Cichlids perish at new PetsMart

azfishgal

azfishgal

Large Fish
#1
Dec 3, 2006
141
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Arizona USA
#1
Well, a week after I bought two clown loaches they came down with Ich.*SICK* When I went back to PetsMart a few days ago I noticed several of the Cichlids with white spots. I pointed it out to the worker, and told him the problem I'm having with my loaches. Well today I went back to get some salt to try a different treatment on my tank and the entire Cichlid tank (50 gallons) was wiped out!:eek: I asked the worker there if the Cichlids were being treated for Ich and she said they were, but this morning they lost them all!!!:( Against my better judgment I bought the loaches soon after the store opened, and I know they didn't give the tanks ample time to cycle.

Two lessons learned: 1) don't buy from a brand new store and 2) a QT is a must!!!

I just feel bad those beautiful Cichlids perished. There were some really big ones in that tank too.
 

Fuzz16

Fuzz16

Superstar Fish
#2
Oct 20, 2006
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Wellsville, KS
#2
its sad that some people just think of fish as a profit and dont care what happens to them.
its like if you stand around at petsmart for 20 minutes during a busy day youll see these people who come in and say o i like this one can i have it, without knowing what it is.
 

Fishckabibble

Fishckabibble

Large Fish
#4
Jan 13, 2006
792
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Colorado
#4
my petsmart is awsome, they are always at the tanks monitoring them, and one of the ladies that works there is a huge hobbiest as well, she has around 6 huge tanks, some with rainbows some with cichlids, and she is always the one i talk to about fish when im there, she even had them stop shipping in gold nugget plecos because they kept dying, so i guess it all depends on the employees working at the store and how much they know about fishkeeping.
 

azfishgal

azfishgal

Large Fish
#6
Dec 3, 2006
141
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0
Arizona USA
#6
Well, the store is pretty much wiped out at this point, according to the older PetsMart that I went to today. I needed to get another Platy for my lonely one that survived the attack of the Gourami (the Platies are now in a sepearte tank). The lady (that works in the fish department) there said she felt bad for the new PetsMart because people don't understand that all fish have ich, and what happened at this store was that the water heater was acting up and the water kept changing temperatures. The fish were stressed and that brought on the Ich. I told her I had to diagree with her on the fact that every fish has or carries ich. That one of the fish had to have had it already and yes even though the temperature caused it to make the fish unable to fight the ich, it's not what caused the ich. I personally don't believe all fish "have it" for the simple fact that Ich does not have a dormant stage. Now I know this is an on-going depate with people, what is your take on it. I'm still learning, so would be interesting to see what you all had to say about it.

With all that said, this new PetsMart does have a guy that works there and he seems to have it togehter. As a matter of fact he was the one I pointed out the Ich to, and he did have this very concerned look on his face. What made it worse in this new store, is all the tanks are connected, so if one fish is introduced with Ich, then the entire stock is in danger. And from what this lady today told me, just about there entire stock is gone now. I just hope they let the tanks sit at a high temperature for a while before allowing anymore fish.
 

Fuzz16

Fuzz16

Superstar Fish
#8
Oct 20, 2006
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Wellsville, KS
#8
i know most stores dont QTbecause it takes too much time. they just throw em in and medicate. you loose some and you win some.

and i think it is the duty of the store to employ knowledgeable people.

and the ich thing. i think some fish are more adapt to it so it is less likely to affect them as easily. immunity sorta.
 

MissFishy

MissFishy

Superstar Fish
#9
Aug 10, 2006
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Michigan
#9
Many fish bought in bulk for large chain fishstores are carrying ich. It's a stressful situation from the bulk breeders who keep them in close quarters. They're shipped in the cold trucks in the dark, etc etc. It's rough. I have to believe they have some tank in the back that they throw the obviously infected fish into, otherwise the whole stock would get sick. But I've obviously never worked at a fish store, so I don't know. The petsmart by my house is wonderful, employees are generally knowledgable (more than most) and tanks are well kept.
 

azfishgal

azfishgal

Large Fish
#10
Dec 3, 2006
141
0
0
Arizona USA
#10
The store I used to go to has the tanks with a solid divider between them, so if one tank gets ich, it doesn't spread. This new store has slats at the top, so the water goes from one tank to the next, so very easy for ich, or anything else for that matter, to spread quickly. I did go back to the store and noticed they havn't lost the entire stock like the worker at the other store said, so not as bad as it could have been.

For me, my loaches died yesterday.:( My Pleco recovered but I'm still keeping the salt and the raised temp until just before I leave for the Holidays, in hopes that I kill all the ich. I learned the hard way and will always quarentine new fish.
 

dbacksrat

dbacksrat

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#11
Jun 3, 2003
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Glendale, AZ
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#11
I know this is an older thread, but which store did you go to? If you have a chance, you should check out the one at 73rd Ave and Bell in Glendale. That's the one I work at, and it is the best in the state. We pretty much bust ours over there.
 

azfishgal

azfishgal

Large Fish
#12
Dec 3, 2006
141
0
0
Arizona USA
#12
dbacksrat said:
I know this is an older thread, but which store did you go to? If you have a chance, you should check out the one at 73rd Ave and Bell in Glendale. That's the one I work at, and it is the best in the state. We pretty much bust ours over there.
Click to expand...
It was the new PetsMart in east Mesa, Signal Butte and Baseline. The one in Glendale is a bit to far for me, but if I'm ever out that way, I'll have to check it out. Maybe you can come out and give the workers there some tips. Good to hear from a local. *celebrate

OH, is that your cleaner shrimp in your avatar? Very nice. I'm actually in the process of setting up a 125 gallon saltwater tank, but will probably be March before I have any fish in it. I'm doing LOTS AND LOTS of research before I get started.
 

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