# The Best PJ's Pets Store I've Found!



## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

My friend and I took in an abandoned guinea yesterday, and we were wandering around the Kingsway Mall in Edmonton. I had been to another PJ's Pets and they were snobs :| This one however...surprised me!

They took their time with the furries, handling them, and making purposeful slow movements so not to scare the bunnies, ferrets, etc. Another employee was handling a Ball Python, and knew his stuff about the snakes! Another was handling the lovely conures, explaining how since they were just babies, they were learning "manners". The bettas, any who were sick were being pulled and treated IN PLAIN VIEW!! The cups actually had holes in the lids so they could breath (unlike petsmart here), there was not a dead fish there...

only thing that made me giggle was the fact the "female bettas" were actually male plakats :3 :lol: but other than that, heck, I'd give that store an 8.5/10 rating!  Plus they were very good with information. at least one employee knew about one part of that store.


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

the ones we have here are horrid


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

that sucks! yeah the one petsmart I'll NEVER go to for fish. Ditsy died from ich... ICH!!! the simplest thing to get rid of for me, and she died. even though she looked very healthy and active asides a few little white bumps. which is funny, when they said "we cant sell you sick fish" and snatched the fin-rot gal right from my hand. :| And I doubt the back room is where they "heal" their fish (toilet's in there btw). -.-

so going to that particular store with those particular employees, was really refreshing  if I lived in edmonton I totally would want to work with them! :lol:


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

Sena Hansler said:


> that sucks! yeah the one petsmart I'll NEVER go to for fish. Ditsy died from ich... ICH!!! the simplest thing to get rid of for me, and she died. even though she looked very healthy and active asides a few little white bumps. which is funny, when they said "we cant sell you sick fish" and snatched the fin-rot gal right from my hand. :| And I doubt the back room is where they "heal" their fish (toilet's in there btw). -.-
> 
> so going to that particular store with those particular employees, was really refreshing  if I lived in edmonton I totally would want to work with them! :lol:


did you chose that fin rot gal for a specific reason? im not trying to pass any sort of judgement on you. if it were me id probably have refused the "healthy" betta on the principle that they were rude enough to take the one i wanted from me.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I wanted her for her coloring, and the fact fin rot is minor to me. it didn't reach the body, and it was just from being in a cold blue water cup that had no air holes :/ I refuse to go to that store. I dont care if they fear someone from an hour away bringing back a dead fish (I've never done that) and "lose" money (yeah a whole freaking 3 dollars, right? LOTS of money. oh my gosh.) I wanted to increase my sorority, so did everything from quarantine to still quarantining :lol: I made it very clear I wasn't going to bring her back but "no" something against "policy" aka the fish was flushed. :|

so, that store I found that is very good - totally getting them from there now. colorful, air, no illnesses, no icky stuff in the bottom of the cup :lol:


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

You'd cry if you saw one of the ones here. They have an absolutely horrid wall of death. I must say that's where I got my Scuzi.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

I got my four gals from the same store. their water was .75 ammonia? got suzi and sarah (both died despite a long and desperate battle to fight off advanced rot (hole in the body included) in 1.00 and 1.25 :| actually, any fish from that store here died or were sick... El Dorado is from another store, returned to this one, Shiloh was mauled by cichlids/gouramis, Shadow, Riddle and Maine died of the same disease.. x.x any females from that store have little to no color. and have 50/50 chance of survival - usually more like 20/80. :-( it's "death row" here. no walls, just rows.


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## Olympia (Aug 25, 2011)

Our LFS sells them in vases.. cold overcrowded with sharp plastic plants.. anyways I was looking around, looked UP. There were betta fish about 7 feet up on a shelf! No one could see them to buy them, probably didn't get fed a lot since you have to climb up on a ladder! I'm tempted to go there and be like "uhh can I see those ones up there?" >__>


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

:lol: pretty tempted indeed! poor things. I pulled the fish forward in that bad petsmart so they COULD be sold. BEAUTIFUL crowntails, and some colorful VTs too! all hiding in the back...in the dark of the shelf where no one could see them.


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

Despite how horrid they are, did get a plakat, seriously, they had to have had like 4-5 plakats in a female tank.

That was also my first run in with the evil fuzzies.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

yikes! Yeah they had NO plakats here  or Kings. Disappointed. been looking for a king >.>


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

They didn't know they were plakats. I didn't realize it either until I saw him start to madly flare at the filter.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

:lol: nice! I only ever got one thing other than fish from a pet store...one guinea. After that they were all adopted :lol: I don't want to be getting any more sick animals - fish or other!


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

Sena Hansler said:


> I wanted her for her coloring, and the fact fin rot is minor to me. it didn't reach the body, and it was just from being in a cold blue water cup that had no air holes :/ I refuse to go to that store. I dont care if they fear someone from an hour away bringing back a dead fish (I've never done that) and "lose" money (yeah a whole freaking 3 dollars, right? LOTS of money. oh my gosh.) I wanted to increase my sorority, so did everything from quarantine to still quarantining :lol: I made it very clear I wasn't going to bring her back but "no" something against "policy" aka the fish was flushed. :|
> 
> so, that store I found that is very good - totally getting them from there now. colorful, air, no illnesses, no icky stuff in the bottom of the cup :lol:


its a shame. if the employees even learned 1 darned thing about treatment options then they might've realised the fish could be saved by someone who actually knew something about betta.


