Kootenay Petopia

[sarzeff]

Just got off the phone with the owner, marine is in the works for them there. Everything is getting set up but he still has no idea exactly when it will be going. But it's coming!

[chris121277]

Does he actually have water in the tanks cycling?........he has been telling me that since last October LOL

[sarzeff]

Haha yeah maybe it will still be a while. He said he finially figured out how his set up is going to work. The staff told me to call so he knows there is more demand.

He did say, if I wanted anything for my tank, that he could order it in with his fish order. Would just have to come pick it up Friday.

[robzilla]

i've had that discussion with him too about coming to pick it up on a certain day. i was trying to get frozen food and had no luck with them

[chris121277]

so...what happend with that Rob, did he tell you he would bring some in for you? have you tried ordering any fish or live stock threw him?

[robzilla]

he said he would get it in but it never showed up. i gave up after a few tries. as for livestock, i never really gave him a chance after not being able to get some frozen food.

[danny zubot]

One of the few times I've spoke with him he said that he has to have his supplier come in to train his staff on how to keep marine life.:lol: I told him my services would be available to him but nothing has happened yet. Maybe I'll go in there and hound him again. If the pressure gets to thick he might actually do something....and save us from the other guy's outragous prices.

[sarzeff]

Hahaha that is too funny :) Well I'm not so hopeful that they will start getting marine in any time soon then. As for Kootenay Critters, they have been very nice to me the past few times I've been in there. I seem to remember though, that they can be nice or rude depending on their mood.

I wonder if the prices would be much better at Petopia. I have to think that once you factor in shipping here, it might not be much lower than Kootenay Critters. We'll have to see I guess if they ever get it. I'll try asking him about ordering livestock in, get an idea of pricing and see if he will actually follow through.

[chris121277]

I was in Petopia over the week end and the owner told me that his fish rep was coming in on Tuesday to set up his tanks.....apparently he is going to be stocking corals and fish!

Sure will be nice to have another place to buy from around here:biggrin:

[danny zubot]

I'll believe it when I seen it.:lol:

[sarzeff]

Me too..I just talked to him as well and he said he's having trouble getting the guy in to set it up...but has it ready.

Also a Total Pet is coming in to the old Lordco building. I believe they do marine. I might be working there :)

[robzilla]

good to hear we'll have more choice in the kootenays for pet supplies :)

[sarzeff]

Honestly I am kind of hoping that with the new Total Pet and Petopia that Kootenay Critters will close or they will have to seriously smarten up. I won't be shopping there any more. I have tried a bit but got fed up with the poor service.

A few weeks ago I went in and was looking around, I mentioned that one of the chromis' I had bought there had died. I wasn't expecting to get a refund or a new one or anything since I'd been told their policy was nothing on salt water fish. The lady there got immediately flustered and super defensive, asking me a billion questions. She finially went off to talk to Jim, and the two of them started arguing loudly in the back room, not even about my "issue" it sounded like. This went on for a few minutes, we kind of hung out to see if maybe they would end up doing something for me, then the two came out into the store and continues arguing loudly. It was so embarassing and rude and unprofessional that we just left.

I went back in a few days later because I needed some hermit crab shells...walked in Jim said hi then picked up the phone while I wandered around for a quite a while. I had some questions but he ignored me, I would have bought stuff but ended up leaving instead.

Guys at Petopia are awesome. Jan gave me a free bag of kitty litter the other day to try a new kind for my kitten.

[danny zubot]

Makes me wonder if the personal relationship between those two at Kootenay Critters will be the end of the store, not the business itself. I too have experienced a similar event while browsing around in there. They must not have a clue that anyone can even hear them, and the lady IMO isn't all there if you know what I mean. They did make a good attempt with there refurbished salt tank display, but with no labels and prices listed they aren't going to get my business. Every time I ask the guy how much something is, he takes 10 minutes to find out, and the numbers seem to fly out of left field. $45.00 for a bi-colored pseudo-chromis!! Have they ever done a price comparison?

I have heard of them giving a couple of good deals on some corals from time to time, but that is likely a result of them not knowing what to charge. Too bad they never under charge me for anything. Oh well, there's my rant about them. I noticed Total pet is coming along nicely, I'll have to stop by there and check them out soon.

[sarzeff]

Yeah I'm not sure if Total Pet is going to have salt. I hope Petopia gets theirs going soon. I like those guys alot. I might be working a bit at Total Pet but maybe not, my current boss offered me full time and a raise so I'm sticking around there.

[chris121277]

I totaly agree with Danny on there pricing.......everytime I ask about a price he seems to just make it up on the spot.....in fact one time I asked for a price he started shuffling threw his papers, then ask me to give him a minute.....I walked back to the new tank area and was watching him, he stared at the celing for a few seconds then came back and told me that a blue tang was $125!!!!!

