Thanks a lot Animates Botany :(

[David R]

Its not really fair to tar all the Animates with the same brush, some of the ones which have keen and knowledgeable people in the fishroom [like Henderson with Morcs and Atown, and I'm guessing Palmy with P44 but I've never been there] have a good selection and [usually] have at least one person who knows what they're talking about. However, being a chain store they are ultimately run by a management team whos main concern is profit and not the well-being of the aquarium hobby in NZ, which is why the new stores like Lunn Ave only have a handful of tanks with common species, and the old stores which once had big fish rooms full of interesting fish and marines are being down-sized. Even Botany has been reducing the number of tropical tanks and increasing the goldfish section. I'm guessing that the fish only make up a tiny part of the stores income and the main reason for them being kept at all are so they can continue to be the one-stop-shop for all pets.

IMO it all boils down to your ethics as an individual, IMO its a bit disappointing that people on here choose not to support the few specialist aquarium stores we have in Auckland and would rather spend give their business to a big chainstore that contributes very little to the hobby.

[Barrie]

my last word on this is that

There are plenty of shops around that do a great job of teaching staff how to treat, look after, and teach customers how to look after their animals.

Animates is not one of them in my book. I had the same experience as Paul_r. The likes of Kiwipets, Animal Antics, Wonderworld, Carine, are all local places where I would rather shop knowing

A) I will speak to someone who knows what they are talking about.

B) I am supporting a local business, rather than a chain store.

C) They specialise in my hobby, and take time and effort to pay their fish people more than minimum wage and invest in them to keep them for more than a few months at a time.

If you had a bad experience at ANY other type of shop on more than one occasion, (think 4 or 5) would you return there and spend your hard earned money knowing that it is going to a chain store that does little for local market, and is not really interested enough in your hobby to employ/ train their staff in more than how to catch the fish, and how to meet a quota.

If 4 out of 5 can get it right and one is seriously lacking, does that not send up a red flag? does that not show that something is wrong?

And when this one store is a main advertiser, and a point of call that 90% of joe public can identify with, does that not make them ethically and morally bound to provide a better service?

Especially in a sector where people do little research, and their primary source of information is that kid showing off her g-string and telling customers that they can take the tank and a whole plethora of fish home on the same day and "cycling" to them means tour de france!

I think it is downright shameful.

this statement dosnt single out one branch of Animates but states Animates as a company meaning all Animates stores. How can anyone make a statement like that if they (later) say they have only been to one store?

I dont mean to give Cricketman a hard time as Im only trying to point out a theme that WE ALL do with bashing anything like this.

Animates is there as a general pet store just as the warehouse is there as a general good store. If you want better advice on say eletronics, you would go to a specialised eletronics store.

People on here ask for my advice on glass and they make up their own minds if they decide to take that advice or not, carpenters also offer advice on glass as do your local hardware store but they are not specialised. Who is likely to give the better advice?

If your unwell you go to a Doctor then to a specialist, yes the Dr refers you maybe but hopefully you get the point.

The end result of this could possibly be that Animates decide to close down and that could well mean that less fish are imported and at a greatly increased price.

Please, before laying into Animates (or any other chain store) think about what they are there for and maybe when you want specialised information or help, seek advise form specialised experts in that field.

Again, its not my intention to give Cricketman a hard time or anyone else so I am sorry if he (or anyone else) is offeneded

[mcrudd]

Gosh this went off and on topic quite a bit

I just gave my opinion of Animates Botany and my experience with them. I did not give all Animates a bad name. I do also remember about a year back when I got neon tetras that one was flapping about on the floor and from there chucked back into the tank from where it just floated and I was told it was in shock it would come right just now

[Sunbird73]

I do also remember about a year back when I got neon tetras that one was flapping about on the floor and from there chucked back into the tank from where it just floated and I was told it was in shock it would come right just now

I don't know what it is with Animates and neons - are their tanks badly designed or do the neons just hate being in there so much they commit suicide? Every single time, without fail, when I go into Nth Shore animates there are always at least 2 neons dried up on the floor for my 3yo to find and/or a couple of freshly dead ones on the ground. DId manage to save one once when it jumped out in front of us tho but they just keep on doing it....

