Strictly Fish,

[AeroD79]

I just want to vent how unpleasant being there yesterday
besides a neat and clean place...

I barely had a good customer service with them but the last visit I feel so unwelcomed ..

I called to ask for pricing on few things (CA test kit and Oceanic salt) got put on hold too long so I called again..but put on hold again and I ended up hearing to some sports radio/tv

few mins later when I arrived there, I noticed them all eating and one is at the fish area cleaning or fixing a light fixture.

One of the guy asked me if I have any questions but..his body language and expression is not pleasant..he looks serious! at least smile.

Salifert Ca test kit is $29.99 and bucket of oceanic was about $60. I asked for a price break on the test kit to 24.99 i got a no. Oh wells I m just too lazy to drive to Carson tropical to buy their test kit. I got plenty of errands left to do.

gosh Ill not go there ever again despite chances given...

end of my case

[Bugs]

Where are they located? Is it a big store or a small store? What is the name of the store? Is it "Strictly Fish"?

[AeroD79]

Carson st...lakewood. its good size and overpriced

[snslarison]

I dont go there anymore either. No customer service, weak stock and high prices. Need I say more?

[john37]

You know what, i was actually thinking of starting a thread like this but felt kind of bad. thanks AeroD79. it's so true though. they're customer service is quite terrible.

[AeroD79]

Yeah, Circle pet i think in the area has a better customer service. Their coral selections are getting better bit by bit.

[reefah]

They may have weak customer service, but their livestock is the healthiest I've ever seen and experienced, as far as fish go. I buy all my fish at strictly and not once has one ever gotten sick or died, unlike the poor quality of Tong's livestock...

[reefpeep2004]

Comparing a LFS to Tongs is not much of a comparison.
Strictly's customer service is pretty poor. The guys just sit around eating and watching TV 10 hours a day. I've seen many customers with their dead fish in the bag coming in for replacements, including a six-line that I lost in the first 4 hours (they gave me a replacement and it too died within a day - the other two they had died at the store). All LFS lose fish, but not all of them have sales help who act like you're imposing on them.

They're well aware of their sales issues (search for other threads on Strictly), but I guess they choose not to do much about it.

Circle is small but adequate, and fairly priced in hardgoods.

For livestock I'd recommend Seaside or Pacific Reef.

[JN Reef]

Where's "Circle?"

Back when Strictly Fish was also operating in Garden Grove, I thought they had pretty good service
I guess its different at the Lakewood location.

[AeroD79]

ximeno ave at traffic circle

[birdman204]

Originally posted by reefah
They may have weak customer service, but their livestock is the healthiest I've ever seen and experienced, as far as fish go. I buy all my fish at strictly and not once has one ever gotten sick or died, unlike the poor quality of Tong's livestock...

See now, I've bought 3 at strictly and 15 fish at tongs...
all 3 strictly fish, dead.
all 15 Tongs fish alive and well.

[Tarasco1]

the strictly fish in garden grove is what got me started in reefing. i was bummed when they had to get rid of that store. i've seen what you guys have talked about, but i got around it by knowing the guys that run the place a little, since i bought my system through them.

as for the fish at sf, i bought some leopard wrasses that didn't last more than a couple of days, all other fish fine. tong's, the only fish i had last was a chromis, all other fish died. the lps that i got from there did great though.

[dattack]

The one on Garden Grove was a nice fish store to check out and prices were pretty decent.

[reefpeep2004]

BTW, I have a theory about the reason so many fish from Tong's die at home. Anyone ever noticed the big sign they have posted way up on the ceiling? They run their salt gravity LOW. I forget exactly what it said...maybe something around 1.21?

I suspect that fish from Tong's should be acclimated more slowly than usual so they don't go into shock. I think the fish are healthy, but we rush them into our tanks. Just a theory. I could be completely off .

[AeroD79]

that low sg can be it and/ or when people buy fishes during the restocking day..in which the fishes are most stressed and weak from the wholesaler..

[aesthetic]

i agree with both of you... alot of people go into the LFS on mondays or (well usually) shipment days... and the fish ends up moving twice in one day...

[Bugs]

If you don't get it on the shipment day, you won't have the options to pick and choose. When would it be the best day to buy the fish? Is it after the shipment day when it is already acclimated????

[gtrestoration]

The fish are kept at low SG to slow down the reproduction and spreading of diseases and parasites IMO. Without this treatment Ich would soon wipe out everything in these tanks in short order.
We as hobbyist might also try to find out if those fish we are purchasing are net-caught fish or if "some other" method is being used. Not sure if our retailers even know the answer but it seems the cyanide issue has been swept under the rug as of late.

