PetSmart vs. PetSmart - I was SHOCKED at the Difference!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ย. 2024
- Join me as I visit my two local PetSmarts. I use PetSmart for a variety of items for both my fish and my dogs. However, a recent walk through and a few questions revealed that despite looking similar, store-to-store, PetSmarts can be very different from one another.
In one case I was very pleased. In another, I was very disappointed and don't think that I'll be going back to that store.
Come along on this visit to two local spots and share with me what you think about what I ran into. Jump into the comment section below and be part of the the "Convo Gang" remembering that on this channel we all learn, constantly, from each other.
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Top Notch video as always Ben thank you
I agree I really enjoyed this video
The aquatic section in the pet smart where I shop at is very well kept.
There were already fish with ich at 9:44 right when you were saying they looked healthy
Gaijilla himself, you're right. I had to go back & look at it again. You have a good eye.
How can you tell ick
@@bullplays2407 white spots
Good eye!!
Hey Ben, the empty tanks that you see are sold without the decors on the inside. the store would put decorations in their tanks to give people ideas. the price on the tanks are without the decorations.
That second Petsmart is like the one in my town. People think I'm weird for wanting to drive an hour+ for basic guppies but I'm not paying money for fish in tanks that always have dead fish in them.
The tetra was loaded with ich
Sadly so.
Paul Howell I never would purchase fish from a big box store. Too many issues... imo
And it can he passed to other fosh to so went one had little it will go to the rest over time
my thoughts exactly
I have no idea what’s going on but PetSmart keeps getting sent tetras with ich from our supplier and it’s so annoying 🤦🏻♀️
The employees are misinformed. The feeder tanks are always separate from the main system. However, all the tanks in the main system are connected as one.The amount of algae that builds up on those tanks is ridiculous because the tank lights are on for 12 hours and the store lights never go out.
Scrubbing tanks and ornaments is literally a never ending job.
S0uthp4w68 HONESTLY. Never ends.
I’m speaking for Petsmart Canada, It’s a constant and necessary job to clean tanks. But if your workers care, you’d notice it. Nowhere else would you find this. It’s a lot easier to clean tanks when it’s constantly being cleaned. Something people ignore are gravel Vaccing which if not done for awhile it talks a long time to fully clean.
At my store, the tanks are separated into 7 different systems to prevent spreading of disease
@@stephanie22345 Was that a new store? I haven't worked there for 5 years.
S0uthp4w68 it is newer. We have the flip lid style so I would assume that all stores with that style would have separated systems. Which makes sense. One bad infection would wipe out your whole supply
Petsmart and Petco, it all comes down to the staff. These stores have a lot of staff turnover which effects quality of merchandise, cleanliness etc, great 👍 video.
We recently went to 5 Petsmart locations in the same day to get 100 lbs of Caribsea African Cichlid substrate as each location only carries 2 20 lb bags and a couple were out of stock. Iwas amazed at the differences of the aquatic sections in each store. It's easy to see when an employee cares about his/her job. Thanks Ben another good video
Same here Mathew. I went to 3 locations to get 4 bags. You can definitely tell the differences between each store
That first PetSmart was the size of 3 by me combined!
I was listening to your video more than watching it as I was driving home from of all places PetSmart. I'm sorry if I missed it but I just wanted to make a couple additions. Top Fin filters through PetSmart are guaranteed for life. Save the box and save the receipt and if it ever quits working or breaks or something you can take it back and they will give you a brand new one. They do not advertise this. Also, one more important thing to remember when buying from a big-box store is to check their website. Most of these places have websites and often the prices online are cheaper then they are at the store. But I have never found that they would not price match the website, and often save 15 and even 20% off of what the product is marked in store by just showing the cashier the website. Good video. I too am blessed by having a well run PetSmart and Petco near me. My local Pet Supplies Plus store used to be wonderful but has turned to garbage in the last year.
Best regards.
...any you can probably take advantage of the on-line price and ask for in store pick-up. Best of all worlds. Thanks for watching and commenting!
The PetSmart I usually go to actually did do a price match for me. I had went in to get an API master test kit that was advertised on their app for something like $21.99 while the tag on the shelf was something like $34.99. After using some of my point I only paid $22 even out the door. 👍
What ! I didn't know that about Top Fin filter guarantee. I didn't keep the receipt but I have the tank it's from still (just a dinky 10 gal for some small fish n starting certain plants) Thanks for that info though! (Receipts are sent to email as well I think, so actually I believe I'm all good to go) Thanks a bunch!
