Any good Stores around Pasadena

Cagdas

New member
Hi All,

It has been 3 months and I still could not find a good store around here. There are three in the area that I found. Two I will probably not go again (it was so hard to walk in these stores that I could not have any time to look at the live stock) and the one that I go is just doing it for the money and not helpful at all. He sold me a bleached BTA and a cleaner shrimp that died in less then 10 hr and did not offer any advice.

So if you know a good store around please let me know. I don't want to order everything online.


Thanks a lot.
 
What type of stuff are you looking for? I don't know of any stores around pasadena but I live in South Pasadena and might be selling some stuff...
 
Just good live stock, don't have much in mind corals fish, I set up the tank and waited enough. It is time to stock the tank. I also like to go to a good store and walk around once in a while to just see what I could have got instead of the stuff I already had.

I was in Tennessee for 7 years and the stores there were like the Aquariums you pay to go in. The ones I found here are like dumps, few old algae covered tanks with sick or dying livestock. I thought it would be nicer close to the ocean
 
Pasadena Tropical Fish on Colorado near osh has a good selection of fish and corals. You have to "get to know the owner" before he is even nice to you though which is annoying. Prices on drygoods are expensive.
 
pasadena trop fish- while he does have a nice selection of fish, everytime I have been there, all the fish look terrible.
 
I bought a six line from PTF with a cloudy eye, don't find out until I get home, would not buy from them again.
 
Yes that was the store I go now and sold me the cleaner and the bleached BTA. Though you are right that is the only place that I might consider buying something. Oh well I think I need to drive farther or order online. Do you guys have some place in mind that I can drive to.
 
Total tropical fish in monterey park on garvey usually has some nice corals--Sunday afternoons are their delivery days. Fish-wise, I wouldn't really recommend, not much selection, and some aren't in that great condition, but you can defintely get good prices on the pieces ... the owner's pretty good with bargaining and such, especially if you buy more than 1 coral at a time ;)
 
Hey, Cagdas, just outta curiosity, when did you get your BTA? I got a green one from him last week, and it was in really nice condition, very sticky. I think *his* delivery dates are on Wedsdays :)
 
yeah, sorry, got the name wrong .. it's called total fish and pets, on W. Garvey, Monterey Park ... pretty much right off the 10
 
I've always had good luck with PTF. I have a coupe questions though. Why would one buy a bleached BTA? No saying it should be sold but you had to buy it. Secondly cleaner shrimp are very susceptible to fluctuations in salinity. How did you acclimate the shrimp? Finally you mention it's time to stock the tank and you choose an anemone?

Sounds like problems you've had are more due to newbie mistakes than PTF's animals.
 
I go to PTF and IMO:

1. Yes, the owner can be a PIA
2. The fish aren't the best in the world
3. His corals are really expensive
4. His corals are pretty nice. He's got the most extensive micros, acans, and rare lps collection I have seen at any store...even Tong's.
5. I think he is really the only game in town unless you go to the Valley.

good luck.
 
agree ^^^

unfortunately PTF is the only decent place in the pasadena area. steve is a PIA to deal with. not a pleasant person to deal with at all. i'd never walk in his place if there's another choice but there isn't so i go there. i seek out his wife cuz she is way nicer. fish prices are ok but not of greatest health. he'll sell you a sick fish so examine carefully before leaving the store. coral prices are out of this world. he knows he's the only game in town so he charges accordingly.

angel's on lake is a mess. it smells and they rarely have anything. i only buy catalina water from them if i don't feel like dealing with steve of PTF.

total fish is hit and miss. go on sunday right when they open. he does come up with good corals once in a while. can get u rare fish if notified in advance. don't be shy to bargain. he normally agrees if ur offer is reasonable.

monrovia tropical is another dump. never turns his lights on. i think he wants u to flash money first before he turns on the lights. display tank is a coral graveyard. best time to buy is right when he gets the corals. u want the corals and fish to spend the least amount of time in his tanks. younger asian guy always offers to do side deals. asks u to come back after the old guy leaves and sells for less but must be cash.
 
Thanks for the comments Pepbill, well for the BTA as you mentioned it is partially my fault that I did not realized it was bleached. Not because I am new (I am into the hobby for over 5 years and had BTA before for a long time actually I had to give it to a friend before I move to CA) but I thought he had some interesting Yellow color. For the shrimp again I had several before and they all came by mail which means they were much more stressed and been in worst condition and they lived long life in my tank, I acclimate it by drip method and spend a long time before introducing it to the tank.

As you said if you are careful you can get good deals at PTF but I am saying the owner is not helpful at all there are tons of sick fish in his tanks I saw a poor yellow tang starve to death in his coral tank every time I went and finally it died couple of days ago. Now there is another yellow tang in the tank next to it and it is also starving you can go and check. It is in the coral tank on the right wall when you enter to the store.

Also the corals, some of you said he had very good collection, what I saw is bunch of dying corals only the new arrivals look good and they start loosing color after a few weeks in the store.

Anyway I am not here to trash the guys business after all I still spend a lot of money in his store because I think it is the best I found around here but I was looking if you guys know a better friendlier store.

Thanks.
 
Last edited:
I agree with TearDrop and phatphisher and said it in my first mail he is the only store in the area that I will consider going but will think twice before I buy anything. That is why I was asking if you guys know any other options and got one idea from Jamie1210
thanks. By the way I got my second BTA last week and it looks great, this time I did my homework and got a good one.

I will be much more careful next time. Here is a picture of what I got.

35558BTA3.JPG
 
Last edited:
Back
Top