Does Petco Sell Minnows?

Minnows are very cheap and great for people who just bought an aquarium, but you can’t find them everywhere. Does Petco sell minnows?

Heading to Petco? Curious if you can buy an axolotl at Petco? Check out our guide!

I have had fish and aquariums for ten years and I always have minnows in my freshwater aquarium. Petco is a great place to get minnows, other fish, and fish tank supplies. 

Petco sells minnows, danios, and other small fish. There is no trick to finding minnows at Petco – your nearest Petco is likely to have them. If you want to be sure, look online or call the store to make sure they sell minnows. 

Some minnows and danios available at Petco may include:

• Gold-white cloud minnows
• Glofish danios
• Ruby cloud minnows
• Leopard danios

Every Petco is different, so these types won’t always be available at your location. Many stores may offer different types not listed here. Some of the most popular minnows are white cloud minnows, shiners, daces, stone roller minnows, and fallfish. 

About Minnows

Some people think that “minnow” means a young and small version of another fish. This is not true – minnows are small fish that stay small.

Not all small fish are minnows. “Minnow” refers to a specific family of small fish. There are many different types of minnows – thousands of species.

Minnows are a great choice for people who have just bought a fish tank. If you don’t know much about aquariums, start with minnows and add other fish later on.

Minnows as Pets

The best thing about minnows is that they are low maintenance. They are also unaggressive with other fish, like being in groups, and are cheap and easy to find. A disadvantage is that some larger fish may eat minnows even if they are fed often enough. 

Does Petco Sell Aquarium Supplies?

Yes, you can buy fish tanks and other aquarium supplies at Petco. You can get fish food, filters, water treatments, and good prices on fish tanks.  

Does Petco Sell Fishing Minnows?

The minnows that Petco sells are intended to be used as pets, not as fishing bait. Sometimes they sell things that can be used as fishing bait, such as worms. However, the worms are intended as pet food. 

Can You Fish With Minnows From the Pet Store?

Minnows are cheaper if you get them at a bait shop. However, there is no law against using pet store minnows as fishing bait. Using some types of fish (not likely minnows) as bait is illegal in some places. 

Are Minnows Cheap?

Yes, minnows are very cheap at Petco and elsewhere. You might find minnows for as little as 12 cents each. Buying an aquarium and caring for them is more expensive.

What Are Rosy Red Minnows?

Rosy red minnows are a red-colored variation of the common North American fathead minnow. Some people falsely think they are tropical fish. 

You can often find rosy red minnows at Petsmart for very cheap. Petco and other pet stores may also have rosy red minnows. 

What Other Pet Fish Does Petco Sell?

Different stores have different options. Some freshwater fish you might find include:

• Neon tetras
• Kohaku swordtails
• Guppies
• Flowerhorn cichlids
• Elephant ear bettas
• Cardinal tetras
• Catfish

You can also find crabs and shrimp at Petco. 

Building An Aquarium for Your Minnows

Some people are fine with a simple fish tank. However, other people want to build an elaborate aquarium. 

An aquarium can be an art project. You put the right fish, plants like duckweed, stones, and other decorations in the tank to make it look beautiful. There are even famous aquarium designers and aquariums that are shown to the public as works of art. 

Even if you don’t want to build anything fancy, you need to keep your fish alive. You need to make sure the different types of fish in your tank can get along with each other.

Balancing the PH

The PH in your tank has to be somewhere in the middle or else it is bad for your fish. Your fish might die if the water becomes too acidic or too alkaline, which can happen easily. You need to test your water and make sure the acidity is about right. 

What is the Right PH for Minnnows?

The ideal PH is different for different fish. The ideal PH range for minnows is 6 to 9.5, which is a wide range.

Minnows aren’t likely to suffer from acidic or alkaline water unless it goes very far away from the usual range. The PH usually has to go lower than 5 before it will harm fish in the short run. 

Sometimes, a fish can be perfectly healthy even though the water is slightly more acidic or alkaline than normal. Fish also don’t vary that much in what PH they prefer, especially not if they are all freshwater fish. 

PH Range for Different Fish

The ideal range for some freshwater fish is:

• 7 to 7.5 PH for goldfish
• 6.5 to 7 PH for angelfish
• 6 to 6.5 PH for clown loaches
• 5.8 to 6.2 PH for neon tetras
• 6 to 7 PH for silver dollar fish
• 6 to 7 for hatchet fish  

Saltwater fish need more alkaline water than freshwater fish. Pure water has a PH of 7, which is a bit acidic to a saltwater fish. They need more alkaline 7.6, 8.0, or 8.4 PH water. 

Usually, minnows will be fine in a tank that is slightly more acidic or slightly more alkaline than normal. However, acidity/alkalinity can interfere with fish reproduction before it is bad enough to hurt or kill fish. Minnows are freshwater-only fish and should never be in a saltwater tank, regardless of the PH. 

Testing the PH

You can test the PH using testing strips, which are cheap and work fairly well. Other methods include a testing meter (more expensive but more accurate) or a liquid test.

For liquid tests, you put some fish tank water in a bowl and add some testing solution. The water will change color, and you will compare the color to a color chart to see what PH the water is. Ask questions before you make a purchase. 

One of my fish died a month ago because I let the water get too alkaline. Even if you have had aquariums for many years, things can still go wrong if you aren’t careful.

Key Takeaways

• Yes, you can get minnows and other common fish at Petco.
• Look at reviews online before you buy any fish tank products. 
• Fish need the right PH to be happy and enjoy life. 
• Keep the PH between 6.5 and 9 to keep minnows healthy.
• Be careful with larger fish, because some of them will attack minnows.