Not so Smart @ Petsmart

[Fishist]

My local Petco (granted not Petsmart) has some very knowledgable staff working there and they look after the fish very well.

 

[cichlid]

Hi Grey Legion

It's too bad you got an employee who only knew part of the story...........

The next time you go to that store, try talking to someone else. You never know, but you might be pleasantly surprised. Then again, maybe not.

For the best answers to your fishy questions, usually the biggest variety of choices, and probably the healthiest fish, you cannot beat the independent lfs. It's there you will find long term employees who are serious fishkeepers themselves and understand not only the basics of the hobby, but a lot more.

OK, the fish might cost a little more, or you might have to travel out of your way a bit, but IMHO, it's more than worth it.

i agree 100% most mom and pops stores have exelent quality of fish and information... because they acually CARE about their stock of fish

 

[boozybears]

Which Petsmart was it? I go to the one up in Heartland Plaza for my dog supplies. Some of their employees are really quite knowledgable. Even heard one guy refuse to sell a family 2 goldfish for their new fish bowl! Some have given 'interesting' advice, but overall they are pretty good.

 

[Dawney G]

I agree with Grey Legion, If she didnt have a good knowledge of fish then she could have got someone who knew what they were on about. She was obviously saying the truth about what they do to the fish tanks because i dont think its what someone would know if there just reading up on the subject. I wouldnt know, and im a beginner. If she didnt know then she should have just said! Even im not that thick!!

 

[sharky&george]

I agree grey legion this is a tropical chit chat site after all

 

[Grey Legion]

Which Petsmart was it? I go to the one up in Heartland Plaza for my dog supplies. Some of their employees are really quite knowledgable. Even heard one guy refuse to sell a family 2 goldfish for their new fish bowl! Some have given 'interesting' advice, but overall they are pretty good.

Thats the one, I live 2 minutes from it, and yes I have dealt with great people there aswell...I am not knocking the entire chain or the staff of that store. I know they are just low paid maybe part time people working there trying to make a buck but I have learned the hard way, when you don't know something don't try to fake it, she may have indeed read books on her break times or something but she was in no way a fish keeper at home..

but I bet outside of work she may be a great person, but inside she tries to look like a pro but fails...I have a sinking suspition that some of the other employees may have given her bad advice when she started on how to deal with customers.

I also use BA's in Mississauga and I like them ( for buying fish ) they actually listen and learn when talking fish talk and say things like "really, I didn't know that"
but in this case I thought I would try petsmart for fish ( first time in 15 years to buy fish from a place other than BA's ) and I guess I was just shocked by the lack of common sence...

no worries...great place for cat litter !!!

 

[whip]

As far as the "we add salt" comment, she's right! If your local Petsmart is like mine they will have small plastic cups with water softener salt in the cup. It will only be in the tanks that have fish that enjoy a little salt. It's pointless when you use a central filteration system. I don't think the ignorance belongs to the girl in this case, it belongs to corporate HQ. She was doing what the people that trained her to do. In general if I want info on the fish I'm buying, I use the lfs. The two I use are very knowledgeable, and they all have fish of their own. I use the big chain stores to look for new products and different fish. Sometimes they will sell a fish dirt cheap. (clown loach for $2.49) I am amazed at the misinformation that is given at these stores. Some examples. A mother and here two kids love the look of the red tail black shark. They ask if they do good in groups and the employ says that you should have at least three. We all know the outcome of this story. A young girl sees the tank of africans and starts asking questions about the fish, such as the name ,how big, what do they eat? She orders an albino and an orange Zebra. The employee never asked her about her other fish, and from the questions that girl asked I doubt that she knew what she was getting. If she had any other fish at home she probally doesn't now. I'm not knocking the big stores or the employees. I've heard some very good advice also.

 

[Javentule]

Remember - pet store employees are only as good as the training they recieve (unless they take the extra initiative to visit places like this, to get some extra knowledge) and their fish keeping skills are only as good as the policies set up by the corporation.

That being said, that girl wasn't ignorant at all and told you 100% truth - They do add salt to the water and because of that all of the water circulating through the tropical tanks have a certain percent salinity. The salt content in the puffer tank is the same as the salt content of the mollie tank, the cichlid tanks etc etc etc. Is that right? Who cares! It's company policy! Also, the puffers have a little salt shaker featured on the tag which indicates their need for salt - so maybe someone should contact whomever makes those tags.

 

[Nospherith]

"well every book I read says puffers are brackish"

"well, if they are indeed brackish water and you just told me all your tanks share the same filter how do you keep that tank brackish?"

"we add salt..."

Pwned!

