MounteeFrag
New member
Nothing really good Chain. Your in Canonsburg I would check out AquaWorld in Emsworth, Saltwater Sanctuary there in Canonsburg and WetPets in Mcmurray. In that order.
NorthCentral West Virgina (Morgantown area)
- Thread starter DJ in WV
- Start date
MounteeFrag
New member
I just found the MSMRS.org with a search. Hope DJ got it up and running. Let me know.
chain
New member
Thanks Mountee. Wasn't sure if there was anything down there worth seeing or not.
Saltwater Sanctuary is my store of choice right now. They don't have the most stuff but Craig is great to deal with and doesn't mind talking to people and helping out. I am sure he will get more as time goes on, I don't think he's been open a year yet. What he doesn't have he will get you and he will pretty much match online pricing. I have been very happy with him.
Wet Pets is the store I started with and bought my first set up from. Big mistake on my part. They are OK for small stuff and live stock but they are rip off artists when it comes to hard goods. I was a noob and they took advantage of that and sold me a bunch of crap way more than I should have paid for it. I found out after I bought it of course what I should have paid for the stuff. I called and griped and they ended up giving me a $300 credit in store. I used that up and have hardly bought anything from there since. I like to check out their fish but can care less about dealing with that store. I hear from a few people that there are enough people that come in there that don't have a clue that they can rip off, that they aren't that concerned with keeping the real hobbyists.
Aquaworld does have a bit of stuff but somehow I feel like they are the sweat shop of fish lol. I have bought a couple fish there with no issues. I will go back to them but probably only if Saltwater Sanctuary can't get me what I want. I do still stop in there just to see what they have sometimes.
Saltwater Sanctuary is my store of choice right now. They don't have the most stuff but Craig is great to deal with and doesn't mind talking to people and helping out. I am sure he will get more as time goes on, I don't think he's been open a year yet. What he doesn't have he will get you and he will pretty much match online pricing. I have been very happy with him.
Wet Pets is the store I started with and bought my first set up from. Big mistake on my part. They are OK for small stuff and live stock but they are rip off artists when it comes to hard goods. I was a noob and they took advantage of that and sold me a bunch of crap way more than I should have paid for it. I found out after I bought it of course what I should have paid for the stuff. I called and griped and they ended up giving me a $300 credit in store. I used that up and have hardly bought anything from there since. I like to check out their fish but can care less about dealing with that store. I hear from a few people that there are enough people that come in there that don't have a clue that they can rip off, that they aren't that concerned with keeping the real hobbyists.
Aquaworld does have a bit of stuff but somehow I feel like they are the sweat shop of fish lol. I have bought a couple fish there with no issues. I will go back to them but probably only if Saltwater Sanctuary can't get me what I want. I do still stop in there just to see what they have sometimes.
beachguy
New member
I'm with you for Saltwater Sanctuary in Canonsburg.
Hiya Chain!
Looks like we live pretty close to each other since your over in PA. I am in St Clair. Ohio just over the WV border and down the road from you in PA. I have been keeping tropical fish both fresh and salt for more than 30 years and I agree that Craig and his store are one of the nicest and cleanest around. I drive almost an hour to get to his shop because he takes the time to listen/help and not just sell you something like the other guys down the street from him at Wet Pets.
He is definitely not the biggest place but I agree I don't think he has even been open a year yet so I'm sure he is still trying to build his customer base up. He always orders me what I need if he doesn't have it in the store. I'm newer to saltwater and some of the other stores and their owners treat newbies like crap and try to rip you off.
Funny you say that about Aquaworld. I went in one time and asked the price of a coral they had in a tank and the asian guy told me I couldn't afford it so don't even bother asking. What nerve they had! I'm a retiree these days and had about 2k in cash burning a hole in my wallet that day looking to spend on fish and I walked out never to return to that dump.
Elmer's has been around forever and is good if you need something in a hurry since they carry all the basic aquariums, pumps and filters. Their saltwater fish and coral never look that great though in my opinion.
Oddball is pretty good store for fresh and ok for saltwater. Their store is a meatlocker though and in a hard to find neighborhood. Scary place first time you walk in there. Like a dungeon. Owners seem like nice people though from what I can tell from talking with them last time I was there years ago.
The guy up in Slippery Rock who sells on craiglist is kind of a weird character and was trying to tell me an aptasia pest anemone on a frag plug was a rock anemone the last time I went up there. Store is a dump as well. Same with that guy who runs the marine club and has a place way out in Beaver in an industrial park. Most arrogant guy I have ever met. I went to one of their club meetings a few years back and tried to ask a question and the guy rolled his eyes at me because it was too basic to answer in front of all their snobby reefers and their fancy speaker guy they had that day. I felt like I was back in high school again the way some of those people acted.
Seahorse is way up north of Pittsburgh on Route 8, they have some ok saltwater fish and corals but they do more cats dogs and hamsters I think.
