comes down to a store by store basis. Observe the tanks and general well being of each one's livestock.


Agree. This is why , petsmart is the best choice where I live. Seems to have better maintained tanks and healthier fish. We also have a pretty good mom and pop shop where I live also.I trade there a lot also.


----------



## grizzly_a (Sep 9, 2014)

Good wisdom. I am lucky to have the wetspottropicalfish locally, but their tanks have a black algae problem. Another local shop plants all his freshwater tanks and they have algae issues also, but differentiates his stock enough that there's something different and unique every time I go in there.

Between the two:
I prefer PetSmart. The displays are brighter, the fish (for the most part) look healthier and lately they have been getting in a different mix of fish. Almost like clockwork though...on Thursday they get their fish in...and Thursday afternoon or Friday they have ich. I usually inform the staff and they mark the tanks (so they don't sell fish from them) and the next time I'm in it's been resolved. Prices aren't bad for common fish. I was actually surprised to see they had rams, rainbows, and flagfish.

Petco, the fish are mislabeled, they are deformed/malnurished, they have ich, dead fish stuck to intakes, and fish don't look happy. But they do have some saltwater stock. Those look better than the freshwater.


----------

