Shops in Tucson
- Thread starter tacocat
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I think it is hit and miss with any of Tucson’s three saltwater LFS. There are days that I have been to each one of them and think, “what happened?†and then there are days that I go in and say “wowâ€Â. As far as corals go I can only speak of LPS and softies which are in my reef and I have coral from each store that are still alive and doing great after five months, (I guess if they die now it is on me).
When it comes to fish, I have to say that Oasis is by far better priced than the rest. I have priced hippo tangs, mandarins, porcupines, Triggers, clowns, etc and they have always been the best priced as far as local purchase goes. Sure on-line can be cheaper but then you don’t see the fish you are purchasing and I am not sure if I personally am willing to take that risk. In addition when I make a purchase and it does not work out for whatever reason, Hector has always welcome the fish back and credited me towards another purchase, (I have never requested a refund so cannot comment on that aspect). I also know that Majestic has done this also for me, but cannot comment on Southwest.
When it comes to service I also like Oasis. Hector took my Lion and Puffer in when I was new to saltwater and treated them both for ich. The cost of this 6 week treatment was less than the money I lost in the first day of scouring over the internet trying to figure out how to treat them for ich without killing them from the environmental issues that I was having in my hospital tank. (I have now graduated from stupid and treat my own fish). He always acknowledges me when I enter there store and has never once “blown me off†like one of the other saltwater stores in town did until I showed up one day in my Corvette.
I was in there just a few days ago and the fish and corals looked happy and healthy. It is true that he is not a huge store and does not have a full “display only system†but what good is a display if you cannot buy what looks so beautiful in there? I am not trying to challenge anyone’s expertise; however, I just thought another opinion that was different from previous posts would be welcome in this situation.
When it comes to fish, I have to say that Oasis is by far better priced than the rest. I have priced hippo tangs, mandarins, porcupines, Triggers, clowns, etc and they have always been the best priced as far as local purchase goes. Sure on-line can be cheaper but then you don’t see the fish you are purchasing and I am not sure if I personally am willing to take that risk. In addition when I make a purchase and it does not work out for whatever reason, Hector has always welcome the fish back and credited me towards another purchase, (I have never requested a refund so cannot comment on that aspect). I also know that Majestic has done this also for me, but cannot comment on Southwest.
When it comes to service I also like Oasis. Hector took my Lion and Puffer in when I was new to saltwater and treated them both for ich. The cost of this 6 week treatment was less than the money I lost in the first day of scouring over the internet trying to figure out how to treat them for ich without killing them from the environmental issues that I was having in my hospital tank. (I have now graduated from stupid and treat my own fish). He always acknowledges me when I enter there store and has never once “blown me off†like one of the other saltwater stores in town did until I showed up one day in my Corvette.
I was in there just a few days ago and the fish and corals looked happy and healthy. It is true that he is not a huge store and does not have a full “display only system†but what good is a display if you cannot buy what looks so beautiful in there? I am not trying to challenge anyone’s expertise; however, I just thought another opinion that was different from previous posts would be welcome in this situation.
SahuaritaMike
.Registered Member
OasisTf never got your Pm....
I agree with the hit and miss comment but I can honestly say that I have dumped a few thousand in the last few months and 95%came from Southwest Saltwater. Nothing against the other stores I like the coral selection at Majestic but the flatworms (not a new thing) kinda shy me away from buying and they are pretty one sided on the products they push. As far as Oasis Tropical fish goes I like Hector as a person but I question alot of his business processes, I don't mind paying a premium for good quality but I cant justify paying 2-3 times higher for something that you can find locally and online for a fraction of the cost, also I have been there 10 times or so since I have been doing saltwater and I have never seen a fish selection there other than the "bread and butter" fish (CLowns,damsels,yellow tangs etc).
Another thing I liked about Southwest is if doesnt have the answer he wont BS you and tell you what you want to hear. This is where I think the other stores take advantaage of the new hobbiest that are just starting out.
I can honestly say I still visit Majestic and Oasis TF every once and awhile but mostly just to talk and bs about reef stuff. I really think each store has thier own unique clientel base and that is what keeps each one in business.
As for me I give the SahuaritaMike stamp of approval to Southwest Saltwater on Speedway.....
