I don't really know how to start this, but my experience today has led me to never spend another dime at petland. I've been fish keeping since I was 10 with my dad who took me to the Petland in Schaumburg, so my memories of the place are full of little kid wonder and excitement.
However, while I was shopping today (at the Petland in Bolingbrook) I experienced the most rude, condescending, and unprofessional customer service I've ever experienced anywhere. I was in last weekend and got some floaters (that are doing great), so I wanted to get more of them, and either two powder blue dwarf gouramis (a male and female), or 3 male powder blue dwarf gouramis (PBDG). I have been planning, building, and stocking my tank since the beginning of October, so I know what I'm looking for.
When I check out the fish, I see there is a singular PBDG in one tank, a regular female Dwarf Gourami in a tank below, a male DG in the tank next to her, and further along the wall is a tank full of more PBDG. Having looked at the fish and trying to figure out the gender of the PBDG, I go to the fish desk, and ask the female employee if someone can help me get some fish.
The male employee who was helping me asked what I was looking for, so I said was looking for some PBDG, and then we got to the tank with the singular PBDG so I asked him if that was a male and the other tank was females. He told me he couldn't sex them but that he would go ask. When he comes back, he brings who I presume to be his manager with, who proceeds to tell me that the DG are in the two tanks below (the ones labeled male/female). I said, I was wondering about the PBDG to which this manager responds, "they're the same fish. Just like how we're all humans, it's just differences in colors." Never once did I ask whether they are the same fish. And the condescension in his tone as if I didn't know that Dwarf Gouramis are the same fish was insulting. I've done my research. I was ready, willing, and excited to spend upwards of $60 for 3 fish if needed, but instead of being told both tanks were males and separated for other reasons right off the bat, I was told they are the same fish. I left after that, buying one last bag of floaters (which were half dead, of course - and not just brown, brown and mushy).
On top of this, they still don't know how to properly take care of axolotls who need to be kept at cooler temperatures, and on substrate they can't ingest. They keep their axolotls in with warm watered plants, and gravel they can easily ingest and die from. They also have clearly been cannibalizing each other which is not normal for healthy axolotls and is in fact a sign of stress.
I recognize that losing my business doesn't matter to Petland, but if you want to know whether I'd suggest going, it's a resounding no. Find a local fish store who might be able to work with you better, and where your money will be actually valued. read more