Lately there is an "outbreak" of complaints here about certain stores who have sick or dead goldfish in their display tanks. We mods are aware that there are stores out there that have a bigger share of those fish than others, and that members feel the urge to complain and vent about those stores.
However, it is not tolerated that there are stores publicly singled out, especially since there are sick and dead fish in almost every store. Some stores are just faster than others in cleaning up their dead fish before the customer sees them. Just because you don't see a dead/sick fish, doesn't mean they are not there.

A little bit on insight on how stores work: It is all about demand these days, and money. People do not demand healthier or better quality fish, the stores aren't gonna get them, or taking better care of them. Unfortunately these days, goldfish are not very highly regarded, that is just a fact. Years ago the average goldfish collectors had better quality fish in their homes, and the stores carried those kinds of fish in much higher numbers.

Just as an example - cichlids. How many see sick or mistreated cichlids in petstore's tanks? Not all that many, I assume. Reason being - cichlids are popular, and prospective buyers expect to see a good quality and healthy fish. They voice their concerns if something is amiss, and with those voices the cichlid population is well taken care of, not neglected.

So, instead of complaining about the situation, try to do something about it. Make store managers and employees aware that their situation isn't acceptable, spread the word in those stores about proper goldfish care. Those stores you frequent most, befriend some of the employees and managers, talk to them in a pleasant demeanor (accusations will mostly fall on deaf ears - remember, you make better progress with productive conversation), and over time they will recognize you as a knowledgeable person. Spread the word about Koko's, or any other site that you find correct information about goldfish keeping. Let people know about organisations that promote healthy goldfish, the breeding of better fish, like the Goldfishsociety of America, or join a local club to spread the word.
Do not stop there - ask managers if they are not willing to order better quality fish for their customers, refuse to buy a sick fish, but be also eager to leave your money there if better fish are available. Money speaks, so use it wisely. Show pictures on how a quality goldfish should look like - I invited a store manager in my town to my house, and she almost dropped dead when she saw what a goldfish is really supposed to look like.
You see, complaining here doesn't help - actions speak, money speaks. You can make a difference, just do it the right way. It is very easy to complain and then just sit back and wait for miracles to happen. Well, happy waiting - its not gonna happen. Members, do more than just complain - spread the word, make action, do something about it in a productive manner. Remember, success can only be accieved with positive attitude, wo use the words wisely on how you approach the situation. Just a word or caution - this has to be your own initiative, its your own desire to change things, and its okay to mention this site and that site as for good reliable goldfish information. However, something like "I am here in your store because Koko says....." makes it sound like you only repeat what you heard, instead of having knowledge on your own, which you have gained because of Koko's and other sites out there.

So, from here on out, complaints against stores will be deleted here. Lets do it the right way and stand up for our hobby, and the quality of our fish!

Here, here - well said.

Just an aside to consider before approaching the manager when you have a complaint; remember you only have one opportunity to make an impression on this person so do it wisely.

Consider going home and thinking it through. What were the problems, what are the solutions? It may be helpful to make some notes or take some printouts, photos, etc. When you speak to the manager you want to be sure he/she is not rushed or busy so they have time to consider all that you say, it's would be a good idea to phone ahead and make an appointment.

Now, Good Luck!

THANK YOU!

well said.
perhaps now instead of compliant sories, we may see success stories about making a positive change in the fishy world.

I have a success story!

I went to my favorite local fish store, and the finally got a new bunch of goldies in. Ive only bought like one thing there before, but just love going in there because their fish always seem to happy and healthy. WELL, I ended up buying this cute lionhead, and before the lady got it out, she asked for our name, phone number and how big of a tank it was going in and how long it had been running. Apparently, this store wont sell their fish to people who arent putting them in an apropraite tank or if the tank isnt cycled yet. I was alittle shocked, because I havent seen one store do this before. I thought it was a great step in the right direction for educated people on fish care.

Just thought I would share!

That's impressive - but whats was with the name and phone number bit? I wonder if they do after sales service?

It's a shame that that type of service stands out. (Although the name & phone number is none of their business). That service should be the norm! I think you are right when you said we should use our voices!

If we each point out problems within the stores they would have to fix them.

So let's use our voices to improve things!

I wish to thank Ranchu for working so hard to bring this subject into focus for us. She has spent alot of time guiding us on how to go about "making our voices heard".

LauraP!!

This actually works, I have developed quite a relationship with the Aquatics manager at our local pet store. She is very knowledgable and works hard to steer people to getting the kind of fish that they can handle. She will not recommend a bowl for a goldfish and has even denied me fish if she even thinks they are sick.

Please develop a relationship with these people. I work in a service driven industry. I know that if you demand good service, people will give it to you.

Thank-You Ranchugirl!! very well said!!