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=573743

SteveU

[AeroD79]

Originally posted by Bugs
If you don't get it on the shipment day, you won't have the options to pick and choose. When would it be the best day to buy the fish? Is it after the shipment day when it is already acclimated????

ask the lfs manager to save it for you, some lfs will do it for you. Deposit or full buy may be required. its good to have the fish stay with them for at least 5 days assuming they take care of it well.

Also its a very good idea to have your own quarantine tank too for the sake of the new fish and your main tank.

[Bugs]

Thanks AeroD79. I have asked one of the LFS to hold it for me but they don't do that anymore. I thought it was the general rules through out. I will ask around to see which LFS will do that and I will buy fish from them in the future.

[snslarison]

I must be looking for somthing different than you guys because I think Tongs in Fountain Valley is the best LFS around here. The prices are high but nobody can touch their selection.

[AeroD79]

I only bought one fish from Tongs...mandarin goby ..its still alive since March

[laverda]

Tongs has a great selection, but not much good if they all die! And that has been my experiance. Maybe the low salinaty is the cause. but theyshould warn people if that is the case. They have the best selection of hard goods to and I go there for that as they have what you need.

[snslarison]

Laverda,

If by hard goods you mean dry goods, buy that stuff online. Prices at the LFS are ridculous.

[AeroD79]

Yeah LFS prices are too much! but it is needed to keep the store going. reefgeek.com is so much cheaper and it comes to you within few days.

[jcoopergd]

I've bought 90% of my stuff from Circle Pet - in Long Beach - Strickly fish i visited, but like everyone else here, terrible customer service.

Circle pet though stocks low quality Hardgoods (only rio pumps, prizm skimmers etc) - and there prices are OK - one good thing - when i buy corals there, they always look alot better the next day in my tank. I think they have a lot of stock go in and out, and the corals never get truly acclimated to their holding tanks.

Also Circle pet has a few "friendly" staff who like to get a little too firendly with my girlfriend. She wont go in there now, unless im with her....

I like tongs selection - great layout, and we got a hippo tang there - still alive 8 months later - and when we bought it, the sales guy said they treat there FO tanks with copper....

there coral selection is great, but most of what i want to buy is Not For Sale...lame..

j

[AeroD79]

I totally agree on your comment j....i seen one got too friendly, though its pleasant to be there.

[reefpeep2004]

Update on Strictly. I stopped in tonight to pick up some mysis and THREE sales guys asked me if I needed help. Things are looking up :)

[Felix Mata]

Fellow's I'm telling you that you should try and visit Coral Oasis in Irvine if it is not to far from where you are, Ben and Catharine are wonderful young people starting last January and willing to help with whataver your needs are, and the price is almost always right, there have been several threads on this store and I'm telling you they are for real and every one should pay them a visit and forget Tong's and the other expensive LFS.

[AeroD79]

Felix, yes they are nice over there too but its quite a drive for us LB peeps here.

Reefpeep, I just feel like not coming back there anymore at all. Some customers just never give back a chance.

[racinghart]

i have to agree with you guys... the only reason i go there is for RO water and saltwater since its really close to me. they suck at customer service and when you ask a question they look at you like youre stupid and correct you and stuff unpleasantly. how do they stay in business?

[racinghart]

Originally posted by Felix Mata
Fellow's I'm telling you that you should try and visit Coral Oasis in Irvine if it is not to far from where you are, Ben and Catharine are wonderful young people starting last January and willing to help with whataver your needs are, and the price is almost always right, there have been several threads on this store and I'm telling you they are for real and every one should pay them a visit and forget Tong's and the other expensive LFS.

i can vouch for Ben and Cathy as well! they smile all the time and help you out with everything you need and even talk to you about non-fish subjects with you.

[hail_sniper]

Originally posted by racinghart
i have to agree with you guys... the only reason i go there is for RO water and saltwater since its really close to me. they suck at customer service and when you ask a question they look at you like youre stupid and correct you and stuff unpleasantly. how do they stay in business?

HA! half the time they get their information wrong, ive seen them give out soo much bs all the time, and one time i went they put a blue tang in a tank with 4 puffers and wondered why the tang died, they are overpriced, hardly like to help, and watch baseball allday, most hardly know anything about sw and they know less about reefing, so if you can stay away

[Bearbait]

Stricly Fish on Carson in lakewood sucks! I was buying a Metal Halide unit 175watt he wanted like 700 bucks when i told him that was why to much he said he has to pay his rent and if I didnt want to pay for it I could buy it elsewere. also one piece of halameda macro 20 bucks because its on a rock..lol I will never buy anything from there again. since were talking long beach another store sucks is seven seas on delamo past the lakewood mall. They suck even worse no back up customer service. Why back when helios was having the ballast burn out i bought one from those guys didnt take it out of the box . looked it up on the net and saw that it was a bust. took it back and wanted to trade it in and he told me that he wouldnt do it because he didnt know if I messed with it a repackaged it .. They suck!