I agree with the hit and miss comment but I can honestly say that I have dumped a few thousand in the last few months and 95%came from Southwest Saltwater. Nothing against the other stores I like the coral selection at Majestic but the flatworms (not a new thing) kinda shy me away from buying and they are pretty one sided on the products they push. As far as Oasis Tropical fish goes I like Hector as a person but I question alot of his business processes, I don't mind paying a premium for good quality but I cant justify paying 2-3 times higher for something that you can find locally and online for a fraction of the cost, also I have been there 10 times or so since I have been doing saltwater and I have never seen a fish selection there other than the "bread and butter" fish (CLowns,damsels,yellow tangs etc).
Another thing I liked about Southwest is if doesnt have the answer he wont BS you and tell you what you want to hear. This is where I think the other stores take advantaage of the new hobbiest that are just starting out.
I can honestly say I still visit Majestic and Oasis TF every once and awhile but mostly just to talk and bs about reef stuff. I really think each store has thier own unique clientel base and that is what keeps each one in business.
As for me I give the SahuaritaMike stamp of approval to Southwest Saltwater on Speedway.....
Tacocat
Tacocat
No but watch out the "Pied Piper " will use his magic
"Current Tanks: ITS magic how people that only visit a place once know more about that place than current people that hang there its magic better be ready to back up your comments, you are liable for all your comments"
And if you really want some fun reading check out OasisTF's past posts, especially early last year.
Tacocat
No but watch out the "Pied Piper " will use his magic
"Current Tanks: ITS magic how people that only visit a place once know more about that place than current people that hang there its magic better be ready to back up your comments, you are liable for all your comments"
And if you really want some fun reading check out OasisTF's past posts, especially early last year.
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Tangman1218
In Memoriam
Hey all,
I just read this thread and I have to say, Im really surprised. Ill just come right out and be as blunt and nice as possible.
When I come in to Tucson, the only store I'll go into is Oasis Trpoical Fish. These are my reasons and I promise to be as methodical as possible.
Majestic are snobs. Plain and simple. The employees are just, well.....know-it-alls. I also think they're coral selection sucks and most items have "not for sale" written on the tanks. What the hell good is that if I cant buy something I see? Granted, they do keep some good LR, but how often do I buy that? Never. Nor would I have any way to take it back with me and besides, I could buy it cheaper at my other LFS's.
Southwest. Where do I begin. Ill start off by saying the owner, (Rob) is knowledgable and one of the last times I was in (long time ago) the coral selection was chitty and what was available in SPS, was receeding badly. I did go back about a week later after saying something to one of the employees, and things were looking a bit better. I will say though that I did get tired of asking one of the employees a question and this is the answer I would recieve..." I dont know and the owner will be back after 5."
In terms of pricing, I saw little difference in Live goods. Now, one thing that did tick me off, was I picked up on someone buying a certain coral in which there were 3 of the same thing and saw what that person paid at the register. I asked about the same coral (with one less head) and I was quoted a higher price. Now mind you, they were very comparable in terms of size. There was no justification for me paying more than the other person, except maybe the other person was a local and got a discount. Who knows. I have never been back since. It may be really good now and I hope it is. Next time I get down that way, Ill stop in again and check it out.
Now, at Oasis Tropical I can walk in and not be made to feel inferior in my SW knowledge, and I always get an answer to my question. Sure, the coral prices on some items are higher than I would expect to pay, but do you see some of the items he gets in? Really good stuff! Sometimes he may not have a huge selection, but thats what happens when you run a business and sell items. You cant expect someone to be fully stocked all the time, which is why I gave Southwest the benefit of the doubt when they're selection was low. I think Turbosnail couldnt be more wrong in his assesment of Oasis. I think he may have meant Petco or Tropical Kingdom. Now, even though Owsi suggested Petco, Id stay away from both of those places. Knarley.
In all fairness Tacocat, check out all 3 and make your own informed decision. I think from talking to Hector, there is some bitterness in this town due to misconception. Sad. You guys should all get along and not knock another persons business just because you feel paying more isnt worth it. Some people dont mind paying more for items that they know will be in good shape.
I just read this thread and I have to say, Im really surprised. Ill just come right out and be as blunt and nice as possible.
