Ten Questions

[Travis L. Stevens]

Here's a little poll that I'm gonna measure without creating a poll. Please answer each question with a LFS and a preffered reason why you think that the fish store selected was the best for the answer.

Originally posted by Travis L. Stevens

A)Southern Agriculture: 71st & Sheridan, and one off Mingo (just starting in reefs, only damsels, but some dry goods)
B)Paws: 31st & Garnet (Pretty new to offering corals)
C)Ultimate Reefs: 61st & Memorial
D)Corals & Reefs: 58th & 115th(Garnett)
E)Aquarium Dynamics: 51st & Sheridan (Soon to be 58th & Memorial)
F)Love-a-Pet: 81st & 145th(Kenosha?)
G)Petco: 71st & Memorial (Just opened up)
H)Petsmart: 71st & Mingo (Dry goods only)
I)PetMart: 71st & Lewis (Re-doing Coral selection and overall overhauling)
J)Tulsa Aquatics: 47th & Mingo
K)Pet Stop: 86th and 129th (Never been)
L)Aquarium Oddballs: 31st & Sheridan (Brand new. About 3 weeks old)
M)Other...Please state specifics (IE Online sources, out of state, etc)


Question 1: Who has the best Live Rock and/or Live Sand?
Question 2: Who has the best Fish?
Question 3: Who has the best Corals?
Question 4: Who has the best Invertabrates?
Question 5: Who has the best Dry Goods (IE Test Kits, Skimmers, Fish Food, etc. Essentially anything that is not alive.)?
Question 6: Who has the best Display Tank(s)?
Question 7: Who has the best Customer Service?
Question 8: Who actually Knows what they're talking about?
Question 9: Who has the overall best Prices?
Question 10: Who is your overall Favorite store?

*Please keep to local fish stores, but if you think a specific place that is not local is better than all the local stores. By all means, please list them.

Thank you for your time.

[TheMcs]

Question 1: Who has the best Live Rock and/or Live Sand? PAWS
Question 2: Who has the best Fish? Tulsa Aquatics
Question 3: Who has the best Corals? Ultimate Reefs/Tulsa Aquatics
Question 4: Who has the best Invertabrates? Tulsa Aquatics
Question 5: Who has the best Dry Goods (IE Test Kits, Skimmers, Fish Food, etc. Essentially anything that is not alive.)? Ultimate Reefs
Question 6: Who has the best Display Tank(s)? Ultimate Reefs
Question 7: Who has the best Customer Service? Ultimate Reefs/Aquarium Oddballs
Question 8: Who actually Knows what they're talking about? Ultimate Reefs/Aquariun Oddballs
Question 9: Who has the overall best Prices? Aquarium Oddballs
Question 10: Who is your overall Favorite store? Ultimate Reefs/Aquarium Oddballs

[Travis L. Stevens]

I guess I should answer these questions myself since it is a poll

Question 1: Who has the best Live Rock and/or Live Sand? Paws/Aquarium Oddballs
Question 2: Who has the best Fish? Paws(Healthy)/Tulsa Aquatics or Love-A-Pet (Variety)
Question 3: Who has the best Corals? Paws/Tulsa Aquatics/Corals & Reefs
Question 4: Who has the best Invertabrates? PetMart (Abundancy)
Question 5: Who has the best Dry Goods (IE Test Kits, Skimmers, Fish Food, etc. Essentially anything that is not alive.)? DIY ... sorry, I'm a little bias
Question 6: Who has the best Display Tank(s)? Paws (Ultimate Reefs tank is down last time I saw ;) ) but Tulsa Aquatics Cichlid tank is quite nice.
Question 7: Who has the best Customer Service? Aquarium Oddballs/Paws (When you catch the SW ladies at work)/PetMart(When you catch Jeff or Doug)/Tulsa Aquatics
Question 8: Who actually Knows what they're talking about? Well everyone has their own way of doing things, but do NOT go to PetSmart, PetCo, Love-A-Pet, Southern Agriculture (for SW, good with FW), or Pet Stop. The rest you have to visit to see how they do things. Paws display tank is ran on a canister filter (If I remember right) and I would only ever use a sump.
Question 9: Who has the overall best Prices? Aquarium Oddballs
Question 10: Who is your overall Favorite store? Paws/PetMart/Aquarium Oddballs

[vonswedge]

where is this oddballs store at 31st and Sheridan?

