Ugggghhhhh!!!!!!Petsmart!!!!!!!!! part two

[Amysnail]

I think they should be made aware that as customers, we are not going to tolerate second class care for snails and certain other wet pets. I've started calling them out on it, and gotten in touch with some of the managers. I've written letters to the cooperation, and I don't know how much good it's doing, but it's a start.

[monique]

Here in the Netherlands it is not much different, so often you see dead or dying miserable snails kept in horrible conditions, with a bad and ugly shell. Many LFS here keep a few in every tank as 'cleaners', just doesn't work. I also take them with me and see if they can be rescued. A few months ago I took a few miserable Spixies home. They are quite rare here, so i was very happy that 4 of the 5 perked up. I love them. Now, I sell the healthy babies back to the same store. This LFS is starting to realise that if snails are kept in good conditions, they practically sell themselves and they can make a profit out of them, because they can be beautiful and funny animals. It is a shame, but it seems that this is the best way of getting stores to keep snails in a separate tank in good conditions. money talks i guess....
I also sell diffusas to them and they call me regularly for more. The salesman is always questioning me on how to keep up the pH, asks me to check on the tanks etc. It is good to see they start treating snails the same way as they do their fish and not as some by-product. unfortunately it is only one LFS but it's a start.
i'm so glad I'm not the only crazy snail lady , i feel a bit isolated sometimes

[Amysnail]

You are certainly not alone. I am proud to be a crazy snail lady. I've recently started talking to the managers at the local petsmarts. Some of them have started actually feeding the snails instead of thinking they eat algae off the glass. Several of them have taken my phone number just in case they have any problems or if a customer comes in needing advice. I've already gotten one call from a guy who wanted to buy a snail but was unsure of their needs. It's good that some of these stores have started to become responsible for caring for all their animals, not just the dry ones.

[monique]

you go girl! that is a really good idea, a helpdesk for snails .
I have to say that the LFS I was talking about, actually does care about their animals and have a genuine interest. They probably never had snail advice before and didn't think much about them. Maybe it is also a big difference that mine is a privately owned store. It'll take a while, especially for big chains like petsmart to change, but I'm sure that snails will become more and more popular in the future and more people like us will comment if snails are kept in bad conditions. In the meantime, we'll just keep on rescuing them. It is a shame that it is necessary, but it is very rewarding if you see them come back to life when they realise that hell is over and the good times are starting.

[watergardengirl]

Hi. I work for a large (12000;sqft store) independent aquaria retailer owned by a marine biologist....so i am lucky compared to the petsmart employees. I am also concerned when i hear bad info....or see poor husbandry at the box stores that dont train employees well. I also....like them...dont make much money. I hope you elevate your concerns to management and corporate as the dumb employee only knows what he has been trained on....and is likely working there because he loves animals. I have been known to call the humane society on certain stores when i am unhappy with what i see and can get no logical explanation!

[firefly]

I'm shocked that the snails would be with cichlids. Corporate tells us how to stock our aquariums, and sometimes they are idiots--like making us always have six baby oscars on hand, even though they don't sell and grow into big oscars that fight each other in a tiny tank, but the snails were always stocked with the tropical community fish, because that is what they are. In fact, we were supposed to refuse to sell snails to cichlid tanks because they are incompatible tank mates. If corporate told me to stock snails and cichlids in the same tank, I wouldn't and I'd tell them why and make them change it, and I bet they would....


Emily

[orangenblack]

I actually work there ... atleast I can say our snails are safe and well taken care of! They're in with our guppies, and they're always hooked to the sides of the tanks
Sorry this store sucks ... so many of them do ...

[Valiance]

I have a petco and a petsmart in my town and i always go to petco because the workers actually know what there doing.