@@summerwinters1315 Yes I have had them look up my purchase that was attached to my phone number through their "rewards club" or whatever they call it. I was told about it by an employee at Petsmart I don't think they advertise it.
The PetSmart near me had a small collection of pretty much everything. So, I always have to call ahead of a time to see if they are in stock of what I’m looking for.
Grate show man grate info very good 😉👍
That's the petsmart I used to work at last year! Haha. I've since moved on and now work at my local fish shop though.
I literally let this video play while I was going to sleep cuz his voice is so soothing and I actually went to sleep peacefully 😂🥰😊
Thanks for the video of the comparison of quality between stores of the same chain. I live in Canada and your prices in the U S are so much lower than ours are, for example, those 50-70 gallon tanks are at least triple even empty up here. My biggest beef with the PetSmart chain is that they have a 2 week guarantee on their fish. Why is this a problem? Well having to use this guarantee a few times, I asked about their quarantine times. The answer I got was that they don't Quarantine, Corporate Policy handed down to the stores. Having been keeping fish since 1972, I was appalled at this response. My conclusion is that Corporate doesn't care if they have to replace a low percentage of the fish that they pay pennies for from the supply warehouse or that they bank on the fact that many customers don't bother with the Warranty. The store also has only one massive filtration system. I live an hour's drive from my nearest PetSmart and I phone the Manager of the store if I have a fatality and inform them that I have one in the freezer to bring back at my convenience. I have also had to treat sick fish that weren't showing any obvious signs when I purchased them. In conclusion, I much prefer to but my fish from Mom & Pop stores, as they seem to care more about satisfying their customers and are much more likely to follow the procedures to do so.
i wish my petsmart was this clean and professional
I have the same problem with the pet smart near me if you want to call 20 near by LOL they have very little in the way of fish all the tank that have fish in them are fill with wild colored plastic plants. way over priced, they also have a bird cage next to the fish tanks. lots of bird dust getting into the fish tanks. I'll drive to B0ston o NYC to buy fish.
The company itself dictates all the policies including putting those stupid wildly colored plants in all the tanks. The employees get paid crap wages and don't have much say.
Go Cindy! Much respect and love for what you are doing for your store!
One caring employee can do quite a bit.
Where you comment that the shelf layouts are similar/the same, that's because with nearly every large chain store of any kind, shelving layout instructions come down from head office so all stores look as similar as possible.
Just goes to show the difference between staff, one has a manager that has managed to employ conscientious staff that know they're stuff and care, the other obviously hasn't. I see the same with pets at home in the UK, my closest is great, some of the others I'd think twice about buying even dry foods from. Good work Ben!
Truth. It really comes down to people management skills, and it's reflected in the fish.
I agree this shows that it comes down to each place too and every one is different
HI BEN; ALL THE PETSMARTS IN VEGAS ARE LIKE THE FIRST ONE....MASSIVE....FOR FYI...THE DECORATIONS IN THE TANKS THAT YOU THOUGHT WERE TURN KEY ARE NOT INCLUDED....THEY ARE FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES ONLY....THE PRICE YOU SEE ON THE TANKS ARE FOR THE TANK...STAND AND LIGHTS ONLY...NOT THE DECORATIONS INSIDE....BUT LIKE YOU DISCOVERED. FROM STORE TO STORE CAN BE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY THEY TAKE CARE OF THE FISH.....GREAT VIDEO AS USUAL..........
Hello Daniel. I bet you're right about that decor. That's when the price starts going up, when you start adding things like gravel.
I live in Duarte, I think I will have to either go to Pasadena from now on, or get a second job at the Monrovia store to try and help them with the fish.
The one in Glendora is really nice!
The main system is definitely separate from the feeder tanks.
Where I live here in Chandler Arizona there is 18 Petsmart‘s within a 25 mile radius of me and they vary in size depends on the square footage that’s available to them. Most of the time if I’m buying from Petsmart I order online and pick up in store because not all stores will have that item it might be out of stock but I can always go to another one that has it very rarely they don’t have it at one of the stores.
I just bought the 36GL Bow front tank from Petsmart last week and I see the price is the same in your area. Your first Petsmart is really huge and clean. The ones in Houston aren't that big so the choice of fish is limited. Very nice video Ben!
This was a good one. i was making the rounds today. And couldnt help but to think the same thing. Great point made! Not trying to shame just vlogging the obvious
You dont get the decor when you buy those tanks. They take the decor out. All you get is the tank and stand.