 

[viperhottie5]

well i went to petsmart actually today too to pick up some shrimp and i went to the tanks and looked around and naturally there wasnt any employees around so i headed up front to ask the cashier to send someone back there and there wasnt any one up there either so i headed back to the tanks. finally some one came and i had to ask the guy if he could help me. he turned around and said "what" in a rude manner and i asked if i could have 3 shrimp, he proceeds to get the net splashing me with the water, was being super rough with tieing the bags and says here and walks away. WHAT A COMPLETE JERK. so then i noticed the tank with the corys that i bought (which died within 24 hours) and noticed that they were all dead and a pleco was sucking on the one dead cory. So i go to the register and the lady cashes me out, practically throwing the change at me and nearly pushes my bag off the counter. Thats the last time im ever going there, its just one bad experience after another.

 

[Nospherith]

well i went to petsmart actually today he turned around and said "what" in a rude manner,
he proceeds to get the net splashing me with the water,
was being super rough with tieing the bags and says here and walks away.
So i go to the register and the lady cashes me out, practically throwing the change at me and nearly pushes my bag off the counter.

jeez, that sux. I was thinking about working there this summer just so this kindof stuff doesn't happen.

 

[steelhealr]

Hang in there Grey....lol...hey, I recently got two diametrically opposed opinions on how to set up my small marine nano-reef. The lfs was totally opposite of what thousands of people recommended on a website dedicated to the care of that particular tank. But..there before me were dozens of tanks running on their system of doing things and look pristine. Granted, I don't know what their losses are. I think the bottom line here is ....apprentice--->journeyman---->craftsmen. There is no better advice than experience....and even THEN, you must research things. I have a FW lfs gentleman in the business for years, knows his stuff inside and out, but many of his tanks are mislabelled, mispelled or have the wrong names of fish on them. So..buyer beware. And Grey...I think you are getting MTS.....be careful SH

 

[LoachLover]

I enjoy going into pet stores and hearing these stupid people working there, it's funny and sad at the same time

 

[Grey Legion]

Remember - pet store employees are only as good as the training they recieve (unless they take the extra initiative to visit places like this, to get some extra knowledge) and their fish keeping skills are only as good as the policies set up by the corporation.

That being said, that girl wasn't ignorant at all and told you 100% truth - They do add salt to the water and because of that all of the water circulating through the tropical tanks have a certain percent salinity. The salt content in the puffer tank is the same as the salt content of the mollie tank, the cichlid tanks etc etc etc. Is that right? Who cares! It's company policy! Also, the puffers have a little salt shaker featured on the tag which indicates their need for salt - so maybe someone should contact whomever makes those tags.

Hmmmm...she did not tell the truth to the fullest degree...and I was not posting anything about anyone lying so lets not confuse the issue. Your right about one thing it is company policy and a bad one at that, adding salt to a tank does not make it Brackish and I can bet you that any salt content int he tank would not even show up

Also let it be stated that I did not go in there looking for help or advice I only asked how all the tanks were filtered, if I need help I have my brain my hands and my internet. That is kinda stating another topic how many large chain employees just assume that everyone is new to keeping pets and like the employees they have no idea what they are doing...It is bad pocily to generalize customers, sadly you can almost generalize the employees

Just to add to my story I had to go back ( which I don't mind ) to get a part for a filter, after doing more research on dwarf puffers the ones they had are 99% true dwarf puffers so I decided to get some my other lfs did not have any nice ones and I was really suprized at my trip to petsmart..another girl helped me, I told her that I need to pick my fish for this tank and she smiled and said OK...as she netted each fish she let me inspect it and then gently bagged it, while she was doing that I helped a customer needing info on snails and clown loaches..the girl netting the fish listened to every word I said and you could tell she just engulfed the info...after she got my fish she offered to get me some snails an told me that puffers eat snails...I simple said thanks go for it...she went to almost every tank and got my a good sized bag of pond/ramhorn snails..

I was delighted by the service I got... so as to be a nice guy ( which I am ) I just wanted to say that you get good/bad at any store that has more then one employee..

 

[Grey Legion]

Hang in there Grey....lol...hey, I recently got two diametrically opposed opinions on how to set up my small marine nano-reef. The lfs was totally opposite of what thousands of people recommended on a website dedicated to the care of that particular tank. But..there before me were dozens of tanks running on their system of doing things and look pristine. Granted, I don't know what their losses are. I think the bottom line here is ....apprentice--->journeyman---->craftsmen. There is no better advice than experience....and even THEN, you must research things. I have a FW lfs gentleman in the business for years, knows his stuff inside and out, but many of his tanks are mislabelled, mispelled or have the wrong names of  fish on them. So..buyer beware. And Grey...I think you are getting MTS.....be careful SH

Aw yea...hearing conflicting info is nothing new to me, it is just this time I decide to post about it.. 15 years and you tend to do you best to listen to everything and listen to nothing all at the same time

well I don't have MTS so bad, it is I am finally in a position that I can enjoy them, bought my first home last year and now I have the basement of my dreams !!

I have 3 tanks

my 46 ( listed below )

my 135 ( empty...for the time being ) still researching what I want in it

my 29 ( split into a guppy breeder and a Dwarf puffer tank )

so I am not as bad as those nano cube guys...