Lfs in so cal

I usually go to Bob's tropical in Monterey Park! They have some really great frags. Picked up a bunch of Zoa's and several rarer anemones for my tank.
 
Has someone tried Mystic Reef?

https://www.google.com/search?q=mys.....69i57j0l5.1679j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I've been using their salt water for a while and noticed that it is very inconsistent and also dirty. Twice they sold me two buckets of 'salt' water that only had around 25ppt when it should have been 34ppt. I noticed this because when I dumped it in my tank you could see tiny clouds forming. That usually happens when you mix fresh and salt water. That lowered my sg drastically. Yesterday I purchased another batch of water and tested PO4 and got a reading of 0.07. I don't know whether I should call them out on that or just let it go and mix my own water from now on. I purchased their water because I wanted to support them and it is also more convenient for me.

Their corals look unhealthy as well. More delicate SPS always die in their tanks. Prices are also super high and the owner always starts off very high but if you don't purchase anything he will try to give you a deal and say ok I can give you three for 50 instead of one for 30. I don't know what to think about them. I really want to support them but this business is not the way I want a business to handle stuff. Has anyone else had similar experiences with this store?
 
JustAClownFish said:
Has someone tried Mystic Reef?

https://www.google.com/search?q=mys.....69i57j0l5.1679j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I've been using their salt water for a while and noticed that it is very inconsistent and also dirty. Twice they sold me two buckets of 'salt' water that only had around 25ppt when it should have been 34ppt. I noticed this because when I dumped it in my tank you could see tiny clouds forming. That usually happens when you mix fresh and salt water. That lowered my sg drastically. Yesterday I purchased another batch of water and tested PO4 and got a reading of 0.07. I don't know whether I should call them out on that or just let it go and mix my own water from now on. I purchased their water because I wanted to support them and it is also more convenient for me.

Their corals look unhealthy as well. More delicate SPS always die in their tanks. Prices are also super high and the owner always starts off very high but if you don't purchase anything he will try to give you a deal and say ok I can give you three for 50 instead of one for 30. I don't know what to think about them. I really want to support them but this business is not the way I want a business to handle stuff. Has anyone else had similar experiences with this store?
Click to expand...



I think if read your own post you will find your answer.

You look like you need to frequent a different retailer. Plus you should also test the store bought water'a SG. Your display tank will reflect the store's condition.


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My fav store where i always shop in Ultra Gem here in burbank, nice frags for cheap and they got any clown u could ever want. Staff is great too


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mattaytayan said:
My fav store where i always shop in Ultra Gem here in burbank, nice frags for cheap and they got any clown u could ever want. Staff is great too
Click to expand...

+1 on Ultragem. Staff is super friendly, and they have top shelf dry goods (Neptune, Ecotech, Zeovit, Triton) as well at decent prices.

Not much SPS, and their fish selection is limited, but the LPS that they have, along with Zoanthids, are stunning.
 
rroselavy said:
+1 on Ultragem. Staff is super friendly, and they have top shelf dry goods (Neptune, Ecotech, Zeovit, Triton) as well at decent prices.



Not much SPS, and their fish selection is limited, but the LPS that they have, along with Zoanthids, are stunning.
Click to expand...



Agreed


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gumbii said:
might as well put some that aren't that A.W.S.O.M.E. amirite...? so i'm throwing in everyone's two favorite stores, atafish and strictly fish... lol...



atlantic tropical aquarium aka: atafish in artesia... this place has a pretty bad reputation... the're the one's that spam up craigslist with their mega-ultima-firesales... the only thing i can say about them is that if you go when the owner isn't there, you could get some allright fish for a great price... their coral selection isn't worth the drive... but if you're like, looking for hardy fish i would check them out... i've gotten several fish from them including yellow tangs, blue tangs, clowns, flame hawkfish, firefish, arabian dotty backs and some shrimps and stuff... i think more... but i can't remember right now... don't go expecting some amazing store... the fat dude with the shorts is cool... he's the one with the good prices... not the asian guy... very shady dude...

strictly fish in lakewood... um... lol... they aren't a fish store that's moving with the times... they have a nice selection on fish, but are priced very high... the only time to go is on i think wednesdays when they have sales on all their fish... i think 20%, but not very sure right now... their freshwater is great... they have some nice cichlids and nice plants... corals aren't all that, but sometimes they will have a gem or two... but it's also not worth going expecting some awesome acan or something...

hong kong tropical fish in artesia... this lady has no customer service at all... lol... she's rude and well... i dunno... but the dude is pretty cool, and will give you great prices on some very healthy fish... their corals aren't that special... their freshwater selection is pretty good... and they have some nice koi fish too...

