ok....
my 2 cents
first of all there are 3 choices here in battle creek michigan
one is a little family owned store that is wonderful.....but....... they don't have "stuff"..... lots of piddly stuff like bubble activated ornaments and a HUGE suppy of fake plants for freshwater.....
also about 50 tanks.... of freshwater fish...... and about 2 tanks of saltwater fish..... in which everything in it looks horrible...
but being a support your small buisness's in your community type of guy.....
i go there and ask questions about saltwater and let him know im new to the hobby...... lots of freshwater exp but no saltwater...
know what his suggestion was???
i have these nano tanks over here that are a peice of cake.... just add a little live rock and a few fish and it takes care of itself.....
now i know better just from reading post on RC and i kinda thought to myself..... " hey maybe he's right....... hmmmmm "
i considered it because i have gone to him along time for freshwater stuff... i won't be going there for saltwater....
option two....... a place whos name invokes the thought of saltwater/reef specialty store..... ..
they have lots of saltwater fish.... most look good and even have a live rock tank..... bingo......
i find about 3 dead coral in it and upon further investigation the livestock tanks i find numerous dead fish in advanced stages of decay..... ok damn... maybe i'll get my fish other places and buy some tank drygoods......... " hey fish guy could i get some help over here?"
" uhhh sure what do you need?"
" interested in getting some lights for a future reef tank and would like to grow corals in it"
" here is a 48" strip light that will fit on your tank"
"well i need something that will let coral grow.... anyone here know more about corals?"
" uhhh .... ummm.... no not really just me i do most of the fish stuff"
ok goodbye
i understand it's costly and all that stuff but they pack their stores with a bunch of stuff no one wants...... get rid of it and buy decent stuff..... i counted 25 florescent hoods.... no CF's no metal halide.... nothing and when asked about it they look at me like they don't understand...... at least give the customer the opportunity to special order stuff......
i understand this isn't every fish store but in my area it is lol
ok im done venting