Okay, I hate to even be stiring all this up again..I did toy with the idea of just keeping my lips sealed....But I just have to get it out of me!! so please..... I just want some suggestions here.
Okay so we are at Walmart the other day just getting some flowers and stuff we have to go by the fish to get back to that dept. so my son wanted to stop and see the fish, so we did and I was just looking around at tanks then my husband says "hey come here and look at this", I go over to a tank that has a bunch of baby Koi in it and there is one poor little baby laying on the bottom barley breathing!!! So my husband went of to get some stuff and I was off to find a employee to talk to!..... I found a manger to talk to and showed it to him and he really didn't seem to give two craps about it..he kinda just shrugged his shoulders and said yea some of them die not much we can do about it.....
I asked him if they could at least take that one out and go put him the freezer to euthanize him....he looked at me like I was some freak!! He didn't seem to want to do that so I didn't know what elese to say at that point, I just pointed out the ovoius and said that they should take care of that before other people see it!! He said he would have someone in the dept. come over and check it out and pretty much just walked away from me!!
I don't know what elese I could of done?......Take the dang fish out myself and take care of it? I have run outta options it feels like. They just don't want to listen.
I wasn't even there for fish or supplies, just stopped to see the fish quick and my day was shot after seeing that fish!!!!
Does anyone have any suggestions on what would be a good next step to take?
Like I said I hate to start the "bashing" again but this really got me going....I thought if I actually talked to someone they would do the right thing but I guess not?

Thanks and Sorry..

Write a letter to the Regional Mgr and just tell him/her what happened. Not much else you can do. Maybe the store mgr will get a rev up and take more care in future.

Will do....thanks Annette!! It's like it goes round and round and nothing happens!! I will give it a whirl though can't hurt to try.

This is a good idea Andrea, and thank you. Id also like to add that this should most probably be applied to any bashing or complaints about other
sites aswell, or online stores.

Well Said! I noticed a problem in the tanks at a very large and very well known store in my home town and I immediately alerted the managers, and I did so again when I went back a month later. No everytime I'm in the store, I check the tanks and I complain if necessary. It's a lot better now. I did keep in mind that the first two times that I had to complain, it was during the holidays when employees are much overworked.

Wow, that turned out to be quite a response! Good job, everybody, on putting those words into action!

Della, good point on what could be done when there is a completely ignorant manager, and Annette - helpful suggestion! The manager might not be interested too much in the opinion of one customer, and its always harder to deal with bigger chains than smaller, independant stores. Just a little mentioning that there is money swimming in those tanks, and their business of selling happy fish, not sick ones, can move a small mountain sometimes. And even if not - trying your very best is all you can do sometimes, so be proud of it.
Speaking up is a hard thing to do at times, I know it was, and sometimes still is, for me. That alone can be a small accomplishment and makes you feel good about yourself....

Andrea....very good point!!! about how the money lays within the tanks.....So very true.
Just hope someday these managers will listen to us!! Thanks for getting people motivated to do something instead of just complaining I think this post helped out a lot of people including myself!!

i have to say im empress with this message, because 2 years ago i had a total death frenzy in my tank out of my control, my filter broke while i was out of town and i came back and my friend was almost in tears, well here i am crying telling my husband im not going through this anymore, i had about 6 gourgeous gold fish big boys but the two i will miss is ditzy and ping, they were my two black moores... anyhow, may 19th was my birthday and dumb and dumber was looking pretty lonely in a 80gallon tank <my two comet> (this is where my story has anything to do with this topic) i went out and got two more moores....a week later them 4 looked lonely and i decided to go to a local pet store, saw this pearlscale looking mighty sad alone in the show tank, (i want more goldfish new kinds types ive never had) but he looked hurt, i broke a deal with the owner, i sugested that i buy the little beauty half price and that i would bring it back to health the fins looked ragy and it didnt look happy, called hubby to prep the hospital tank and get it going for the new friend.... man she / looks nice...my point is, adopting a little one is easy to do, i look at all those stores that look like they dont take care of the tank, where as in fact they dont know how... walmart are not specialise in the fish keeping and it is a chance, i say always have that hospital tank ready to make sure all is nice... ok i think im done rambling OH IM SO EXCITED

I agree, i don't like to see complaints either, i like to hear that people are helping or doing something to make things better, i people tell people to not go to a single store, the fish will only get worst.

It might seem an ignorant move on my part for the millions that die in commercial petstores everyday, but I just plain out stop going to them at all. In short I've boycotted my business to Petsmart/Petco and Wal-Mart altogether. It's hard to resist those sickly fish that you know you can help, but I'd rather support knowlageble, caring Mom and Pop type stores. Going to "check-up" on the commercial stores is a MUST though, even if you don't buy anything when you see a problem TELL THEM. What makes the "go-in-no-buy" method work is that they see you complaining about something, and for that you don't buy anything. So basicly they see their $$$ fly out the window and figure if they want a customer back (maybe more if they notice a drastic decrease in sales) they'll have to shape up. It's not easy, buy you just can't give in to a "rescue" that's just meeting their supply and demand.

EDIT: On a happier note, the new Petsmart by the shopping mall is improving in leaps and bounds. They've built a pond for the bigger koi to be shown in, and the bettas are also getting barracks in the winter months!

