# NEW Petsmart.



## FishyFloorzack (Apr 14, 2013)

I know some people think i might be over reacting but i need everyone to read this. So July 13th i went to this new Petsmart in Milford, CT. Brand new just opened. This employee took one of the Betta fish off a 3 stacked high hanger. Full with Bettas dead and alive.  :evil: So he took one pink female off the rack and put her on his desk in front of all the fish tanks and bettas. July 24th, yesterday i went back to return sand i bought, she was still in a cup. Dead. No fins, white, and floating. Man was i mad. So i just kept saying "WOAH THAT ONE IS STILL ALIVE? WHAT A SURPRISE" (to this other bettas that were some how alive.) I'm never ever ever buying ANYTHING from any store ever again. I'm so insanely man. :evil: I hope all you think about doing the same.


----------



## bettacollectR (Jul 25, 2013)

calm down.... bettas die. it happens. i bet your pissed at God because he let that betta die......


----------



## Lamb (Jul 9, 2013)

Don't listen to that... person... she is obviously upset at the world and was banned. I'm sorry the fish died... some of the bigger chains hire employees that don't necessarily have the best interests of the animals and fish at heart. If you can, try to find a ma and pa shop to purchase your betta from. But even then there are no guarantees. The banned member was one of "those" people who like to keep fish in cups. So again, don't listen to them.

Also try the classifieds! You can get some great deals from some great breeders. Just got a shipment in from Chard56 and he has the prettiest girls! I have some little yellow, purple, and silver females from him and they are soooo gorgeous and healthy!


----------



## Little Leaf (Jul 7, 2012)

PetSMART? more like PetDUMB.


----------



## shellieca (Jul 12, 2012)

I won't even look at the Bettas or any of their fish any more, none of the Petsmart's or Petco's I've gone to are very good aquarist.


----------



## Jersieelizbeth (Jul 25, 2013)

Id find an aquarium store instead of a petstore
they're usually better with bettas
but complain to the petsmart manager
And if not say you would like the information on how to speak to their boss
because that's just not right


----------



## FishyFloorzack (Apr 14, 2013)

God has nothing to do with this.
But boy did that really tick me off.
I'm buying online from stores that do care... :-/


----------



## Sokkasmom (Jul 24, 2013)

I will admit that for the first few months after our petco opened their fish section was the WORST i have ever seen! and they were selling sick fish and everything. i complained to the managment, and they actually hired some intelligent people to work there now. The bettas are still in cups... but they cant really change that (or so they say.. i have ideas on how to change that) but all the other fish look good. Complain to the manager if you see something wrong with the fish in the store. dont just go home and cry about it on the internet. From the original post i gather that you did NUTHING in the store, and instead came home to whine and state your opinion online. Stand up for the fishys that cant talk for themselves!


----------



## shannonpwns (Jul 15, 2013)

Not everyone is outgoing enough to say something to pet shop managers...


----------



## countyrd419 (Apr 6, 2013)

I know that my PetSmart in Oviedo, FL do care for their bettas and other fishes. I have seen them first hand cleaning the tanks and giving all the fishes fresh water and conditioners.


----------



## FishyFloorzack (Apr 14, 2013)

I did say something to management, maybe i should of put that in there so no one would flip out on me. But i may have over reacted. But i did go to the manager and said "These bettas are like any other fish in your tanks, yes the males are unable to be kept together but for one of your employees to keep a dead betta on his desk is insane. At least have some respect for our love in these beautiful fish." After i said that he had said "Ma'am i'm sorry you think of our store in a negative way, but please do understand that we don't have enough tanks for each and every fish" Then i put everything down in my cart and said "Then don't sell them if you can't keep them healthy" and walked out.


----------



## Flyby Stardancer (Jun 19, 2013)

Jersieelizbeth said:


> Id find an aquarium store instead of a petstore
> they're usually better with bettas


Not always. The closest LFS to me? Keeps their bettas in either tiny glass display bowls, or in cups that are SMALLER than the ones at petco/petsmart. And for an extra $2, they'll let you take the glass display bowl home to be their permanent home! :evil: And the health quality isn't really any better than at the Pet stores either.

