lawdog,
Dont' know what to say except that
a) He did say that about the DSB, although when I was in there a week earlier a different person said exactly what I have been reading on RC --- that 4" of oolite is best.
b) When I asked for the T5 light the guy he started going through the PC bulbs. When I reminded him I was looking for a T5 to replace a broken GE Daylight, he didn't know what I was talking about. Someone else came by and pointed to the large stack of T5 bulbs they had, but he had no idea how to read them, which one was daylight or which one fit a 48" fixture. The two people suggested I wait for the owner to get back as he was at the bank. When he got back he knew exactly what I needed.
c) Not sure if the rock was $6.50 or $7.50 as I never had any intention of buying it.
I have been there 1/2 dozen times now and sometimes they are helpful and sometimes they aren't. Like finding a good LFS, you need to make sure you find a good salesperson at the LFS as well. After spending 3 months researching a SW setup before I added any water to my tank, it became evident who knew the various approaches to take and how to help me cater to mine versus the people who only knew their personal way of doing things.