Petco in The Highlands near Wheeling has a decent store and some saltwater stuff sometimes. Same with Washington, PA Petco.
Burtons Total Pet used to do saltwater in Bridgeville but last time I was there they didn't have anything salt anymore.
I think that place Animal Crackers did fish stuff as well in Bridgeville but I think they are closed now.
Hope that helps you out. Maybe I'll see you around the area sometime. My name is Ralph. Most people call me Pap.
Hiya Chain!
Looks like we live pretty close to each other since your over in PA. I am in St Clair. Ohio just over the WV border and down the road from you in PA. I have been keeping tropical fish both fresh and salt for more than 30 years and I agree that Craig and his store are one of the nicest and cleanest around. I drive almost an hour to get to his shop because he takes the time to listen/help and not just sell you something like the other guys down the street from him at Wet Pets.
He is definitely not the biggest place but I agree I don't think he has even been open a year yet so I'm sure he is still trying to build his customer base up. He always orders me what I need if he doesn't have it in the store. I'm newer to saltwater and some of the other stores and their owners treat newbies like crap and try to rip you off.
Funny you say that about Aquaworld. I went in one time and asked the price of a coral they had in a tank and the asian guy told me I couldn't afford it so don't even bother asking. What nerve they had! I'm a retiree these days and had about 2k in cash burning a hole in my wallet that day looking to spend on fish and I walked out never to return to that dump.
Elmer's has been around forever and is good if you need something in a hurry since they carry all the basic aquariums, pumps and filters. Their saltwater fish and coral never look that great though in my opinion.
Oddball is pretty good store for fresh and ok for saltwater. Their store is a meatlocker though and in a hard to find neighborhood. Scary place first time you walk in there. Like a dungeon. Owners seem like nice people though from what I can tell from talking with them last time I was there years ago.
The guy up in Slippery Rock who sells on craiglist is kind of a weird character and was trying to tell me an aptasia pest anemone on a frag plug was a rock anemone the last time I went up there. Store is a dump as well. Same with that guy who runs the marine club and has a place way out in Beaver in an industrial park. Most arrogant guy I have ever met. I went to one of their club meetings a few years back and tried to ask a question and the guy rolled his eyes at me because it was too basic to answer in front of all their snobby reefers and their fancy speaker guy they had that day. I felt like I was back in high school again the way some of those people acted.
Seahorse is way up north of Pittsburgh on Route 8, they have some ok saltwater fish and corals but they do more cats dogs and hamsters I think.
Petco in The Highlands near Wheeling has a decent store and some saltwater stuff sometimes. Same with Washington, PA Petco.
Burtons Total Pet used to do saltwater in Bridgeville but last time I was there they didn't have anything salt anymore.
I think that place Animal Crackers did fish stuff as well in Bridgeville but I think they are closed now.
Hope that helps you out. Maybe I'll see you around the area sometime. My name is Ralph. Most people call me Pap.
MounteeFrag
New member
I have never had any issues with AquaWorld. I love their Coral Tanks! Not too keen on their fish. I like doing frags and they have a great selection of $5 and $15 frags.
Saltwater Sanctuary is awesome, I can't agree with you more, Craig is awesome.
As for WETPETS, I will never buy hard goods from them. I beleive their fish selection is very decent. They cater to the South Hills Rich and Famous.
My PetCo in Morgantown has about 12 tanks of Saltwater fish (none ever look very healthy) and a decent size frag tank and they will order you whatever you want.
Nice to see some same thinking Reefers in the area.
Saltwater Sanctuary is awesome, I can't agree with you more, Craig is awesome.
As for WETPETS, I will never buy hard goods from them. I beleive their fish selection is very decent. They cater to the South Hills Rich and Famous.
My PetCo in Morgantown has about 12 tanks of Saltwater fish (none ever look very healthy) and a decent size frag tank and they will order you whatever you want.
Nice to see some same thinking Reefers in the area.
chain
New member
Yeah forgot about Oddball. I stop in there once in a while just to see what they have. Think I bought a magazine there once. =)
I don't even think about the Petco's and Pet Smart's. I will buy supplies there if need be but afraid to buy any livestock.
I like going to Elmer's to see what they have. They seem to carry odd stuff in there sometimes I never see anywhere else.
I've heard bad things about the club around Pittsburgh and how the head guy does business.
I don't even think about the Petco's and Pet Smart's. I will buy supplies there if need be but afraid to buy any livestock.
I like going to Elmer's to see what they have. They seem to carry odd stuff in there sometimes I never see anywhere else.
I've heard bad things about the club around Pittsburgh and how the head guy does business.
calrissian
New member
I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to see if there were any other reefers out there in the Fairmont, Morgantown, Clarksburg, Bridgeport areas. I'm pretty new to the hobby and thought it would be nice to communicate with some locals.