Evrery Petsmart’s aquatic-Sales tanks are set up with “separate / secondary” filtration, for the “feeder” tanks, closed off from the central filtration ststem. these guys did have their tank wall looking better and cleaner than the majority of PetSmart’s on the east coast.
That 2nd place was one of these Petsmart that DONT HAVE A FISH PERSON, it’s SO CLEAR when u go to one of these stores that don’t have a “fish guy” meaning someone who is really into fish - has their own tanks - and take a personal interest in the store tanks / fish, You saw the “fish lady” that had a sign made out in the first store with her name and all, That’s a store with a “fish guy” (or gal) it’s a 1000% difference between a store that has one and a store that doesn’t.
I can only assume they ‘try’ to hire a fish enthusiast - or hobbyist in each store, just doesn’t happen that way.. and it’s the poor fish that suffer!! That 2nd place has the same filtration set up as all the current store do, and the feeders ARE always on a separate filter,, and it’s just exactly to my point that the manager you spoke to - Not a fish person, doesn’t even know that the feeders aren’t on the “one giant system” that the main tanks are on.. that’s just all he cares to know, pranks are all one filter system”. Nope. and CLEARLY has no idea how horrible those poor
Baby Oscars condition is, They’ve got next to no chance at that point, absolutely covered in that amount of ick, It’s just something most humans have toward fish, they don’t see them as something that feels - or sufferers, no eye lids - no emotion- no body cares, if it can’t look sad, it can’t be sad - or in pain, etc... PetSmart should MAKE SURE as a Policy, that any of those large stores with the 60+ foot fish walls,,, should HAVE to keep atleast 1 full time fish guy/gal.
Thanks for another awesome video Mr Ben... Keep up the good work...
Gotta read the fine print. Those tanks aren’t plug and play at all. The posted prices are for tank and stand only. Inside the tank they should have a list of the decorations and associated cost for each piece. They are set up simply as a way to display the different decor and possibilities for new hobbies. I suppose you could ask them to add it up and take the whole lot but that’s not the intention
Very informative. I'm surprised you were allowed to film; I've seen other TH-camrs kicked out of the bg box stores for filming. Anyway, it all seems to depend on the manager in the fish section whether a store is good or bad. I have several Petcos and a PetSmart in my area (West LA/Culver City), and they seem to go up and down in quality as the staff changes. I do wish they'd switch to sponge filters for each tank, though: those common sumps they use are just asking to spread contamination.
I tend to go to different pets smart to look at the selection of fish. Some have very nice peacocks some carry mostly mbuna. I have lots of fish from them and they are healthy. I've even bought one with torn fins and now it's doing fine
I once had an amazing Electric Blue Hap from PetSmart. You can't beat the price!
@@BenOchart I got 2 venustus from them that were about 1.5 to 2 inches and they grew fast and sitting around 5 inches in just 3 to 4 months. Still no signs of male or female
Great video, Ben. Thank you for showing the good and the not so good from the perspective of a caring fish keeper. More bees with honey. 😉
The struggle with big box stores is real. They certainly do vary. You can tell when they have been lucky enough to hire someone with enough knowledge and care for fish, that doesn’t have to rely solely on what they are paid. Then it’s a battle to get their owners and marketing to see reason in spending enough on systems and supplies to care for the fish properly before sale. Seems they are trying in some ways to be more conscientious, due to coaxing from the community, I think.... I digress. I’m sure you know this.
Thanks again.
Truth. Back-up and awareness from management is needed. You can be a great fish keeper but the if the boss says, "Stop wasting time fussing over those tanks and go arrange stock in the dog food dept ..." Well, there goes the fish dept.
Awesome... My Chiclid's came from Petco an Petsmart an I've had them for almost a year now...!!!
I've picked up a couple of nice ones over the years from them as well.
Please do another pet store tour! I love that it's slow so I get to see the fish!
I have called the home office three separate times and called the city of Frisco health department on the Petco in Frisco, Tx located at Eldorado and Custer about the dead fish, dirty tanks, Ich and hole in the head disease prevalent in the fish they sell and nothing was ever done.
Almost 1/2 all the fish I purchased from of their stores dies within 72 hours or shows signs of Ich or something else.
My experiences with the PetSmarts have been similar but they generally have slightly more helpful staff.
I have grown to hate these stores and have developed the habit of avoiding them and only going to them if absolutely necessary.
