TheLivingSeas
New member
Just walked into Ocean Blue to do a little browsing today and I was really shocked by the prices. They are definitely lower than what they used to be. Even the acan lords were half price. Has anyone else noticed this?
Have you been to the Blue lately?
- Thread starter TheLivingSeas
- Start date
cschweitzer
New member
Is this just the Blue, or the Studio also? I might have to make a little trip out tonight...
InLimbo87
New member
Yeah I'm going to also have to agree that I'm not a fan of either one of those stores. Both overpriced, and I question the morality of both. I bought a clown from oceans blue a while back, that was pretty sick the day after. I returned it and they tossed it right back in with all the rest. Haven't bought anything there since and don't think I ever will.
reefnfish
New member
Both your statements are not nice and quite unjust. Opinions on pricing is one thing - but using "rotten little store" and "question the morality" in your posts is not cool. Vihn has been a ORCA sponsor for a LONG time and does not deserve a thrashing in the ORCA forum. Come on guys!
cowboyswife
New member
I think they are both overpriced too. And if they put sick fish back in the tanks with the rest, there is no way I will buy a fish from there. InLimbo87, thanks for sharing that experience so I know to stay away from their livestock.
InLimbo87
New member
You're welcome. I like to keep others informed on things that I see at LFS' so that others can know what to look out for. I am protecting the interests of the reefer's on here, not the interests of a lfs. I know I like to see when others do the same, that way I know what to expect with livestock and even drygoods purchases.
InLimbo87
New member
I believe that they did acclimate it into the water, but regardless it should've went back into a quarantine tank, or a tank by itself. Half of its face was completely covered in slime, and they threw it in with a tank full of clowns and yellow tangs. IMO not the best of signs. Shows they don't care about selling diseased fish. Occasionally I see batches of healthy looking fish there, but for the most part they look pretty sickly to me.
reefnfish
New member
As Randy said, I really can not imagine OB putting a sick fish into their main holding systems. Why would they risk getting the other fish sick? But if they did, Vihn should have been told, and the employee should have been repremanded. Vihn trains his employees quite well - obviously - since Ross and Tommy have their own stores now.
chrisstie
Premium Member
AS is on my way home from school - compared to online prices, yeah they can be up there, but when its 10 minutes away from where you live and you have a small emergency and need X fish part, a few extra bucks is worth fixing a problem you may have with your tank.
The thing with AS, though, if you don't like unhappy fish, is that you wouldn't want to be there when they get new shipments in. They are at a disadvantage of not having a large back room to be able to sort through all of the shipments so the customers get to see the employees sort through the ones that made it and the ones that didn't.
While it may not be all that appealing to see a large shipment being acclimated and "sorted" for a store that does business that is what happens. It weirds me out a little bit but its like well, how else do they get the fish there?
I think each of our LFS have different goals\themes to their stores and Vinh is trying to cater to a large audience by doing both fresh and salt water as well as a lot in hardware (lots of tanks\stands at AS).. from a hobbyist point of view we usually find a particular area or few areas of the hobby we like and focus on them and it'd be nice if there was that one LFS that was "just for me"
Because of that I think there is a little something lost in quality of livestock, but it is up to the individual to educate themselves and have discretion on what it is they are buying.
I got a pair of misbars from AS because they looked healthy, happy, and they are the dopiest cutest little things ever... and it was sort of an impulse by. I knew I could take care of them but there they were just looking at me being cute. There are fish that are more challenging that don't necessarily do well in a large storefront like that that if I were to purchase I would look into my personal preference for that particular kind of livestock.
I think its very fortunate for us to have so many LFS here in Orlando- there are many cities inland where the nearest is 150 miles away and they have to order everything online and you know how expensive WYSIWIG shopping can be!
Its perfectly fine to price shop because we are totally able to do that with the stores we have here and sharing our experiences here should be a positive thing- for example, the original poster was noting how there were some decent prices at Oceans blue. That's pretty cool! When it comes to me personally if I have something negative to say instead of having it come out as what may seem like a rant to others, I try to voice my opinion in a constructive way so if our LFS can see this here on these boards, perhaps they can brainstorm on how to better improve our experiences.
And don't forget we arent the only reefers in the area! I am sure there are many people who maybe have been reefing for a long time and are kinda on the older side and may not be very skilled with the internet. I am sure there are lots of new reefers that check out the storefronts that are easy to see from the main roads and are just so wowwed by the beauty in this hobby they end up starting up too. Heck, look at all the new ORCA members myself included
I am babbling because I haven't had my coffee yet but to sum it all up opinions are like... tanks We all have one.. ;p If you don't have something nice to say - say it in a constructive way so we know what to look out for as consumers, and what LFS operators should look out for on their side of everything as well?
The thing with AS, though, if you don't like unhappy fish, is that you wouldn't want to be there when they get new shipments in. They are at a disadvantage of not having a large back room to be able to sort through all of the shipments so the customers get to see the employees sort through the ones that made it and the ones that didn't.
While it may not be all that appealing to see a large shipment being acclimated and "sorted" for a store that does business that is what happens. It weirds me out a little bit but its like well, how else do they get the fish there?