[snslarison]

Check out Pacific Reef in Fountain Valley. Great prices and service.

[AeroD79]

Where is the cross street for Pac. Reef?

Coral Oasis is probably the best priced place so far ...they got some acro colony 4-6inches across with blue color at 65.00 dollars...good condition.

.75cents for hermits is agood price.
very nice people.

I like the fact that they have an acclimation station for their new stocks.

[snslarison]

There are two locations. I like the one in Fountain Valley more. Here you go...

http://www.reefpacific.com/location_hours.htm

[AeroD79]

did they have a new mgmt for Reef Pac? Their prices are pretty high when I was there months and months ago

[racinghart]

Originally posted by hail_sniper
HA! half the time they get their information wrong, ive seen them give out soo much bs all the time, and one time i went they put a blue tang in a tank with 4 puffers and wondered why the tang died, they are overpriced, hardly like to help, and watch baseball allday, most hardly know anything about sw and they know less about reefing, so if you can stay away

your right about that baseball watching... seriously! they are too busy staring at the damn TV screen... who owns that place? those two guys that look the same right? are they brothers? honestly... turn off the TV! or put on some porn so maybe they can bring in more business. jp jp...im just saying that out of anger cause they seriously could use some training.

[Scopaeniform]

Here it is:

1. I hate the Yankees.
2. I hate the fact that they do not give raises to ANYONE who works for them.
3. They don't fire all of the people who totally suck because they don't want to have to do any work and they never reward the people who try so they end up sucking after a while too.

[john37]

yeah! put em out of business! you go guys. ha ha

[d34532]

I've talked to the owner's son in the pass and it was his dad that jack up the price and will not lower it. The reason that their price is a bit higher is that on wed. its 25% day hehehe kind of like Tong's sale however with the 25% their price is good when you do take the 25% off. Ive never really like the lakewood store but the son who use to work at the GG store is the only person I'll deal with at the lakewood store.

As for Tong's fish I don't like it at all. Reason for the Low SG and copper is they OVER stock their FO tank if you guys haven't notice. The only good note is that if you get fish from tong that has been there for a while then they are healthly because all the rest have died.

[snslarison]

I have bought fish and corals all over the place and the fact of the matter is some die. Theres nothing you can do. Tongs, strictly fish and Pacfic reef all get their livestock from the same place so thers no difference. You want to look for a healthy specimen but some fish will make it and some wont. Go on price and service.

Scott

[Scopaeniform]

I agree with Scott. Go on price and service. Two things strictly fish doesn't have going for it. I think that it is funny that none of the three "owners" of the place have any aquariums. Every time I have been in there they are spending their time at the fish store buying and selling old skateboard decks on Ebay or watching baseball and you are made to feel like dummy just because you have a question.

[gtrestoration]

I think that it is funny that none of the three "owners" of the place have any aquariums.

I don't think that's really that unusual. Many times (not all) when you turn your hobby into a business you find you need a new hobby. I'd kept SW for many years until old cars got me interested and I backed away for a while. The old car hobby got me into my current business and as you can see I'm back to fish as a hobby... again.

SteveU

[AeroD79]

did anyone go to Strictly fish for their summer sale? how was the prices after discount and customer service?

[rbdesigns]

The summer sale is not until thursday. I am going on thursday to see how good their pricing is. Their flyer says at cost for acrylic tanks and 33% off of all livestock, excluding the specially marked livestock. Everything else dry goods 25-75% off.

[d34532]

I agree with you scott that those places get the livestock at the same place but what they do with the livestock when its in their hands is all different. Service and Price is only a factor but the stress the animal is under at their care is the issue. I would go with no service and higher price as long as they know how to take care of the animal. As limit as their selection on coral is better taken care of then other larger select coral shop. I would check out their select at the sell.

[rbdesigns]

For the most part I think they take care of their livestock.They have a rainfordi's goby there for over a month now. The price is really high, almost forty buck, compared to other places that sell it under 20. They have it labeled as a male rainfordi's, but I don't know how they can tell the sex though. I go once a week, to see if they have anything new, but it's always the same livestock. One thing I did notice was that one of their anemones was melting and they hadn't removed it yet. The other rose and green btas weren't bleached like other pet stores. Their pricing on Koi fish is competitive. I bought 12 Koi fish in march and I got lucky. They started spawning and I have more than 50 koi swimming in the pond. Everyday I go to my pond I have new fry.

