‘Petco what the actual hell?’: Woman goes to the fish aisle at Petco. Then she sees something disturbing happened to one of the fish
If you care about animals, a quick trip to a pet store can turn unsettling. That’s what happened to one Petco customer who wandered into the aquarium section expecting to browse, and instead walked away unsettled after spotting something deeply wrong inside one of the tanks.
The moment, shared on TikTok, sparked discussion and even prompted a public response from Petco itself.
What Happened To The Fish At Petco?
TikTok creator Sara, who regularly posts about her pet fish, cat, and chameleon on her account @dummybumb, shared a short clip from inside a Petco location that immediately raised alarm bells. The video racked up more than 344,400 views as viewers tried to process what they were seeing alongside her.
“Just casually looking at the fish, yeah yeah yeah…” she says in the clip, before flipping the camera away from her face and toward one of the aquariums.
At first glance, the tank looks normal. But then you see it. One of the fish appears stuck vertically, completely motionless, pressed between two glass panels that form part of the aquarium wall. It appears that the fish has either wedged itself into a narrow gap or somehow ended up outside the tank entirely, still attached to the glass.
“What the f— is that?” Sara exclaims. “That’s not… that’s on the outside.”
How Could A Fish End Up Like That?
Fish jumping isn’t some rare, freak accident. According to a RateMyFishTank report, it’s actually a behavior tied to survival instincts that don’t disappear just because a fish lives in a tank instead of a river.
In the wild, fish jump to escape predators, chase food, move between shrinking pools of water, or get away from bad conditions. Those instincts don’t shut off in captivity. A glass wall doesn’t register as a barrier the way it does to humans. When something feels wrong, such as stress, fear, or discomfort, some fish react by darting upward.
Things like poor water quality, sudden changes in temperature or pH, bright lights snapping on in a dark room, loud vibrations nearby, or even aggressive tank mates can all push fish into panic mode. Once that happens, jumping becomes a reflex. If there’s a gap, seam, or poorly fitted panel, a fish can end up exactly where Sara filmed it.
Certain species are also more prone to jumping than others. Bettas, danios, tetras, killifish, wrasses, and firefish are known for it. Smaller fish, in particular, can launch themselves farther than people expect.
Even knowing all that, many viewers still took issue with one major point: this happened inside a Petco.
Pet stores market themselves to people who care deeply about animals. That comes with an expectation that they monitor tanks, check conditions, and pay attention to obvious signs of distress. We’ve reached out to Petco via email to find out what happened.
Petco Responds, But Viewers Aren’t Convinced
Petco did respond publicly in the comments.
“Hi there,” the company wrote. “The health and wellness of pets is always our top priority, and we appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Can you please send us a DM with the store location and date of your visit, so we can look into this?”
That response didn’t land well with everyone.
Some viewers expressed skepticism, arguing that public replies don’t always lead to real changes behind the scenes.
“They might comment like they care,” one person wrote, “but trust me, they won’t fix anything. Unfortunately they’ve gotten away with some insane negligence for many years.”
@dummybumb @Petco ♬ original sound – Sara
Another commenter added, “Petco responding only to seem like theyre a good company but once the creator dms them petco completely ignores them.”
Others tried to inject humor into an otherwise grim situation. “He’s thinking outside the box,” one commenter joked, referencing the fish’s position.
The Mary Sue has reached out to Sara via TikTok messages and comments for additional information and clarification.
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