+Hydro Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Buying fish that die is a thorn in everyones side when it comes to their aquarium. I have bought fish from every LFS in town, a few places online, and even direct from a wholesaler in LA and BY FAR the healthiest fish that I have bought are from petco stores and petco.com. Sounds crazy I know but I'm not kidding. I'm going to estimate that 50% of the fish that I have bought from places besides petco have lived and so far 100% of the fish have lived from petco. I've waited for the 6 month mark to start adding fish to my tank again. Recently I placed an order directly from a wholesale in LA and they shipped the fish via southwest airlines and I picked them up at the airport. These fish were only bagged for maybe 6 hrs before they were placed in my quarantine tank. I thought that doing it this way would be the best for the fish and I expected that my survival rate would be high....wrong. I recieved a black tang, mustard tang, 4 anthias, and 2 wrasse. Within 48 hrs all I had left was the black tang, one wrasse, and one anthias...keeping in mind that I had a 75 gallon QT setup for a month in preperation for these new fish. Its even in a quiet calm area at my house to try and help minimize the stress. I was pretty frustrated about this and decided that my next order of fish would be from petco who I've had great success with in the past. Since my QT was cleared out I placed the order for the rest of the fish we wanted from Petco.com which included powder blue tang, lieutenant tang, clown tang and 4 lyretail anthias. Its only been 5 days in QT but everyone is ALIVE, eating, and swimming around...in fact the tangs actually come up to the glass and beg for food. They showed up ich free and are still ich free and all are fat and healthy too. I'm dead serious when I say get your fish from petco! Another example is that since I started my aquarium I bought 3 hippo tangs that I bought from LFS at different times that died within a few days. I saw 2 tiny hippo tangs at my bastrop petco and decided to give it one last try, I wanted them for my 75 gallon frag tank to keep down the algae. I bought 2 of them really only needing one....I just figured that at least one of them would die as sensitive as they are. Nope...both lived and both are very healthy growing like weeds. They got a few spots of ich on them a few days afterwards but that went away after a couple of weeks. I know that they don't treat their tanks in the store with any chemicals so what you see is what you get. This is a list of the fish purchased from either their stores or from petco.com. lunar wrasse (store) pair of percula clowns (store) brown scooter blenny (store) 2 blue hippo tangs (store) 4 lyretail anthias bought 1 year ago (online) 4 lyretail anthias bought a week ago (online) clown tang (online) powder blue (online) lieutenant tang (online) 17 fish and so far with 100% success Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbnj Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 With Petco.com, not only does the pricing seem very good, but they offer a 15-day guarantee with a refund as opposed to store credit, which forces you to order again. When getting a fish replaced, you pay for additional shipping no matter which online seller you buy from. I've been wanting to order from them for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caferacermike Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Man I don't know what to say. I've been buying fish in very large wholesale lots off and on for several years, say about 8, from a reasonable vendor. Many of you already know what vendor I speak of, and yes the local LFS stock about about 80% of their inventory from them as well. I can honestly tell you that I've only ever seen 1 DOA, that was a chromis packed in with about 20 more in a large bag. I bet that 98% of the fish I've brought in (probably around 1,000) have all lived long enough for me to get them sold, or to pass them on to the people that ordered them. Aside from being eaten, jumpers, picked on, fussy eaters, or tnak meltdowns I've never had anybody complain to me that the fish they got just up and died without explanation. The worst part of all of this is the fact that the plane can land anytime between 11:00pm and 1:30am. I've had a dozen people waiting for me at the house at midnight several times. I know for a fact that the fish I would be keeping didn't even get so much as a temp acclimation via bag floating. It was cut top, drain water, dump in fish. I can't imagine the new owners were doing any sort of real acclimation at 2:00am at their homes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derekreefer Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Thanks for the info Stephen, I will give Petco a try on my next fish order. I have also had bad luck ordering fish online. Of the two I have tried....both died. "Knock on wood".....but I have not had a fish die from a local fish store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted October 14, 2010 Author Share Posted October 14, 2010 Hey Mike, I should clarify that none of my fish show up dead, it is usually within 24 to 48 hrs that they die. I don't think that its my technique b/c I have tried everything under the sun to make it work even using your advice for QT....it isn't a problem with QT its a problem with healthy stock. When they show up skinny and stressed it takes a very strong fish to make it past that, I can only work with what they send me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 I'd like to know what Petco's process is for obtaining their fish. I would imagine they use the same wholesalers as everyone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted October 14, 2010 Author Share Posted October 14, 2010 I'd like to know what Petco's process is for obtaining their fish. I would imagine they use the same wholesalers as everyone else. Having hundreds of stores I'm sure that they buy direct from overseas, it wouldn't make sense financially for them not to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
August Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 I'd like to know what Petco's process is for obtaining their fish. I would imagine they use the same wholesalers as everyone else. Having hundreds of stores I'm sure that they buy direct from overseas, it wouldn't make sense financially for them not to. I have a friend that works for Petco and she is going to look into where their vendors come from for me I will let yall know.... I agree with Hydro it seems like i have had better luck with Petco fish then just about anywhere else... I have a kole tang that I bought from Petco about 4-5 months ago.... blk and white clowns that are about 6 months old, a maroon and white that is 7 months old, 2 false percs that are 8 months old.... I love their fish and their prices are very reasonable... I too bought from a San Antonio LFS and had not only all 3 tangs I bought die but they also brought in Ich and killed everything else in my tank but stupid damsels.... (this was over a yr ago) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derekreefer Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Which petco stores in Austin sell saltwater fish? Or do they all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted October 14, 2010 Author Share Posted October 14, 2010 There is one at around parmer and i-35 that has a