Wow. Well you can't say that you didn't try and I commend you for contacting them. Judging by the lack of response and action, it would seem that their fish dept is low on their list of priorities.
They should all do the separate filtration for goldfish & feeders. That would be great.
Thanks for this. Now I know what sick fish look like. Bravo
I bought one of those tanks at petsmart and all the stuff inside is not included they are extra cost. But I got a 65 gallon tank stand and hood and light for 399.00 really good deal and i built it the way I wanted it
here around us we have two as well. one on the beach is different from the one in town. the one on the beach has ich all the time and dead fish. the one in town always has great fish and takes care of their tanks.
Yes, it really depends on the department manager. You can tell that some care and know what they’re doing, and others just don’t
Thanks Ben i been waiting for some one that has influenced on you tube to bring up the issue of the fish condition at pet smart .I to have a petsmart that doesn't care about their fish, it a shame really is.
Thanks again for this video
You don't have to buy all the decorations and accessories in the tanks. I just purchased a 60 gallon Marineland tank that included the stand, led lighting, and glass cover for $199 from Petsmart. I think this is actually a great value.
That is a good deal Rob
Petsmart and Petco are really the only place to get fish in my town. We do have a locally owned chain that I used to like, but the last two times I went in it their tanks looked terrible and they had little choice in fish. The tanks at Petco always look better than Petsmart but I've had good luck with fish bought from both. Sometimes one has what I'm looking for when the other one doesn't, so I usually check both out when shopping.
Feeder fish tanks always have a separate filtration system from the main system. The person you talked to apparently didn’t realize that. But those cichlids that were covered in ich (and any others) should have been taken off the floor and treated appropriately in the isolation tank with ich meds. The majority of these issues are due to poor management and lack of holding people accountable. The majority of employees really do care but sometimes there is a lack of education or guidance and then things like the issues in the second store happen. It’s always best to do your own research and not only rely on store employees because you can’t always tell who has done their research and knows what they’re talking about.
The large store is more likely to be an older store possibly one of the early stores. We have one of those 30 miles away. It is about 25 years old.
The one about a mile from my house is the size of the second one it is about 15 to 20 years old. The latest ones are even smaller one was built
2 years ago across town. The large one an employee told me they don't build those anymore.
Thanks for the comparison! Especially useful for me to compare it to my local PetSmart, only one in my small Canadian City. Our location is about the same size or maybe a little smaller than Monrovia, but the care taken is much better. There are three filter systems on the sales floor; one for tropical, one for pet goldfish, and another for goldfish feeders (thank goodness! Feeder fish are a stain on the hobby, for their health/welfare and that of what they get fed too). Four, I guess, since instead of packaged plants, there is a small tank across from the bank of tanks, holding live plants. Unfortunately a rather smaller selection than you have access to in the US, although that’s true for just about everything in this (& other!) hobbies.
It does sound like your store is dedicating more resources to the care of the stock.
Good job with objective review. I Would have gone bonkers on the manager in the second store. And I would’ve insisted on a phone number to the district manager. That’s just me I would’ve made a scene. You are much more calm and more of a gentleman than me, but I can’t stand to see animal abuse. I’ve done it before in a Despicable Petsmart, You are right, there are huge differences between stores...But someone needs to be held accountable
Maybe I'm missing something. Ignore the feeder fish system just for a moment, if all the tanks in the shop are running on the same filter system they all have the same water. Any disease in one tank is potentially in every tank and they are all running the same water parameters regardless of inhabitants. Hillstream loaches are in identical water to mollies? They have the same Ph and TDS, the same water hardness. German Blue Rams are kept at the same temperature as White Cloud Mountain Minnows?
I'm surprised that the fish looked as healthy as they did, some of them are well out of their comfort zone.
You're exactly right, so they are living under stress = compromised immune system = parasites, ich, etc.
There are 2 petsmart I go to.both of them are pretty decent to but they are very different.
The one near me is smaller but owes has the larger 100 gallon plus tanks maxing out at 150 gallons.the fish section also is decent and has most of the fish they advertise and they even have a sign on the crab tank saying brackish.
The one further away is bigger and actually kinda of weird.cuase they tend to have things like Florida flag fish and killifish(this also isn't exclusive to the fish section and every section has at least 1 animal out of the norm).which I haven't seen at any other petsmart.
Wow Ben I’m jealous. Your Pasadena pet smart is nice. I live by 3 of them in Florida and the all suck. The tanks are dirty, full of snails. I stopped going to them and have been going to Petco instead. Very small store but the guy who keeps the tanks is good.
