do petsmart employees know what theyre talking about? fish question.?

Question

i am planning on going to petsmart and asking some questions about my ruykin, i wouldnt ask walmart but is petsmart any better? in everyones experience are they generally well educated in their department??

we have no small pet stores nearby and i have been asking on answers but on questions such as age of a certain size ruykin, nobody seems to know. I could easily ask them what the age of the fish they purchase is tho.

Answer 1

It really depends, some employee really know their stuff, some know nothing helpful at all. The worst part is, you will find many that know nothing, but will pretend to know and tell you incorrect information. In my experiences with PetSmart, I have found that most are very poorly educated concerning fish and that you would do far, far better at a locally owned pet shop, just go in and ask for the owner.

MM

Answer 2

The problem is, you didn't know anything going in, and you should have done your research on what you were looking to buy. I spent 3 months working at a PetSmart, and people drove me nuts because they came in wanting to know everything, and refused to do research or read anything. Before I make a live purchase I read up on what I want, the requirements, the best way to house them, and more. I don't expect the people at the store to give me any information. If I took what they said, I wouldn't have an amazing 90 gallon reef tank setup, and not have any issues since July. Don't expect people to know what they are talking about. They are employees to a chain. You don't go into Walmart asking about a specific TV and actually get a decent answer 100% of the time. Most of the people were hired just to do the job, and all they did was read some books and fill in the answers over the course of a week. Honestly, most of the people at PetSmart will know nothing. When it comes to freshwater I do not know a lot, but I knew enough to explain things to people. If I wasn't comfortable I wouldn't sell them. I've seen employees try to sell 2 males hamsters to someone and let them live in the same cage, you can't do this, they will kill each other. So the answer is, do your research, and then you wouldn't be in this situation.

Answer 3

This will really depend on the individual store and employee. I've known a few that were quite knowledgable, but they got their knowledge through keeping their own tanks, not any training they received at the store. Most of the chain stores hire high school and college students who are willing to work for a smaller salary to keep their costs down.

A good way to find out how much an employee knows is to ask them some questions. Find out if they keep a tank of their own, and what types of fish they keep. Ask a question to which you already know the answer (I have a goldfish in a 10 gallon tank at home. Can I buy some neon tetras to keep it with him?). If they say yes, leave. These fish have very different requirements! Your best option is to do the research yourself, then you won't need to rely on what the pet stores tell you.

Since your fish is a ryukin, I'll post some helpful websites for you below:
http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/
http://thegab.org/
http://www.goldfishconnection.com/ - see the "information" box at the bottom of the page
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gldfshsystems.htm - also note the links at the top of the page

Answer 4

Unfortunately not. Like most chain stores, Petsmart employees hundreds of salespeople and simply can't afford to educate all of them, or ensure that they are educated. For the most part, employees will just tell you what you want to hear, or what will earn them a quick buck.

If there aren't any smaller stores near you that specialise in fish, you're probably better off asking on the Internet. There are some great fish forums out there that will provide you with better information, for free.

http://www.aquamaniacs.net is a good one. I go to http://www.ultimatebettas.com because I keep bettas, and although it specialises in bettas there are also boards for other types of fish and general aquarium-keeping.

The most useful thing you can have in fish-keeping is experience, so this is what you should be looking for.

Answer 5

Walmart is the worst place you could go to ask question, actually most of them had to take down their fishsection because of inproper care and way to many complains from customers
As for petsmart, some of them know what they are talking about, some of them don't, but the majority don't
The worst experience I made was with petco
Smaller private owned fishstores have usually a bit more knowledge about what's going on
And I think MM is the best example for that one ;-)


EB

Answer 6

I would agree with what everyone else has said but, i have talked to a few people at large chain petstores like petco/pet smart that really know their stuff and i have also spoken to people at privately owned stores who dont really know anything. The problem is what magic man said. Even if they know nothing useful they will be more than happy to pretend they do and give you bad information. Id reccomend finding a privately owned store that only sells fish and youll have much better luck.

Answer 7

my experience with petsmart is that nobody knows what's going on. if you're looking for a chain pet store, petco seems to be the best. many people working near the fish has actually kept them as pets.

Answer 8

Walmart people will say something like " get a 2gal, and a friend for your goldfish"
They said it to me...
Petco, IME seems to be much better with their info.... petsmart is good on that too (IME)

But I think I would go out and find a local fish store, I trust them more

:-)

Answer 9

They are akin to any employee that works for a small wage. Some may be more educated than others, but your best bet is to get a good book on the subject and learn for yourself.

Answer 10

certainly not Wal Mart...

ask for the most knowledgeable Fish person at Petsmart.. most employees are not that knowledgeable..
or phone a more fish oriented store (like one that specializes in fish only)