Petco has actually been good for me...

[tbrown]

I understand why people would buy from Petco online considering everyone seems to indicate they're just a drop shipper but I absolutely would not buy a fish from a physical Petco store unless it was impossible to find elsewhere and I had a good quarantine tank set up.

I went to buy chelated copper and formalin to have on hand in case of an emergency and was told by the employee that they don't sell any real fish medications (not even copper!), just herbal remedies of questionable efficacy due to corporate policy. So unless the employees have a secret stash of copper and other proven meds that they can access which aren't sold to the public, Petco stores have no way to treat sick fish and or prophylactically treat healthy ones.

My local Petco often treats the tank with medications when there's ich or brook in the tanks. They won't sell those fish until treatment is complete. The tanks will have a sign that says "NFS, Observation" or something similar. They can turn off individual tanks in the bank and only medicate those ones or they can treat the entire group of tanks connected to the sump.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

My local Petco often treats the tank with medications when there's ich or brook in the tanks. They won't sell those fish until treatment is complete. The tanks will have a sign that says "NFS, Observation" or something similar. They can turn off individual tanks in the bank and only medicate those ones or they can treat the entire group of tanks connected to the sump.

about 6 months ago they did that with a section at the local petco. But not sure what they had but they drained and did a complete clean up on these. Each bank of tanks share the same sump

 

[tbrown]

about 6 months ago they did that with a section at the local petco. But not sure what they had but they drained and did a complete clean up on these. Each bank of tanks share the same sump

True. There's valves in the back to disconnect individual tanks from the sump but it's usually too late. If I'm looking at a fish I always check every tank in the group for sickly fish before deciding.

 

[LordClownFish]

I understand why people would buy from Petco online considering everyone seems to indicate they're just a drop shipper but I absolutely would not buy a fish from a physical Petco store unless it was impossible to find elsewhere and I had a good quarantine tank set up.

I went to buy chelated copper and formalin to have on hand in case of an emergency and was told by the employee that they don't sell any real fish medications (not even copper!), just herbal remedies of questionable efficacy due to corporate policy. So unless the employees have a secret stash of copper and other proven meds that they can access which aren't sold to the public, Petco stores have no way to treat sick fish and or prophylactically treat healthy ones.

I 100% agree. I would never buy a fish from a physical Petco store, Ive ordered all my fish directly from them online with no issues.

 

[tbrown]

More than half of my fish have come from a physical Petco.

 

[ieatbugman]

It really just depends on the fish and the petco i have found

 

[Littlewolf]

Petco online honestly has great prices, especially if you catch things on sale. I got both my leopard wrasse (macropharyngodon meleagris) and my blue star leopard wrasse (macropharyngodon bipartitus) each for about $30 and they are super healthy. I've had them both now over 6 months and they eat like pigs and are super social. Also got my blue hippo tang from them on sale for for $50 and same thing, super healthy. Not a single issue with her in 6 months.

 

[SaltyMix]

The only fish I’ve ever had that were healthy were from Petco.

Does anyone know where Petco gets their fish from?

Okay, I went to a LFS and every single fish was sick. Dozens, skinny, ick spots, one poor fox face had lines of skin rotting off its face. One clown fish couldn’t even swim, it just kept sinking onto its side. An angelfish was floating side up and was clearly on its last vestiges.

I go to the two Petcos in my valley after work a couple times a week while I’m waiting on my tank to finish cycling and to get my water tested and stare at the pretty fish and they have not only more varieties but I’ve never seen a salt fish that was in as bad shape as those I saw today (3/23/25).

 

[Tahoe61]

All Petco. BUT the corals looked pretty bad upon purchase, and my Petco can be dismal at times.