On Sun, 3 Dec 2006 22:50:32 -0600, Köi-Lö wrote:

snip

That's the pits! When I was visiting relatives down in Atlanta GA the fish
at PetsMart were every bit as healthy and nice as up here in TN. We have a
Petco here but it's a long drive through heavy traffic and the PH of their
water is too different than what I have out here. With the long drawn out
acclimation process, I don't go there any more. Pet Supermarket has nice
healthy fish but a more limited selection. Aquarium plants there are really
nice and low priced, when they get them in.

We don't have "Pet Supermarkets" in the NE.

AAG is quite clear on their site that they are unavailable many days
of the week and that they only issue credit for DOA fish applied to
your next order. I called them once on their best day (Tues IIRC).
Someone answered promptly and gave good plant advice. Of course I
didn't have a big problem or complaint for them to deal with. The
shipping was so huge the one time I ordered plants there I have been
forever hesitant to order again. And also yes, Köi-Lö I don't like
the idea of ordering fish sight unseen either, although I have done it
before.

I'm really surprised the stores near you don't have the same nice healthy
ones we have here since they all come from the same wholesalers. Find out
what day they get their shipments in and be there late in the afternoon.
That may give you a better chance to get something still in good health or
those oddballs we all watch for.

That's the problem. They replenish the stock very infrequently. You
really have to get a straight and honest answer about when things are
coming in and be there then. The tank populations dwindle low for
months, then they get a big shipment, and surprise everything gets
Ammonia poisoning and look half dead. The employees always want to
tell me that "a new shipment is coming next week" so I'll come back.
But it's more like sometime in the next month or 2. Depending on when
things start to look embarrassingly pathetic.

The last time I was at the local Petsmart (20 mins away) I overheard
an employee complaining about how they used to carry such wonderful
stock but don't have the variety anymore. I'm convinced that in these
neighborhoods at least, the fish livestock don't really move and are
or are viewed as a loss leader for the dry goods. But that's just my
local assessment.