Petco — Local services in Santa Clara

[HAS BEEN EDITED: for shorter length+updates] Been going here for years now. I am a beginner fishkeeper so I take notes. I have loved fish when I was young and I like to say that trait was passed to me by gene. Although I am sad to see people lacking in fishkeeping knowledge, I LOVE people who want to learn! Currently, I am a high school student and wanted to do this in-depth review to encourage others to learn. [For teachers, read the bottom paragraph] Pros first: DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH PRIOR TO GETTING ANY LIVE ANIMALS, INCLUDING "CHEAP" PETS. Fantastic selection of common fish, pet products, and supplies. Amazed by the adoption encouragement for the animals! The aquatic section is great + kid friendly! There is a wide selection of fish foods, that includes cheaper, poorer quality, and fun artificial decor. Make sure the decor's holes are BIGGER than the fish as they can get stuck. Love the encouragement on the live plants, they're super beneficial to every aquatic animal (excluding some)! My doggy leash lasted years before breaking. The aquatic section is definitely my favorite, they have a variety of common fish best suited for beginners, but also "monster fish" that can be invasive so never release if you can't keep it (hence research)! Cons: 1) The employees have LIMITED KNOWLEDGE. Don't always rely on them, they may specialize in one area! Instead: do research, join FaceBook groups, Reddit groups, etc! They'll help you out and you'll learn from other hobbyists that have years of experience under their belt! 2) The nitrogen cycle isn't being talked about enough in the fish hobby. Do research. Their "nitrogen cycle" paper sheet is on the SIDE of their frozen aquatic foods fridge. Take a look once in a while, or just once if you don't plan on getting fish soon! 3) The "care" sheet for ANY animal may not reflect their actual needs! For example, years ago, we asked if there was any fish that ate algae. The solution: a common Pleco. They didn't tell us it was a tropical fish, has a huge bioload/waste, grows MASSIVE (in feet), and ARE INVASIVE if released! 4) Fishkeeping is not for the faint of heart, and requires more patience and trials than any other! There is no "beginner" fish or plants, just more forgiving. I really suggest Googling up in-store or beforehand what you want to get, and if it suits your needs. 5) Take what ALL pet stores sell with a grain of salt: they will absolutely not know EVERYTHING, they are there to ensure the sale of products + animals. Notes: Most times I go, the live plants in their aquatic section are dead or dying off, their bettas are in relatively decent/poor condition, and their shrimp section is.. small-ish? I don't recommend getting shrimp there, it is small and it is easy for shrimp to die or be diseased. You can go and get some if you want, I just dislike getting them at big box stores, or some smaller local fish stores (overcharging). 6) no common fish medications for the regular fish keeper to get or good fertilizer

Looking for cheaper alternatives?: Check FaceBook Marketplace and other local fish stores! Big chain stores in general vary on knowledge, expertise, products, + price! Check + compare to quality and price online! Staff are nice and friendly, sometimes a hit-or-miss. I'll be coming back years from now for products (not livestock) unless something happens. Experiences vary, don't judge by one malicious experience. Stay safe, and please do your research! [If you're a teacher and want to teach your students about the ecosystem, try a self-sustaining planted fish tank! A "Walstad" method tank, or an overall "low tech" tank combines fish and live plants as an symbiotic relationship (fish poop waste, beneficial bacteria convert waste into nitrate, nitrates get used by live plants for growth! You can also chuck a few "Neocaridina" shrimp in to provide a small food source and clean up leftover food + make more waste. Detritus worms and other microorganisms will find their way in on their own, but unless it's planaria, or such harmful organisms, it doesn't...

Absolutely worst service ever for grooming! The staff was not friendly at all took forever to check my dog in asking questions that had already been answered and put in the system. I had picked up my dog almost two hours later still wet and his harness weren’t even put on the correct way. I dropped off my dog expecting better service and time management. I did let them know ahead of time I had an appointment but they were so upset saying he won’t be ready before that time and a few minutes later would be too late for pick up. I offered to reschedule if it was an issue but they said they’d take him so I let them do their job. Just making a but fuss about the whole situation and even one groomer put her two sense in and stated “well I’m off at this time so I’m off” like excuse me I’m paying for a service and if it was an inconvenience I offered to reschedule my appointment. I will not be going back to the groomers at this location let alone any Petco location! I still paid for my service like a genuine customer but it was unfortunate I paid for a service that wasn’t even completed! My dog and I had a big trip coming up and I wanted him to look his best but he unfortunately didn’t and did not even smell like he...

Arnold clearly does not know how to handle small dogs. He held my dog's harness on both sides allowing him to back out then blamed the harness. I told him he needed to hold my chihuahua while trimming his nails but he kept trying to put him on the table with a slip leash. My dog jumped off the table, hit his hip on the table and nearly choked himself. Arnald made a statement about my dog being a liability...my dog. He then got assistance from another employee but he was still not able to trim my dog's nails. Again this is somehow my dog's fault when other groomers never have a problem.

I thought I would give PetCo a 2nd chance after a prior bad experience. This same groomer has nicked the quick on nearly everyone of my dog's nails on a previous visit, leaving him bleeding pretty badly and fearful of future trimmings. Arnald also have me a dirty/ unsanitary jar of stiptic to take home and blamed me for not trimming his nails more frequently...I had just adopted my dog 3 weeks prior. Overall, the groomers are unprofessional and serially lack training on how to handle dogs. I will not be returning to this store again. My dog is now terrified of the...