[bill624]

so have any of your fry grown up yet? or have they all died? maybe you can sell them later for coral money~!?

[rbdesigns]

Yeah they have. They are about 1-2" and I have some less than an 1/8 of an inch.I haven't figured out who laid them though. I have Koi and butterflies and I think it was multiple females that laid eggs. Some of them have the fancy fins while others don't. Probably a mix of both fishes.

[Iconoclast]

I practicly live at Stricly Fish, Terry is great, I call him the fish hippie, he knows his stuff and is very helpful! Some of the other guys, the two brothers, believe me if you saw them you would know who I mean, are not very helpful and sadly they are the ones that answer the phone. Overall I think Strictly fish is great, I make all my purchases on Wed. :D and any dry goods I stock up during there sales, like 3 times a year. Now Circle Pet, I've gone to all my life, however, when it comes to customer service they are in the dog hole. Craig, tries, but make sure you get in line to get help. Chris is an excellent guy, and will help you with anything you need to know, I only go there if I know he's working that day. They also have discounts on Wed. and Friday, 15% off, however all the fish anyone would want are convenient on sale, and therefore the 15% does not count. As for Pacific Reef I will never go to the one in Anaheim again, horrible owner, rude and has lost my business.

[rbdesigns]

Yeah the two tall guys, I know who you are talking about. Whenever I ask them a question they tell me to call tomorrow and ask Terry, cuz they don't know the answer to my question and he could help me out. I didn't know they had sales on wednesday when I heard them tell someone else. I felt dumb cuz I always purchase my fish on saturday or monday, and I had even asked the two brothers when they had sales on the livestock and they told me they only do it once or twice a year. Then to make sure I went on a wednesday and saw the signs that said 25% off.

[Iconoclast]

Strictly Fish is having a super sale as they discussed this weekend.
All livestock is 33% off, dry goods 25%, acrylic tanks at cost (great deal)
It starts Thursday and these sales are why Strictly Fish keeps my business.

[rbdesigns]

I can't wait, because I want to buy a couple of tanks and heaters. Shipping adds up, so I've been waiting.

[AeroD79]

those tall guys should go then. IMO its bad role model and bad for bussiness

[AeroD79]

i mean bad role model for the new guys that work there with them two. I wonder how they would feel around them

[rbdesigns]

The person that always helps me is the Asian guy with the long hair. I think he knows more than the owners. One time the owner was just standing around and I asked him to help me out, the guy looked at me and sent the Asian guy to help me out. After that I said screw it, I'm not talking to these mofos. So I only buy stuff when the cool guy is there. Most of the other people just look at me, but don't say anything to me. Sometimes I feel like asking them what is there problem.

[Iconoclast]

I say talk to the asian guy, or the hippy. Anyone else really knows little or cares little.
But the asian guy and the hippy are the BEST customer service and caring types I have met about fish. So avoid the brothers, avoid anyone who looks like a kid, and get great advice and fish.
Also, I hate 7 Seas with a passion, I actually spoke with the real owner of that shop and she said was helpless to the horrible help and fish. She had no experience or knowledge about fish, and lets her nephew run it, and her nephew is a total jerk.

[Scopaeniform]

I think the asian guy with the braided hair knows his stuff better than anybody there. He seems to know a lot about freshwater as well as saltwater which is a rare find there. The only thing he can't help me with are inverts in my reef or plants for my freshwater planted tank. Terry is ok, just a little too political for my taste though. I think the guys who own that place burned out on it a long time ago and should have sold the place. But it seems to be an easy paycheck.

Where is Coral Oasis? I have been mainly been going to Pacific Reef (kinda on the way home from work) in Foutain Valley. I have been looking for a good place close to home but the only places close to where I live are 7 Seas and that small place off of South St. and Woodruff.

[rookie96]

Coral Oasis is in Irvine by John Wayne Airport. The website is coraloasis.com

[Iconoclast]

Do not go to Strickly Fish.
I feel so horrible now, after saying so many good things about them.
I purchased 3 fish from them Thursday during the sale, they all died within 72 hours. All my parameters are good, I have yet to lose a fish in any of my tanks where they were put, but somehow they all died.
I went there, they were very rude, and before I even asked for anything they asked or even checked the water, they acted like I was trying to rip them off.
All my parameters were good, my salinity was at 1.026 with the sample (when I got home I showed 24) and they just reamed into me for 20 minutes about how saltwater fish cannot survive past 1.023 and about what a horrible reefer I am.
I was persistant though, and they gave me two replacement fish and told me never to come back. Heh, like I need to be told. Before they offered 2 replacement fish, all they would do is give half credit on 2 fish, which would not even buy one fish after sale.
So heed the warnings people, if you buy fish from them, take an extra long look for ich or stress, and do not buy from them if the shipment just came in.