[TheMcs]

West of Sheridan on the North side of 31st, across the street from the movie theater. West end of a strip mall.

[vonswedge]

I went to aquarium oddballs and I have to say their prices are great the Scott knows his stuff. Give them a month or two and theyll have ALOT of products.

[SoonerBolt]

I like the people at all the stores, so I tried to factor that out unless the question called for it. We really do have some nice people running the stores around town & I think they all want to help.


Question 1: Who has the best Live Rock and/or Live Sand? Aquarium Dynamics before they disappeared...I think they brought in some TBS rock because it always had a lot of life. Tulsa Aquatics probably has the most different types available at once. Maybe Pet Stop wins this one now. I bought almost all mine off individuals.

Question 2: Who has the best Fish? Tulsa Aquatics...not even close. At one time he had 4 different types of mated clown pairs @$75. The only other ones I've seen in town were at Corals and Reefs for $100+ I've seen it just after shipment with 30+ manderins in a tank to chose from -- all healthy and fat. He has the best selection of fish and there is always something new.

Question 3: Who has the best Corals?Tulsa Aquatics...not even close. No one gets in the stuff this guy does. From the huge clams, 20+ SPS colonies, huge hammers/torchs, etc. It all seems to sell pretty quickly too.

Question 4: Who has the best Invertabrates? Tulsa Aquatics

Question 5: Who has the best Dry Goods (IE Test Kits, Skimmers, Fish Food, etc. Essentially anything that is not alive.)?Tie...none are great here....maybe Corals and Reefs if I had to pick one but the prices are high.

Question 6: Who has the best Display Tank(s)? Aquarium Dynamics before they moved...Ultimate Reefs before Nick left....Cowboy Sharkies??? lol Not many good ones really. Maybe Ultimate Reefs will get back up to speed as they restock it.

Question 7: Who has the best Customer Service? Tulsa Aquatics...Has let me in twice when he wasn't open (just inside working) when he saw a car pull in. Always helpful. Prices for fish are almost always clearly labeled and posted.

Question 8: Who actually Knows what they're talking about? All do to some extent...all miss to some extent. I've had bad experiences at Aquarium Dynamics, Ultimate Reefs & Corals and Reefs.

Question 9: Who has the overall best Prices? maybe Ultimate Reefs, but its close. I didn't check Oddballs prices that much because I didn't see much to buy when I was there.

Question 10: Who is your overall Favorite store? Tulsa Aquatics...if they were open more hours it would be no contest. They always have a ton of fish and corrals. Maybe you pay a little more (you don't on a lot of things), but its worth it to know if you drive there you will see something new vs looking at empty tanks or the same things that were there last week.


PAWS fish were horrible the time I was in there....a manderin was starving in one tank for example (don't they know to have it in a tank with live rock/pods if its going to be there for a while?). The display tank was covered in hair algae. I may go back when I revisit Oddballs, but I wouldn't make a special trip for it.

I was in Oddballs a couple of weeks ago too and I don't see much. They barely had any live rock and it was small pieces. I guess I didn't see the live sand. I'll be back later because I realize they are a new store and just getting started. It takes a while to get stock built up and hopefully they keep growing. They seemed to be very nice and helpful. I hope they do well.

I haven't seen Corals & Reefs since they moved.

Pet Stop is pretty good, but its not as good as Tulsa Aquatics and not so much better than the other places to make it worth the drive to Owasso to me.

[Travis L. Stevens]

I have to admit, though I really enjoy paws, something has happened in the past month or so. Something anout their quality. That Mandarin was a new fish, and looked pretty bad in the first place, but they arent helping any unless it eats dry food. The tank that its in is ran on a canister filter. Their display tank used to be really nice, but when they changed it to hold the big coral so they can frag it off and took out their display fish, it looks really bad (could be a lot worse but "bad" to what it used to look like. The worst part about oddballs is I know they are still new, but they still don't have much. Although everytime I go its the same amouny of stuff as any previous trip, but with different stuff so you know theyre inventory is moving.