That's a very good point, Tam.

Hi, guess what! I went to walmart the other day and can you belive they turned off all the filters for the all poor fish. I went to tell the store manager, and he agreed with me and said he will have a LONG talk with the people in the night shift! While I was there I told him that the fish were wat to crowded and their scales were falling off and their

After reading about store managers and department managers really caring about their products appearance "this applys to other things as well as fish" it goes without saying that it all comes down to money. I retired from retail sales after years of being a salesclerk and working my way up to top management. One thing I learned in all of this time for every complaint that is registed there are hundreds that never do they just stop coming back to your store. A truly good manager cares enough to do something about a problem especially one that effect the profit margin. Today with so many customers a lot of mangers could care less because they think if your unhappy so what? if you don't come back someone else will. The ideal sittuation is to make your complaint count if you get no satisfaction from the sales clerk ask to see the department Mangager if you he/she has a attitude of not caring ask to see his/her boss and relate your story. Still not happy contact the company everybody has someone over them and some where you will find someone that cares. You may be amazed at the end results.

Okay here is a story, I was in Walmart the other day, and I was just browsing at the fish. I found this torn up fish and his eyes were all fogged up! I don't know the diagnosis for this and I told the worker at the time and he was like okay I'kk take it out. I went back and that poor fish was still floating there. . (okay now this is good) I talked to this other worker and I asked him if I could take home the discustingly diseased fish home, he gave me a puzzled look but he got it for me. I went straight for the manager's office and put that bag right on his desk! He looked up and just jumped when he saw the poor thing, and I was like " would you want to buy this? There are dead fish everywhere in those tanks." . hew didn't care right from left what I said, But I found someone who actually did, another worker. He told me that the manager left the filter off overnight! And its not like the tanks were overcrowded as it was, seriously there were like 3 fish to every 10 gallons. He told me he would keep a very close eye on the fish, and I told him if they start to look really bad, how to freeze them. He took that into consideration and let me have a free fish, let me tell you I made him a hospital bed as soon as i could. Well the story ends in a happy ending because I was talking to the assistant manager! (Cloud is doing fine now and my other fish just love him) And even though I will never get a fish from there again, I know I helped those fish survive for at least another month.

The local Wal-Marts around here are a fish GRAVE YARD. I honestly am in shock everytime I go by the fish section. There are allways tons of dead fish stuck to the filter. I complained to the store manager, and he said as it is a new store, they have other things to worry about right now. My friend and I litterally got sick to our stomachs when we seen all the dead decaying fish. And the SMELL, it was nasty. Wal-Mart will never get my business when it comes to fish.

We have 3 or 4 Wal-Marts in the area, and the same treament is going on. If you see cruelty going on in a well known store, I think you should be commended for letting others know what is going on, especially if you have tryed to remedy the situation.

It would take alot of time and devotion, but you cn start your own fish store or get hired at Walmart or petsmart and make a change ter! I dunno,

This is what I started to do:

I write a very detailed letter with all of my fish/frog toad/rat/mice/etc. complaints.

I also add a section about why I think these problems are happening and solutions for better care.

I copy fish artcles from magaziones, etc. and even give links to certain documents here at kokos and other places.

I am nice and calm throughout the whole letter. I remind the pet store owners why they even got into the hobby in the first place--love of fish and other animals.

I then politely say that if conditions are not improved, the proper authorities will be contacted.....

I'll have to let you know if it works. I am doing this with three area pet stores. I am just now finishing up my third letter. when it's done, I'm mailing out all three. I will keep checking up on the stores and if necessary turn them into the local humane society each month until conditions improve.

Well done !!!! That's a postive way to address the issue. Ditto Sollicitus Witness.

sollicitus witness - i think you did a great thing for that fish! well done.!!

Way to go MaudlinBlithe! Maybe you should post one of your letters so we here have a template to follow... I'm going to write a letter to Walmart...you're an inspiration! Hehehe...

If i was a college professor u would get an A for such a wonderful post! thank you. There are alot of people that need to hear that!

hehehe, sure... I'll post the letter here.. that is If I get permission from the moderators. I must forwarn though--they are a bit long (maybe three or four typed pages?) but the cool thiing is that once you write the first one the second and third ones are easier because you can use the same format and copy and paste things.

So, moderators do I have your permission?

excellent article...so glad that it was writing cause it's somethign I do all the time. I always take my friends to the petstores with me and show thema nd teach thema bout goldfish cause it seems that goldies get a bad rep for nothing. I once complained to a store employee about how terrible the goldfish looked the last three tiems I came in the store and she told me she noticed that they weren't selling any of them. I convinced here to put the under observation sticker up there and treat them for some of the ailment I noticed, mainly ich and tail rot. I recently went to the store and the goldfish looked better, but still not great...but it's progress.

I usually go to PetCo to buy my new fishies, and they always ask background information on tank size & your knowledge of proper care before selling you a fish. I think that's great!