When I come in to Tucson, the only store I'll go into is Oasis Trpoical Fish. These are my reasons and I promise to be as methodical as possible.
Majestic are snobs. Plain and simple. The employees are just, well.....know-it-alls. I also think they're coral selection sucks and most items have "not for sale" written on the tanks. What the hell good is that if I cant buy something I see? Granted, they do keep some good LR, but how often do I buy that? Never. Nor would I have any way to take it back with me and besides, I could buy it cheaper at my other LFS's.
Southwest. Where do I begin. Ill start off by saying the owner, (Rob) is knowledgable and one of the last times I was in (long time ago) the coral selection was chitty and what was available in SPS, was receeding badly. I did go back about a week later after saying something to one of the employees, and things were looking a bit better. I will say though that I did get tired of asking one of the employees a question and this is the answer I would recieve..." I dont know and the owner will be back after 5."
In terms of pricing, I saw little difference in Live goods. Now, one thing that did tick me off, was I picked up on someone buying a certain coral in which there were 3 of the same thing and saw what that person paid at the register. I asked about the same coral (with one less head) and I was quoted a higher price. Now mind you, they were very comparable in terms of size. There was no justification for me paying more than the other person, except maybe the other person was a local and got a discount. Who knows. I have never been back since. It may be really good now and I hope it is. Next time I get down that way, Ill stop in again and check it out.
Now, at Oasis Tropical I can walk in and not be made to feel inferior in my SW knowledge, and I always get an answer to my question. Sure, the coral prices on some items are higher than I would expect to pay, but do you see some of the items he gets in? Really good stuff! Sometimes he may not have a huge selection, but thats what happens when you run a business and sell items. You cant expect someone to be fully stocked all the time, which is why I gave Southwest the benefit of the doubt when they're selection was low. I think Turbosnail couldnt be more wrong in his assesment of Oasis. I think he may have meant Petco or Tropical Kingdom. Now, even though Owsi suggested Petco, Id stay away from both of those places. Knarley.
In all fairness Tacocat, check out all 3 and make your own informed decision. I think from talking to Hector, there is some bitterness in this town due to misconception. Sad. You guys should all get along and not knock another persons business just because you feel paying more isnt worth it. Some people dont mind paying more for items that they know will be in good shape.
SahuaritaMike
.Registered Member
Not sure of your ending comments Tangman1218 "You guys should all get along and not knock another persons business" but in your 3rd paragraph you say this "Majestic are snobs. Plain and simple. The employees are just, well.....know-it-alls. I also think they're coral selection sucks " Could you explain why you have both comments in the same post reply?
Michael
Michael
I did not endorse PetCo, it was sarcasm. Yes by all means check them all out, but be aware that not all is visible to you. Obviously Hector has some regular followers or a big bank roll, otherwise he would have already closed his store, but read his old posts for some interesting insight and humor.
Tangman1218
In Memoriam
Well SahuaritoMike, The only reason why I said that was to level the playing field. I wasnt tearing down their business per say, just more towards their customer service. I made the coral selection sucks comment because Turbosnail said Majestic has the best corals. I couldnt disagree more. In your defense though, I should not have said that about majestic, so I apologize if you are the owner or are a close friend.
However, I still stand by what I said.
However, I still stand by what I said.
Believe or not they are people that hang on this forum that don't believe everything they read and make there own judgement..and still shop my store, thats what keeps the store open..
there is people that dislike my store and there is people the like my store....and that goes for every business
this will be a never ending story even years from now
everyone is entitle to there opinions anyone is welcome to judge for themselves and stop by
there is people that dislike my store and there is people the like my store....and that goes for every business
this will be a never ending story even years from now
everyone is entitle to there opinions anyone is welcome to judge for themselves and stop by
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ThomasinKind
New member
I can say that I basically "mystery shopped" all stores in Tucson over the past couple of months. No one acknowledged my existence at Oasis and Southwest wasn't much better honestly. Overall SWS had the best selection. Most corals did not have their price listed though. Majestic was nice (at least I was acknowledged) in terms of customer service but they definately had some flatworm problems with some of their corals. When I get my setup going I will be using a QT so that could be taken care of -- just would be a hassle that I'd rather avoid. Prices did seem a little high to me as well. I think I'll be getting most of my stuff online or from up in Phoenix.
