Favorite store in NW indiana
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bigevill1
Big and Evil
Exotic Aquatics. Aquascapes has had very little as far as selection the last few months when I have dropped in. Makes me not want to take the trip. The Ark seems to be improving in selection, pricing and health of corals and fish. Crystal Clear has great prices on tanks and stands, and a great supply of fresh water fish, but his selection of corals and salt water fish as well as his pricing seems to have moved backwards since he first started with them. Pet Haven in Valpo is nice, but I have only been there once becuase it is a good drive to get there. Petplayground in hammond has never impressed me with his saltwater, but I dont go in there that much so it is hard to say if I just missed better days there.
AquaGrizzly
New member
Ummm. If I had to choose. It would have to be Ark or Exotic Aquatics. But 3 out 4 times I went to EA I was not helped. The last time I told him about my experiences and he gave me a free frag of green BN. So that helped a little.
AquaGrizzly
New member
Aquascapes has a lot of aptasia, bubble, and green hair algae. A lot of the corals she has as far as LPS have a little receding going on.
doubled50
iPhone Reviewer!
I agree with Grizz's last statement. As far as WOW factor I like the ARK. Nice store, good looking tanks, more flashy for the area. I recently just hit Crystal Clear and had great conversation with the employee, loved his prices, his stock was down, but he said they were waiting for new stock, so it was understandable.
I went to pet haven a long time ago in my chiclid days, it seemed cool. All in all....my vote goes to the ARK as my most favorite place to go, but I prefer online for purchasing due to how much you can save even though I like supporting local business for our hobby.
I went to pet haven a long time ago in my chiclid days, it seemed cool. All in all....my vote goes to the ARK as my most favorite place to go, but I prefer online for purchasing due to how much you can save even though I like supporting local business for our hobby.
BreadmanMike
New member
I only shop at one LFS and that is Exotic Aquatics.
Patterson117
New member
I was in Terry's in Hammond about 6 weeks ago and they were starting to empty the small room that had the dog food in it that was straight ahead of you when you walked in. Said they were turning it into SW. I will be rehabbing a house in that neighborhood this weekend. I will stop in and check progress.
I like E.A. every fish (2) I have gotten from Ark dies like within two days. Only time happend to me i.e. fish dying right after purchase. Talked to some people and they said could be the way the fish was caught(cyanide) but who knows. I know the store has no way of telling but that was my exprience. Their tanks are by far the prettiest. I really like the stuff at E.A. becuase they do things like dip the fish. That is nice and makes me feel safer... I loved aquascapes when they had inventory because their little frag tank was cool. But they have not had anything in last couple times to bad I liked that place... Pethaven is fine Ken is, well... I think super overpriced for the qlty of coral you get like the arc in a sense in terms of coral.
pescadero
In Memoriam
I lived in Hobart for decades. I'm about a mile from the store in Hobart and I've been in there only once. Its one of the few stores I've been to that has had a fish on display that was so sick and emaciated (wrasse) that it was obviously starving to death and digesting its own flesh to survive. Seeing that bothered me enough to make me want to leave the store and never return. Like someone else mentioned its like an algae farm in there. The store personnel were friendly enough, but when I read the rambling disclaimer/guarantee that they have on the register, it gave me the impression that they didn't ever want to hear from me again after they'd they'd made a sale.
I go to the Ark quite often. The tanks do look nice on a good day, but I have also been in there on cleaning days when the tanks have looked really bad. There was a long stretch a month or two ago where I had to point out a dead SW fish to the personnel every time that I went in there. What bad luck. It was really discouraging. With that said, the tanks usually look quite good. Unlike the previous person's bad luck, I've had a 100% survival rate on the fish that I've purchased there. (But then I do dips, prophyllactic disease treatment and hypo quarantine on everything I buy, regardless of where it comes from.)
Pet Haven in Chesterton/Valpo is a nice store though it is a bit of a drive for me to get there. Nice people who are attentive. Nice clean tanks. Healthy fish. Its the only store I've been to that has never had an algae problem, or a dead or sickly looking fish on display. I think that the husbandry there is very good. The last time I was in there was just after New Year's and the SW livestock selection was kind of limited because Ken had torn down all of the FO tanks on one filter net and he was switching them over to corals. Its worth a trip if you've never been there. Pet Haven has a great dry goods selection for an LFS. The dry goods prices are as high most of the time as the typical LFS, unless you catch a sale. Sometimes they have sale prices that are outstanding and are on par with DFS sale prices. I agree, the coral prices are not cheap.
