LFS, the Good the Bad the Ugly.

[Scottw68TN]

I know we are all scattered throughout the country but I just needed to give a thumbs up to a couple shops and another finger to a few others.

The aquatic Critter Nashville TN. Clean tanks, Huge selection, most of the staff are a real help. http://www.aquaticcritter.com/

The Fish Bowl Nashville TN. And Mom and Pop with a nice selection and real care for all their fish.

The Fin Den Madison TN. there are 3 locally but I've only been to the one in Madison. I don't know where to start>
Dead fish Dead fish Dead fish oh theres a live one. oops never mind dead fish.
If you need to talk to them probably to find a fish or price on a mislabeled tank. they are easy to find (behind the counter) and youll save on cigarettes if your a smoker because you can just get second hand from them.
And the fish warranty is a quite generous 1 day but be sure to bring a water sample (so they can blame it on you)
They also have 2 birds for sale been there for a long while probably because they never shut up! A screaming McCaw and Cockatoo in a small store always soothes me will dead fish watch.
They do have large 6x6 built in display tank with some big Pacu No decor though just the fish in a box.
:? As far as petsmarts go there is a pretty decent one in nashville at 100oaks mall.
A semi passible one in Madison/Goodletsville. Service is as expected.
:x And a horrible Super Pets Madison/Goodletsville.

 

[ducas005]

This is for Toronto, Canada.

Super Pets at Kennedy-401. Really great selection, but the Oriental manager is in on Saturdays and evening usually and he is really knowledgable and wont make you spend money on stuff you don't need.

Big Als on Kennedy-Ellesmere (south of it). Not really sure. Things are pricey, and am not very happy with the fish. Service not very bad but could all be better. Have a large selection of tanks though. But for fish and plants don't go there.

 

[William]

This is for Orlando Florida.


PetLand on Semoran in the Wal-Mart shopping center.

They have pretty good prices on fish [specially if your a petclub member ], their hardware selection isn't very impressive, but its a decent store. Well, it was decent until my last visit. ICH in every tank on my last visit, Almost half of their tanks were infected with ich! Not to mention the fact that they have giant oscars in tanks so small they can't turn around, or the fact that they have a 2foot Pl*co in the equivilant of a 30gal tank.

Wal-Mart in the same shopping center as above.

Dead fish, sick fish, half-eaten fish, dead fish. sick fish. Don't buy from them, their prices are higher and their fish are less


PetSmart in the Waterford Lakes Shopping Center.

Decent Prices, as long as you watch what your buying. Experianced people should shop here only, since oyu have to be able to tell if the fish is in good health, because they do have quite a bit of dead fish. Not many, but way more than acceptable.

 

[madasafish]

This is for NYC, NY

I'm dumbfounded that there aren't more NYC ppl on this site!!!!!!! It's a big city!

Well, my vote's in for New World Aquarium on 38th and 2nd. Great store, great selection and very knowledgeable (if slightly snooty...) staff.

www.newworldaquarium.net

 

[Scottw68TN]

I hate the snooty staff. especially when the are wrong.

 

[oscarbreeder]

This is for Columbia, S.C.

Wal-mart here,as far as fish go, plain stinks!!
Dead fish, green tanks and sick fish.

petsmart
Not to bad but still some dead fish and if you are looking for a store employee you may die too before you get help.

FISHYBUISNESS
This is a TERIFFIC store.
Sparkeling tanks,healthy fish and very knowledgeable employees .
A lil pricey but IMO worth it.

 

[Scottw68TN]

Price is worth it on fish. Equipement? I go the internet all the way! except the actual heavy tank.

 

[dralarms]

I'm in Athens Tn. and there are NO pet shops around. I go to Cleveland, Tn. A place called Cleveland Aquarium. Best looking tanks I have ever seen, only dead fish in the whole place was in the "feeder tank". He is closed on Sunday but I stopped by cause I saw his truck there. Even on a "closed" day no dead fish in the tanks and waited on me like he was open and I was not interuppeting his day. Buying most of my stuff from him from now on. Had 1 fish die on me from his shop but he gave my wife the fish and it had been there a LONG time. I think he said it was a blue tetra? that had turned white.