Hi all of you new Guys to Tucson and all of you Oldies here,
So I've been "paid" to give my two cents by the man with the "big bank roll", ha, ha (what a bunch of BS). I'll agree that there are those that hold true to the ties that they've made at each store and steered away from those stores that have rubbed them wrong during a single encounter, but as is with all of life we are drawn toward what we agree with or just those that give a great deal even once. Despite what different people may have said about pricing and selection each store has something unique to offer. Each week is like a lottery at each store when it comes to their livestock and pricing. You'll have to figure it out for yourself. As for me, I shop all of the stores. Yes, Owsi including PetCo. I still find it ridiculous to pay $30 for a neon goby at SW when its 1/3, yes I said it, 1/3 the price at PetCo. Feel free to shun me now as a reef hobbyist for shopping at "DeathCo"
(You included Hector). In the end fish are fish and corals are corals when they are healthy and as long as you enjoy them when you get them home and you don't cry too much when your next bank statement comes. So, Enjoy Tucson and grieve the great prices that are experienced in CA; as I too do. However, in the end it is still possible to survive in the dessert several hundred miles away from the ocean and LAX as a reef hobbyist. Unfortunately, you'll pay just a little bit more even if you shop carefully.
So I've been "paid" to give my two cents by the man with the "big bank roll", ha, ha (what a bunch of BS). I'll agree that there are those that hold true to the ties that they've made at each store and steered away from those stores that have rubbed them wrong during a single encounter, but as is with all of life we are drawn toward what we agree with or just those that give a great deal even once. Despite what different people may have said about pricing and selection each store has something unique to offer. Each week is like a lottery at each store when it comes to their livestock and pricing. You'll have to figure it out for yourself. As for me, I shop all of the stores. Yes, Owsi including PetCo. I still find it ridiculous to pay $30 for a neon goby at SW when its 1/3, yes I said it, 1/3 the price at PetCo. Feel free to shun me now as a reef hobbyist for shopping at "DeathCo"
(You included Hector). In the end fish are fish and corals are corals when they are healthy and as long as you enjoy them when you get them home and you don't cry too much when your next bank statement comes. So, Enjoy Tucson and grieve the great prices that are experienced in CA; as I too do. However, in the end it is still possible to survive in the dessert several hundred miles away from the ocean and LAX as a reef hobbyist. Unfortunately, you'll pay just a little bit more even if you shop carefully.
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As an addendum,
I will say that there are soooooooooooooo many people here in Tucson that are willing to help you out in the hobby and offer you frags here and there at great deals. The best advice I can give is to enjoy the many different colored characters within the hobby here is Tucson as you might the different colors in the sea. (sorry for the cheesyness, but it's the truth!)
I will say that there are soooooooooooooo many people here in Tucson that are willing to help you out in the hobby and offer you frags here and there at great deals. The best advice I can give is to enjoy the many different colored characters within the hobby here is Tucson as you might the different colors in the sea. (sorry for the cheesyness, but it's the truth!)
Faviaphile
New member
I realize this thread has sort of been highjaclked into a store comparison but I think it's an interesting thread and I want to give my opinion too.=)
I've shopped most of the stores- specialty and not, and have bought from most of them. I even have a firefish from Petco and a bubble coral from Tropical Kingdom- I've had both for a long time. Also, Petland- though I've never bought from them, has a guarantee to match any price on all livestock and equipment. Their tanks look a little rough but I've seen some decent LPS and softies for a very good price.
Here's my $.02- Rob, at SW has always been very helpful- if I have a question about a coral, he whips out the Corals of the World book and will take the time to look up my question. His prices are almost always lower than Majestic. Also, Rob gets in the most unbelievable live rock- I've picked up some unbelievable pieces- of Hawaiian AqCul and Tonga. His Staff are great- Bill and the founder- John are very knowledgable.
The thing I don't like about Majestic is the way no one seems to know the price of anything. Several times I have asked for a price and the employee takes a pic with his cell or describes it over the phone to someone who then tells them the price. It's annoying and it seems suspicious- shouldn't there be a price marked on that coral the moment it enters the store, and then kept some where the employees can access it?
