wewerehere
Member
am i missing something about SPS? haha
good LFS
- Thread starter wewerehere
- Start date
I feel obligated to share my Planet Reef experience here since I dropped in on them last night, looking to get inspired with my own tank....
First, I called and was greeted in a very friendly, professional way. it was different and definitely a positive, so I was excited. I also checked out their website and was impressed with their attitude and "mission statement" of their goals. They were off to a great start. But that's where the positives ended, sadly.
I was disappointed to see the large majority of their fish covered in the dreaded little white dots, or simply very skinny. And while pricing seemed fair, nearly all tanks were mislabeled (what was in tank was NOT what the little sticker said), so having a price was sort of a moot point. I loved the idea of stating on the sticker when the fish arrived, and whether or not they're eating, but I only saw a couple stickers that said the fish were eating. The rest were blank. Bummer.
I milled around for awhile, looking at each and every tank in the whole store. As I was just about done, the teenage kid who was washing the front of all the glass quickly asks, "Need any help?" I declined. I was done.
On my way out the door, the gentleman behind the counter thanked me for coming in and told me to have a good night. Couldn't have been more friendly, really! But the problem was I never got helped in a professional manner or engaged in a conversation... and I was the ONLY person in there. I was really hoping for a great experience and was looking forward to giving the "new guys in town" a shot. I wish them the best of luck, but I will highly surprised if I end up in there again.
~B
First, I called and was greeted in a very friendly, professional way. it was different and definitely a positive, so I was excited. I also checked out their website and was impressed with their attitude and "mission statement" of their goals. They were off to a great start. But that's where the positives ended, sadly.
I was disappointed to see the large majority of their fish covered in the dreaded little white dots, or simply very skinny. And while pricing seemed fair, nearly all tanks were mislabeled (what was in tank was NOT what the little sticker said), so having a price was sort of a moot point. I loved the idea of stating on the sticker when the fish arrived, and whether or not they're eating, but I only saw a couple stickers that said the fish were eating. The rest were blank. Bummer.
I milled around for awhile, looking at each and every tank in the whole store. As I was just about done, the teenage kid who was washing the front of all the glass quickly asks, "Need any help?" I declined. I was done.
On my way out the door, the gentleman behind the counter thanked me for coming in and told me to have a good night. Couldn't have been more friendly, really! But the problem was I never got helped in a professional manner or engaged in a conversation... and I was the ONLY person in there. I was really hoping for a great experience and was looking forward to giving the "new guys in town" a shot. I wish them the best of luck, but I will highly surprised if I end up in there again.
~B
wewerehere
Member
seriously? not only did they talk to me for an hour or two when they were closed they even called me after their closing time and talked to me about the goods i wanted to buy.
after this they have been talking to me non-stop about what i am going to buy. they are very interested and they seem to be very into helping me. i never saw any problems with their fish or anything but i guess thats just my eyes.
i like them and they definitely have my business
after this they have been talking to me non-stop about what i am going to buy. they are very interested and they seem to be very into helping me. i never saw any problems with their fish or anything but i guess thats just my eyes.
i like them and they definitely have my business
wewerehere
Member
yea i just never pictured them completely ignoring the existence of a customer but he even told me straight forward that as ia starting reefer i was top priority.... maybe thats why they have been holding on to me.
I'm glad to hear they're paying attention to folks and making lifelong customers. That's what it's all about! I don't mind being ignored. I didn't lose any sleep over it. I was just sharing my experience letting people know what I saw. My eyes weren't particularly pleased, that's all.
~B
~B
wewerehere
Member
i totally understand and as far as livestock ill probably go mostly with gateway aquatics anyway because they are about 5 minutes down the road. they just arent that great for dry stock.
So, why isn't Beldt's aquariums being talked about? Have too many people had bad experiences with them.
I was in their shop on Friday and they have a huge selection of Fuji and Kaelini live rock, large selection of corals, and large selection of fish and inverts.
I was in their shop on Friday and they have a huge selection of Fuji and Kaelini live rock, large selection of corals, and large selection of fish and inverts.
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wewerehere
Member
too far for me. thats why i figure. i went ONCE because i was out that way to pick up an overflow box and a skimmer from a seller on here and i stopped by there on the way back. yea its very nice but its also a 40-50 min drive w/o rush hour traffic for me. thats why i dont go since i have about 3 other alternative stores between me and there
wewerehere
Member
yea that too. what he said. wow i wish i could have thought of it that way. lol
If somebody could PM me about their personal experiences with the LFS's in the area, I would greatly appreciate. Such as, the ones to go to and which ones to stay away from. I pretty much learned the hard way out in the Pacific North West. Out there it is not uncommon to have to drive an hour + to get to a good fish store. There were many but only a few were decent.
wewerehere
Member
PM sent
bradbury
New member
Here's the deal. Fish spots are few and far between in st. louis. I started some time back with nothing but this website to give me understanding on the hobby. Some places just won't give you respect without knowing the hobby already, which is the delima for most newbies to saltwater. If you are looking for people who will answer questions, for new or old aquarist, i prefer Beldts and planet reef. Those are the only two I go to.Not to badmouth the unmentioned others, but sometimes respect works in business.
Going back to Planet Reef, more power to them. They still value customers, as does some others. Some places treated me like a hastle for years while i dumped tons of money, telling me flat lies, and giving me a false sense of trust when i got an answer to a misunderstood question. I went by today asking about some of the rays and sharks, and as always, every question was taken with some thought. Though it is a rookie, they strive to differ from the rest, and have already proven themselves to me as a serious distributor that i can trust. This can change, of course, but I have seen how they treat me.
Long story short: Beldt's, Clayton Pet, and Planet Reef are fun IMO.
Going back to Planet Reef, more power to them. They still value customers, as does some others. Some places treated me like a hastle for years while i dumped tons of money, telling me flat lies, and giving me a false sense of trust when i got an answer to a misunderstood question. I went by today asking about some of the rays and sharks, and as always, every question was taken with some thought. Though it is a rookie, they strive to differ from the rest, and have already proven themselves to me as a serious distributor that i can trust. This can change, of course, but I have seen how they treat me.
Long story short: Beldt's, Clayton Pet, and Planet Reef are fun IMO.
JxMetal
New member
I enjoy a store that's going to give me good information. Honestly, I've only come across two employees that have ever given me 100% true information that they're not afraid to say and they'll tell you why and give good opinions. These two people have been Steve who worked at Gateway Aquatics and Curt at Planet Reef. Both who, IMO, are very intelligent when it comes to the hobby and won't let me make a bad purchase when I get interested in something I shouldn't put in my tank. I may inquire about the $50 item and they'd say how about this $30 item. Intelligence and interest in the hobby are two very important things that I rely on in the people that help me since I don't know nearly enough about everything.
wewerehere
Member
i Like Planet Reef. went again yesterday. actually my mom pulled me out of school early to go look around. it always gets better and always makes me think of all the options i have on these tanks. Not to mention that to finish setting up my tank i need a return pump and T5 actinics. they looked for the best deal they could find and now that all the guys that work at PR know im on a budget they are very helpful in when it comes to making me good deals. they have also called (even on three way) and talked to me about my set up and what i want out of it. they are definitely a model store of any kind.
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