 

[MicroFish]

Gainesville, FL -

Wal Mart doesn't have any fish or live animals that I have ever seen so can't comment... PetCo is decent but kinda shabby. PetsMart is pretty good - far less dead fish than most. Aquatropics used to be great but lately the tanks are nasty, OODLES of dead fish and little fish skeletons in the tanks, which should tell you how long they've been in there. Gross.

Sheila

 

[notmuffy]

... still some dead fish and if you are looking for a store employee you may die too before you get help.

Laughing my A$$ off!!!!


I have lived in so many places, I can't remember the names of the stores anymore, but I'll do my best.

Buffalo, NY area
Amherst, NY - Markheim Pets - they are total a**holes, they treat you like a criminal or something in there. They have a big store and it is laid out nice though.

N. Tonawanda, NY - right in downtown, can't remember the name, but it is a small mom-n-pop type store that is saltwater only. They have a really good selection, and I once got a $3 live rock that had a small brain coral on it! The only bad thing about them is they had a HUGE display tank, which was a big tease, cuz they won't sell anything in it.

Springfield, MA area
Enfield, CT - This mom-n-pop store is the only one not in a mall, don't remember the name only that the store was really lame. Mom and Pop don't have time for you even though they rarely have a customer. They have a petrified parakeet in a cage on the counter. They are "old school" and don't believe in modern technology like non-metal fish tanks. (slight exaggeration, but you get what I mean).

Amherst, MA - WalMart - Typical of these types of stores, where you see 7 yr old girls talking their parents into buying a "school" of 1 inch long Oscars cuz they are "so cute" -- and the staff doesn't say anything to them.

Amherst, MA - Amherst Aquarium - He is only open by appointment now, but I have spent a lot of time in there cuz he is very knowledgeable. I ran my ailing Oscar there once in a snowstorm at 7pm and he was like EMERGENCY VETS on Animal Planet - he used a bunch of his products off his shelf and didn't even charge us.

Hadley, MA - I forget the name, it's the only one at the Hadley Shoppes. This guy has a the best freshwater plant selection and the only place I have been able to get live brine shrimp!

Oswego, NY area
Fulton, NY - Fins&Feet - They are more into birds, they have a really small selection of freshwater fish only.

Fulton, NY - I think it is called Fulton Discount Fish? It's by the post office... Anyway, I found them overpriced, but their fish are very very well taken care of. No over crowding of tanks, and he's got the biggest pair of freshwater Angels I have EVER SEEN 8O !

Oswego, NY - Discount Tropical Pets - they have a good selection, in that they sell things you don't see too often. However (FYI) I was NOT impressed with their guinea pig/hamster section, they have about 30 in one cage. They all look alike (inbreeding) and all the females are pregnant, which they don't tell you.


Paramus, NJ
I only frequented the Pet Smart, but I can tell you that you could start collecting a pension before someone helps you, and most of the time I went there the land hermit crabs didn't have any water!! I didn't see any dead fish there though, which is pretty good for NJ.

Harlow, Essex
For saltwater there is only one store. I think it is called something-Aquatics. The store is huge and they have the biggest selection of equipment I think I have ever seen (though it seemed pricey to me). They have a big variety of fish, but hardly any inverts.

Bush Fair Pets - I wasn't impressed with them. I got the impression they catered to families that want a goldfish bowl or a betta.

Aqua2000 - limited selection of equipment but the fish are all very well looked after. The fish are all perfect specimins - I don't know how he gets huge Pacus without any missing scales, etc. I was most impressed that despite a deathly fear of crabs he still reached in and chased around THE CRAB I wanted, not just grabbing the first crab that tried to escape. LOL


Ok well to everyone's relief, I am done with my reviews!

 

[Scottw68TN]

Wow thats quite a review. Good memory too. Oh yeah and to further slam the lfs fin den. They only recomend UGFs. I know in and of itself thats not horrible but just another difference of opinion I have with them.