[SoonerBolt]

Made another trip around some of the stores last week. PAWS said they couldn't get saltwater shipments because of the weather....all the other stores were getting shipments that day or the next. Maybe their supplier isn't very good or saltwater isn't a high priority.

Oddballs seems like they are run by nice people. I'll stop back in there sometime I'm sure.

Corals & Reefs new store is looking pretty good. You have to give them credit for labelling their prices (along w/Tulsa Aquatics) consistently.

Aquatics was lower than usual on fish (just before shipment), but had more corals than the other stores combined.

[Travis L. Stevens]

I would like to find/see Aquarium Dynamics new place. I know its somewhere around Cowboy Sharkys right next to Ultimate Reefs. BTW, If you are ever in Cowboy Sharky's, look for some of my artwork there ;) (Hint-It will have Budwieser logos if it's mine. IE banners, mirrors, glass etchings, etc)

Sooner Bolt, I wonder if Paws gets their shipment from the west coast where they are recieving rather nasty weather?

[SoonerBolt]

I've heard that is where Aquarium Dynamics will open up again also. I'll see what I can find.

I don't know about PAWS supplier...That was the first store I went to that day and the only one that had problems with supply. The rest were getting shipments as usual or more than usual.

[SoonerBolt]

I'll amend my answers to give the best display tank to Ultimate Reefs. They have done a nice job getting that thing back in shape after it was emptied out. To their credit all the stuff in it is usually for sale, so that might make it tougher to maintain a full display. They also had more fish in stock than I've ever seen there....hope they keep improving and doing well.

Also I got a call from Aquarium Dyanamics (or the people that used to run it, don't know)....saying they opened their store at 58th and Memorial. I'll try to check it out soon. Maybe someone else already has?

[Travis L. Stevens]

A few people already have, but I haven't. I have to give props to Shane at Ultimate Reefs as well. That tank has grown by leaps and bounds. He is supposed to be getting T5s on it as well.

[keckles]

Maristar 3x250w 20k DE HQI with 4x 39w AquaBlue t-5s on the display.

Now carrying both the Maristar and the Tek-Light system if anyone is interested.

[Travis L. Stevens]

I saw it just today and it was BEAUTIFUL. It just made everything shimmer like crazy

[AlienSpawn]

I have been shopping saltwater in the Tulsa area for 9+ years. I will start out by saying that I have never been to aquarium oddballs, Southern agri.(since they have been carrying saltwater), or PAWS. I had a couple of bad experiences (and a couple of good ones) at Tulsa Aquatics. He misrepresented an RO/DI I ordered(didn't come with everything he said it would then made me pay extra for the missing cartridge) That was back when he was new. I know he does have good deals though but I also find him personally a little obnoxious. Maybe I should overlook this and give him another try for livestock. OK

Q 1. - Was Aquarium dynamics, not sure now (by the way, where are they now, I looked last week around Cowboy sharkies area and couldn't find them.)

Q 2. - I have had good luck at (F) Love-a pet. Bought many there with great mortality rates. You just need to know is reef safe, etc because nobody there knows much of anything. One customer was asking a girl there questions and I found myself chiming in because the girl had NO idea what she was talking about. (K) Petstop - I was in there a couple of weeks ago and they had alot of good looking fish, didn't used to, I was surprised. Reasonable prices too

Q 3. - Was (E) Aquarium Dynamics for a long time. Havent seen a good reliable selection lately.(that wasnt way overpriced)

Q 4. - nobody that I have seen although Love-a-pet has some good one hit and miss. Usually have biggest peppermint shrimp around (when they have them) and lots of arrow crabs

Q 5. - INTERNET!!! Everybody in town is soooo overpriced with limited selection. Best in town is (K) PetStop, alot of selection on test kits, additives, etc. Filter and light prices too high and not much knowledge by any staff I have talked to.

Q 6. - Love-a-pet has the most for fish and inverts, only one for corals. As far as tank prices (C) Ultimate Reef has best prices for the 215 gallon Oceanic setup I am going to buy soon with reef-ready tank, stand, canopy, and sump. If anyone knows anybody more competative please let me know.

Q 7. - Hard to say. Nobody gaurantees livestock but Aquarium dynamics probably stood behind theirs more than anyone. Not sure any more. Haven't bought much at Ultimate yet but getting ready to buy the setup I just mentioned in the last question. They have been very helpful in answering questions about it.

