what local fish store do you like

[reefraver]

write your opinion on the fish store you like and why.


i just want to get a feel for wich store is more likeable from coral connections to seascape give me your opinions :D

[Bugs825]

Coral Connection Rocks - Great prices and very nice owners
Puss n' Pups - Getting better with new fish management
Venice Pet Center - good, ok selection but staff needs to be better
Fish Bowl - poor service/prices
Sea Scape - poor prices, service is ok


jmo

Nathan

[myakkareef]

All store are not created equal. CC is new and from what I understand a nice store good service, good prices. I have yet to make it in due to very busy lately. I will be in someday though.
The stores that I frequent all have there flaws and there good sides though. Rather it being that I know the owner for years or the store has been around for years...But here is my Opinions...
Coral Connections-Never visisted, heard good things..

Fish Bowl- Know the owner, thru early stages of business. Still like the people. Business has taken the normal turn from what I have experienced. Takes frags for credit, this is a plus.

SeaScape- Been in store many times over the last 40 years. Have purchased very little.

KD's SeaClear- New owners want to try to make things happen...

Personally, it has been along time I say close to 4 or more years since i have purchased Live Stock From a store. All my inhabitants have been in tank for over that period of time and any new ones have been from swaps, or local reefer purchases of frags...

Fish stores are just like any other store or business there is no way to please everyone, Trust me on this one...

[swims withthe fishes]

KD's seaclear? Did they buy out all of the 3 stores, or just 1, and which....

I am just curious as a former disgruntled employee...

[myakkareef]

All I know is Kevin bought out the SR70 in Bradenton location (not sure about other locations) and is trying to put the store back in shape...Got rid of all the dogs and looks to be only focusing on mostly SW fish and corals, and some FW stuff...So far it looks as though he is trying to make a go of it...

[swims withthe fishes]

LOL... he (mic) was trying to sell that store off 3 days after he opened the doors, i knew the dogs would be the death of him.... i guess 3 stores was too much for el-cheapo after i left. I heard all 3 stores where starting to look like the old downtown location.

[sandman12]

ever since they moved there sarasota location down the plaza its gone down hill.

[myakkareef]

James you lost me, you saying the store went down or the plaza went down. After moving from Ringling I thought he had gone Out of Business. Never knew he opened other stores, till I saw a ad for KD's..
SWTF I am sure I have met you at the old store. Used to go in alot 5-6 years ago....
How was your relationship with Kevin or did you know him?

[sandman12]

Mike (mic?) had a total of three stores at one time, the best one was on ringling blv., then he moved his store to another store in the same plaza and its been really crappy ever since (the monkey and big reef tank where main attractions for me).

[Big Ying]

I just stopped into a seaclear store in NorthPort. I think it was a seaclear affiliate? Anyway, It was dinky looking and I assumed they wouldn't even have saltwater, but they did. Packed a lot of stuff in there and a decent selection and prices for a small store with birds and hamsters, etc. I talked to the main guy and he seemed very nice, seemed competent with saltwater. Said he quaranteed new fish in the back for 3 weeks before putting them in main tanks. I bought a yellow tang I was looking for for $24.00. I've had it now for a week, seems very healthy - no ICK!

In regard to other stores, I've been to Coral Connection twice and they are my favorite. Have purchased several nice corals there, very fair prices, and some stuff you don't see other places.

Venice Pet Center for a long time I had a high opinion of - good staff, decent prices and selection. However, lately they seem to be going downhill. A lot of turnover in personnel, and the new people just don't know very much.

AA Pets in Port Charlotte is O.K. Decent selection, and I like how all their livestock is labeled and priced on the tanks. Not super knowledgeable staff, and they would do themselves a favor if their display tanks were more attractive and better quality lighting. Hard to even see the colors on the coral, which is why I have never bought any there, only fish.

Seascape has a good selection, variety,and the nicest looking store, but terribly overpriced. A couple of the times I've been there I found the staff to be kind of pushy, which turned me off. I haven't been to the other LFS's in Sarasota.

There used to be Pet Owners Warehouse here in Port Charlotte before Charley, but their store was devastated and still hasn't reopened. There has been some work done there, but I can't tell if the same store is going to open back up, or someone else. They were decent on fish, and non coral inverts - fair selection and prices, but their coral was terribly overpriced and nothing was labeled, which I don't like.

[reefraver]

thanks for your opinion keep it comming

[swims withthe fishes]

Quote

I just stopped into a seaclear store in NorthPort. I think it was a seaclear affiliate? Anyway, It was dinky looking and I assumed they wouldn't even have saltwater, but they did. Packed a lot of stuff in there and a decent selection and prices for a small store with birds and hamsters, etc. I talked to the main guy and he seemed very nice, seemed competent with saltwater. Said he quaranteed new fish in the back for 3 weeks before putting them in main tanks. I bought a yellow tang I was looking for for $24.00. I've had it now for a week, seems very healthy - no ICK!
-----------

LOL.....
I used to manage that store, there is no QT in the back, certainly not room to fit QT for every fish that comes in for 3 weeks. I was the one who setup the coral systems by the back door.(it's certainly possible things changed, but i doubt it) There isn't that much room in the back. They always tell you that they QT there, but no they don't, never have. The owners are only looking after one thing in that place, and that is #1, and the customer isn't #1. The location on Ringling was moved, but in the same center, was only closed for about a week. that is where the owners got in over their heads.
the store in NP was opened in Nov 2003, then 2 months later the store on SR70 was opened, and then weeks later the ringling location was moved down the plaza to a location by the flower shop. It was a hectic thing to deal with, and put a hurting on the company budget, this is why the SR70 store has been sold out within a year of it's grand opening, the ringling store was going to be shut down all together, but the son didn't want it to so they just moved it down the sidewalk to smaller SqFt.
I have to say that i am curious about this sale of the SR70 store to Kevin, it seems a bit shady to me, the more i think about it. Now kev is a good guy, and i hope he bought it out from under that jerk for next to nothing... but i don't see him being able to purchase and remodel this place on his earnings from Mic(the former owner, who by the way will respond to any name that sounds remotely close to his, it is Mic), nor do i see why he would keep the name, or the prior letting him keep the name.... Knowing the 2 parties involved here, it just doesn't seem right to me.

[Big Ying]

By the way, Pet Owners Warehouse in Port Charlotte is now open again. They expanded into the shop next door which gives them a lot more room. The store looks great!. Their tanks were all set-up, without water, but they said the plumbing wasn't finished, so they have no livestock. Will probably be 2 or 3 months before they have livestock.

[Big Ying]

New store called "Wet Pets", just opened in Port Charlotte on 41. Nice store inside. Only have aquatic pets and some snakes. Just have saltwater fish (and fresh) and some inverts (plus freshwater amphibians) right now, no coral as of yet, but will eventually.