anyone been to Tropical Aquarium lately?

M

mattyice

New member
just wondering if anyone has been there in the past week and if he had any good livestock in? and if he did what all did he have that was "different" and pretty nice?
 
I was just there a couple of days ago. They seem to have about as much stuff as they did when I last was there (about 3 months ago)... not really a whole lot. They had some BTAs, some ok mushrooms, a few other misc. corals. There was a really pretty featherduster that I was tempted to buy.

One thing I have to say about Tropical Aquarium is that some of ther stuff is priced ok, but other stuff is outrageous. I saw a Hydor Koralia 1 priced at $59.99. Thats like a markup of 100% over online price (~$30). I just couldn't see how that is competetive with online stores. Not to meantion that their dry good section is rather lacking.
 
:D, I got a chuckle while looking at his catalina PH's (ie RIO's) which are priced OK for LFS, I also checked out the HK for $60. They are a hot item, so the business side of me says, go for the gouge while you can get it. no way in hades would I buy one of those, even for $5 so I was amused rather than outraged.

the guy says "eeez only propeller" :D all I said was "thankyou" heh

haven't been in there for a month though.

not sure those guys really know how to reef too well. but if they are smart, they will feel the market and adjust. I like the guys and I hope they do well.
 
Don't bash the HK's until you try them. I have three 3's and they all work perfectly. People just want to think that because something is cheap it must suck. That way we can justify paying Tunze prices to ourselves.
 
Is this the place that opened up not to long ago in brunswick? if so can anyone give me the addy or phone number b/c i would like to go up there and i can't find a listing for it anywhere!!
 
Hector tends to sell out of the good livestock pretty quick....within a couple days of getting a shipment in....when it comes to fish and inverts. He doesn't order too much in "just for stock" but is more than willing to order up anything you might want. I've gotten a couple fish from him (Atlantic Blue Tang, Midas Blenny, Royal Gramma) and all have amazing color and are doing very well. I've probably been to the shop about 6 times or so over the last 6-8 months and I've seen him slowly increasing things on all sides (livestock and dry goods). Sure the coral tanks need a little bit of work but I'm confident that as long as he continues to succeed (and I hope he will) there will come a point where he puts a bit more into those tanks.

He's taking it (growing the shop) slow which in some respects is good but at the same time the argument could be made that he needs a little more in there right now. Plus he is trying to do both FW and SW so folks need to keep that in mind too. Not everyone can be Phishy Business or Salty Critter or Aquatic Tech and focus solely on SW (and thankfully there is only one Aquatic Tech....oye! Talk about prices that hurt!).

Overall, I have been very happy with the various livestock and drygoods that I have purchased from him and will continue to support his shop.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9779594#post9779594 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aninjaatemyshoe
Don't bash the HK's until you try them. I have three 3's and they all work perfectly. People just want to think that because something is cheap it must suck. That way we can justify paying Tunze prices to ourselves.
Click to expand...

those are the same as a UV sterilizer. why the heck would I buy something I don't need at any price? one of those would mess up my gyre flow setup.

also, I don't think you understood what I typed. I would politely refuse one if he offered it to me for free, and if he can get $60 for whatever, more power to him. (ie, I'm on his side here :) )
 
The point I made about the price is that it is a turn off to those of us experienced in the reef hobby that know the value of certain equipment. When you double the price of something like that, you are basically hoping for someone to come buy it that doesn't know anything about them and probably doesn't have much experience in the hobby. Sure, any way to make a buck. That isn't the attitude that I like to see in a good LFS. I understand they need to make a profit. But when I've seen how a truly good LFS like Salty Critter prices and works with customers (not trying to rip them off), I just expect more. SC is just like a good hardware store that you love going to - it has what you need, people who know their stuff, and prices that don't attempt to gouge you. That is not the feeling I get from Tropical Aquarium. I don't mean to bash them as much as I might seem (after all I've seen WAY worse). One good thing I can say is their livestock quality and prices are good.
 
I stopped in a week ago. The SW livestock was a little lacking, but the prices on fish were great and they looked very healthy. I would recommend calling ahead if you're looking for something specific.

Customer service has been great every time I've been there... a big plus in my book.
 
I stopped in today. His selection was pretty decent. He was not "full" but he did have a fair variety. He had a number of zoo frags, and a nice bubble that I almost snagged. I made the drive for food. Ended up with hyacinth for the pond. He had lettuce also, as well as some small 4" koi. I met Hector for the 1st time. He is hard working and very personable. His tanks are spotless, and you can tell that he puts in the hours. Even though my sales was minor, he was very helpful and appreciative. I give him a thumbs up!!
 
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