pets mart

[MoribundMaverick]

My Petco only carries PP's. When I asked if they had any different kinds they took me to their "fancy" ones... which is just the PP's that have been forced to wear ugly painted shells.
My walmart doesn't carry hermit crabs either. I found it interesting that some people were saying they got some from Walmart. I've never seen one that carries hermit crabs. Fiddler crabs, yes, but hermit crabs, no.

[wachfuleyez]

I Live In Nj. I Love Letco They Offer Info Sheets On Their Pets.i Their Habitats Are Nicer Not To Mention Cleaner Than Pet-smart.just To Give A Picture Of What I Experienced...friday Went To Pet-smart Had To Tell The Sales Ass. That There's A Few Hermies Dead An Starting To Stink! Never Did Anyone Clean Out The Tank Went Yesterday The Same Hermies Plus One Out Of The Shell Is Still In The Tank Dead. Again Told The Ass.to Remove Them She Explain To Me She Would Just A Little Busy An She's Was The Only Person There To Handle Everything. Went To Petco Maybe A 1/2 Mile Away Very Clean Tank Was Just Perfect! Hermies Was All In Natural Shells.substrate Was Clean (late Day) Two Water Dishes Food Supply Plentyful Nice Diftwood They All Was Around The Glass To The Habitat Was Clean I Almost Walked Right By Not Expecting It To Be So Nice? Thank Goodness Not One Painted Shell.

[Yadokari]

I noticed that Petco started giving them two water dishes now, instead of one. I'm curious to whether or not it is both fresh and salt or just both of the same kind. Their substrate looks damp too, maybe to keep humidity up well? It's still not deep enough to molt, although I don't think pet stores will ever do that. Because if they did, they'd have nothing to sell.
In any case, props to petco for improvements. Petsmart is still lagging behind

[MoribundMaverick]

Yes, when I first started crabbing I went to Petco and saw that they had two water bowls. When I asked them what the two different ones were, they said "Fresh and salt," So at least they have that.

[hermie 5]

My Petco also has MUCH better conditions than my Petsmart. Petsmart also had several dead hermies with all of the living ones under 1 log away from their rotting friends. They had 2 tanks set up one with painted (fancy) hermits for $1.00 more then the plain shells in the next tank.

[spidtat]

My Petco used to have a very nice setup as well, but around the beginning of the year they quit selling Hermit Crabs altogether. My Petsmart was horrible, so bad I had a talk with not only the manager but the regional manager and they actually made quite a few changes, got more substrate, water, food, a lid, light, gauges, and more climbing and hidey huts. The conditions are still not perfect, but like someone else said earlier they have to keep it where the crabs can be seen or they could not sell them. Now I just wish they would quit with the Painted shells, but unfortunately there is to much demand from people who don't realize how bad it is for the crab, that I doubt they will ever stop selling them, but at least they offer natural replacements.

[Markie]

My local PetSmart is decent about their crabs, as far as stores go. Once, I've seen a leg just sitting around, but I've never seen a dead crab or anything there. They provide great hiding places and such, their food and water are always full, though the food is obviously a commercial food. The only real problem I have with them is that they use a very thin layer of gravel and their staff is almost always grumpy and careless towards customers.

The PetCo I go to is pretty decent as well, better actually. They provide a thick layer of soil and a large piece of driftwood, a coconut hut, etc. They have a salt and regular water bowl and a large food bowl. Their humidity was a little low, but their temperature was alright.

I really hate the painted shell thing though. They charge 2 bucks extra for a ruined shell. :/

[Hermie's rule]

MY PETsmart is wonderful. They have a waterfall, lots of humidity, active crabs, lots of tank decorations, and fed the crabs natural foods. They offered natural shells too. We complimented the staff on the condition of the hermies and they said that that was what they wanted to hear. The lady who takes care of them seemed to be knowledgeable and friendly.

[Frogs_n_Flowers]

I figured I'd find a post here for pet smart. So I'll just add my thoughts on my own pet smart store. (location Gastonia NC) I am furious!!! I went today to pick up a few supplies, and said hey I think I'll get me some more hermies, OMG!!!

I went over to look at them and I picked out 3 that I wanted, well while I was waiting on the young girl to return with my new babies, I took a closer look and saw pieces of limbs and claws all in the sand, also dead ones lying around (I assume dead as for they were either halfway out of there shell and not moving or turned upside down again not moving) and worst of all there was no water at all that I saw of and the only food they had was slim to none. Looked like lil flakes of something, but was mostly sand.

So when the young girl returned I ask her if I could have a discount if I bought them all that were still alive because they needed a better place to live, they are being neglected and the way they are living is just inhumane, she just laughed and went to take care of someone else....ggrrr. Well my husband grabbed me and escorted me quickly from the store, he paid for my babies and we went home.

Well when I got home I took my babies out and went to give them a quick bath before putting them with my other 2 babies, and noticed that the smallest one I got was missing all of his limbs on one side of his body. Again my anger erupted. My husband said to take him back, I said "uh no I wouldn't dare take him back to that hole with or without legs!!"

So now I have a baby with missing legs, but he gets around just fine, I hope he makes it. You all should have seen the way they acted when going into their new home. They ate, they drank, they ran all around, I could literally see the happiness they were enduring. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

I will be contacting their corporate office and giving them a piece of my mind, and I will harass them until they do something about their living quarters. If I have to buy every single one I will just to protect them. So I might have hermies for adoption soon...LOL

Thanks for listening again!!!

[WizKidsMom]

Frog N Flowers - when you buy them all, they will just get more with the same conditions.

It's a no win situation there.