Bay Area Stores!

[Anonymous]

Hey everyone,

Had the chance to go by the new Aquarium Concepts. Cool place. They are stocked now too! Check it out, it is worth it.

I also went by Tropical Paradise. They are starting to look great, with a pretty big selection. When they get fully going, they will have great stuff for the collector. Their location and attitude makes them a reefer only store.

RR

 

[auntekc]

aquarium concepts- Are they (or were they) located in San Lorenzo?

 

[peterh1975]

Aquarium Concepts looks great, I was there and purchased a used dual MH with PCs and they are located in hayward on Foothill. They are the only LFS i will go from now on. Lucky Goldfish from Oakland on Broadway is a scam artist so stay away from him, there is also a LFS in alameda but that place suck as well.

 

[Anonymous]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Peter Ha:
<strong> Lucky Goldfish from Oakland on Broadway is a scam artist so stay away from him, there is also a LFS in alameda but that place suck as well.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I think they are only scam artists if you don't know what you are doing. But all LFS will sell you stuff you don't need, they want to make money. I mean, even buying your lights from AC is kinda a scam, as you could have ordered them online for half the price.

Hunter at Lucky Goldfish has been very nice to me, and he even tries to get specimans he thinks I will like. But I take his advise with a grain of salt (hehehe) like the advise of any LFS.

Vince at Alameda Aquatics is pretty cool. They are a new store, and just had a fire and are planning to remodel stuff soon. Might be great. Sometimes the have great stuff at good prices.

RR

 

[peterh1975]

Well who ever that guy Vince is, I hope to see him in hell. Everytime and my last time I go there his prices change from what is written on the tank?? selling frags @ outrageous prices!!! 2.99 for a blue legged hermit crab came out to be 5.99$!!!! well maybe my experince with them is not as good as its been with you. My favorite place is Nippon in San Francisco on Geary, reason? service is what brings customers back. Plus they know me and I only been there 4 times and they alwasy give me good deals.

 

[peterh1975]

Sorry not Vince, I meant that towards Hunter @ Lucky goldfish. Vince is the one that is on Park St right? his cool. The one in Alameda I was refering to was on webster st.

 

[Anonymous]

My bad too. The one on Park, with Vince, is Amazon Aquarium.

The one on Webster, Alameda Aquatics, is evil every since it changed ownership. I went in there last week just cause and yeach, it was bad.

Funny that you like the customer service at Nippon. Every time I have gone in there I have been ignored or treated as an annoyance. Once I was told that Catalina Gobies had to be kept at 65 degrees or they would die. When I asked if they were at 65 degrees in the store - they clearly were not - my question was ignored over and over again. I guess the key to good service at an LFS is knowing the people who work there.

RR

 

[peterh1975]

Well Righty,
I guess everyone has there own experince with every LFS. My concerns mostly is honesty, no likes to be ripped off yah know? before i buy anything i usually research the boards and ask questions. But i never ask here due to simply know likes to answer me for some reason???LOL

 

[MandarinFish]

Have you tried Connie's in Castro Valley on Castro Valley Blvd?

They are nice guys with good selection and reasonable prices.

Eddie at Tropical Paradise is the best. He always gives me free stuff and tons of *legitimate* advice if I ask for it. SO cool. Model store owner.

Screw Aquarium Concepts.

 

[Anonymous]

Havent cared much for Connies for the same reasons as Nippon. Good prices on stuff there though.

Mandrin,

Still on the 'screw AC' kich eh?

The new store is nice. No rays in little tanks. Ken is there all the time, not flunkies who don't know or care what they are doing. You should check it out.

RR

 

[MandarinFish]

Thanks for the update.

I considered stopping in at AC on the way home from work one day but they looked like they hadn't set up shop there fully yet.

I like Cameron there. He is very cool, knowledgable and helpful.

Really glad to hear they improved the conditions of their rays.

I know they aren't the only ones guilty of poor animal care. Eddie had a picasso trigger in a small box tank.