red sea fish and reptiles in whittier... this place used to be amazing... but it was sold twice and well... their saltwater is very horrible... they're trying, but they just don't have the knowledge or experience to handle it... their freshwater selection is great though... also the reptile selection is okay... this place also sells crickets 20 for a buck... these are nice guys... but i think it's too much for them to handle...

neptune's reef in torrance... i've only gone here a couple of times... from what i remember, they had an aight selection on SW fish... prices aren't great, and only have one tank for corals... um... i didn't get to look at anything else at that tank, but i'm never going back to that place... YMMV...

new age aquatics in orange... this is a fairly new place... the guy chad is super cool... they have a good selection on coral and some good saltwater fish... this place is HUGE, but right now he's moving stuff around and cleaning up after someone's mess... he also modifies tanks... like custom sumps, buffs out acrylic, stuff like that...

pacific reef in fountain valley... i've only gone in this store a couple of times... they have a huge variety of corals... the guys that work there are enthusiast, so they know their stuff... they have some nice fish, although i didn't price out the fish... they were decent in coral prices... they have a lot of dry goods too... and it's around the corner from prehistoric pets... that's a win... everyone should walk around in prehistoric pets... LOL...

pasadena tropical fish in... duh... pasadena... this place has some nice chalice and LPS colonies... although, his prices always vary, i guess based on his mood or whatever... his dry goods are way over priced... like bulbs and stuff... wow... has a good selection on fish, and they look healthy... his prices are up there with other shops... i hear he also has this mystery grab bag specials when he gets new corals... i guess he just sells you a colony of SPS without looking at it or you looking at it... then go home and get either a good surprise, or a gorgonian... LOL... hahahaksdjf;klajsdflkajfl... sorry... that was hilarious...

ugh... i know there's more i've been too, but i can't find them on the map stuff... so i'll do them later...
Click to expand...



Just to add.... his sunday sale weekly


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Not been to Ultragem but met the owner who came by our office... nice guy. Been to Vivid but not met the owner... nice place.
 
mattaytayan said:
Just wonderin, how do you guys feel about Rainbow in NoHo, i have mixed feelings


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I like Rainbow Pets. It serves the community it's in and they have a decent selection for the average hobbyist. Great place for bread and butter livestock and supplies. If you're looking for rare, fancy, LE type corals, you should look elsewhere. Definitely dip/quarantine as you would with anything new you introduce to your system. I just appreciate the luxury of walking into a brick and mortar store once in a while and seeing things in person as oppose to buying everything online.
 
Our go to LFS is Ocean Aquatic in Redlands, Ken and Brian are super friendly and never once made us feel dumb for asking questions so customer service is number one in our book. They don't stock a lot of equipment (likely to minimize the overhead of stocking stuff that some people might not want/need and just collects dust) but can probably get you whatever it is you need and at a fair price. The shop is wall to wall fish and a good amount of frags. They do have huge reservoirs being filled with a huge multi stage RO/DI system.

Shillingtons in Calimesa is a small store but the time I was in there he was pretty laid back. According to Yelp reviews he can apparently seem snobby but I think its that he is passionate about what he does and all that knowledge can be interpreted as rude to some people. He also ha

PetWorld in San Bernardino is one of the biggest in the area that we have been to. Fish, tanks, and equipment are packed into this place. We used to frequent them however the deeper we got into the hobby the more questions we had the more they came off as rude and felt we were being talked down to.
 
Hello. I am looking for a company in/near Los Angeles that installs tanks in homes. The tank itself isn't a big deal, but I am looking for installation and integration of all components underneath (sump, chiller, kH Director, dosers, hard plumbing, etc). I have been working with Ultragem in Burbank for 6 months, and not only have they failed to deliver on their many promises, I am now having to sue them in order to get my money back. (I would avoid this place at all costs... message me to hear my nightmare story). Anyway, any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
 
You might want to visit LAX Aquarium on Century Blvd near the airport. Or you could just check their Facebook page for examples of the aquariums they have installed. As a side note, LAX Aquarium sells and installs Neptune Systems Apex control systems.

If you're in near Simi Valley, Aquarium Connection on Los Angeles Avenue is a nice store and they install.
 
Any recommendations for LFSs (in OC or LA) that have a good selection of live rock? Been out of the hobby for awhile and can't seem to find much live rock anywhere. Even if it's the fake stuff (which I understand is more favored now) as long as I can cherry pick the pieces. Thanks in advance!
 
Tigahboy said:
Any recommendations for LFSs (in OC or LA) that have a good selection of live rock? Been out of the hobby for awhile and can't seem to find much live rock anywhere. Even if it's the fake stuff (which I understand is more favored now) as long as I can cherry pick the pieces. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...



Lax aquarium. Their rock is already cycling in a big bin with lots of pieces to choose from.


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I'll be in Pomona with my family in a few weeks. Are there any fish stores worth checking out in the area? Thanks.
 
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