Rob's prices are all marked on a handy clipboard. I feel better knowing that I'm not getting ripped b/c the sales person thinks I'm just a young girl without experience. Don't underestimate me!
I will continue to shop at all the stores b/c they've all got their perks- but really it's SW for me.
I've shopped most of the stores- specialty and not, and have bought from most of them. I even have a firefish from Petco and a bubble coral from Tropical Kingdom- I've had both for a long time. Also, Petland- though I've never bought from them, has a guarantee to match any price on all livestock and equipment. Their tanks look a little rough but I've seen some decent LPS and softies for a very good price.
Here's my $.02- Rob, at SW has always been very helpful- if I have a question about a coral, he whips out the Corals of the World book and will take the time to look up my question. His prices are almost always lower than Majestic. Also, Rob gets in the most unbelievable live rock- I've picked up some unbelievable pieces- of Hawaiian AqCul and Tonga. His Staff are great- Bill and the founder- John are very knowledgable.
The thing I don't like about Majestic is the way no one seems to know the price of anything. Several times I have asked for a price and the employee takes a pic with his cell or describes it over the phone to someone who then tells them the price. It's annoying and it seems suspicious- shouldn't there be a price marked on that coral the moment it enters the store, and then kept some where the employees can access it?
Rob's prices are all marked on a handy clipboard. I feel better knowing that I'm not getting ripped b/c the sales person thinks I'm just a young girl without experience. Don't underestimate me!
I will continue to shop at all the stores b/c they've all got their perks- but really it's SW for me.
ELCHUPACABRA
New member
I wanna play along...
I feel like you have to shop all the shops each time your feeling the coral bug bite. I have had great experiences at all the stores, and I have had some bad experiences at a few of the same stores. Everyday is different, the sales people are in different moods and the selection is always changing at all the shops. The best coral for you moves around everyday, by checking out all the shops, you ensure that perfect gem always finds its way into your tank.
Tropical Kingdom-
Andrew is awesome, and always hooks me up when I see him in there. Be sure you go to Andrew for all your needs, he has the power. I have found that TK generally has the lowest prices on additives. Also they are a good source for common dry-goods and have happily price matched for me before. I actually bought my live rock for my 15g here, after checking out all the stores in town, the root like tonga branches TK had were the best rock at that time in town.
Petco on Oracle-
I cruise over all the time, its so close to Oasis that I always have swing by. The only day to go is Wed(uhh I think its Wed), that is the day new shipments come in. If you are on top of your game, and get to know a few of the employees you can get the shipping invoice and snatch up what you want before it ever hits petco's system. Also they are happy to order you anything they can get, and if you don't like it you don't have to buy it, you can't beet $7blue linkias and most fish are literally 1/3 the price of all the other LFS, just be very careful and look everything over for disease. The best thing about Petco is a lot of the time you cannot get someone who knows whats up to help you out. I argued with a manager at Petco that my black F. Percs were exactly that and not saddleback clowns she thought them to be, at half of the price she quickly convinced me to see things her way, I tried. This is the place to buy drygoods. I bring printouts of Petco's website(much cheaper than in store prices) and other online competitors if there cheapest and for the most part they have matched these prices without factoring in shipping.
PetsMart on Oracle-
I stop by on my Tucson LFS Loop. PetM has a tiny salt water section, maybe 4ft of shelving. I generally do not find any thing I want here, other than the basic staples of a aquarium like heaters and airline. PetM is a good place for drygoods because they are corporate and will often match prices. Being corporate also means killer clearance items, you can often find clearance items marked well below actual cost.
Majestic-
I did not know about Majestic for a long time. It is sometimes hard to get someone that knows the prices of the corals, but once you get the right person they are helpful. I am appalled by the flat-worm infestation in some of their tanks. For God's sake, flat worm exit will kill those things (it should defiantly be done carefully since there are so many and could crash the system, but easily could and should be done), it looks like a flatworm species tank! I still buy corals here, I just make sure to dip everything, and quarantine as necessary. I tend to buy smaller items here, like a stray 5 zoo polyps cluster floating on the bottom of the tank or some random frag, they always give me a great deal on the randoms. I also bought my 400w 20K Ushio Bulb here. They ordered it in for me in about a week's time, and matched my best online price on the bulb. Majestic's way of putting rubber bands on the bags is the best in town, I always enjoy the ease of popping one of these bags open.