Yes, the Pasadena store is very nice, but it's the people that really make the difference. Thanks for stopping by!
I knew exactly where this was going, it's the same situation here. In the next city over they have an older PetSmart, way more fish, way larger store. The one they recently built in my city was way smaller, and not even close to the amount of fish. However, the two I'm referring to are equally well maintained.
Cool video 👍
I fell asleep watching your video😅😭 your voice is so calming! Love the quality of your video. Please do an audiobook recording or some type of medication video!!! LOL
I would definitely go to the Pasedina store for sure. I buy from only two stores my lfs and one petsmart. they are really good at letting me know what's going on with the tanks and won't sell any fish if there is ick and have signs on the tanks
That's good to hear Lyndon!
Nice to see someone do a review of a pet store in my area
I know I recently bought nine neon tetras from a PetSmart few weeks ago all still alive and doing well. I'm not sure how much of that can be contributed to the store having happy and healthy fish or to my fish keeping skills. I can say they didn't need to be medicated.
I don't get america and its sales, that $150 marineland tank would be about £400 in britain. A 5 gallon branded tank sells for over £100 and a basic one £20.
Saying that i got my oranda's for about £5 each so that's weird. I buy used tanks now and just reseal them but that's a chore. Nice video bud, good to see the differences in stores.
WHEN I CLICKED ON THIS VIDEO I THOUGHT IT WAS A JOKE
Petsmart has a larger fish selection than petco near me in jersey. But I rarely ever go there. I shop at Petco and my 2 local LFS stores, which are a half hour away.
I have a PetCo not too far away. Maybe I'll a walk-through just for comparison.
ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS check the online prices as they are very often significantly cheaper than the posted prices. They will also price match (I am told this is store-specific) competitors both in town (Petco) and online (Amazon.)In Rapid City, SD I find Petsmart consistently has healthier fish than the other in town big box store. That being said I do echo Ben and others who advocate quarantining and treating all fish before introducing them to your display tanks - word of caution.
Nice!!
Great tip, and yes, try to always QT all fish additions.
Ich is pretty common in even well-quarantined fish, the onset is usually precipitated by some sort of stress, either a move to a new tank or a drop in temperature, no mystery if tropicals are being kept on a shared water system with goldfish, above 22C goldfish need great water quality to be stable below 25C african cichlids get ich. a problem that will be expensive to solve and will therefore not be solved, they need to go fully temperate or fully tropical or split the system.
Prices for frozen food are pretty wild out there huh? a pack of mysis or brine costs about 2 pound over here yet the tanks are so cheap, weird.
Seen this before, some stores just don't care. I have complained to Petsmart corporate before. I don't know if they have done anything about it because I haven't go back to those stores though. I stick to my local fish store and sometimes to Petco.
I’ve been to a few different pet stores and I just established there’s stupid people everywhere (I don’t expect everyone to know everything but don’t lie to me; be honest) that being said the first Petsmart looks very neat and well taken care of I would trust them more than the run down halfassed jobs that I’ve seen... Once I saw a dying betta and a worker tried to tell me that “bettas are lazy fish” I cut her off real quick and told her I have 3 bettas and I know what a dying fish looks like... his water was horribly discolored and he had clear signs of a swim bladder disorder that was very life threatening (possibly had another fungal infection too but I couldn’t tel through the horrible water)..his belly was stuck to the waterline and he wouldn’t move.. I would have brought him home but sadly he looked to far gone to be saved (very unresponsive and his eyes were fogged over plus I don’t have room for another fish) very very tragic and absolutely horrible that the girl thought she could easily fool me... if you don’t understand fish or don’t want to deal with the work of having them then do yourself and the fish a favor and let someone else more qualified to care for them.
Amber, you just voiced the frustration many of us feel when we go into a store like that. Reminds me of an old skit by a British comedy group called Monty Python. The pet store owner tries to convince the customer that the parrot is resting, when in fact the parrot is dead.
Always check their online price first. Everything online is cheaper. I was shocked at some of the drastic pricing differences.
They match online prices! I had a heater that went out and it was cheaper online by 7 dollars but I didn't have time to wait and order it. So when I got to the store I was suprised and the man working there told me they match their online prices, as long as you have your phone ready to show.
