Pets At Home

[K-Holed]

There definately has to be some onus on the customer to at least have some idea what they're getting into. A problem arises however, when the customer thinks they do know. I find it hard now to look back on a time when I knew nothing about the nitrogen cycle. A time when I thought a filter was just there to trap all the particles of waste. A time when goldfish were easy to keep and all you needed was a bowl and some tap water. I had no reason to doubt these things, they were givens. The idea of researching these things never crossed my mind.

To give a rather flipent example, is gravity a force? Of course it is! ... or is it? Most people wouldn't even give it a second thought, but as you delve deeper into the science you realise that what you held as a given starts to waiver.

In order for people to be moved to research something, a seed of doubt has to be present and in many people's minds, the aspects of fish keeping that become second nature, don't even exist for them.

It is therefore nesecarry that an "authority" is present at the point of sale, to educate them in their thinking.

 

[Azeron]

If you do not like what they have, do not go there, simple.

 

[tom130691]

Various. But the ones i do use, i have read/heard good reviews on.
I dont know if this forum allowsa advertising, so i will PM you the websites.
touch wood, all the stock i have ordered has arrived safely without any deaths. But with this method, i always qaurintine my fish for 2 weeks atleast. Just incase.

ot but i dont think i would order offline as you cant see the fish or the conditions they are kept in then add the postage cost i dont think its worth it tbh

 

[VickiandKev]

I tend to take all pet shops with a pinch of salt as, essentially, their interests lie in profit, not animal welfare therefore there will always be less than ideal situations for the animals.
I could get onto the rodent farm thing, but I won't lol!

I'll just add that I went into a pah near my Mum's house yesterday whilst I was visiting her, and saw a beautiful new aquatics 'corner' - I went to have a nose and was quite disappointed when I got close to see every clown loach had whitespot and in one large display tank filled with silver shark, a 5 inch clown loach was lying on it's side all bent up, covered in ick/velvet and so thin I could very clearly see his bones and the line of his extra-ocular spine was stuck right out.
I spoke to my OH and said it was a real shame because we know where he'll end up - my wonderful OH decided he was going to get this fish free of charge so we could try and save him, and did.
The store claimed to have treated him over and over but the problem is all tanks are running off the same sump and as I was milling around with my Dad I overheard a few of the staff say 'Oh he's been like that weeks, just get rid of him'

I didn't think a lot of the aquatics department there.

But this fish has a fighting chance now, he's painfully thin, on a course of treatment for ick, and we're trying him with all the yummy easy-to-eat foods that we can in the hope he can get well. It must have taken weeks for him to get that thin and it's pure neglect, he shouldn't be so weak he's always lying bent round in a semi-circle on his side, and is blown over by just a tiny filter stream.

Anyway, I'm off my soap box. I wouldn't pay for a fish from Pets at Home but if I see sick fish I will always offer to take them free of charge.