Buying Corals From Petco?

AJK

Member
I purchased an anemone from Petco, did really well for a few months. Also bought my clown at Petco, 18 months old and doing really well. Just make sure whatever you purchase from Petco is healthy. Good luck, happy reefing :)
 

ddelozier

Well-Known Member
PREMIUM
RS Ambassador
Yes, ive bought a few mushrooms, a carpet nem, and a few clowns from Petco. Just make suer their system looks to be in good shape, since all the SW tanks are usually on a central sump. If one tank is nasty, odds are they all are. Don't be afraid to ask questions bout the live items in question. Particularly, how long has it been here.
 

jerry26

Member
Im not too sure thats a torch coral. Looks more like a bicolor frogspawn/aussie frogspawn.

I have a coral that looks exactly the same as that pic and mine defnitely is not a torch
 

theplantman

Active Member
I am with Jerry, thats a frogspawn. If you look close you will notice that some of the tentacles have two tips. I have never seen a torch do that. Plus the tips are larger than a torch's normally are.
 

ChitownRomeo

Active Member
omg thanks for all the advice. Yea I had my doubts about it being a torch and they swear up and down that it is.
 

Blndbunny

Active Member
Be very careful buying anything salt from petco, I used to work at one. The corals we got in never did we'll and the animals never got the care that they really needed. Our system had ich. Just be careful and make sure it's healthy before you bring it home, but that's pretty standard anywhere you shop
 

degibson84

Active Member
I didn't know Petco still sold livestock. the one by me closed a few years ago then reopened about a year ago with no livestock in the store
 

BLADEYAMAHA

Well-Known Member
In the stores, they don't even have enough lighting to support mushrooms, so if you want a coral, make sure it looks healthy and buy it on arrival day before they get it out of the bag.
 

somecrazyreefer

New Member
Ensure the coral is healthy before you purchase a specimen. I would even buy some coral dip to medicate the corals before putting them into your tank. One wrong coral and it could compromise your other livestock in your aquarium.
 

jerry26

Member
I didn't know Petco still sold livestock. the one by me closed a few years ago then reopened about a year ago with no livestock in the store

My local petco doesnt sell saltwater fish either. I had seen the stuff on theres site and always assumed it was a mail order thing.
 

theplantman

Active Member
My local one does, but there is no way I would ever consider buying from them. First they do not know what they are doing when it comes to saltwater, second you have to search through the aptaisia and hair algae to find the livestock and three whatever is in one tank is definitely in the others when it comes to disease and pests since they are on a single sump. Too much risk just to get something cheap in my opinion.

I would much rather invest my time and money with a vendor that specializes in sw and understands the systems we use and forthat matter takes an interest in you as a customer.
 

SubRosa

Well-Known Member
That's not a Frogspawn, it's an Octopus Coral. Quite possibly both are the same species, Euphyllia divisa, but true Frogspawn as seen in the trade has smaller and more numerous bumps on the tentacles.
 

Choff

Well-Known Member
I only buy WYSIWYG online and like John said above, this is not that. I stick to DD and JJ. I don't typically QT coral, but I might if I was buying from them.
 
I just went to Petco not too long ago for 2 20g tanks during their $1/gallon sale. They hadn't sold corals for years. Imagine my suprise when I saw their new dedicated rimless tank for corals. Lit with leds, the corals they had looked great. It's my understanding they have a "contract" with the guys from Tanked (I'm not sure of the name of the company, but they have a great reputation). Used to be Petco had their corals in the same system as every other salt item, and that's why they did so poorly.
 
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