Best and worst of local shops....

[buck50bmg]

I just want to get a list of what each of our local stores has to offer or doesn't. Maybe we can help them out by getting unbiased opinions form the customers.

I will start

Aquaworld- Good: SPS, service and selection on hand.
Bad: Could be a little cleaner

Atlantis- Good: ???????
Bad: No stock, no prices......

Under the sea- Good: Prices
Bad: Not much in stock, no SPS


WetPets- Good: Fish selection, good softies, clean
Bad: Pricey, outdated equipment


So let let em rip......

 

[o0xerog0o]

I've always been a fan of Wet Pets since I got into the hobby. I have yet to find a store that took better care of their tanks and store in general than them. The staff is extremely helpful, and John is a great guy all around. He took my brother and I downstairs to show us the inner workings behind his fresh and saltwater systems, and explained how it all worked. The prices are up there, but if you get there on shipment day, you could find some good deals... I bought a softball size piece of green goniopora from them 2 days ago for $25, which was amazing to me judging by the prices on everything else they have.

AquaWorld... where to begin. The guys seem friendly enough, but I just can't figure out how I hear about all these good deals on zoa's from over there. I tried to get some polyp's from them, just a tiny piece of around 5 mild colored zoa's, and he wanted $15... where as yesterday at Wet Pets, I got three different varieties of loose zoo's, 2-5 polyps each, and some clove polyp's for free. Plus at AquaWorld, the dry goods are way out of date, and like was said above, the place does need cleaned up all around.

I'd absolutely love to try AquaWorld a third time, but if I have the same experience with ridiculously overpriced tiny floater polyp's, then that will be my last time. It's too far out of my to drive to make it worthwhile.

 

[raynist]

I always get great deals at aquaworld, I have bought several peices of rock with 20+ zoa polyps on it for $15. They are also supposed to start stocking a few different T-5 fixtures and bulbs, I don't think any other place in the area has T-5 fixtures with individual reflectors. They are also going to become a dealer for Vortech Pumps!! The things I have been hearing from Jeffrey there is very encouraging.

I buy most of my fish and food from Wet Pets, my biggest complaint with them is their dry goods. They are not up to date on the latest technologies. They are in an area with a lot of money yet they don't stock any of the high end/new tech equipment.

 

[o0xerog0o]

Who do you talk to at aquaworld when you go there raynist? Next time maybe I will try to find them and see if I can't finally score a deal...

 

[buck50bmg]

Talk to Jeff, he is the son of the owner. He is 15 I think, but acts like he is 20. Good kid, knows alot and will treat you well.

 

[raynist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12927744#post12927744 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by buck50bmg
Talk to Jeff, he is the son of the owner. He is 15 I think, but acts like he is 20. Good kid, knows alot and will treat you well.

Yep, Jeff is the guy to talk to. He knows his stuff.

If you are going to drive there I would call first to make sure he is there. I don't buy corals from the other people there. He is pretty much in charge of the corals.

 

[o0xerog0o]

ok cool. Thanks for the info guys. Next time I head up that way I will try again

 

[carpenterwrasse]

mark is cool too he's the guy i deal with when i go there...and cleanliness is my wife's complaint about the place also

 

[Paul_PSU]

If you want any of the coral fragged then Jeff is the man. I always talk to Harry I think his name is. He is an older guy. He is very helpful but will not frag anything. He called Jeff for me a couple times and he came up and cut away. I think Jeff is only like 5 minutes away.

I got a frag of zoo's from Jeff a couple of weeks ago and he charged my $20 and it had two different kinds on it with a about 24 polyps on it. I also got a Rose milli frag that was about 4 inches and had 6 branches on it for $25. Just in the past month or two there selection has increased and the have bargain prices and high end coral if you want.

Wet Pets I agree with Ray. I get all my fish off of them. I have been going to them since I got in this hobby many years ago and they had the old store farther down.

 

[Aqua-World PITT]

16 BTW :mad2: Just Kidding:lol:

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12927744#post12927744 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by buck50bmg
Talk to Jeff, he is the son of the owner. He is 15 I think, but acts like he is 20. Good kid, knows alot and will treat you well.

 

[Paul_PSU]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12934339#post12934339 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aqua-World PITT
16 BTW :mad2: Just Kidding:lol:

Isn't it past your bedtime..... :lol:

 

[Aqua-World PITT]

You guys forgot about Seahorse, Elmer's,...................