@@jessicab.2088 that's what I meant to say. They match and so does petco. I feel bad for the people that just pay the high prices. Online alot of times is 50% cheaper on small items. They had a fluval 407 in store advertising 25% off down to $240. Online it was $199 and they matched it. Seachem products $16 in store and $8 online.
It is really all about who the 'Block Stores' have hired to 'manage' their fish department, and how knowledgeable they are or aren't. Personally, at the first sign of a parasite infestation, I go to find a different store.
There’s truth in that. You can see the care or lack of care as you look at the tanks.
It's normal for fish to get ick when newly introduced, as the fish has taken a tremendous amount of stress during transportation, but should have definitely used Pimafix, Melafix or such treatment when introducing new fish. Jeez this is unacceptable fos such a giant Fish store carrier like PetSmart.
Not always. Some fish tend to get them more easily, but if they would dim the lights or just put more plants the stress level would probably lower...
Especially when you see fish with that amount! It usually starts with just a fee white spots.. these fish probably never got treatment by the looks of it.
The size of a Petsmart depends on what is available whether it’s in a strip mall or stand-alone building Remodel nevertheless when it comes down to quality and cleanliness that has to do with management Petsmart is just a corporate trademark.
A little off subject, but I wandered drunk into that PetSmart in Monrovia while on a work trip about a year ago. I don't remember much about it. I do remember the bartender at the Arcadia Embassy Suites was from Hawaii, and I burned my hand at the BJ's across the street.
You're welcome.
😂
we have had better luck with fish from petsmart than from petco! Theirs may look healthy but the minute you get them home they are sick and to date we have been unable to save any of them when purchased from petco. We have had good luck with fish from our local walmart also, they have a person in charge of the fish area that knows what they are doing. Still wish we had the old store that was a mom and pop store called fins, feathers and fur ( I think it was). They always quarantined their new arrivals for 2 weeks before selling them (fish area). Tanks were always pristine. Sadly one of the owners passed away and the other retired. We have a new place now that I have yet to go check out because it is way on the other side of town but I do know the main fish guy was at a store closer to home and he really knows his stuff so will be going there hopefully this weekend as we do need some algae cleaners for daughters oscar tank.
We have the same problem here our local store is smaller because of the size of our town however 30 minutes away is a larger town which has a enormous store .
I liked this video sir !
That is kind of heart breaking. People think that fish are easy to keep, when really they require a lot of care. And the flip side is, people saying 'whatever it's a fish'. Don't keep a fish if you are not going to think of it as a pet.
I Picked up an FX6 for 249$ at Petsmart. Amazon doesn’t even touch that low of a number.
TheTradesmen I got 2 fx4 and 2 fx6 on their Black Friday sale for 50% off! Did I need them? Not really, but I couldn’t pass up that deal for future aquarium needs
My closest Petsmart is over 30 miles away but they have decent fur pet merch. As far as the fish, it goes in cycles. Some days the fish are so ill that I'm surprised they sell at all. Other days, mostly in summer, the fish look decent. My nearest Petco is 18 miles away & have had very knowledgeable staff over the years. They also price match to their website if you mention it. I don't like that they dump all the fish along with the shipping water into the tanks or scoop water out of a different tank than the fish is in when they sell it. They say it's all on the same system so it's equal but they don't take into account that the individual tank chemistry is different from tank to tank due to fish load, species, waste produced & size of fish. They do comply when I say I want the water from the tank that the fish is in. They do question people about the way the fish will be housed & give good recommendations. I find that it all depends how dedicated the in-store manager & employees are as to the conditions of the fish. Another fish specific store A.A, says their merch is the big ticket & the fish are just to bring people in. They give false info & seem to only care about the sale & not the needs or condition of the fish (this was several visits dealing with several employees). They told me they bring in so many fish for a sale that they arrive in bad shape and they expect many to just die-off & 1 employee said that what went on was sickening. Once, I wanted a shrimp out of a specific tank & they insisted on getting it from another tank. She didn't want to catch the only shrimp in a huge tank vs. 1 shrimp in a tank with many shrimp in it. She told me there were no shrimp in there even though I told her there was. I ended up asking another employee who got the shrimp for me. I shopped there several times during a week long sale but have never gone back.
Unfortunately stories like yours are far too common. It really comes down to hiring good people and managing them correctly, IMO.
