- Location
- In a house
Nope
biggest/best store?
- Thread starter kasha
- Start date
Nope
- Location
- Long Island
I'm not an owner of any of these stores, but an honest person, I'll comment on every store I've been to thus far.
Pets Warehouse:
Prices are great. Quality of fish, not so great. I've been in there 4 times in the last year, and every time fish are not healthy. Corals are boring and very over priced. That being said, they do have some cool frags. As far as dry goods, they usually have whatever I'm looking for. The place always smells though and the floor is dirty, what's up with that?
Aquarium Adventures:
OVER PRICED GARBAGE. Their tank prices are great though, so if you want a brand new tank, go there.
Tropical Adventures:
Waste of a day. Enough said
Suffolk Fish and Reef:
This is the store where I started. Their prices are high, but their fish are excellent quality. The fish that I have bought from there are far more vibrant colorations than those that I have purchased at other places. I usually do not buy coral here though, it's too expensive. They can be hard to deal with and salesmanish BUT if you become a regular, they're really nice people to deal with. Clean setups. LOTS OF AIPTASIA, they're always fighting it, so they get an A for effort.
Country Critters:
Like I told a local reefer today, they're not so helpful. They have their "oooh, ahhhh" tank when you begin to enter the fish room, and honestly, it's beautiful, but if you take a close look, something is always dying. Everytime I'm in there and ask a question it seems like they're annoyed. I'm sorry, but for what they charge, every employee should answer every customer question with a smile on their face, period.
Aqua Hut:
No one can beat their prices, end of story. I have bought almost all of my live rock from them for this reason. They're extremely helpful, especially if you deal with Tony. They're fish are not the greatest quality, but you get what you pay for, right? Honestly, I basically live in this store. The friendliest, most knowledgeable staff, by far.
Tropical Island Aquariums:
Beautiful store. If you buy anything coral from here based on color, make sure you ask to see the coral under daylights, not just LED's. I've purchased quite a few acans from here and they're all doing very well. Very healthy fish. I've bought Lyretail Anthias and a Blonde Naso Tang from here and they're both doing wonderful and acclimated great. I have no complaints with this store. It's clean, prices are decent on coral and great on fish and the owner is very nice.
Magic Isle:
It's your local pet store. Nothing terrible, nothing great as far as saltwater goes. Limited selection. The write ups about the fish on the tanks is not always the most accurate. Occassionally I find a sick deal on a coral in there.
GC Fish & Reef:
I had not been to this store since they had just first started until tonight. They've done great things with the renovation, I was very impressed and it will become a regular stop again. Great owner, super friendly and extremely honest. He's not going to bs you, that's for sure. This is by far the cleanest store I have been to so far. Limited inverts at the moment, but a nice selection of anemones and corals. Not a ton of fish, but what they do have is very healthy and vibrant colors. THE BEST FRAG TANKS I'VE SEEN thus far (great prices). Lovely corals and great prices. Prices are slightly higher than Aquahut, but the quality is much more.
Selmers (in Huntington)
Sometimes I get great deals on coral here, other times, not impressed. They're hit or miss. It's hard to find someone that can help you with the saltwater selection.
So there you have it. My opinion. I've been to a couple other stores, but they were so crappy I didn't even bother to remember the name. My favorites are Aquahut, Tropical Island Aquariums and GC Fish and Reef.
Everyone is going to have their favorite and their not so favorite. It's not worth it to fight. People are entitled to their opinions. Just don't fight and start crap. AND, DON'T DOSE PEOPLES TANKS JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE PISSED OFF. I don't know who did it or why and frankly I don't care. It's just wrong. As a consumer who bought a coral right after a tank got dosed and had the coral die, not cool people, not cool! Grow up
Pets Warehouse:
Prices are great. Quality of fish, not so great. I've been in there 4 times in the last year, and every time fish are not healthy. Corals are boring and very over priced. That being said, they do have some cool frags. As far as dry goods, they usually have whatever I'm looking for. The place always smells though and the floor is dirty, what's up with that?
Aquarium Adventures:
OVER PRICED GARBAGE. Their tank prices are great though, so if you want a brand new tank, go there.
Tropical Adventures:
Waste of a day. Enough said
Suffolk Fish and Reef:
This is the store where I started. Their prices are high, but their fish are excellent quality. The fish that I have bought from there are far more vibrant colorations than those that I have purchased at other places. I usually do not buy coral here though, it's too expensive. They can be hard to deal with and salesmanish BUT if you become a regular, they're really nice people to deal with. Clean setups. LOTS OF AIPTASIA, they're always fighting it, so they get an A for effort.
Country Critters:
Like I told a local reefer today, they're not so helpful. They have their "oooh, ahhhh" tank when you begin to enter the fish room, and honestly, it's beautiful, but if you take a close look, something is always dying. Everytime I'm in there and ask a question it seems like they're annoyed. I'm sorry, but for what they charge, every employee should answer every customer question with a smile on their face, period.
Aqua Hut:
No one can beat their prices, end of story. I have bought almost all of my live rock from them for this reason. They're extremely helpful, especially if you deal with Tony. They're fish are not the greatest quality, but you get what you pay for, right? Honestly, I basically live in this store. The friendliest, most knowledgeable staff, by far.
Tropical Island Aquariums:
Beautiful store. If you buy anything coral from here based on color, make sure you ask to see the coral under daylights, not just LED's. I've purchased quite a few acans from here and they're all doing very well. Very healthy fish. I've bought Lyretail Anthias and a Blonde Naso Tang from here and they're both doing wonderful and acclimated great. I have no complaints with this store. It's clean, prices are decent on coral and great on fish and the owner is very nice.