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

Please, they don't even know to clean the water (seriously, cloudy/foggy water and you don't get it?).


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

Silverfang said:


> Please, they don't even know to clean the water (seriously, cloudy/foggy water and you don't get it?).


i do understand. they're misinformed by their company branch trainers when they started the job. add to that they dont give a damn about "boring" fish that love "dirty" water. next thing they know is that they have caused the fish to become sick from improper care and dont give a damn to put any sort of effort to heal it. they just find it convenient to kill the fish ie flush it down because they know they'll get another 20+ new ones in a week or 2.

even if there is 1-2 good employees that know anything about betta care and treatment they are limited to treatment because the others dont care/know. they can only do what they can on their shift and maybe a fellow misinformed employee will put their good intentions to waste on their off days.

it may be a bit too much to ask for regarding misinformed stores and employees but its the sad reality that they dont put much care and emotion into any sort of animal that doesnt have any fur or one they cant actually hold in their hands. they may even be in that job position just for the money and slack off all they can without giving a darn about any sort of lifeform but themselves.


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## Silverfang (Mar 25, 2011)

Far too true nel.

I went in one SAturday and they had oh, 40-50? "females" in a tank. Next week there were maybe a dozen left, and one that was completely fur encased. I pointed it out and I just got a blank look.

I simply choose to blame them for the outbreaks of fuzz I've gotten.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

to me, even though this town store is junk for blue bettas (all of which have died (males that is), even when Shadow ALMOST pulled through!) and I LOVE my blue bettas, I would choose them for the colorless blah females, over that petsmart :| 1/2 surviving isn't really a ratio I like. at least for mine, it was 4/6 surviving and that was pretty good! and Tina is still kicking despite her senile Zebra gal attacking her 

(quick question.. back end of her body is bloody, so I guess an open wound. there's white fuzz everywhere on her so now I know it is more than slime coat! AQ salt ok?)


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

Silverfang said:


> Far too true nel.
> 
> I went in one SAturday and they had oh, 40-50? "females" in a tank. Next week there were maybe a dozen left, and one that was completely fur encased. I pointed it out and I just got a blank look.
> 
> I simply choose to blame them for the outbreaks of fuzz I've gotten.


theres a local pet store that is decent but there is finrot and the occasional dead betta (3 so far in the past year i noticed). the employee doesnt really pay attention if there are some dead ones until i pointed them out. i'll still purchase from that store though only those taht catch my attention and are healthy. its one of the better priced stores for betta. $6-15 for a betta and its the better place to get HM as the other store wants an extra $10 for a double tail/HM ($25 W/O tax). im just glad i dont have any viable location for a 5th fish.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

haha! I wanted to get a crowntail male but I cannot until all quarantines and illnesses are handled. Even then I'll be going to that one pet store that is the best I have found so far =D


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

lol, so much for for my 4 betta limit. i did something inexcusable. i looked at the betta at the LPS. usually i just look and leave without a fish. i came home with a CT with the exact colouring as the DT in my avatar. pics will come later when i get home. his body is 50% blue/turquoise (rear half). too bad its not a female betta but this will do just fine.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

hahaha!!!  I would totally get more females if I could. But um... first to get rid of the illnesses and craziness that is my torn up sorority :/ And then onto adding newbies!! =D


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

i judt need to find a place for the 3.3gkk. atm my gecko is in there but he's ready to go in his 25g terrarium soon. looks like im going to occupy my 1g QT for a new fish for a week or 2 before my gecko vacates the new CT's home..


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

:lol: well quarantine is good though  Once I completely clean that 29, Savannah will be alone in it until I can get the rest of the sorority back to health standards.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

Sena Hansler said:


> :lol: well quarantine is good though  Once I completely clean that 29, Savannah will be alone in it until I can get the rest of the sorority back to health standards.


lol, you do plan to spoil her to high heaven with that 29g. im sure she'll be zipping around it in no time.


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## Pitluvs (Jun 22, 2011)

Our Pets Unlimited (which is Pj's Pets in Central and Western Canada) is pretty good as far as pet stores go. They do have a bit to laern about pets, but they don't sell live rodent feeders, they refuse you if you don't have the right tank for fish and they have no problem not selling an animal to someone that shouldn't have it. They even let me tame the baby rats for them  Over all, there's always an employee in the store playing with some kind of animal, and the cages are always clean. They also don't sell dogs anymore  And soon, they are starting adoptions for shelter pets.


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## nel3 (May 29, 2011)

that pets unlimited sounds like one of the best shops that can be around. im glad they dont have qualms refusing sales upon improper owner or setup.


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## Sena Hansler (Aug 24, 2011)

my friend and I, are actually going to team up for 5-10 years from now. Our plan: pet store, yes. BUT... all furries/scalies come from past owners, or the spca/shelter, certain things are made by us, and we'll be researching the proper care for any animals held in our store ;-) that's just the base - for now lol.

The store here hasn't had cats or dogs recently. but they hold adoption days beginning of each month now... that's a start  and they carry less bettas (which to me is good)


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