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Hermit crabs are a scam lol

MBullock

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
667
Location
Arizona
i was at petco looking for random calcium rich feed and it all had copper sulfate.

So it works like this- petco sells hermit crabs for 11 bucks each. Low amazing price, right?

Well. No.

It turns out theyre intentionally selling you copper-laced foods. This way you poison your hermit crab and have to buy another.

So then you go through a few crabs. Turning into over $30 you spent trying to get a 'healthy' one, and probably different brands of food 'just to be safe'

So then i go for calcium itself. Once again, copper sulfate. Im sorry but there's no way this is incidental or ignorance on their behalf. The truth is theyre tricking you into poisoning your crabs so you buy more stuff.

They know copper is toxic theyve been in the pet game for years.. all those poor kids crying bwcause their crab kept dying.. so cruel and heartless!!

I just almost killed all my crustaceans because of this. Now i know why my previous amphipod colony died suddenly. It doesnt kill instantly it sickens them. Its a delayed kill so you cant return the animal as the return time has long since lapsed at that point.

I know its partially my fault for not checking the ingredients but i just felt i didnt have to because EVERYONE knows copper sulfate is dangerous to crustaceans.


Then you buy actual copper sulfate medicine for your fish from the same exact brand and it says "DO NOT USE ON INVERTEBRATES"

So be warned!
 

sunset

Active Member
Messages
110
Location
ct, usa
I know nothing about that while subject, so thanks for pointing that out. How awful, but not surprising as they also sell all kinds of products that harm, poison, kill, most of the animals theyr trying to sell.
Thank goodness most of the employees there know this so they try to insist on making sure animals that are sold have the proper care and needs before leaving. But they can only do so much. But again thank you for pointing that out, as I had no idea!!.
 

MBullock

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
667
Location
Arizona
I know nothing about that while subject, so thanks for pointing that out. How awful, but not surprising as they also sell all kinds of products that harm, poison, kill, most of the animals theyr trying to sell.
Thank goodness most of the employees there know this so they try to insist on making sure animals that are sold have the proper care and needs before leaving. But they can only do so much. But again thank you for pointing that out, as I had no idea!!.
Theres a corporate standard you have to uphold at petco. Youre coached to always steer the customer toward expensive stuff and dump a bunch of crap on em lol.
 

Ej87

Member
Messages
26
Location
Jewett city, ct
Everybody likes to comment and bash petco, yet Everybody that hates them still spends money at the store ,therefore supporting it. And whoever comment that petco will try to sell you realy expensive crap.... hahahahahahaha. Petco don't sell expensive stuff. And if you think the little bit of cash that your spending is alot, then your shopping at the right spot.
 

Steph1304

Member
Messages
58
Location
UK
My boss once told me off for refusing to sell a fish to a customer and selling them a book on fish keeping instead - I wasn't willing to send it to it's death..

The next guy who came in also wanted some fish, (which I didn't sell either ), but instead he went home with over £1k of equipment and became a loyal customer after that. I was happy to sell fish to people when they knew what they were doing, and after the £1k sale my boss stopped complaining at me .

There is so much crap, snakeoils and misinformation in the aquarium trade that is difficult for people to know what's needed and what isn't. I'm sorry to hear about your experience with the hermit crabs too :(
 

MBullock

Well-Known Member
3 Year Member
Messages
667
Location
Arizona
My boss once told me off for refusing to sell a fish to a customer and selling them a book on fish keeping instead - I wasn't willing to send it to it's death..

The next guy who came in also wanted some fish, (which I didn't sell either ), but instead he went home with over £1k of equipment and became a loyal customer after that. I was happy to sell fish to people when they knew what they were doing, and after the £1k sale my boss stopped complaining at me .

There is so much crap, snakeoils and misinformation in the aquarium trade that is difficult for people to know what's needed and what isn't. I'm sorry to hear about your experience with the hermit crabs too :(
Just like dry dog food that stuff is poison haha
 
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