Walmart, Petsmart, Petco

[KISSfn]

Went into Walmart today to buy some dog biscuits so I went over to their fish tanks to see what they had for the first time ever. They had some Tiger Barbs and Serpae Tetras for $2 each. Now I had just got off a 12 hour night shift from work so I didn't really have time to check them out too thoroughly. But I was wondering if anybody bought some cheap fish from one of the Giant Mega Stores and if the fish were any good? I could throw a rock from my house and hit a Petsmart whereas the alternatives are a good 30 minute drive. I would be surprised if their fish were worth buying but they sure are cheap and close.

 

[ifarrell93]

Petsmart fish are pretty good. but petco fish don't seem that healthy to me and i don't even bother with walmart fish.

 

[alex1319]

I love petsmart. I buy all my fish and accesories there

 

[lil_phelpsy]

my local experience with petsmart fish is 99% of the tanks i looked into had ever a few dead fish or white spot i would much rather drive the 30 minutes to get good quality fish and a nice conversation with someone else also interested in fish rather then risk it,
as for petco and walmart im assuming your american as ive never seen one in england sorry i wasnt much help though

 

[Rynofasho]

I've had little problems with Petsmart. Call and ask them when they get their stock in (Fridays for the ones around here) and check them out a few days later once they've settled. Every Petco I've been to sucks. Walmart, not sure, although my cousin has gotten fish from there with no issues. Petsmart had Cardinal tetras for sale for $1 last week but they couldn't keep them in stock

 

[Fishy friend2]

i like petco all my fish are from there i will never get fish from walmart though because they do not provide proper care

 

[Fyurae]

Petsmart here is pretty good. Petco gets nice stock, but they all get sick. Walmart fish I just feel awful for. At some point I think I might set up a 10g tank just to save fish from walmart.

 

[Fishy friend2]

i love petco they are sooo helpfull when i have questions and they actually answer the phone when i call unlike petsmart

and i like ur idea fyurae i feel like doing the same today i looked at the walmart tanks and they were not well kept

 

[Inchworm]

Just a reminder that a quarantine tank is always good to have, and an absolute necessity if you are buying from a source you don't entirely trust. There is no purchase that's a bargain if it causes you to loose a tank of healthy fish.

 

[amyw2008]

We used to have petsmart, it turned into pets at home

 

[Fishy friend2]

i dont have anything against petco or petsmart it is walmart who kills there fish by overstocking overfeeding leaving dead fish in there and having tropical fish in the coldwater tank

 

[AvidD]

Just a reminder that a quarantine tank is always good to have, and an absolute necessity if you are buying from a source you don't entirely trust. There is no purchase that's a bargain if it causes you to loose a tank of healthy fish.

^ This is the best post/advice on this thread so far. A quarantine tank removes a lot of the doubt you are be having about getting fish from a source you don't entirely trust.

I've purchased fish from all 3 mentioned big box chains (plus 2 local mom/pop LFS). Sometimes they've worked out great, other times not so great but you have to keep in mind that Petsmart, Petco, & Walmart are HUGE chains & their standards regarding live stock will vary somewhat from individual store to store.

I have 5 Petsmarts within a 20 mile radius of me, 3 of which I have frequented & their is a noticeable difference in live stock care from store to store. Same thing with Petco, I've got 2 that I frequent in my area & although they are both Petco & Petco HQ holds them to the same standards, there are noticeable differences in their livestock. Walmart I'm a bit more leery of. Only ever purchase fish from one of their locations (not all Walmarts sell live fish) & they worked out fine but being that Walmart is not a pet specialty store it only leaves to reason that they'd have the least experience regarding live stock.

Also, in addition to location, timing plays into it as well. I've been to Petsmarts & Petcos that had great looking tanks/livestock one month only to return a month later & see tanks with questionable water quality or infested with noticeable diseases i.e. Ich, fungus, fin rot. I'm sure things like changes in staffing, scheduled maintenance, or local suppliers all play into it.

With all that said, if you have a quarantine tank set up & the price is right, their is no harm in picking up a fish from anyone of these stores as long as you quarantine your new purchases for a couple of weeks (2 - 3 weeks) & observe them closely before adding them to any of your other tanks.

 

[Scott MacAdam]

For a few years we only had walmart as a supplier of fish. I had a few die on me right away but they had a 48 hour replacement rule (not sure if that was every walmart or not) after getting to know that they stock their tanks on Friday I just started buying fish Tuesday. Lol.

If I have a choice I avoid it, but it was cheap and not all that bad. I just choose to support the local guys now because they are the only ones competing with walmart and pets unlimited.

 

[This Old Spouse]

i dont have anything against petco or petsmart it is walmart who kills there fish by overstocking overfeeding leaving dead fish in there and having tropical fish in the coldwater tank

I actually know of a Walmart that has an excellent employee taking care of their fish and he does a great job. It's the employee, not the store. Walmart doesn't kill fish. People do.

 

[Fishy friend2]

yeah ive ben to 2 diferent walmart and one is okay and the other is horrible