Today I decided to go to the last pet shop that’s within an hour of home. As usual I was looking for somewhere that might sell aquatic plants, a search which has been so unfruitful I had literally no expectations for this place. I’ve been here once when the place first opened but that was years ago and at the time all it had was pet supplies. No fish, no critters. I didn’t think anything had changed until a friend told me I really needed to check out the fish. The fish?
This place is right next to Home Depot which was convenient considering I broke the sink trying to set up an RO water filter for my own fish babies. I had to go in there anyway, might as well just wander over to the pet store and take a peek… Maybe rescue a Betta for cheap or free. I’d heard of other people going to large chain pet stores and purposely picking Bettas that are two breaths away from death, convincing the staff they’d never sell it alive, and getting insane discounts on said fish, sometimes even bringing them home for free! If you’re talented enough to nurse it back to health you can get decent Bettas this way.
As I walked in the first thing I noticed was a very good variety of wet dog and cat food. Lots of leashes and whatnot. The place was very open, very clean, and the cashier was wearing a mask which is much appreciated by immune suppressed self. I didn’t see any critters or fish tanks but I walked to the back of the store and there they were. The first thing I saw was a rack of Betta fish in the usual plastic cups but unlike all the other pet stores these cups were hooked to same water as all the fish tanks and the Bettas were SO HEALTHY and vibrantly colored! I had never seen Bettas this robust in all my years of poking around pet stores. There wasn’t a ton of them but the ones that were here were amazing and they were sitting next to cups of various kinds of moss that was just as healthy! I expected these fish to be top dollar as they were so perfect and was shocked at their low prices. They ranged from $6-14 each. And then I saw him – a gorgeous dark blue crown tail. AHHHH. I have a particular fondness for crown tails and aside from pictures online I’d never seen one with full fins like this. Turning the corner there was also a female crown tail for $7! The male was $10. I had been planning on buying a pair of crown tails online and was expecting to pay $25 a fish plus shipping, this was a steal! They came home with me with a little tub of Taiwan Moss.
As I continued deeper into the fish section I noticed it was small but had a fairly decent variety and everything was intensely robust. Even better they had plants! For very decent prices! FIRST time I’d seen this in the area. I was impressed. A single saltwater tank had a very well-fed clownfish. Nearby the reptile section had a solitary resident, a large and vibrant chameleon. Chameleons are notorious for being hard to keep healthy so seeing this guy here was eye-opening. At the front of the store there was guinea pig, some mice, and rats, all in large very clean enclosures. Everyone was bright eyed and glowing.
I am going to be back to this place! HIGHLY RECCOMMENDED. And in the meantime if you’re wondering how my two new babies are doing – the female is a voracious eater and the male is very very docile for a male. I have yet to name them.
