Other Turtle Discussion :: Grr the people they hire at pet shops...

[Kammie]

I read this forum quite regularly and have posted only a few times, but today, I just got so fed up dealing with the ignorance at pet shops that I just felt the need to rant, and warn everyone about just how underqualified people are who work in these places. I'm having a problem with my canister filter leaking, so while I'm contacting the company and working on getting it fixed/replaced, I wanted to buy a smaller filter that I know won't handle the job, and between frequent cleanings/water changes, hopefully keep the water liveable for my 5 inch painted turt (I also have two smaller res in another tank). So I called petco and asked them what the biggest filter they had was, knowing that they most likely wouldnt' have anything close to what I wanted. They guy on the phone asked me about my tank, the size, what was in it, and of course, I told him. The guy on the phone proceeded to tell me that I was killing my turtle by giving him too much water and that he would DROWN if I didn't drain all about maybe two inches. He even told me that a filter wasn't necessary as they don't need running water, and if I wanted a small bubble stone would look pretty. Here I specified that they are aquatic turtles, and then I asked if they currently had any turtles in stock and how they kept them, and he said they had a few painted and res in a "regular" (he couldn't even tell me the size) tank with a rock in it and two inches of water. I couldn't believe it. I know they don't have to have too much knowledge to work at shops like that, but, man, atleast a bit of knowledge would be good. The fact alone that someone would say I would drown an aquatic turtle by giving it water......sigh....
Sorry for the long post / rant but I hope that people realize that just because someone works in a pet store, it doesn't mean that they actually KNOW anything about caring for these animals

[flutterby]

I really really should get a job at one of those places.

[jenaero]

Makes you wonder how many turts have been sold and are now living in cramped, overcrowded and overall crappy conditions because of the info this guy gives out. I just wish that instead of giving info that's WAY OFF, that they'd say "sorry, I don't know..go check the internet or read a book"

[bradhart]

the people in the pet store I go to tell me when they don't know. Which is prolly why I still go there. They weren't sure about diet for my degus, so they actually told me they didn't know. I was impressed. I'd much rather get no information than the wrong information

[cam722]

I recently went to a Petsmart to pick up some more equipment. I didn't ask for help except for where to find things ... when I checked out the girl said, oh I see you have some sort of reptile.. a turtle?? I told her yes that had turtles. She then asked me what I fed them so I told her.. I asked if she had turtles, she replied that she only worked in the department occasionally, had none at home. So I told her about this website and said maybe someone here should look it up and find out what they eat and their requirements and told her that they get bored and need variety along with plenty of water to swim in. She also said they were currently out of stock LOL. But at least like bradhart said, she admitted she didn't know everything and was very nice.

[sonyj]

It does really break your heart thinking about the conditions they live in at the pet store and possibly at home after being sold by those places. I'm such a perfectionist when it comes to the right way to do things that I probably wouldn't last long working at one of those places They'd get rid of me because I'd be costing them too much in upkeep or complaining all the time.

[TexasJagsFan]

Someone at Petco once tried to convince me that turtles only needed a uva bulb not uvb. Someone else tried to convince me that a bulb with 3% uvb was enough.

[Kammie]

Now that I think more on it, the real funny thing is that if they took the time to educate people on what a turtle (or most other pets for that matter) need, they would make a whole lot more money selling supplies. I mean, hundreds of dollars go into getting a great turtle set up, rather than sending someone out with a $10 tank and under rated filter. They wouldn't even have to make as many sales to make money that way, then they'd only be selling to those who knew what they were getting into and saving those animals.
I just wish people would give no information instead of wrong information, and that people who work with animals would be educated enough to not send animals to what will most likely be an untimely death

[STRAYKINGFISHER]

The way I see it, they give you the setup that they know will have to be upgraded in time, and since they told you about the supposed needs of your pet, you will have to come back to upgrade your setup, think about it, they can either do a one time sell, or sell you the very-very-very basic setup (usually the death bowls decorated with a palm tree) so that you have to come back again and again.

That is why I am glad that there is alot of people that come to forums like this one to do research before getting their turtle.

[Kammie]

That only works when you have people who actually tell you that you need to upgrade...most say that the death bowl is all you ever need

[GouzlanTheAmerican]

the petsmart by me is really nice, and the people working there know the general care of all of ther animals (as far as i can tell). Eg. there 70 gallon res turtle tank had one 3inch turtle in it, with all the proper lighting and filtration. topped with a basking dock and some fake (and real) plants. i kind of felt bad for that turtle when he/she gets sold. oncve they are sold he/she is sold, the ppl that bought it probably wont have such a great setup. they also knew that the pleco i was buying would get really big, and they told me how to care for it. i serched how to take care of it online the day befor, and they were right on.

[marisa]

That's interesting about Petco. I'm not a fan of the chain, but I will say the one near me has care sheets for RES as well as some other reptiles. Some staff have been more knowlegable than others. I think some stores should set higher standards for who they hire.

[therizman1]

All I have close to me is a Petco, and I am in there so often to get crickets and minnows that they recognize me now and I dont even have to say what Im there for. Also, if they dont know something, they can refer me to a care sheet, or a website with the info I need and if I want items they dont have, they are always willing to special order them for me which is very convenient so I dont have to go a long ways away to find a particular item I am looking for.

[TexasJagsFan]

I always prefer buying from local stores then from chains. I bought a $300 aquarium from a local place when I could have gotten the exact same thing for $130. I don't like Wal Marts though. This aquarium is solid oak though, real wood.

[marisa]

It's the opposite here--most of the local stores are disgusting. Dirty and smelly. One, which hopefully will be shut down again since it recently had a fire that killed a number of animals (some which were being boarded by people) had been shut down before until it came under new management. Major chains like Petco and Petsmart are, I assume (and hope) more likely to be under scrutiny and know the law. It's too bad they're so expensive when you need something (why it's so good to buy on-line). And, of course, it would be nice if some of the salespeople knew more...