Newbie! With A Question...

[fluvial]

I'd buy products from P@H stores, but not fish.
Saw some Pantezona barbs I was interested in at my local store a couple of weeks ago.
Went back the next day and all were lying on the bottom of the tank gasping their last.
Decided that I had a lucky escape .....

 

[ChrisChrisChris]

One near me is bad, around 2-3 dead fish per tank and some have rotted beyond recognition...White fluffy lumps

Good for odd bits and bob though so far IME.

 

[indigoj]

The 2 in Bolton seem decent - I've had fish from the one in Bolton itself with no trouble. Staff there are decent too.

 

[crazychris]

I went in Pets At Home today and pointed out all the dead fish and the lass said "yeah but they're all half-price"

 

[razer121]

I went in Pets At Home today and pointed out all the dead fish and the lass said "yeah but they're all half-price"

are you kidding me?!?!?! wow i would of asked to speak to a manager!

i have bought fish from them...i lost both the mollys but my ballon molly is still going strong, i was lucky to get him and the res of my live fish out before some unknown outbreak killed them all....anyway
if you want some get them then use a separate tank to house them for a week...thats what im doing now

 

[Harlequins]

I'm not a fan of pets@home,my local one has 2 very large fish in a tiny tank,plus i've seen tanks with decomposing fish being eaten by their tank mates!!,i will never buy fish from there!

i havent been in a shop when in one tank this has not been the case...

to the op... i recommend maidenhead they r loadsa them in the uk im sure youl be able to find one

yes i do recommend maidenhead aquatics,they quarentine their fish for a week or so before they sale them and they always asked at the beginning what tank i had,what are the readings etc,so i think they are pretty clued up.They won't sale fish if you haven't got a filter.
All my fish are from there

 

[rabbut]

^^Only issue is that 1 week QT draws you into a false sense of security. Anyone that understands the life cycle of most common diseases would know that 4 weeks is the minimum time required for most diseases to show themselves. This means for QT to be effective, you need to maintain it for a minimum of 4 weeks, with 6-8weeks being better 1 week may catch about1 in 10 issues, but it is about as effective in real terms as not bothering at all. To people that don't know what they are doing, it looks good, to those that do it looks just like the marketing gimmick it is

Maidenhead do have a good reputation, but there are bad Apples in every load

All the best
Rabbut

 

[Harlequins]

Yes i realise what you're saying and i agree.
i'm pretty sure they import them from singapore anyway,it slipped out when i asked him if he would take platy fry,once they reached a good age and he said they only use one breeder from singapore.

But i suppose you take it from experience,if you find a good lfs you tend to stick with them.it left a bad taste with P@H seeing their fish suffering.
And i don't think any lfs would tell you whether they've had any problems with fish anyway would they!!

 

[rabbut]

Surprisingly enough, I'd happily tell customers at work if they asked... I suppose it is part of experience and trust. All the LFS's round here that I rate will do the same, stating if they have had issues with the fish they have if asked...

 

[Harlequins]

Its a pity not all lfs are has honest,my first experience with a lfs is that i could start a new tank cycle with 6 neon tetras ,well i know different now
Luckily when i found this out i gave the tetras to another lfs has the original lfs refused to take them back!

Good on you i'm glad theres some honest lfs out there

 

[spectrum]

The Pets At home near me (Chesterfield) run all their tanks on a central filter so as soon as one tank gets a problem all their tanks get a problem, also they don't quarantine or treat the water when they get new fish.
My experience of them=Bad.

 

[Matt_northants]

^^Only issue is that 1 week QT draws you into a false sense of security. Anyone that understands the life cycle of most common diseases would know that 4 weeks is the minimum time required for most diseases to show themselves. This means for QT to be effective, you need to maintain it for a minimum of 4 weeks, with 6-8weeks being better 1 week may catch about1 in 10 issues, but it is about as effective in real terms as not bothering at all. To people that don't know what they are doing, it looks good, to those that do it looks just like the marketing gimmick it is

Maidenhead do have a good reputation, but there are bad Apples in every load

All the best
Rabbut

My only arguement when trying to buy fish was in a Maidenhead store. The guy wouldn't accept that I had cycled my tank without using fish. I attempted to explain to him a fishless cycle using ammonia but he was having none of it. Luckily he's left now.

 

[MHunt]

To the OP, where's abouts are you, perhaps we can suggest any decent LFS's near you that you may want to try.

My personal experiences of P@H has been pretty good. The one near the Gateshead Metro Centre is pretty good, a good selection of trops and marines, and they seem to have some staff in there who actually care about the fish. I got my tank from there because it was the cheapest place to buy it, and I went back and got 6 Congo Tetras, and 6 Galaxy Rasboras for an absolute bargain price that I've managed to breed. But I have also been in other P@H and wondered how they can subject the fish to the conditions they're in. But it's the same in all areas of Retail, some stores are good, some are bad. You just have to trust your own judgement and research the fish yourself before you go in and buy anything.

 

[jmkgreen]

As with most pet stores, their service is entirely dependent on their staff. Find a store with an experienced enthusiast and unless s/he is hindered by line managers then you'll probably find their service top notch.

I suspect PaH probably make most of their profits from non-aquatic lines given the volumes involved. Hence not such a concentrated focus on fish livestock.

 

[keenonfish]

^^Only issue is that 1 week QT draws you into a false sense of security. Anyone that understands the life cycle of most common diseases would know that 4 weeks is the minimum time required for most diseases to show themselves. This means for QT to be effective, you need to maintain it for a minimum of 4 weeks, with 6-8weeks being better 1 week may catch about1 in 10 issues, but it is about as effective in real terms as not bothering at all. To people that don't know what they are doing, it looks good, to those that do it looks just like the marketing gimmick it is

Maidenhead do have a good reputation, but there are bad Apples in every load

All the best
Rabbut

My only arguement when trying to buy fish was in a Maidenhead store. The guy wouldn't accept that I had cycled my tank without using fish. I attempted to explain to him a fishless cycle using ammonia but he was having none of it. Luckily he's left now.

My local Maidenhead are a bit like that, the guy I talked to also didn't like the idea that healthy plants could be used to silent cycle a tank!

However, their stock is pretty good. The only bit of bad luck I have had is with 2 BPT's from their but everything else has been rock solid!