decent selection, I don't think all of them have saltwater fish though. Shipping from petco online is cheap if you are ordering a few fish then its worth it. I think that it was $30. When I ordered those fish online they were having a 20% off sale, this was just a week ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 I was walking through the new Petco in Kyle the other night to get dogfood and was suprised that not only do they have a saltwater section, but that it had corals in it. Nothing amazing, but they had zoa colonies, a gbta, and mushroom rocks. The prices weren't stellar and the gbta was totally bleached, but I was surprised they even had them. Keep in mind that in-store purchases do not have a 15 day guarantee. That seems to be limited to online orders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbnj Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 I'd like to know what Petco's process is for obtaining their fish. I would imagine they use the same wholesalers as everyone else. Having hundreds of stores I'm sure that they buy direct from overseas, it wouldn't make sense financially for them not to. I remember reading on Reef Central that they work through a 3rd-party wholesaler(s)....dropshipping, if you will. Wholesaler packages/ships and they get a percentage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caferacermike Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 That's about what I heard as well. This means that you can't count on the quality as it could just be coming from the cheapest source at that moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 The parmer I35, as suggested above is by far the best I have ever seen. The one in sunset valley is completely dismal. I have never seen a fish in there I would even consider purchasing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Lamont Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 I have been to just about all the petco stores in Austin and Bastrop. I have not had a problem with any of my fish either. A member of ARC(Wesleyb) works at the one at Parmer and I-35. He says he can order what ever you are looking for. The prices are super low also. I bought a yellow tang for $17.00 and a coral banded shrimp for $6. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Jakedoza Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 weird.. I've always had the opposite results, but that was with freshwater fish. I vowed to never buy fish from a chain pet store again because I would always end up losing them. Now that I'm SW I have never bought a fish from a chain store, and have had excellent results from a local store here in N Austin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffT Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 The new Petco north in Pflugerville on the toll road also has a saltwater section. I bought my pair of occellaris clowns from the Parmer store and have not had any problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted October 15, 2010 Author Share Posted October 15, 2010 To clarify I wouldn't just buy any fish from any petco, you still have to be very selecticve. I'm not suggesting that every petco store and every fish they have is awesome because they are not. I have seen dying fish and tangs with ich there just like most other fish stores. My suggestion is to order them online from Petco.com unless you happen to see a healthy specimen in one of their stores. If they order from a wholesaler it must be one of the better ones, one that at least feeds their fish often. Like I said these new tangs actually come to the glass and beg for food, they only learn that from being fed for a while in captivity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Interesting discussion. I actually have had some really good luck with buying fish from the various LFS. I have a Scopas Tang that has been in my tank for well over a year and a half (from the LFS in New Braunfels). I have damsels in the tank that are almost 2 years old form the Dome (yes, I know damsels don't really count as they probably could live in a tank full of bleach). I also have a Bristletooth tang from the Dome that has done great. I believe my six line was from RCA, and was doing great until it disappeared while I went on vacation. I have looked at the fish in the Kyle Petco, and have never seen anything that looked like it would make it too long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted October 15, 2010 Author Share Posted October 15, 2010 I'm being totally honest when I say that I have lost over $1k buying fish from LFS (since I started) and its so frustrating to me that I'm actually against buying anymore fish locally. This is a very sore subject for me. The last fish that I bought locally was a lieutenant tang...the very next day after bringing it home it was COVERED in ich, I mean covered. I tried QT with copper but the fish was to far gone. The poor fish actually swam in to my hands for me to rub its iching skin a few different times, it was so sad. That was the absolute last straw for me. This pic is of the fish less than 24 hrs later, and when I purchased there were no spots of ich visible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestep Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 I think one of the biggest problems with any LFS is the turnover. They get fish and sell them the next day. Half the time they haven't been in their inventory long enough for an existing illness to show. But as soon as you get them home, it's just about right for ich and other nasties to show up. I've lost numerous discus and expensive fish to what I would attribute to quick turnovers. Even if you QT, sometimes the fish is a lost cause. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbnj Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 I understand your frustration and why you believe the way you do regarding LFS stock, but honestly, it may just all be due to chance. If it were true, we'd all be experiencing the same thing. But I don't blame you for going in the direction you're going....losing livestock stinks, especially right after you buy them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Funny you mention this. I've also had issues buying from lfs. My yellow watchman came with cotton mouth and a blue tang with ich that he is still fighting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Jakedoza Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 Sorry you have had such bad luck. I know there is at least one major local store I will not buy fish from based on how clean they keep their tanks, dead fish in the tanks, and the quality of the fish every time I stop in. I actually feel bad for the fish in that place. 99% of my fish come from RCA. Jake and the other guys there are always very honest with me on the health of the fish and how long they have had them. Their tanks are always clean and their fish always seem to be content. I also rarely ever see a dead fish in any of their tanks. Also from the time the fish are bagged to the time they are acclimating in my tank it is less than 10 min.. I think that alone is helpful.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robb in Austin Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 I was in the one at Parmer/35 last week and their GHA was worse than mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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