I don't get - no other fish shops I go to seem to have escaping/suicidal neons?

[Morcs]

I don't know what it is with Animates and neons - are their tanks badly designed or do the neons just hate being in there so much they commit suicide? Every single time, without fail, when I go into Nth Shore animates there are always at least 2 neons dried up on the floor for my 3yo to find and/or a couple of freshly dead ones on the ground. DId manage to save one once when it jumped out in front of us tho but they just keep on doing it....

I don't get - no other fish shops I go to seem to have escaping/suicidal neons?

Those tanks dont have lids. those flaps dont always prevent them jumping out...

and if the flaps ever get left open... then they can jump straight out.

Its called gene pool cleansing. all the neons that are stupid enough to jump, well...

SO in theory only smart ones are left. :lol:

[mcrudd]

Its killed gene pool cleansing. all the neons that are stupid enough to jump, well...

SO in theory only smart ones are left. :lol:

Hahahaha I just laughed out loud reading this

[Cricketman]

my last word on this is that

this statement dosnt single out one branch of Animates but states Animates as a company meaning all Animates stores. How can anyone make a statement like that if they (later) say they have only been to one store?

I dont mean to give Cricketman a hard time as Im only trying to point out a theme that WE ALL do with bashing anything like this.

Animates is there as a general pet store just as the warehouse is there as a general good store. If you want better advice on say eletronics, you would go to a specialised eletronics store.

People on here ask for my advice on glass and they make up their own minds if they decide to take that advice or not, carpenters also offer advice on glass as do your local hardware store but they are not specialised. Who is likely to give the better advice?

If your unwell you go to a Doctor then to a specialist, yes the Dr refers you maybe but hopefully you get the point.

The end result of this could possibly be that Animates decide to close down and that could well mean that less fish are imported and at a greatly increased price.

Please, before laying into Animates (or any other chain store) think about what they are there for and maybe when you want specialised information or help, seek advise form specialised experts in that field.

Again, its not my intention to give Cricketman a hard time or anyone else so I am sorry if he (or anyone else) is offeneded

Not offended at all. You make a good point. I am guilty of tarring many stores with broad and generalised statements that fits to only the one store in particular that I am disgruntled with. :oops:

Though I have also seen many other threads and posts of the same nature from other places around the country, I shouldn't pass comment on them myself.

It is only the Tauranga store I can aim any of my above commentary at.

[dcase]

I too lost a lot of fish in my community tank (including several large Clown Loaches) after being infected with white spot from fish bought from Animates.

True .... I should have quarantined but it wasn't practical to do so at the time (not everyone can initially duplicate tanks/filters, etc).

BUT TO GIVE ANIMATES THEIR DUE when I told them of the problem they assisted with medication and GOOD ADVICE. Once the tank was stabilised they asked me what fish I had lost and promptly gave me a (substantial) credit to cover the cost of replacement.

I understand that this does not regularly happen but I am a regular customer and have spent a lot at Animates .... my tank, filter, UV steriliser and many other purchases have added up over time (and are readily able to be seen as they are stored on file for my Animates Card).

So in my case they came to the party and kept a customer worth keeping - full plaudits to Animates and full plaudits for allowing their manager to be in a position to make a call - it's good customer service.

[gagaforfish]

I don't know what it is with Animates and neons - are their tanks badly designed or do the neons just hate being in there so much they commit suicide? Every single time, without fail, when I go into Nth Shore animates there are always at least 2 neons dried up on the floor for my 3yo to find and/or a couple of freshly dead ones on the ground. DId manage to save one once when it jumped out in front of us tho but they just keep on doing it....

I don't get - no other fish shops I go to seem to have escaping/suicidal neons?

Same at the Albany Animates... In between every tank there were a couple of neons...

[PuffaDragonNZ]

I don't get - no other fish shops I go to seem to have escaping/suicidal neons?

yea right every shop that dose not have proper lids will have fish on the floor, you want to look down the back of the tanks lol

[mickey_1975]

I bought some neons once from animates and they all died a day after. I went back to animates and they said they had neon tetra disease. They werent going to do anything about it but I wasnt going away till I got a refund. The guy told me all off the neons they got were infected. I got free plants in the end luckily. The new owners dont really look after customers if you ask me.