Q 8. - ME!!! Please don't think that was in any way an egocentric remark but I get so tired of not have anybody be able to answer the hard questions about livestock. I have been doing this 9 years, read many books on it, and spent hundreds of hours on the interned doing research and I find I know more than most everyone working on the sales floors of these stores. Betty was very knowledgable at (E)A.D. but the last few years she is rarely around and it is just the kids she hires helping you. Ask questions about different kinds of MH lighting retrofits and they look at you funny. Another thing I have found is that you can go ask the same question at every different store and usually get a different answer from every one of them. Of course that is not too different from books and internet in that there are alot of different theories out there and different things work for different people and systems so take advice lightly and carefully before implementing it. (sorry so windy there)

Q 9. - Depends on item, found some good deals at (C) Ultimate Reef but stock is very sparse. Good prices on fish at PetStop

Q 10. - none

[keckles]

Aquarium Dynamics is inside Cowboy Sharky's. It is now known as Cowboy Sharky's Reef Shop. They have lots of show tanks set up and everything in them is for sale.

[Travis L. Stevens]

Ive been by there a hundred times and the only entrance i see is into the bar...21+ to even enter...am I missing an entrance?

[keckles]

When did you stop by Travis? I went by a few weeks ago through the only entrance I know of.

[AlienSpawn]

Was Betty there? (The original owner)

[Travis L. Stevens]

i went during the day and it said that the doors i were at didnt open until like 4pm....i guess i was at the wrong place

[AlienSpawn]

Talked to Betty today. You have to go inside the restaurant "Cowboy Sharkies". She is the owner of the aquarium side of things. Lots of nice display tanks and as far as I can tell almost everything is for sale. She is trying to get re-established after closing Aquarium Dynamics. Worth checking out. She is very nice to work with.

[Travis L. Stevens]

I would love to go check that out. I didn't know that there was a different side to Cowboy Sharkies. I just went to the doors on the right side of the building facing the street (right side when you are looking at it as if you were standing in the middle of Memorial.)

[tankwizard]

Hi Everyone, thought I'd get on and give you all a heads up on things in my life. I am currently employed by the new owner of Aquarium Dynamics assets. I work at Cowboy Sharkies at 5840 S. Memorial. The Reef Shop is located in the resturant in the back. You must go thru the restaurant front doors. There's a restaurant, sports bar & reef shop. Kind of a West coast concept.

People have wondered what's been up. Well, here goes.
In Feb 2003, 5 months after moving the store to 51st & Sheridian the children's deadbeat dad up & moved to Tucson Az. Turning a page on life, leaving me with ALL the responsibility of home, children, business, money, well life in general. Running a business and a life on the same cash basis as I did "with no help" thing got really tight. My family has gone thru some major life changes.

And during this time if there were any one that had any problems with Aquarium Dynamics in any way I do apoligize. I have only tried to help anyone how ever I could. I am still in the hobby and available to help anyone I can to succeed in the hobby. Anyway enough about me.
Come by and see me at Cowboy Sharkies. we have a lot to offer you as the hobbyist. We have a 48hr guarantee on livestock and a 30 day 1/2 price guarantee because we know with knowledge and customer care "you can do it". Any way the # is 280-9000 and my cell is 519-REEF.

Thanks for your ear, Bettie

[liv4scuba]

I think Aquarium Oddballs is doing the best job here in town. They might not have a huge selection but they will get anything in that you want. The great thing about Oddballs is that they are honest and will not sale you anything that is sick. They defantly have the best customer service and reasonable prices. Yes you might be able to find some better prices at different stores but the fish do not look as healthy. I would also rather pay a few dollars more for great customer service. I wish them well and thank them for all the great hospitality.

[AlienSpawn]

I have been shopping at oddballs alot too. Very friendly and consiensous about what they sell. Not alot of stock but very eager to order whatever you want and getting more in all the time. In time looks like they will have a great setup. I don't mind waiting for special orders to get what I want at the right price. I find their prices very competative to great. I bought a tank, stand, sump, wrasse, and shroom rock so far and planning on buying alot more from them.