Magic Isle:
It's your local pet store. Nothing terrible, nothing great as far as saltwater goes. Limited selection. The write ups about the fish on the tanks is not always the most accurate. Occassionally I find a sick deal on a coral in there.
GC Fish & Reef:
I had not been to this store since they had just first started until tonight. They've done great things with the renovation, I was very impressed and it will become a regular stop again. Great owner, super friendly and extremely honest. He's not going to bs you, that's for sure. This is by far the cleanest store I have been to so far. Limited inverts at the moment, but a nice selection of anemones and corals. Not a ton of fish, but what they do have is very healthy and vibrant colors. THE BEST FRAG TANKS I'VE SEEN thus far (great prices). Lovely corals and great prices. Prices are slightly higher than Aquahut, but the quality is much more.
Selmers (in Huntington)
Sometimes I get great deals on coral here, other times, not impressed. They're hit or miss. It's hard to find someone that can help you with the saltwater selection.
So there you have it. My opinion. I've been to a couple other stores, but they were so crappy I didn't even bother to remember the name. My favorites are Aquahut, Tropical Island Aquariums and GC Fish and Reef.
Everyone is going to have their favorite and their not so favorite. It's not worth it to fight. People are entitled to their opinions. Just don't fight and start crap. AND, DON'T DOSE PEOPLES TANKS JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE PISSED OFF. I don't know who did it or why and frankly I don't care. It's just wrong. As a consumer who bought a coral right after a tank got dosed and had the coral die, not cool people, not cool! Grow up
I agree with you on most of your descriptions, especially on Tropical Island Aquarium in Deer Park.. They have great corals at great prices. Their acans are SICK and the display tank is amazing. Usually most tanks are either on T5's or Metal Halides, not always on LED lights. (Sometimes though). If you ask to see the lights, the owner (who is a really nice guy by the way) will show you.
Healthy fish and good selection of corals and inverts.
I also agree with you on the 'let's stop the fighting' stuff. 100%.
Healthy fish and good selection of corals and inverts.
I also agree with you on the 'let's stop the fighting' stuff. 100%.
- Location
- long island n.y
tropical island in deer park is one of the best in the island ,nice corals good prices owner very nice. pets wharehouse good but the managers is a$$h0le he looks like baby frankenstein i once asked him for a flame wrasse and he said"why you cant afford it"last time i was there i told him i ll take that 46 g tank i was there for 1/2 hour waiting for him to help me untill finally i left. one day:fight2:me and baby frankenstein
- Location
- Long Island
Aquahut and GC Fish and Reef. I've heard Magic Isle got dosed, but I don't really go there so have no guarantee. It's bull, I can't believe people do this to each other.
- Location
- Long Island
Have you seen GC Fish and Reef since their renovation? His prices are better and definitely more selection. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite stores. I bought some nice zoo frags last night and picked up two beautiful pieces (A beautiful "rainbow" lobo and a huge nice favite).
The store is clean and very well maintained, and I really like the owner Mike.
The store donated a flame angel and 2 blood shrimps to support LIRA monthly meetings, and I hope he can get enough business from us to compensate his cost.
I bought one sunset monti, one yellow coris wrasse, 2 anthias, one mandarin, one sallyfoot crab from the store today. Good prices, and healthy livestocks.
I hope the owner can make enough money to build a bigger store.
James
- Location
- In a house
That sucks that livestock was lost, I was in aquahut about 10 days ago didn't see hardly any fish is that when it happened?
I don't go to many lfs especially out on the Island. With that said, I do like Total Aquariums in Lynbrook, small but packed full of eye candy. I also go to Pet's Warehouse. Sure it isn't glamorous, but then again it is a warehouse.
The times I've been there I have not seen dead or dying fish in there tanks. Andy has always been very friendly & helpful as well as the owner's son(not sure about his name). I am always greeted with a friendly hello, and a "may I help you". Prices are good, and with that small frag tank they have now it is even better. Of course I won't lie, they're coral tanks need some work.
The times I've been there I have not seen dead or dying fish in there tanks. Andy has always been very friendly & helpful as well as the owner's son(not sure about his name). I am always greeted with a friendly hello, and a "may I help you". Prices are good, and with that small frag tank they have now it is even better. Of course I won't lie, they're coral tanks need some work.
- Location
- Long Island
Um, I think it was a little longer ago than that, but the past 6 weeks or so. My SPS died and the next day I found out someone dosed their tanks. It's so ridiculous that people resort to this. I mean, not everyone is going to get along, sh*t, I hate a ton of people, but I wouldn't destroy their property. That's pathetic. I think all these stores should look through their cameras and see who the commong person was in each store that day. Easy enough. As a consumer, I'm pissed about it because it cost me A LOT of money on a large SPS colony.
What day did you go into Aquahut, their livestock moves quick and the regular customers know when the shipments come in and flock the store. They're stuff moves very, very quickly. I've literally been in the store at night when they're unpacking, went back two days later and they're out of just about everything. Look at their prices though, this is why.
I agree with you 100%, and have heard that he donated a flame and shrimp to LIRA. His corals are honestly very high quality and at excellent prices. I almost jumped on the huge bubble (at a very reasonable price) but it was sold by the time I could get the cash.
They are starting to have a good selection of SPS frags that look amazing. (Again at good prices)
If it's true, it's also criminal.
- Location
- Long Island
YUP, but no way to prove who did it at the moment. Oh well. I just wish people would stop being complete pr*cks to each other over fish tanks!
I asked around..... none of these guys and nobody heard anything about anyone being dosed are you sure this really happened or maybe just a rumor?
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