My local PetSmart is pretty awesome. The fish department almost always looks it's best. However I know that sometimes things happen & fish are received ill from supplier. Not that the supplier sends them that way but it can happen during shipping due to stress. I also know most of these commercial stores have shared filtration on their tanks so if I see an ill fish in 1 tank, I'm going to treat the one I buy as a preventative for about 3-5 days using melafix while watching for symptoms. By doing this I have had 3 goldfish & 20 Rosy minnows from the feeder tanks that lived 8 yrs. Which I know for a goldfish that's about 1/4 of it's possible lifespan but I learned what mistakes I made so I can be more successful in the future if I choose one. As for Rosy minnows, their expected lifespan is about the same as a betta yet all of mine lived at least 5 yrs before they started dying off. What people who judge these stores forget to keep in mind is these animals, every single one of them, is stressed out on a daily basis from open to close & stress makes people sick so why would it not affect animals in the same way? Also some people work because they have to not because they like what they do. You can tell the difference because the ones with non caring attitudes are working because someone is making them. When they take pride in what they do & are happy to talk to you & happy to help you, they enjoy their job.
Petsmart is the same way about their other animals care they usually take no responsibility for their own neglect.They just think oh its just a fish or its just a hamster and could care less.I have learned allot about hermit crab care and hamster care how those animals are usually neglected and given the wrong care information i had asked about their care and they shrugged it off i tried to inform people who did not give a crap.I prefer petco because atleast they try to improve care where i live.
Oh my gosh those are both PHENOMENAL PetSmarts in comparison to the one in my area. Unless you go in on shipment day ALL the fish look like they’re gonna die soon. Ick all over the place, algae in every tank, protein buildups- you name it. Not to mention they rarely have supplies in stock, and all of the employees don’t know what their talking about. (The ones I talked to couldn’t tell the difference between a fat male live bearer and a pregnant live bearer.) it was really disheartening. The one in my area was just about the same size as the second one you went to.
Great video Ben..I wish we had stores around us like these, in Brooklyn NY..Do you think that maybe each store is franchised and individually owned and operated?..Maybe the owners run their store differently and Pet Smart should have inspectors visit so the franchisee is held accountable somehow...I really felt bad for those sick fish..Keep posting these great videos..
I think they are run from a corporate headquarter and yes, they need inspectors.
Man oh man, the first store was amazing. The 2nd store was really disappointing to see especially after seeing how well kept the 1st store was. I saw ich almost right away on the Long Fin Red Minor Tetra's at around 9:40 I think it was. :( Thanks for sharing!
I just wish that you could buy the tanks of those larger sizes as standard in the UK. The largest you might get here is 30/40 gallons. Even then you are talking about £250 and that’s without the cabinet for it to go with it. Occasionally my LFS has them but it’s rare and stupidly expensive to order. 😞
I wonder if it would make sense where you are to make your own tank?
Awesome Video Sir.
In #25 years that I have known of that store, it is still not any better than the #First Day I bought fish from there and took them home and whipped out all my fish.
The result; I have never been back there to buy Fish again, it is 100% not worth it.
Thank you very much for sharing.
I'm certain that their are more people out there that have a similar story. I even wonder about the auratus that they sell to the person with a community tank...
@@BenOchart I agree with you my friend.
Yes, that is something to wonder about.
They probably just sell that Beautiful Mean/Nasty Fish to those who have very little knowledge so they put them in their Aquariums only to find out later that they introduced an Assassin into their community Aquariums and loose many beautiful Fish which is a great shame.
petsmart now will donate a fish if it has any issues . so it would be up to you to spend the money on the fish or to treat it. i asked a few workers. i see alot petsmart fish like tht makes me wonder if its ich or white spot due to stress.
I’d go to the fish medical care section and pour it in the tank. That ich was horrific! I’ve never had ich in my tank, but if I did, they’d be treated right away!!! It’s disgusting to see! Regards from the UK! We love our fish too!!!!!!!
I’ve noticed a dramatic difference from one per smart to another in terms of stock.
Fun comparison
Keep in mind goldfish pollute the tanks fast so you cannot blame them
That ich was disgusting Ben poor fish!! Glad you confronted them and made this video maybe petssmarrt will do something now.. Well done pal
The indifference and apathy makes me think nothing will change, unfortunately. I will go back and see in a few monthls.
Ya my wife works at pets at home in the UK and the fish there are nothing like that Ben! They need to step up and care about these animals
You should review the glendora petsmart, it’s about 20/30 minutes from the monrovia one but I’ve never had a problem with the fish there and the employees are pretty knowledgeable
Both stores are ok, just one bigger than the other one, but for people who don't have transportation. Ich is something normal on this hobby, and if you really in to it, you suppost to have a quarantine tank. Don't judge the stores, people who live near by, they appreciate that.