 

[Anonymous]

Eddie still has several large triggers in small box tanks...I still think his place is great for people like us.

Give AC a little more time before you go in. They are still doing some work, and it will be a while before the parking lots is done. It does look pretty good now though.

RR

 

[Enkidu]

Yeah, when I was at Tropical Paradise a couple weeks ago he had several clown triggers in 6"x6" cube tanks. Ridiculous. Those 900g tanks he had in there were pretty impressive though.

 

[D-Nak]

Tropical Paradise is the place to go for live stock. Eddie is definitely the man.

I have a few mixed reactions when it comes to AC...

1. My cousin got shafted on a new fish tank he ordered (a 180 gallon glass tank, it was still there right before the move). They quoted him a price, so he ordered it -- when it came in they told him that is was a different price... $125.00 more than what they originally quoted him. They wouldn't budge on the price or give him any sort of discount for the trouble... kinda weak if you ask me. He went to Eddie, ordered another tank at a good price, then got it the next week (with a stand and canopy).

BUT...

2. If you talk to Cameron, he is willing to match or get really close to mail order prices. You just have to let him know that you're planning to go mail order if he doesn't come close... even on Aqualine Buschke lighting, which I'm thinking about picking up from them, since I can save on shipping costs.

Alameda Aquatics sucks since Dean left.

Amazon sucks since the fire. It still stinks really bad. However, Dynamite Cheesesteak across the street is worth the trip!

Hunter hasn't been getting the cool livestock like he used to, but for livestock I think I will go to Eddie exclusively from now on.

Nippon used to be really nice, but gradually went downhill -- nice place to look around though.

Connie's in Casto Valley had too many dead or dying fish when I was there last.

D-Nak

 

[clamz_0f_deth]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by MandarinFish:
<strong>

Screw Aquarium Concepts.</strong><hr></blockquote>

dude whats your problem? I read your little rant about the ray a while back, and you left out a few details...

ok, where should the ray have gone? did you even stop to consider why the ray was put where it was? no prolly not. where should it have gone? in one of the larger tanks, which contained triggers? or coarse substrate???

if you really feel that strongly about fish being housed in unnaturally small environments, why dont you start a crusade against the aquarium hobby? after all, any saltwater fish kept in a home aquarium is unnaturally small, compared to the ocean which they come from, right?

I find it laughable for people to criticize an lfs on livestock conditions. do you honestly for a minute think that a wholesaler keeps the livestock in conditions any different, or online retailers, for that matter?

here's a little secret: lfs get sent stuff all the time that they dont necessarily want, but since the lfs has to pay for shipping, they keep it anyways. thats why every once in a while you will see an lfs with a moorish idol. you think lfs orders moorish idols on purpose? no! but the collectors gather them and send them anyways just to make an extra buck. what are lfs supposed to do? ship it back? flush it down the toilet?

[ March 31, 2002: Message edited by: clamz_0f_deth ]</p>

 

[peterh1975]

Wow so many replies! I have to say Aquarium Concepts rocks, they have good stuff there and Cameron help solve my propagation tanks that i couldn`t plumb worth a damn! Knowledge and honesty is key to all LFS if they want returning customers.

 

[MandarinFish]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

I find it laughable for people to criticize an lfs on livestock conditions.

Yo, Clamz uv Def, the joke be on da animalz!

Ain't it funnay?

 

[clamz_0f_deth]

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by MandarinFish:
<strong>
Yo, Clamz uv Def, the joke be on da animalz!

Ain't it funnay?</strong><hr></blockquote>


wow...what a great response!! I suppose thats the best you can come up with right? I thought so. you obviously cant address any of the points I came up with. well, dont let me take up any more of your time. I'm sure there's a tree somewhere that you need to go hug.

 

[Anonymous]

Stay away from Connies. They don't know their ass from a hole in the ground.

 

[peterh1975]

Hey Jim,
Which Connies are will talking about here? there is also a connies fish store on Foothill Blvd in Oakland.