Petco?? Good or bad??

Newtot · Sep 28, 2015

I saw a tarantula for sale there labeled a zebra tarantula. Anyways they want $30 for it. I am just curios if this is ok? Or am I asking for trouble purchasing from them. thx

le-thomas · Sep 28, 2015

First off, it's Aphonopelma seemanni, I bet my life.

Petco is bad. It's generally best if we not give them our business as far as purchasing tarantulas. I have, however, purchased a G. rosea from them, and she's still going strong. They care for and house their tarantulas very poorly, but the hardy little buggers are usually at least somewhat healthy.

Newtot · Sep 28, 2015

Ok I just thought that was a good price especially if its a female. The only good petstores around are super far away

Chris LXXIX · Sep 28, 2015

If i'm not wrong there's people here who made some nice deals with those shops sometime (here we don't have those franchise, btw) buying some females T's at low price but that's all i think.
They love to create common names, seems.

---------- Post added 09-28-2015 at 05:38 PM ----------

Newtot said:
Ok I just thought that was a good price especially if its a female. The only good petstores around are super far away

But you can buy directly from breeders, online.

BobGrill · Sep 28, 2015

I've been tempted to buy from them before, but never have. I'll buy from someone who knows what the hell they're doing.

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Beary Strange · Sep 28, 2015

The decision of whether they are good or bad is up to you, not us. Whether buying tarantulas from petstores is saving them or simply putting another one in it's place is a hotly debated topic around here. Personally, I can't handle seeing them in that situation; a good seven of my tarantulas (and one of my scorpions)come from either Petco or Petsmart and it's unlikely I will stop anytime soon. Do I recognize that my buying one causes them to replace it? Yes. But the same would happen when it dies, which is an all too common fate for those unfortunate enough to end up in pet stores.

As far as if the price is decent, it's a little more than I paid for the same T here only a week or so ago but it's still not bad and a bit cheaper than hobby prices.

---------- Post added 09-28-2015 at 03:49 PM ----------

Newtot said:
Ok I just thought that was a good price especially if its a female. The only good petstores around are super far away

That is a good price for a female, yes. I usually see them for around $75.

Newtot · Sep 28, 2015

ok im not sure that it is female I haven't actually looked at it. it was hiding when I was in there. I think I will shop around. I really would like an adult but low of funds lol

Chris LXXIX · Sep 28, 2015

Newtot said:
ok im not sure that it is female I haven't actually looked at it. it was hiding when I was in there. I think I will shop around. I really would like an adult but low of funds lol

Well, slings are very cheap in the right places (not some species of course) and you can watch them grow. Hell, there's some who grow like weed

truecreature · Sep 28, 2015

Nothing wrong with buying from Petco if you don't mind possibly getting a WC specimen. They do have some nice prices and as a bonus you get to feel good giving the tarantula a proper home.

I don't really see a point in boycotting the purchase of spiders from stores like that because they get them so dirt cheap they don't really care what happens to them, whether they sell or they die.

cold blood · Sep 28, 2015

The t did nothing to deserve a shabby life...rescue it if you feel inclined...should it die there, it will just be replaced by another...if its gonna be replaced regardless, why not allow it to live. Regardless of the species, $30 ain't too bad, especially if its female....even if it matures male, you'd likely have no prob getting that $30 back.

skippydude · Sep 28, 2015

How did your Petco look as far as their husbandry?

I have been to at least 1/2 dozen in my area and none of them mistreated their stock. All cages were clean and had water provided. Worse thing I've seen in any Petco were a few too many uneaten crickets in one enclosure, after explaining that crickets eat tarantulas I didn't see this condition at this store again.

So for me the "Petco is a bad place to buy tarantulas at" has proven to be a big fat myth.

le-thomas · Sep 28, 2015

Chris LXXIX said:
Well, slings are very cheap in the right places (not some species of course) and you can watch them grow. Hell, there's some who grow like weed

Not Aphonopelma, though lol. I can speak from firsthand experience.

Chris LXXIX · Sep 28, 2015

le-thomas said:
Not Aphonopelma, though lol. I can speak from firsthand experience.

Oh, right. Sometimes i forgot. I was talking about prices here. Saw Aphonopelma seemanni "blue form" for 10 Euro. Not a bad price, for my point of view.
(Sling, i mean).

Poec54 · Sep 28, 2015

Newtot said:
I am just curios if this is ok? Or am I asking for trouble purchasing from them.

Like if it had a bad childhood and hung around with the wrong crowd, and is likely to get into trouble at your house. The usual things: being a bad influence to your other spiders, lack of respect, destruction of private property, etc. They can be hooligans.

REvan342 · Sep 28, 2015

Generally, if you are looking to buy reptiles and bug, pet co is....... Not very good..... They don't know how to properly take care of these animals, and sometimes their advice is asinine.

Poec54 · Sep 29, 2015

REvan342 said:
Generally, if you are looking to buy reptiles and bug, pet co is....... Not very good..... They don't know how to properly take care of these animals, and sometimes their advice is asinine.

Why would anyone who comes to this forum take spider advice from a pet store?

BobGrill · Sep 29, 2015

Surprisingly some people still do. I've had people on Arachnids forums go "But the guy at the pet store said..." when I tell them they have been misinformed.

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awiec · Sep 29, 2015

It depends on what you're getting from there, it sounds like what you're talking about is an Aphonopelma, which you might be able to get a positive ID on it. I don't care for Petco cause I bought fish from there that ended up killing my whole tank with ick except for the goby but as long as the spider doesn't have nematodes you should be fine. I would suggest that you buy from a breeder but if you want an adult right away without the wait then go ahead and get it.

TomKemp · Sep 29, 2015

I picked up a few aphonopelma seemanni's recently from our local petco. They were $25 each, I couldn't say no. LoL.

Chris LXXIX · Sep 29, 2015

If i was a USA citizen (here those never existed) even if i highly dislike those big franchise and the way they care for animals, i would sometime had a jump in, just for see if there's some female Theraphosidae at good prices. That's, i think, the only utility they have those folks.

For the rest, my advice is: buy from/support breeders. No more breeders, no more hobby

Petco?? Good or bad??

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