Yes, the old PetSmart store needs immediate cleaning of their water system. They need to increase the water quality fast, raise the temperature and somehow reduce the stress of the fish they have. I'm guessing they haven't tried dosing the tanks, isolating fish, and using varied medications that they don't ordinarily use to fix the health problems of the fish. The main blame for the low health of the fish would likely go to the distribution of the tank water in the system along with fish stressed with low immunity.
Buying live aquarium materials from Petco and PetSmart should be quarantined and treated for possible problems as soon as you get them home because you don't want the spread of any diseases to your pets at home.
The PetSmart In Yuma, Arizona has the best workers! Horrible conditions to the livestock. I’m stuck with 150 Guppy Juveniles and Fry’s. Healthy fish, but they won’t even take them for free! Stocking Fish supplies have drove me to the Amazon, eBay, and out outlets! They won’t take any advice, because they are holding on to their jobs like life savers in a downed boat!
Damn, that's a lot of guppies!
looks like the petsmart by me #2 that is.My question is with such a nearly endless supply of fish meds ,WHY not treat them accordingly?
Lady T We get sent thousands of fish each week and it’s hard to keep up with the sick fish that our vendor sends us. We try our hardest to put them in the back and treat them with our Super Ich Cure. Usually we are able to treat them pretty well at our store.
My Petsmart is nowhere as nice as either store. However they have always had very friendly people and a good grooming shop.
In the end, the people are what make the difference.
Wow how prices has changed. There not that cheap now...😮
do you have any idea why none of the box stores carry sponge filters? I don’t find them anywhere but online!
PetSmart is King when it comes to deals on entire aquarium kits and set ups. So affordable. But that aside I bought the most beautiful fancy goldfish and a good size but he was completely covered in ick a few days later, i do quarantine so no one else is in danger but it’s sad that the poor fish has to go trough that. I hope he makes it but certainly won’t be buying fish from that particular store anymore.
Having worked at PetSmart the ornaments are not included in the ensembles and are there merely for display purposes. . . more often than not I've had potential buyers bitch that they don't wont the ornaments in the tanks. So it's not exactly a plug in play situation.
Yep I have yet to see any tank display that included the plants, rocks, and other decor. Usually those "Kits" are just the stand, tank and hood that is it.
Was that Monroeville, Pa.? If it is I Love that PetSmart. Huge selection of Decorations and Great workers. But that's just my opinion. 🤪🤗
I really hope is not the one in Pennsylvania. This breaks my heart to see all those sick fish if is the Monroeville, Pa. One I will never go there again!! Tysvm for your videos Ben!! 🥰
It sounds like Monrovia in California. .so is Pasadena
@@Miguelspl150 Thanks Miguel I appreciate you letting me know. ☺
I'm not usually pro more government involvement, and i understand when you handle as many fish/pets as the big box stores do that sick/dead fish to some degree is pretty much unavoidable. That being said i strongly believe businesses that deal with live animal's need to be held to a higher standard then they currently are. All of these fish needlessly suffering from something as easy to treat as ich is unsettling to say the least. ALL pet stores, big box or mom n pop need to be held responsible for the health of their animal's. They take on that responsibility the minute they decide to bring these animals in to profit off of. Glade to see there are some stores taking this responsibility seriously.
Years ago I bought a pet iguana from a local pet shop. The advice was, "All he needs is a little lettuce and salt every day." In three months the little guy was suffering. I took him to an exotic pet vet and actually became quite angry when I told him the feeding advice I had received. He told me anyone can open a pet store stated your exact concern. The little guy died and we got another one but this time fed him correctly with meat/protein and veg and he turned into a 3' beautiful beast. P.S. I went back to that pet store to give them a piece of my mind and the shop was boarded up and out of business. No surprise.
The Petsmart in my area is small and doesn't have a decent stock of fish.... not even coradoras.
They should at least take the sick fish away from the customer sight.
Leave in display a fish covered of ick is just Dumb.
Agreed, but then we wouldn't be warned. That entire system is a poster child for QT of your new fish for at least a month.
In my local store one of my favourites that I want to work at (so I can help with the fish) one Oscar was very beaten up and had no fins not ANY FINS along with cichlids with skinny diseases on a 1000 litre display tank
Usually there is a quarantine tank in the back for sick fish. This PetSmart isn’t following proper protocol.