 

[o0xerog0o]

I have been to elmers once, but my tank was new and I wasn't really looking for anything in specific. They seemed to have a nice setup going on over there, but I'd have to stop by again to refresh my memory. If I remember correctly, some of their corals were high in price, but they had a pretty large inventory of inverts. I'd like to check them out again, but only if I'm in the area.

Oh and hey jeff, this is mark, the guy who called yesterday about the Christmas tree rock. If you come up with anything you can pm me here or give me a call. Thanks again

 

[Aqua-World PITT]

Will do mark, I have seen your other post about the Christmas tree rock so I kinds guessed it was you.

 

[raynist]

Re: Best and worst of local shops....

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12926846#post12926846 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by buck50bmg
I just want to get a list of what each of our local stores has to offer or doesn't. Maybe we can help them out by getting unbiased opinions form the customers.

I will start

Aquaworld- Good: SPS, service and selection on hand.
Bad: Could be a little cleaner

Atlantis- Good: ???????
Bad: No stock, no prices......

Under the sea- Good: Prices
Bad: Not much in stock, no SPS


WetPets- Good: Fish selection, good softies, clean
Bad: Pricey, outdated equipment


So let let em rip......

To add to the above:

Good about Aquaworld - They are always open, 10 pm every day, even holidays!!

Bad about Wet Pets - Only open until 5pm on Saturdays. I can't count how many times I needed something around 6pm on a saturday and had to go somewhere else.

 

[TomNeely]

Aquaworld is the BEST place around for coral. Jeff knows his stuff and is really mature for his age! I get all of my coral here!

Under the Sea never has anything in stock. They are horrible at customer service. I have been in there at least 3 times where I had to call the store while in the store to get service!

Elmers needs to create a better selection of corals. The corals they have are always so brown. It seems they need to switch lighting or check the water. I enjoy the fish selection there.

 

[raynist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12949210#post12949210 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TomNeely
Aquaworld is the BEST place around for coral. Jeff knows his stuff and is really mature for his age! I get all of my coral here!

Under the Sea never has anything in stock. They are horrible at customer service. I have been in there at least 3 times where I had to call the store while in the store to get service!

Elmers needs to create a better selection of corals. The corals they have are always so brown. It seems they need to switch lighting or check the water. I enjoy the fish selection there.

When I was at Elmer's last week it looks like they changed the pee yellow bulbs they had in their 180 coral tank for some bluer bulbs. The lights looked much better.

 

[Paul_PSU]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12949210#post12949210 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TomNeely
Aquaworld is the BEST place around for coral. Jeff knows his stuff and is really mature for his age! I get all of my coral here!

Under the Sea never has anything in stock. They are horrible at customer service. I have been in there at least 3 times where I had to call the store while in the store to get service!

Elmers needs to create a better selection of corals. The corals they have are always so brown. It seems they need to switch lighting or check the water. I enjoy the fish selection there.

I agree with Tom on Elmers. The corals in the rear tank always look browned out. I do like the $9.99,$19.99 and $29.99 frags though. It's like looking through the bargain bin.

I have been in Under the Sea twice I think. Not much of a selection.

Aquaworld is my favorite place for corals.

 

[raynist]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12949323#post12949323 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Paul_PSU
I agree with Tom on Elmers. The corals in the rear tank always look browned out. I do like the $9.99,$19.99 and $29.99 frags though. It's like looking through the bargain bin.

I have been in Under the Sea twice I think. Not much of a selection.

Aquaworld is my favorite place for corals.

I thought my house was your favorite place to get corals?

 

[Yurko]

The Top two would have to be Aquaworld and Wetpets.

First off I can't say anything bad about Wetpets owner and manager. Unbelievable people. Wetpets isn't for the typical reef central enthusiast, their market is directed towards a different group of people. Their fish are amazing but expensive(you get what you pay for).

The best marine store in pittsburgh...is the one that is currently experimenting with a ziovit system, implementing a timed oxygen injection system to help their acropora slime, the one who uses interceptor on every new coral shipment, the one who tries mods to their protein skimmers and pumps, the first store in Pittsburgh to start carrying quality T5 fixtures and bulbs, and the one who carries quality food and products upon requests and RESEARCH. Its Aquaworld hands down and I have to give it to them, from constant ear beatings from me and I am sure other hobbyists, and probably from seeing the quality of ORA products Aquaworld has mostly been buying nothing but aquacultured and maricultured fish and corals. oohh btw Harry doesn't really know anything except for how to setup up a tank the old old school way, talk to Jeff he knows his stuff.