CRITTERS in ALLENPARK,MI bad news

VENOMdeBEEVER

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 6, 2010
Messages
5
Whats up everyone, I live in Michigan and 1 of my local pet stores is Critters in allen park. About 2 months ago they started carrying more Tarantulas. In their display that look about 5x5x5 cubes 5 connected to make 1 long display. they had 2 curly haired scorpions in 1, 2 black emporers in 1, G.rosea in 1,G.red rosea in 1, and last was a sub adult A.metallica.:(. They all have this red sandy lookin stuff for their substrate and a water dish with gross lookin sponges in all of them.

About 3 weeks ago I was in their and I told the reptile person that the Avic needed to get off the ground he needs a stick or something and the dried moldy sponge in it was not good either. He has always been prety cool with me ive been going there for years, but he was kindof a <edit> after that and his answer to my suggestions was. Its just fine it wont be in there for long. Well today I stop in to see how the little guy was doing and walk in to a death curled Avic. It was sitting rite side up with all 8 legs curled rite to its belly, its abdomen was only vissible cause of the brisstles covering it.3 crickets running around in with it and 1 dead cricket too.

Ive heard about Avics just dying all the time so im not going to jump to any conclusion yet I would like to hear what you guys think.:mad:
 
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MichiganReptiles

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 14, 2010
Messages
407
I don't think most pet stores are very familiar with tarantulas to be honest with you. But I do know the folks that own Critter and I am in there quite frequently.. they are good people. Perhaps I should go in there and have a talk with him about his T keeping though :p
 

BigJ999

Arachnoknight
Joined
Sep 1, 2010
Messages
188
Ive noticed that as well i saved a emporor scorpian the other day from a PETCO. Honestly most of the people that work there don't know what they are doing really.
 

curiousme

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Messages
1,661
Please do. I tried.:embarrassed:
I have tried to help a pet store give their tarantulas better conditions too. Normally you will get rolled eyes, obvious in one ear and out the other and absolutely no change the next time you go in. They are usually pretty darn stubborn about their substrate choices and sponges in the water dishes.:rolleyes:
 

VENOMdeBEEVER

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 6, 2010
Messages
5
The way I look at that is you should NOT have baught that from petco. I know it saves a Tarantula but it also supports the pet store so they can just put the next T thru hell. Buy from a breeder that doesnt look at his Ts as money signs, you know a breeder that actually wants his Ts to be happy.
 

curiousme

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Messages
1,661
The way I look at that is you should NOT have baught that from petco. I know it saves a Tarantula but it also supports the pet store so they can just put the next T thru hell. Buy from a breeder that doesnt look at his Ts as money signs, you know a breeder that actually wants his Ts to be happy.
This will be the way we go from now on.
 

VENOMdeBEEVER

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 6, 2010
Messages
5
I have had a few miss happs with them in the past. I had 3 albino frogs for about 4 or 5 years and then my heater in my house decides to break in mid january so I had to buy a heatr for my frogs. Baught 1 from crittwers he promised me wouldnt malfunction 3 5 days after the water being set at 82 degrees i wake up to 3 frogs floatting at the top in 100 degree water. the 2 males were already dead while the female died a week later. The heater stayd on and Critters told me soory it was used now. They offerd to throw my dead frogs in the trash tho.
 

NikiP

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 16, 2006
Messages
539
I have had a few miss happs with them in the past. I had 3 albino frogs for about 4 or 5 years and then my heater in my house decides to break in mid january so I had to buy a heatr for my frogs. Baught 1 from crittwers he promised me wouldnt malfunction 3 5 days after the water being set at 82 degrees i wake up to 3 frogs floatting at the top in 100 degree water. the 2 males were already dead while the female died a week later. The heater stayd on and Critters told me soory it was used now. They offerd to throw my dead frogs in the trash tho.
I don't believe that someone can guarantee that something won't malfunction. There's always a risk of that.
 

rooster & hen

Arachnopeon
Joined
Apr 12, 2010
Messages
13
I don't believe that someone can guarantee that something won't malfunction. There's always a risk of that.
Very true. But as a retail outlet they should have offered a refund for both the appliance and some sort of compensation for the frogs. IMO
 

Blackbeard

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 1, 2010
Messages
17
I have tried to help a pet store give their tarantulas better conditions too. Normally you will get rolled eyes, obvious in one ear and out the other and absolutely no change the next time you go in. They are usually pretty darn stubborn about their substrate choices and sponges in the water dishes.:rolleyes:
Yes they can be stubborn and even condescending about it adopting the 'Your carefully selected arguments mean nothing. I'm the expert here.' attitude.
The most annoying thing is that some people will take the word of an intern at a pet store over that of several hobbyists no matter what.
A sister of one of my friends bought an adult B. smithi and a guy from a store told her to use a sponge in the water bowl.
She was then told by me and atleast 10 people from a Dutch forum TO LOSE THE SPONGE.
She was told that the sponge accumulates bacteria and that the spider couldn't drown in that small bowl if it tried.
Ofcourse She didn't budge. :mad:
A lot of people seem to have a firm conviction that store clerks who get their info from a small checklist behind the counter have more knowledge than a passionate hobbyist who has spent years learning as much as possible about a particular animal.
 
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paassatt

Arachnoangel
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 19, 2010
Messages
887
Yes they can be stubborn and even condescending about it adopting the 'Your carefully selected arguments mean nothing. I'm the expert here.' attitude.
The most annoying thing is that some people will take the word of an intern at a pet store over that of several hobbyists no matter what.
A sister of one of my friends bought an adult B. smithi and a guy from a store told her to use a sponge in the water bowl.
She was then told by me and atleast 10 people from a Dutch forum TO LOSE THE SPONGE.
She was told that the sponge accumulates bacteria and that the spider couln't drown in that small bowl if it tried.
Ofcourse She didn't budge. :mad:
A lot of people seem to have a firm convioction that store clerks who get their info from a small checklist behind the counter have more knowledge than a possionate hobbyist who has spent years learning as much as possible about a particular animal.
The uniform and studious reading of that checklist behind the counter carry a lot of weight, man.
 

Blackbeard

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 1, 2010
Messages
17
The uniform and studious reading of that checklist behind the counter carry a lot of weight, man.
I know.
Sometimes I fantasise about carrying that much authority.
It's why uniforms are such a turn on for girls.
[/sarcasm off] ;)
 
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