I have to know, who actually purchases fish from Pasadena Trop Fish?

[saltyESQ]

Everytime I go there, which includes today, all their fish are dying. I get so depressed as it is like walking through a terminal wing at a hospital. I just can't imagine ever getting a healthy fish from that store.
They really need to stop selling saltwater fish and just focus on corals, freshwater fish, and supplies.

[WWodyz]

and it ( psuedochromis) died in two days....everything i have are healthy. I dont know why LFS owners doesnt take out dead fish in their tanks!!

[Jamie1210]

How weird, because every fish that I've gotten from them have been doing great. then again, every fish that I've gotten from them have been clowns, which are super easy.

[dangle]

It depends with them I think. When I first started going there I thought their fish didn't look so great. Then it looked like they were getting a lot better and now lately it seems the fish are not so healthy again and alot more dead or dying fish.

But I did get a red coris wrasse from them about a month ago, doing great so far and the very first fish I ever bought, a clown, still with me three years now. I always do qt fish I buy from there, and most everywhere else.

[E.J. Coral]

I've bought 4 fish from them. 2 pink skunks and 2 clown gobies. Both sets are healthy and paired.... I will say that it took some work to get the gobies fat and healthy, but that is nothing new...

[cthetoy]

I got a powder blue 2 months ago and its doing great. last week I went there and their tanks had ich. Probably an outbreak. I know their tanks are healthy at one point then decline and afterwards its better again. you can go on sundays when they have marked down fish new in the shipping bags

[PasadenaReefer]

i have boughten fish from them too, mine are doing healthy but unlike other stores his fish that are dead are still in the bottom of the tank and other stores pull them out right away. Im not trying to get there back but when you get a shipment of fish some % have to die ?

[saltyESQ]

over 75% of the fish he had in stock, and he had a lot of fish in stock, were going to die in the near future.

[phatphisher]

i used to be the nay sayers for pasadena tropical fish but realized that ever single lfs will have their own share of fish mortality. i buy from PTF now and have been happy with my purchases over the past 6 months.

just this past month, i've bought an achilles tang, powder blue, true percula, large cleaner shrimp and ventralis anthias trio. everyone are doing well. can't complain at this point...

[phatphisher]

Originally posted by saltyESQ
over 75% of the fish he had in stock, and he had a lot of fish in stock, were going to die in the near future.

wow... that's a pretty strong statement. how do you know that? be careful making such statements as ones livelyhood depends on what gets stated here. i hope you have something solid to backup your statement.

[saltyESQ]

just by looking at the fish. whether the fish have pop eye, missing fins, are extremely sick looking, being eaten by othe fish, being picked on by other fish, severe ich, hlle, fungus infections, ect., ect.

But then again, his coral selection and quality are near the best I have seen.

[KWoo008]

Originally posted by phatphisher
wow... that's a pretty strong statement. how do you know that? be careful making such statements as ones livelyhood depends on what gets stated here. i hope you have something solid to backup your statement.

Did you really have to ask someone who is a criminal defense attorney by trade to defend his statement? lol... J/K guys.

I personally think it is a gamble everytime we take a fish home. It is pretty amazing how any of them survive considering all the stress they go through from being caught, bagged, shipped and confined in overcrowded/cramped holding facilities of collectors and wholesalers. I'm sure there are other issues to further induce stress, disease and death that I haven't mentioned. Some stores may tranship direct from collectors overseas to get better deals. Unfortunately, shipments don't always arrive in the best condition, but the fish have to go somewhere. Imagine what it's like for a fish store to have tanks full of sick, dying and dead fish that they already paid for. I guess the sad thing is that any fish store that consistently display poor quality livestock will eventually lose the faith of their customers. I have no idea if this is the case with PTF, but I'm just offering another point of view.

[isseym328]

I've been going there for a good 5+ years and I have never seen 75% or "all" of their fishes dying. Like all other stores it's a hit and miss. I lose corals and fishes from there, but also got some sweet pieces/fishes that's still doing well. Like all stores you win some you lose some. It sounds like you had a bad experience at the store. If it was really bad you should just stop going there.

[saltyESQ]

I have only purchased 1 fish from there and it died a couple of days later. I have also purchased many corals from PTF and I am happy with my purchases.

But like any hobbiest, I can't control myself when I am near a LFS to stop in and look around. I will try and make an exception for PTF, as everytime I walk in the store it is like walking in the LA county Coroner's office (which I have done). (although, since I can't control myself, I probably will still stroll through)

[cthetoy]

PTF has been around when Fedco was 1 block away back in 1982. Im sure after 25 years they know about ich, fungus, etc. Last time I was there Steve the owner looked beat and tired and Im sure thats one of the reasons why his tank were declining. Some months his tanks are healthy and some its not. Just hope his store's declining tank conditions are short term.

[tropoasis]

Is PTF still open, I've been calling for a week with no answer......

[FOSELONE]

^ kind of like going to your place

[Kenfuzed]

Originally posted by cthetoy
PTF has been around when Fedco was 1 block away back in 1982. Im sure after 25 years they know about ich, fungus, etc. Last time I was there Steve the owner looked beat and tired and Im sure thats one of the reasons why his tank were declining. Some months his tanks are healthy and some its not. Just hope his store's declining tank conditions are short term.

What are you talking about, Steve has looked like that SINCE Fedco was around

In all seriousness, running that store 7 days a week for all those years is a credit to him. Sometimes I think the health of his fish has a lot to do with the condition in which they come in from the supplier. The fact that sometimes you see healthy fish and other times dead ones may also have something to do with the cheap labor kids he has doing the daily maintenance.

Back to the original question, I've bought fish there for years and only had one mortality. It's hit or miss on the fish he gets in but compared to some of the dumps in this area PTF is as good as it gets. Plus once you get to know Steve he's an alright guy.

[FOSELONE]

an allright guy...he looks like hes got poop on his upper lip...imo

[gtrestoration]

Originally posted by FOSELONE
an allright guy...he looks like hes got poop on his upper lip...imo

Why on earth would you say something like that about someone?

Seems to me your vacation would have calmed you down some.

SteveU

[FOSELONE]

^ relax...i meant the look on his face...

[gtrestoration]

I'm very relaxed. I just don't understand why people sit behind the computer screen and say things like that.

If that's how you are that's ok by me and definitely good to know.

SteveU

[marcrothschild]

I have bought most of my fish from them, you need to buy fish that he has had for a week or two, and make sure they are eating....that goes for any shop.
Steve is a good guy, and his prices on fish are more than fair. Did you see those two harlequine tusk fish?Sweet, the male crosshatch looked pretty good as well.

[PasadenaReefer]

Was that harlequin tusk fish the CRAZY orang eiwht the blue teeth? man that thing was sick! and i do give Steve props for running his store for 25+ years 7 days a week... You can tell just by the look on his face when you walk in...

[saltyESQ]

my father has been running a butcher shop 7 days a week for over 35 years with little or no vacations (because unlike fish, meat has to be sold or thrown out) My father keeps his store immaculate and has a great attitude.