My Experience at Deep Reef Aquatics

[mnestroy]

So I typicaly don't seek out to bash a store but I wanted to share my experience with Deep Reef in Downers Grove...

I have had bad experience in the past (all the fish I have gotten from them didn't live long)

So this afternoon I went there, and I was so surprised, I counted 7 fish that were dead or in very bad condition... Saw tangs, cleaner shrimps all laying on their backs on the sand...

I know they post here, so maybe they can get some insight that customers notice this stuff... They had a full staff and at the very least they could have removed the dead fish...

Needless to say I wont be back for a long time, I figured i'd give them another chance since they just added several new tanks, but I guess they still have a lot of work to do.

So I left the store with no purchase and headed over to Tropi-Quatics in lombard.. very good experience

 

[canar]

I guess it is just the luck of the draw for some people.

Tropiquatics in Lombard I have had nothing but bad experiences with. When I first started in salt water they took advantage of me multiple times. As I learned, I realized to just stay away from there.

I have bought many a fish from Jeff at Deep Reef. They are all healthy and doing great. For fish I think Jeff is the best option around. Prices are reasonable and the selection is great.

To me Jeff is for fish what Rod is for coral's.

Ted

 

[Edward Smith]

Call Jeff and let him know. He takes alot of bride in the quality of his livestock.

 

[1010]

I have never been to the store but just to look at it from a different angle, some of these lfs have no back rooms (for sick fish) and that could have been one bad shippment. 7 dead fish is alot just decaying there some constructive criticism can only help.

 

[mnestroy]

I agree, most of it can be ruled luck of the draw..

Far as Tropiquatics I haven't purchased to much but from my limited experience I've been happy..

Back to Deep Reef... I do agree the staff is very good, and Jeff knows his stuff,

I just sometimes feel that Pet Stores in general need to do a better job at keeping their stores in better conditions. I have worked over 10yrs retail experience, and I wonder how some pet store owners can let the stores be so poorly cleaned/organized etc..

 

[pk1]

Well, I have seen dead fish at deep reef, but all the fish I have bought from them are alive and well in my tank, including a 1.5 yr old Achilles and a few other fish. This post didn't surprise me, until I got to the part on tropiquatics-a place that always has dead fish, sick fish, and dead/dying coral under normal output lighting, I live 5 minutes away so I am not speaking from a "few"visits. When I first started out 5 years ago, they sold me a trickle filter and 55w PC lighting and said I could keep "anything". Too bad I hadn't discovered RC yet....

 

[scubaduderon]

I have bought quite a bit from Jeff over the years

I have bought quite a bit from Jeff over the years

Jeff's fish have fared well in my tank. As a matter of fact I have a gorgeous Copper Banded Butterfly in it now from Jeff.

Jeff is a super nice guy, having done 2 housecalls to help the person I had feeding my fish while my wife and I were in Europe.

I came back asking him how much I owed him. He said that if I could come by the store and pick something up that would be payment enough! Now that is service!

Ron

 

[canar]

Yup, I remember that place before Jeff bought it. He really fixed it up a lot...

 

[Teremei]

The only 2 fish I bought from them.

Yellow Clown Goby - 1 1/2 month lived
$45 blackfin wrasse - 3 weeks lived.

I highly suspect one of their distributor's uses cyanide to catch their fish. And there are always unhealthy fish in their tiny tanks. If their staff is so good they would immediately remove any sick fish and start treating them in seperate tanks. Not let them sit there dying, possibly infecting their other fish. I mean the tanks are so tiny, it would be so easy to catch any sick fish. But no. They let them sit there.

Bad store. End of story.