I think each of our LFS have different goals\themes to their stores and Vinh is trying to cater to a large audience by doing both fresh and salt water as well as a lot in hardware (lots of tanks\stands at AS).. from a hobbyist point of view we usually find a particular area or few areas of the hobby we like and focus on them and it'd be nice if there was that one LFS that was "just for me"
Because of that I think there is a little something lost in quality of livestock, but it is up to the individual to educate themselves and have discretion on what it is they are buying.
I got a pair of misbars from AS because they looked healthy, happy, and they are the dopiest cutest little things ever... and it was sort of an impulse by. I knew I could take care of them but there they were just looking at me being cute. There are fish that are more challenging that don't necessarily do well in a large storefront like that that if I were to purchase I would look into my personal preference for that particular kind of livestock.
I think its very fortunate for us to have so many LFS here in Orlando- there are many cities inland where the nearest is 150 miles away and they have to order everything online and you know how expensive WYSIWIG shopping can be!
Its perfectly fine to price shop because we are totally able to do that with the stores we have here and sharing our experiences here should be a positive thing- for example, the original poster was noting how there were some decent prices at Oceans blue. That's pretty cool! When it comes to me personally if I have something negative to say instead of having it come out as what may seem like a rant to others, I try to voice my opinion in a constructive way so if our LFS can see this here on these boards, perhaps they can brainstorm on how to better improve our experiences.
And don't forget we arent the only reefers in the area! I am sure there are many people who maybe have been reefing for a long time and are kinda on the older side and may not be very skilled with the internet. I am sure there are lots of new reefers that check out the storefronts that are easy to see from the main roads and are just so wowwed by the beauty in this hobby they end up starting up too. Heck, look at all the new ORCA members myself included
I am babbling because I haven't had my coffee yet but to sum it all up opinions are like... tanks
We all have one.. ;p If you don't have something nice to say - say it in a constructive way so we know what to look out for as consumers, and what LFS operators should look out for on their side of everything as well?
TheLivingSeas
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9611306#post9611306 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jsl6v8
Nope Studio is double the price of everywhere else as usual
Wow that is a little harsh man. I didnt mean for this thread to be a bash fest. All I said was that Ocean Blue has seriously lowered its prices and it is noticeable. I'm not sure if Aquaria Studio has yet, but remember to have a pimp store like that in that location the rent has to be very very high. Plus I've been to Aquaria Studio and the coral sizes are pretty large so you have to be careful what you are comparing them to. It's not for the cheap hobbyist thats for sure. And how can they rob you blind if you are the one who controls what you buy? Just don't buy it. I'm sure if Aquaria Studio was in Pine Hills the prices would be a little lower. Anyway sounds like you have a personal grudge here.
reefnfish
New member
Chrisstie - well said (before a coffee buzz at that!). TheLivingSeas - also well said. This thread did get nasty fast. Sorry I called them out on it to blow up your thread - but I do get upset when the good stores get bashed. Notice I did not chime in on the aquaholics thread. I don't have any experience with that store, so I left it alone. Vihn has a outstanding rep for bringing in high end reef products, and quality fish. We have good guys in the LFS, and some bad ones. He's a good one!
My bad I was of the opinion it was common knowledge, I personally have only bought 3 things from them when I first started the hobby and when asking them questions boy did I get some bad advice, the 3 things were a coral beauty a flame angle and a scallop only the scallop has survived, turns out that white stuff isn't just their coloring as I was told but a nice lil parasite that we would call ich. My aunt on the other hand bought a piece of coral from them and when I got home asked me what the green round things were on the rock, bubble algae so I picked it off and marked it as another follie of theirs, we were up eating at the Japanese food place located near them a couple days later and I thought I'd go in and inform them they might have a problem in one of their tanks with bubble algae, this was about a week and a half ago or so, turned out they didn't need to be informed, they were selling more bubble algae than they were corals, at least 2 coral tanks was filled with the stuff. Now how a LFS can let the bubble algae take off like that and present it to customers is one thing but to actually sell it to people like that and not informing them of the problems it can cause later is another.
Yes I probably should have stated my reasons for calling them a rotten little store in the first place but it was late I was tired and didn't realize people thought they were a good store. I completely understand that their location might very well have a bit to do with the prices at AS but when they charge people 175 bucks for a toadstool smaller and less colorful than one I got at another LFS for 49 there might be a problem beyond rent.
Yes I probably should have stated my reasons for calling them a rotten little store in the first place but it was late I was tired and didn't realize people thought they were a good store. I completely understand that their location might very well have a bit to do with the prices at AS but when they charge people 175 bucks for a toadstool smaller and less colorful than one I got at another LFS for 49 there might be a problem beyond rent.
sytanek
New member
On a side note, he seems to be able to get a lot of fish the other stores don't seem to be able to get. ie Pairs of Mated Black Clowns, not clarkii's. Everytime I go into Oceans Blue, he has 3 or 4 pair of them. I go to any other store, and can be added on to a waiting list for months and still waiting.
chrisstie
Premium Member
Excuse my ignorance.. What's a panova?
I ate at fuji sushi today omg yum! And popped in for a look... There were a pair of black clowns with orange faces hehe it looked like they had mustaches hehe
Their prices didn't seem any lower than normal and I think the rent in that area is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
I ate at fuji sushi today omg yum! And popped in for a look... There were a pair of black clowns with orange faces hehe it looked like they had mustaches hehe
Their prices didn't seem any lower than normal and I think the rent in that area is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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