Crystal Clear doesn't have much of a saltwater selection. I've been in there twice and I've yawned both times. I don't plan on making another trip unless I get a heads up about something special that's landed in their tanks.
I've never been to Exotic Aquatics. I've got to put that on my to-do list. What's their address?
I go to the Ark quite often. The tanks do look nice on a good day, but I have also been in there on cleaning days when the tanks have looked really bad. There was a long stretch a month or two ago where I had to point out a dead SW fish to the personnel every time that I went in there. What bad luck. It was really discouraging. With that said, the tanks usually look quite good. Unlike the previous person's bad luck, I've had a 100% survival rate on the fish that I've purchased there. (But then I do dips, prophyllactic disease treatment and hypo quarantine on everything I buy, regardless of where it comes from.)
Pet Haven in Chesterton/Valpo is a nice store though it is a bit of a drive for me to get there. Nice people who are attentive. Nice clean tanks. Healthy fish. Its the only store I've been to that has never had an algae problem, or a dead or sickly looking fish on display. I think that the husbandry there is very good. The last time I was in there was just after New Year's and the SW livestock selection was kind of limited because Ken had torn down all of the FO tanks on one filter net and he was switching them over to corals. Its worth a trip if you've never been there. Pet Haven has a great dry goods selection for an LFS. The dry goods prices are as high most of the time as the typical LFS, unless you catch a sale. Sometimes they have sale prices that are outstanding and are on par with DFS sale prices. I agree, the coral prices are not cheap.
Crystal Clear doesn't have much of a saltwater selection. I've been in there twice and I've yawned both times. I don't plan on making another trip unless I get a heads up about something special that's landed in their tanks.
I've never been to Exotic Aquatics. I've got to put that on my to-do list. What's their address?
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Fuppets
New member
I really don't have a favorite. I stop in at Exotic and Pet Playground about once a week. They are both on my way home from work. When the weather is a little more rider frendly I stop into Aquascapes, Crystal Clear and the Ark at least twice a month.
I need to add Pet Haven into my monthly tour and there is a place called Frag Island in Valpo that I have wanted to stop at but never find myself in that area durring their store hours.
I'm am dating a woman from the western suburbs of Chicago, so I am out that way a lot lately. I try to keep tabs on where the stores are located out that way and stop when I am in their area.
I don't really have anything bad to say about any of the places I've been. I've had fish die from every place I've bought fish at. The ones that died within the gaurantee period were replaced with no hastle. The ones that dies outside the garantee period I never even mentioned to the store. On the plus side I think I have fish still in my tank from all of my usual stops.
I am really more of a window shopper. I'll stop in to the stores a lot. Just for somewhere to ride to, Or just because i'm in that area. I would say for every 8-10 stops I'll buy something.
Pesc Exotic is right on the corner of Kennedy and Highway ave in downtown highway. They have afternoon to evening hours and are closed on tuesday.
Shawn
I need to add Pet Haven into my monthly tour and there is a place called Frag Island in Valpo that I have wanted to stop at but never find myself in that area durring their store hours.
I'm am dating a woman from the western suburbs of Chicago, so I am out that way a lot lately. I try to keep tabs on where the stores are located out that way and stop when I am in their area.
I don't really have anything bad to say about any of the places I've been. I've had fish die from every place I've bought fish at. The ones that died within the gaurantee period were replaced with no hastle. The ones that dies outside the garantee period I never even mentioned to the store. On the plus side I think I have fish still in my tank from all of my usual stops.
I am really more of a window shopper. I'll stop in to the stores a lot. Just for somewhere to ride to, Or just because i'm in that area. I would say for every 8-10 stops I'll buy something.
Pesc Exotic is right on the corner of Kennedy and Highway ave in downtown highway. They have afternoon to evening hours and are closed on tuesday.
Shawn
The main reason I like aquascapes is they usually have a good selection of crabs, snails and other cuc items. During summer they get a nice selection of fish too.
For dry goods I don't think you can beat the selection that the ark has. It just drives me nuts to go there. I have heard some of the worst advice for people starting new tanks from the arks employees. Whenever I hear stores give this bad advice it make me think what are they doing to their own livestock.
For dry goods I don't think you can beat the selection that the ark has. It just drives me nuts to go there. I have heard some of the worst advice for people starting new tanks from the arks employees. Whenever I hear stores give this bad advice it make me think what are they doing to their own livestock.
JRaquatics
New member
Only Exotic Aquatics for me. I have been shopping there for over 10 years.
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