I have seen them doing worse then arguing in the store but probebly shouldn't post that part in the forum.

[sarzeff]

Don't you always wonder if they google themselves and find this online? haha if they do they aren't learning from it....I think they just had been the only guys in the area for so long they could get away with being rude but not any more.

[chris121277]

Well, hopefully there not the only ones for long......and I don't think that they do google them selves, other wise they would have shaped up along time ago.
Or maybe they just don't care, the first time I ever went in there he told me that....
"I know my salt stuff is expensive, but if you want it you'll pay it"

[FitoPharmer]

woulden't get your hope up too much for TP, i have worked at the Kamloops total pet. apparently that TP has the best salt section, and i think their last employee to give a damn has left, and it has gone rather downhill from there. i remember selling newly arrived saltwater fish and we basically did the same thing just looked at what it cost off the order sheet, and then made up some number, often after a few moments of staring blankly into something :mrgreen:. at least we eventually made labels but if you asked me the other salt guy then the manager what the price was of a new fish you could sometimes get 3 different prices :lol:. and im not sure but my manager assured me that if i thought our salt section looked neglected that kelowna and 100 mile house were much worse. that really never made me feel better :lol:.

[chris121277]

Great.......:neutral:

[sarzeff]

Too funny lol not sure if they are getting salt anyways. I just think in general their customer service should be good. I'm really hoping with two good options for pet supplies where you can get good service people will just stop going to Kootenay Critters. I'm still going to try to shop at Petopia unless I get a job a TP then I would get a good discount ;)

[chris121277]

So...I went into Total Pet here today....and the manager (Chris) I think his name is, said they will be doing salt and stalking supply's for it as well.....he did ask what all we wanted him to bring in for inventory.

I told him maybe to come on Canreef and start a thread to see what all everybody wanted, don't know if he will or not but did seem eager for the reefing community's bizz.

[danny zubot]

Don't they all seem eager at first.:lol: It's good that we'll have another place to purchase dry goods if needed.

[chris121277]

Don't they all seem eager at first.:lol: It's good that we'll have another place to purchase dry goods if needed.

I did notice wile I was there that he had retro fit T-5 reflectors in stock:wink:

[Bodhi]

Yeah I will never shop a Kootenay critters for saltwater I have had a few tanks in the past in Vancouver (where there are some amazing lfs) and I was thinking about setting up a tank again. The guy at petopia has told me many times that he could get stuff or was going to be bringing salt water in but nothing so far. As far as kootenay critters goes their customer service sucks and their prices are ridiculous, a customer had torn down their tank and returned/sold all of their livestock and equipment back to them. I have a tank, lights, heater, etc... and inquired about how much he would charge for the LR he had just obtained from his old customer, he told me 35 dollars a kilo! I know I'm not in Vancouver anymore but 16 bux a pound for poorly maintained algae covered rock you have to be kidding. Anyways thats my rant. I have talked to both managers at Total pet and they will be bringing salt water in for sure, it will probably be in the next six months. They do have t5 retro kits now and I was there yesterday and they had a couple of nice tank/stand drilled setups with t5 hoods (one corner bow and on 50/60 gal maybe?). I'm looking forward to either of these stores bringing salt water in because until then I can do nothing as I will never shop at Kootenay critters.

[robzilla]

met another reefer, from trail, who also gets his supplies out of town, similiar store from him about dealing with the local store.
he's interested in meeting other local reefers, danny & chris, i'll send out an email later, with his name and stuff,

[chris121277]

met another reefer, from trail, who also gets his supplies out of town, similiar store from him about dealing with the local store.
he's interested in meeting other local reefers, danny & chris, i'll send out an email later, with his name and stuff,


one of these days we should organize a meeting with everyone.......maybe do a swap meet sort of thing:wink:

[freddy]

That would be nice,I know of a couple more reefers in town that would like to meet with others,castlegar isn't to far to go,at christmas I drove through and stopped at kootney critters,never again.

[danny zubot]

met another reefer, from trail, who also gets his supplies out of town, similiar store from him about dealing with the local store.
he's interested in meeting other local reefers, danny & chris, i'll send out an email later, with his name and stuff,
__________________

Good work Rob, the more the merrier.

On a side note, Petopia's marine tanks are being worked on as we speak. Or should I say, the planning has gone forward to actually get the display up and running. If all goes well there should be water in the system shortly.

[chris121277]

How many tanks and what sizes are you setting up there?

[danny zubot]

It looks like he's going to have 4-6 20 gallons for fish and another 60 gallon tank for corals, with a 60 gallon sump. Not sure what the plan is yet for lighting the coral tank though.