LFS in Charlotte, N.C.
- Thread starter Ike
- Start date
- Location
- NC
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There are a couple I would recommend. The first would be Hi-Tide, located off South Blvd. in Pineville. Excellent selection of corals (and the best SPS and clams in town) at very resonable prices. The store is not as impressive as some, but the selection and knowledge of the staff (all fellow hobbyists) is outstanding. They also are the sponsers of our local reef club. This is place I bought 90% of my corals from.
The second would be Fintastic, also on South Blvd., a store that many who frequent the above mentioned store tend to dispise (long story between owners/employees). The only reason I mention them is their fish selection. Every fish is quarantined for at least two weeks in their holding tanks and is eating regularly before they are placed in their display/for sale tanks (I know if Tommy, the owner of Hi-Tide, had the facilities to do this he would as well, but that will come). Their prices are higher than the others in the area, but you are almost guaranteed a healthy specimen. Their coral selction tends to be geared to softies and LPS, with a limited number of SPS and clams, and again at higher prices. They have some knowledgable staff memebers, but others are a bit lacking, just have to know who to go to.
The third would be Frank and Peg's, also on South Blvd. (seeing a trend here?
First retail row near the airport). They are a mom and pop full service pet store. Although they don't specialize in SW/reef, they do have a couple of knowledgable employees. Their fish and corals are acclimated from the bags into buckets and then into the display/for sale tanks, so I am always a little suspect about their fish. They have one reef tank, so the selection is mainly softies and LPS. However their prices on drygoods are better than their competitors mentioned above. Another thing I like about them is they will let me order something and give me the bag price plus a small mark up. When I bought my BTA, I went in before they placed their order, told them what I wanted, they placed it, I picked it up in the original shipping bag and paid about half the normal retail. I did assume a little more risk like this, but I think it shows a good side of them. I have done this with other purchases (drygoods and livestock) as well.
Hope that helps. Would be glad to answer any more questions about the stores around here and maybe you can join the reef club, it meets the first Saturday of every month at Hi-Tide.
The second would be Fintastic, also on South Blvd., a store that many who frequent the above mentioned store tend to dispise (long story between owners/employees). The only reason I mention them is their fish selection. Every fish is quarantined for at least two weeks in their holding tanks and is eating regularly before they are placed in their display/for sale tanks (I know if Tommy, the owner of Hi-Tide, had the facilities to do this he would as well, but that will come). Their prices are higher than the others in the area, but you are almost guaranteed a healthy specimen. Their coral selction tends to be geared to softies and LPS, with a limited number of SPS and clams, and again at higher prices. They have some knowledgable staff memebers, but others are a bit lacking, just have to know who to go to.
The third would be Frank and Peg's, also on South Blvd. (seeing a trend here?
First retail row near the airport). They are a mom and pop full service pet store. Although they don't specialize in SW/reef, they do have a couple of knowledgable employees. Their fish and corals are acclimated from the bags into buckets and then into the display/for sale tanks, so I am always a little suspect about their fish. They have one reef tank, so the selection is mainly softies and LPS. However their prices on drygoods are better than their competitors mentioned above. Another thing I like about them is they will let me order something and give me the bag price plus a small mark up. When I bought my BTA, I went in before they placed their order, told them what I wanted, they placed it, I picked it up in the original shipping bag and paid about half the normal retail. I did assume a little more risk like this, but I think it shows a good side of them. I have done this with other purchases (drygoods and livestock) as well.Hope that helps. Would be glad to answer any more questions about the stores around here and maybe you can join the reef club, it meets the first Saturday of every month at Hi-Tide.
I concur with the SKBok. Hi Tide is probably the place to go in town. Especially if you are interested in SPS, Tommy, the owner, and John at Hi Tide are probably the best in town. They also have good prices. Additionally John that works with Tommy is very knowledgeable and reads a tremendous amount of the recent material in the hobby. During the past six weeks Hi - Tide has also re arranged their store to include twice as many tanks. Hi Tide is probably considered to be in Pineville, a suburb of Charlotte. It is quite a ways down on South, but well worth the drive. If you are looking for the brightest SPS colonies I would suggest going on Wednesday or Thursday evening as by Saturday afternoon some of the brightest colonies have been sold. You should ask to see the Bangai Cardinals that John is breeding. At least I found them to be interesting. Hi Tide's number is 704.889.3474.
Fintastic does have a much larger store, but the jr. staff turnover is very high and the advice you receive may or may not be well informed depending upon who is offering it. Additionally there is only one small tank that has SPS frags and the majority of those are mostly brown. The stores size allows it to offer some things that you may not be able to find at Hi Tide. I was looking for a specific naudibranch and Fintastic had it in stock. As mentioned in the prior post, they do have a very nice selection of saltwater fish and IMO the best selection of freshwater fish if you keep both.
If you are moving to Charlotte please contact John or Tommy at Hi Tide to get on the distribution list for the reef club. The club generally meets once a month and does some fragging. Its a good chance to meet people in the hobby in Charlotte.
Fintastic does have a much larger store, but the jr. staff turnover is very high and the advice you receive may or may not be well informed depending upon who is offering it. Additionally there is only one small tank that has SPS frags and the majority of those are mostly brown. The stores size allows it to offer some things that you may not be able to find at Hi Tide. I was looking for a specific naudibranch and Fintastic had it in stock. As mentioned in the prior post, they do have a very nice selection of saltwater fish and IMO the best selection of freshwater fish if you keep both.
If you are moving to Charlotte please contact John or Tommy at Hi Tide to get on the distribution list for the reef club. The club generally meets once a month and does some fragging. Its a good chance to meet people in the hobby in Charlotte.
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