Changing Wal*Mart one store at a time

[demented_lullaby]

I bought a few barbs to cycle my tank with, all of them died except for 2, those remaining 2 are doing better than when I got them but I don't know if they will make it.

Stick to a place that you don't find dead fish in the tanks, that majorly turns me off buying fishes from anywhere. There's one pet shop near me, geeze they have nearly as many dead fish as alive ones. It's really sad . Another I go to there are tons of little snail shells empty(very young ones).

[Betta Belle]

I'm a critter lover from way back when, I used to have coniption fits when I'd go to KMart and Woolworth when they still sold small feathered and furries, as well as fish.
I will say this, if some one at Walmart gives you additude, tell them you want to speak to a manager. It's as simple as that. I'm like what's her name in Fatal Attraction, "I will NOT be IGNORED".
If the tanks look bad, I'll tell them, heaven forbid my beloved betta are in filthy water. My Walmart doesn't get snails, but one other I've gone to a bought a gold brig that never really grew and died like two months later. That same store I've rescued MTS from, because they fish them out and dump them in the trash, but the lady in charge of that section didn't even know she was in for it with a population explosion from the cockroaches of the aquarium... the dreaded pond snail (dramtic music please).
I had to show her what they were and told her it was probably too late, due to the size of the two I saw.
I told her if anything the mst were good for the tank.
But I haven't been back there since.
Walmart's are like any other place, you have some that try and go the extra mile, some that couldn't care less, and some that don't care, but will do right if some one else is breathing down their necks.
It helps for any place to remind them that even snail (or whatever) are animals, and that of they don't do anything to correct the situation, you will report them to the humane society, or what ever agency is in charge of animal cruelty.
No one want THAT happening, so it's an effective threat that doesn't take too much to follow through on.

[moo]

The local walmart where I go to college (Farmville, VA) doesn't carry fish at all. It has an aisle of aquarium kits, food, supplies... just not the actual animals. This is good because it means no abuse, but bad because it's a VERY small town and walmart is pretty much the only place to buy *anything*, let alone aquatic pets.

When I'm at home (Short Pump, VA), walmart is the only place in town that carries apple snails. Their snail tank is similar to some I've heard described in this thread - mostly empty shells but some healthy looking snails hanging out at the water line. I got mine there and they're fine. Their fish tanks aren't as bad as some y'all mentioned... the odd goldfish carcass sticking to the filter in some tanks, but not lots of dead ones or sickly looking ones.

My petsmart's fish are fine. They don't carry snails, though, and that's all I'm interested in This petsmart is barely a year old, if that, so maybe that accounts some for the (apparently) better than average conditions?

We've got this really cool little family-owned pet store called Perfect Pets. They've got a great fish section with all sorts of everything. You know the lionfish in Duece Bigelow? They've got one of those that follows you and stares at you when you walk past his tank. But they don't carry apple snails, again! I love that store, though, because they have a big cat that lives in the store and he loves me and they carry small breed puppies on a regular basis now. They're sweetie pies. Today I was in there and they had a little bitty monkey... the sign said it was 6 years old so I'm guessing somebody couldn't keep it anymore and sold it to them. And reptiles get their own room in the back that's nice and warm.

I <3 Perfect Pets. They need snailies.

Moo

[badflash]

Next time you are at Perfect Pets, say hi to Henry, the store owner. Tell him Jack from Indian Point says hi!

Besides being a petstore owner, he also travels the country as a power plant worker. Realy good guy.

[rpilla001]

I am a bit late to this thread but wanted to add my 2 cents.

I will never cross the doors of a Walmart, Target or othe big box retailer. This hss little to do with their treatment of fish but more with their treatment of people and the environment.

I will gladly pay an extra 20 cents for a lightbulb or a snail if it means I support local economy and retailers.

Robert

[Pollux]

Next time you are at Perfect Pets, say hi to Henry, the store owner. Tell him Jack from Indian Point says hi!

Besides being a petstore owner, he also travels the country as a power plant worker. Realy good guy.

small world lol.

I am a bit late to this thread but wanted to add my 2 cents.

I will never cross the doors of a Walmart, Target or othe big box retailer. This hss little to do with their treatment of fish but more with their treatment of people and the environment.

I will gladly pay an extra 20 cents for a lightbulb or a snail if it means I support local economy and retailers.

Robert

good for you robert.

[moo]

Next time you are at Perfect Pets, say hi to Henry, the store owner. Tell him Jack from Indian Point says hi!

Besides being a petstore owner, he also travels the country as a power plant worker. Realy good guy.

small world lol.

haha, I also went to high school with one of his employees.

[moo]

My walmart at home no longer carries fish. They still have aquarium supplies, etc., just not the actual animals anymore. They took out their aquarium wall and put in shelves of dog food.

The fish are better off this way, but now I have nowhere to buy apple snails because that was the only place that carried them =( I'm not in the market right now, but what if something happens to one of my current snails?

I'll probably see if I can't hatch out a couple dozen babies after I get a bigger aquarium for my birthday, keep one or two, and take the rest over to Perfect Pets or something. I'll check and make sure they're willing to take them before I hatch the babies, though.

[badflash]

That is the nice thing about belonging to a group like this. There are always plenty of people that are willing to share their snails. All of my brigs came from people that belong to this forum.

[Neytiri]

Oh my goodness, I just about cry every time I look at the Wal Mart fish/snail section. There are about 7 Wal Marts in my area, and every one of them seems to be the same. I have lectured all of the staff and tried to educate the managers about the snails and fish, to no avail. However, I did notice that half of the tanks were empty in one of the Wal Marts yesterday, and another one actually had cleaned their filters after I let the store manager (calmly) have it for about 20 minutes. He seemed to empathize somewhat, and did promise that the filters (COMPLETELY clogged with rubbish and rotten matter) would be clean the next time I visited, and they were. I felt a little better about that store in particular. Another store did away with their fish section, thankfully! No more fish or snails shall be abused/neglected there.

Neytiri

[Winterlily]

Good for you Neytiri!! And so glad at least that one store has a manager who listened!!!