[AeroD79]

tsk tsk =/
Im sorry about your loss.

I think its not a good idea to get fishes that just arrived from Wholesale. This is common to find especially during sales week.

[rbdesigns]

The only type of fish I buy from them are clownfish. Everything else I have bought has died in my tank. I have lost a yellow tang, a yellow eyed tang, a scotter blenny, and a mandarin. The yellow tang died of ick after four months, but the rest died within a week. I think they only give a one day guarantee on the fish. Even though they get shipments in, I have never seen them acclimating them. I bet they just throw them into the tank. When I bought my fish the specific gravity was at 1.018. I think its too stressful for the fish to get acclimated back to 1.025, even though it's a drip acclimation. Last monday I watched two pairs of clownfish die on me within an hour of being acclimated to my tank.
What I do now is not try and acclimate them to my tank, but instead set up a tank and match the salinity of their water. Then I don't bother with the drip method and just pour about an once or two every couple of minutes. I just slowly match the ph and I haven't lost any fish this way, compared to trying to raise the salinity within two hours using the drip method.

[rbdesigns]

I asked them about the whole nano cube issue and they told me none of their tanks had cracked. I ended up deciding to get a 12 dx because I got it on sale for $135. I was going to check it for any defects, but decided not to. As soon as I got home, there was a deep scratch next to rounded corner, it went all the way down to the bottom. I was ****ed off cuz I knew they would give me a hard time getting it switched. I took the chance with the mindset of not leaving without a replacement or start throwing fists. It turned out they trusted me. The fat guy gave me a look, but had them give me another one. They didn't even check it. So I figured there is a problem with the nano cube if they can simply just say, we'll just send it back to the company, without bothering to examine the cube.

[Iconoclast]

Ya, the fat guy was the one who gave me trouble too. He has this attitude that the customer is wrong and he is doing us, the buyers, a favor.
I found a good shop today, it's at South and Woodruff. I got an excellent Powder Brown and Purple Anenome from them and they were all very nice.

[reefah]

I believe that place on south and woodruff is called SeaScapes.... pretty nice store...

[Iconoclast]

Yes, Seascapes. They were all nice.
The mother and father of the owner was watching the shop and we sat and talked about fish for a good while.
The mother discounted the power brown and anenome for me, as well as said next time we come in we will get a better discount.
It felt good to go to a store where they appreciate your business, as opposed to demand it.

[stinkyfish]

i bought my metal halide setup from seascapes and just because it took hamilton a week longer than expected to build it, jerry(the owner) told his mom to give it to me at his cost. she even showed me the receipt from hamilton. that's almost unheard of nowadays.

[rbdesigns]

Do you have an address for seascapes?

[Iconoclast]

Seascapes is off South street from the 605, turn left before you get to woodruff and it is in the Lakewood Shopping Center, according to an internet search I did. It is just right across the street from Petco, whose address is in 5615 Woodruff Ave
Lakewood, CA 90713. Hope that helps. They seem like great people.

[stinkyfish]

they are on the north east corner of woodruff & south st. next to ortho mattress. they have a pretty small selection, but sometimes some nice stuff for cheap$$$

[Scopaeniform]

That would be awesome if people started going to Seascapes instead of Strictly Fish. I have only been in there a few times but the guy who runs it seems really nice. The only bad part about it is that all the times I have been the only one there the whole time.

Really sad that SF gets more business just because of locality. It would be great if people would make it a point to give their business to a place like Seascapes.

[Iconoclast]

I spoke to Jerry today and told him how much I enjoyed coming to his store the other day and thanked me for my business and told me if there is anything in particular I want her can order it. He also gave me some good adivce on a flowerpot I have that is not doing well. He has some cool stuff, particularly a blue jellyfish which is one of the coolest things I have seen. Seems like a great place and would love to see them get a larger selection, perhaps with more business that will happen. Great people!

[laverda]

Iconoclast: There is a great thread on how to feed your flowerpot and keep it healthy on RC if you search for it.

[midnighttoker]

tank prices are reasonable.

[Konadog]

Originally posted by midnighttoker
tank prices are reasonable. Even better during there sales.

And
[welcome]