The LFS that took proper care of their bettas is no longer in business, or else I would patronize them, despite it being much further and out of the way for me.


----------



## Jersieelizbeth (Jul 25, 2013)

On my way to walmart and petsmart to nurse the dying fish back to health D:
BUY ALL THE SICK FISH!
I wish I could :/


----------



## sixcards (Jun 11, 2013)

What I don't understand is, If their(Petco/Petsmart) insurance will cover the fish if it dies, Why can't they give the fish away if they can see that its on its death bed and it gets written off on their insurance anyhow. At least that is what we were told when we had asked about a sick fish that I wanted to save.


----------



## FishyFloorzack (Apr 14, 2013)

You know what. I'm cycling my 10 gallon now, and i'm going to ask if they will give the fish that are dying for free, then i'll nurse them back to health and shove it in their face. :lol:


----------



## NeptunesMom (May 4, 2012)

Lamb said:


> Don't listen to that... person... she is obviously upset at the world and was banned.


Wow! Joined and banned on the same day. That's got to be a record. I've never seen that happen so quickly. 

I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I would write a letter to corporate and inform them of what you saw and the way you were treated.


----------



## NorthernLights (Mar 2, 2012)

I make it a point to survey the bettas, and point out any dead ones and how dirty the cups are. Usually that shames them into immediate action. I also hang around the betta section listing to other customer's conversations, then casually drop in some helpful info. The best way to convince a parent NOT to get a betta is to mention to the kids who is waving a betta cup at their parent "That fish may be $4, but all the stuff he'll need to be healthy will be at least $100." -- the parents almost universally respond by telling the kid in no uncertain terms that they are NOT getting a fish!


----------



## karbear625 (Feb 25, 2013)

I wouldn't say that ALL Petsmarts and Petcos are bad. I have a Petco near my house that is amazing! Every time I go the bettas have clean water and they are swimming around. There are a few that die, but they really treat them like kings and queens when they are in those tiny cups. The fish guy at Petco is really great too and knows a lot.


----------



## Namialus (Jul 9, 2013)

All my LFS and local petstores don't treat their bettas nicely, and even their other fish. I've seen guppies sick or dead too, and it's sad. If there were some non-chain stores around here that DO care for their fish, I'd buy stuff from them.


----------



## percyfyshshelley (Feb 26, 2013)

I've bought a lot of fish from chain stores and nursed them back to health. Unfortunately a few didn't make it, but most did. I hate seeing them sick in their cups. I dont like to support the stores by buying their bettas, but I try to get my big ticket items at a local store that only carries a few bettas at a type and seems to care for them well.
Good for you for saying something to the management and for caring.


----------



## Silverbeam (May 20, 2013)

I'm pretty upset too! Today I visted a PetCo and two bettas were dead! Maybe more even I'm not even sure!

-Sil


----------



## countyrd419 (Apr 6, 2013)

The best way to get corporate pet store chains attention about betta care is for a lot of us to take pictures of what we see without getting into trouble and then emailing them to the corporate offices of PetSmart and Petco. Unless there is a huge percentage of customer complaints nothing will get done. Enough said.
Also tell the corporate office to view our site too so that they can get a better understanding of how real betta fish owners take care of our fishes. In other words show them what we do.


----------



## Sokkasmom (Jul 24, 2013)

Sincei gt my sokka a little over 2 weeks ago I have been going into my local petco and talking with te people in aquatics. Tere has ben one dead betta that I saw, but somene had brought him back with extreme finrot and he just didn't makeit. All the fish they get in arehealthy and lively, and they kee their water changed. Mostof the males flare in their tiny cps. I even had one worker tel me they are trying to get some tanks set up in the store to give the bettas more room. The stores will listen, you just have to fight for the fish. I am not the only person in my area fighting for fish, they have cloed down the whole aquatics section to clean it because of us fish lovers before. You just have to make srepeople know the issue, and know you won't back down from it.


----------

