Is it just my local stores?

[CT_]

Is it just my local stores or are the tanks with nerites just disasters.  I went on the hunt for a new nerite a week or two ago and every shop's nerite tank looks like a war zone.  One had a pile of dead catfish in the corner some half eaten.  The other had the most stressed out neon's I'd ever seen.  They looked dead but were still swimming.

 

Do shops just dump a bag of nerites and walk away letting the dead ones ammonia bomb the tank?  It's too the point I want to order them on line.  At least that way I don't have to look at the tank they came from.

Edited August 29, 2021 by CT_

[Tihshho]

Might just be your store. I've seen plenty of LFS's with nerites in tanks with other fish without something floating in the tank or a corner of carcasses. 

[GameCzar]

I dont see a ton of fish corpses, but I do see tons of Nerites with shell damage in chain stores.

[Atitagain]

Usually one of the worst tanks in almost every store I’ve been in. But except maybe on a rare occasion nothing to the extent your talking about. Are these stores usually in this bad of shape? We’re other tanks this bad?

[CT_]

One was a big box petstore that looked clean.  The other was an older LFS that I have mixed feelings about.  They're doing some things and making some changes that clearly show they're trying to keep up with the times and other things that make me scratch my head.

 

 

[Tihshho]

Keep in mind when it comes to brick and mortar, unless the stores are lucky like AC and smart enough to do the same in-store and online sale, the internet has kinda hit these business hard. Coming from someone who ran a LFS, when internet dry goods started to be a thing (calling out Amazon here) people would order 90% of their setup from the internet and then we were stuck with a ton of overhead that took forever to move. Luckily it got to the point that Hagen USA (a manufacturer/wholesaler that sells a lot of big name things such as Fluval) realized this and made MAP pricing on a lot of the items that Mom & Pop brick and mortar stores were stuck with. That meant the Amazon deals, at the time, were halted from selling a filter that was going for around $150 for $95 with shipping. This has since flip flopped. 

When it comes to these stores, if their fish are struggling, it's most likely due to the fact they cannot hire people who are willing to put in the work based on the lack of income limiting the hourly rate they can pay their employees. Next time you see this, try to give business to their drygoods section because once that income keeps coming in they can start to use that to up their livestock game as well as hire the quality employees to support the store. 

[lefty o]

none at my local store, order 4 from a "trusted" online vendor, half came in dead. it seems to be a bad time for nerites.

[Patrick_G]

I just did the rounds of the decent Seattle area fish stores. The Nerite tanks looked good and the stores were busy but no lines to get in like this winter. 

[Gestaltgal]

Our LFS's do a decent job with the nerites. A couple chain stores within range definitely have nerite and snail graveyards. No dead fish, just lots of dead nerites. If employees are trained, I could understand that they might be confused about how to tell if one is dead.

I've ordered nerites online; of the 4, only 1 survived the trip. Probably a fluke, but it was a super bummer.

I'm sad to hear your experience!

[NanoNano]

I've noticed that both my local chain and independent LFSes seem to be getting a lot more battle scarred and DOA Nerites.  I have a sneaking suspicion that with cost increases in fuel and shipping,  the overseas suppliers have moved to areas/sources where it's easiest to catch the snails- not necessarily where there's the best stock.

While I have seen some filthy tanks- they've been the exception.  What I *do* consistently see is 20-30 Nerites all in a 20 gallon tank without any visible food source.  Not uncommon the see Nerites burrowing deep into the substrate,  which to me is a sign that they're desperately hungry.  There's only *one* employee  in my area that I've ever seen that specifically feeds the snails in a store.  Nod of respect sent to Big Mike @ the Federal Way, WA Petco for bringing in his own fresh zucchini and greens to feed to the snails that store.

[Kathy F]

I buy on line from a shrimp guy because he quarantines his snails and checks them for visible parasites.  I would give you the name but it isn't allowed but he is a well known in the hobby.  

 

[laritheloud]

My local chain stores have this problem, but my LFS keeps several tanks of snails. A few of them are not for sale -- I think they just grow them out a little bit. The main 'sale' tanks are usually quite well-kept with very active snails moving around in them.

I know this is definitely not the norm, though. It's sad.