A man who stopped by Petco for cat food ended up discovering something far more concerning in the store’s aquarium section.
In a TikTok video that received more than 1.5 million views, Gracin (@gracinm) documents what he believes is a widespread outbreak of marine velvet, a potentially deadly parasitic disease that affects saltwater fish.
“Petco, you need to get [yourself] together,” he says. The content creator flips his camera to point it at various fish in aquariums. “All these … have velvet,” he says. “All of these guys. Oh boy.”
‘All of these little guys have it’
He points out several fish he believes are infected. His list includes what appears to be a brightly colored threadfin butterflyfish (with the yellow tail and white front), a yellow foxface rabbitfish (bright yellow body with a black-and-white face), a couple of clownfish, and a scooter dragonet (also called a scooter blenny). He also includes a bottom-dwelling mottled fish that he says has “been flashing here and there.”
“Dude, look at that. They’ve all got it. All of these little guys have it,” he says.
“Flashing” is when a fish rubs its body against aquarium surfaces; it is the equivalent of itching in mammals. Fish can flash for a variety of reasons, including poor water quality, parasites, or other irritations.
“Yep, that’s great,” Gracin says as he pans to a striped fang blenny. “They have this beautiful wrasse right here on hold for somebody,” he says. He continues to record a bright orange marine fish while saying, “but uh, homeboy back there has velvet as well.”
Then he pans to different colorful wrasse in the tank. He also films a purple tang he says has some velvet, though he admits it’s difficult to see on camera.
“I just came here for cat food, but I always check out their saltwater … cause you never know,” Gracin says. “Petco. Get it together.”
What is marine velvet and why is it so dangerous?
Marine velvet is a parasitic disease caused by Amyloodinium ocellatum, an “extremely hardy,” fast-spreading, and highly deadly microscopic organism that attaches to the skin and gills of saltwater fish. It is “capable of wiping out most of your fish in just a matter of days.”
A fish with velvet “will show signs of irritation and distress, with rapid breathing and lethargy.” Eventually, it will lose its ability to breathe as the parasite wreaks havoc on its gills.
In severe cases, velvet can appear as “small gold-colored spots” resembling its namesake. Hobbyists note that lighter infestations will give fish a powdery appearance. It can also manifest as “tiny white dots all over the body & fins.”
However, not all infected fish are affected the same way.
“Many fish die from this disease without ever showing any visible skin changes,” as LiveAquaria notes.
And while Gracin sounds pretty confident in his velvet diagnosis, marine velvet isn’t always easy to distinguish from other common fish diseases.
Petco’s policy on saltwater fish
Interestingly enough, Petco’s return policy treats saltwater fish differently from freshwater fish. According to the retailer’s official policy, customers have 30 days to return freshwater fish, while “saltwater aquatic life cannot be returned or exchanged.”
The retailer does not explain why this is the case. But it most likely is related to the fact that saltwater fish are significantly more sensitive and fragile than freshwater fish.
Infected fish could also introduce parasites into an existing home aquarium, which is why experts recommend quarantining newly purchased fish before introducing them to an established tank, even if they look healthy.
Petco’s response
The official Petco TikTok account left the most-liked comment under Gracin’s post, writing: “Our commitment to the health and safety of the pets in our care is unwavering and a responsibility we take very seriously. We’d like to look into this.” The company asked Gracin to message its social media account with the store location to investigate further.
A spokesperson for Petco also told Subplot News, “At Petco, our commitment to the health and safety of the pets in our care is unwavering and a responsibility we take very seriously. Our companion animal care standards were developed with veterinarians and external counsel from experts in animal care, behavior, ethics, and welfare. If a companion animal in our care ever requires medical attention, we take steps to provide it.”
The second most-liked comment came from a user calling Petco out for the comment, writing: “PETCO [IT’S] ALL OF YOUR STORES!!! You want to sell animals you need to have proper enclosures for them,” adding that the company ought to “Lead by example.”
Some viewers came to Petco’s defense, with one user arguing that Gracin’s experience “is clearly a location issue” because many stores “don’t even let people buy fish there if they suspect they aren’t taking the proper precautions per species.”
Petco’s own website offers guidance on identifying and treating marine velvet, listing symptoms as “Cysts on fins, gills, and skin; labored breathing, excess skin mucus or pale skin.” Petco recommends an immediate quarantine for affected fish.
@gracinm
Subplot News reached out to Gracin via email.
