I just lost what little faith I had in petco.

Well I called a local petco to see if they have Zoo Med Thermostats; I've been looking for one, but online the shipping is either too expensive or takes too long to arrive.

So the person on the phone asks me what size tank and what animal. I tell him I have a ball python (3 months old) in a 10 gallon. He says this is too small for the ball python, and enforces that I should upgrade to a 20 gallon. Amusing, isn't it?

Then he says that I do not need a thermostat for the heat lamp, and that I should set up a 20 gallon with a heat lamp on the left, and heat pad in the middle.

He asked where I got it, I told him from a breeder, and then he progressed to say that the breeder must have not known much about ball pythons. (He's a phenomenal breeder and keeps numerous pythons and boas.)

:rofl:

Yeah that's my little rant...hehe. Not to just bash petco, but I just decided to share that.

By the way, why does it seem that pet stores have everything except thermostats? I live in the bay area, around the san mateo area, not sure why they don't have them in stock. :P

Yeah petco doesn't sell thermostats. Petsmart sells the Zoomed repti-therm 500r but they don't carry it in stores they only sell it online. What I don't understand is why petstores don't hire people that actually know things about the animals they are working with?

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Originally Posted by omnibus2

By the way, why does it seem that pet stores have everything except thermostats? I live in the bay area, around the san mateo area, not sure why they don't have them in stock. :P

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i work at petco so i can see what you're saying, my co-workers arent too bright on reptiles unless im there. at my store we DO carry the zoo-med thermostats, but they're $40 and i dont think they're worth it. i use one and i have to turn the knob just a tiny bit once it turns on cuz thats when it get to 90 degrees. any more and it'll get to over 100 for some odd reason. u can ask the general manager at the store if they can "special" order one for you and u just pay for it once u pick it up.

I understand your frustration. But the people may have the best intentions but are simply uneducated.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by omnibus2

So the person on the phone asks me what size tank and what animal. I tell him I have a ball python (3 months old) in a 10 gallon. He says this is too small for the ball python, and enforces that I should upgrade to a 20 gallon. Amusing, isn't it?

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it's possible maybe he heard you say 3 feet?

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Originally Posted by Snakeman

it's possible maybe he heard you say 3 feet?

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No, I told him it was about a foot long; I didn't tell the guy on the phone the bp's age.

Does anybody know where I can get a good thermostat in the bay area?

reptile depot? LLLreptile?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by omnibus2

So the person on the phone asks me what size tank and what animal. I tell him I have a ball python (3 months old) in a 10 gallon. He says this is too small for the ball python, and enforces that I should upgrade to a 20 gallon. Amusing, isn't it?


By the way, why does it seem that pet stores have everything except thermostats? I live in the bay area, around the san mateo area, not sure why they don't have them in stock. :P

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1) Let me guess. He had the perfect 20g tank sitting on a shelf...

2) Because after store "mark-up" the price they would be charging for some of the t-stats would be unattractive to a casual shopper. They have a better chance of making a sale to an inexperienced shopper if that person thinks they can get a full set-up and snake for a cheaper price than what some of the high-end T-stats alone would cost. The pet stores only motive is profit...

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Originally Posted by Snakeman

reptile depot? LLLreptile?

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Ah thankyou, but I just checked and they do not have stores in or near the bay area.

@Vypyrz

Yeah, I suppose that could be why-but he seemed so confident, and like he really believed it. It was disturbing.

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Originally Posted by omnibus2

Then he says that I do not need a thermostat for the heat lamp, and that I should set up a 20 gallon with a heat lamp on the left, and heat pad in the middle.

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:rolleyes: Maybe the lamp is supposed to go the left side so it can heat the top of the hide with the UVB light they always insist we need, kind of like a sun deck. And I guess the UTH in the middle would be to heat the water bowl in case your snake wants to soak in his own little hot tub. You could even hook one of those aquarium air pumps to blow bubbles in the water bowl for the deluxe BP jacuzzi. For dinking water you could use one of those 8oz mixed drink glasses. Just make sure it has one of those little daquiri umbrellas in it... :rofl:

My sarcastic brilliance amazes me...


Rob