Oasis-
Hector always makes me chuckle. I swing by every now and check it out when I catch it open (I have found it closed when the hours said it should be open a few times). Oasis is one of the few places where you sometimes can get some actual name-brand rare corals. Hector is the used-car salesman of coral, and can make some eccentric claims. He is also happy to let me hop on his computer and confirm his claims on ZoaId.com. I have found some pretty rare zoos here on occasion, and Hector is always happy to frag me off some polyps. Hector is also the only shop in town that has ever given me freebies.
Oasis is different in that, Hector is always the person you are going to be dealing with. I think that is good and bad for Oasis. Its good because I know I will always be dealing with Hector and he always knows the price of the coral I am looking at, my name, and all the info about the shop. Its bad when people disagree with his style of selling a product (remember all the shops "sell" to us, it is a business), his personality doesn't mesh with his customer's personality, or when the customer fails to recognize that Hector is into the hype and rare coral scene and the status that having these rare items brings about. People who don't buy into the hype, are not going to be happy with $10per polyp OTF Red People Eater zoos (by the way Hector I am very happy with mine, thanks for fragging some off for me). I do not agree with a lot of the "facts/info" that I have been told at LFS in the past. I realize that they are paid salesman, who's purpose for interacting with me is to make money selling me coral for a profit, and do not always have my best interest in mind when giving me suggestions, and often have not been provided enough info about my tank and it inhabitants to give me wise suggestions. We have all had some less than pleasant experiences at a LFS at on time or another, be it no help at all, or unmarked prices being randomly quoted. The problem Oasis faces is that there is only one Hector, and unlike other stores where I can avoid the deusch-bag employee that just annoys me and gives bad advice, at Oasis you deal with Hector take it or leave it. I sometimes have mixed feeling about Hector but I like coral and he has coral, so we seem to get along.
Southwest Saltwater-
I used to live right behind Southwest and dropped by to check it out often. First off, I love dealing with Bill, he may not know the answer to my question, but at least he doesn't lie to me about it. Southwest has really transformed over the last year and a half. Rob has really beefed up what his store is able to offer. Most of my local LFS coral purchases have been from Southwest. I have found some cool stuff at a decent price at SW. I personally have found that SW has some great sales and this is when purchases should be made (sales are often over holidays). It is when you have a problem, that you truly get to judge a LFS. I had a frogspawn head from SW die hours after adding it to my system and Rob happily replaced it for me free of charge. A few months ago I bought a bunch of wild zoo frags from SW and several of them ended up having zoo eating nudis on them. At the time I did not dip new corals before adding them to my system and the nudi's reeked havoc in my tank before I noticed them. 3 of the 8 frags I bought got munched on heavily and infection shortly followed by death resulted, not to mention I had to spend hours dipping every single thing in my tank and lost a few other zoos in my collection from the nudis. I went to SW 4 times seeking a resolution to the bogus frags. The first time I was told I had to talk to Rob and given his cell phone # which I called once a day for 7 days straight without it ever being answered. The second time and third time I was told that Rob would be right back and waited for 35min and just over an hour before leaving because Rob never showed. The fourth time I finally caught Rob at the shop over a month later. I told him about the nudis and he said that nudis don't wipe a whole frag out, just a few polyps. When I asked if he had a live guarantee and if it covered nudis he said he would frag me off some zoos the next time they came in. Parasites will always be a problem with wild corals and I no longer have the naive expectation that a LFS will eradicate them 100% of the time before selling me a coral. I simply dip everything every time before adding it to my system, I alone have the power to prevent them from being introduced to my system. It has been a few months and I still don't have my replacement. One day I may luck out and catch Rob at the shop when he has some extra zoos and actually get my replacement corals. I still like SW because they often have the coolest stuff, and an underwater deal is often waiting for me and even though it may take me months to get them to give me my replacement, at least they are giving me one. Rock on Rob!!!
Petland-
I think thats the name, its in the Walmart parking lot on wetmore. I stop by here once a month or so. I am yet to actually find something I want here. Last week they had some good sized leathers on sale and I was close to buying one for $25 but I remembered that I don't really like leathers. I can't remember the sales-guy's name but he is always friendly to me. The coral selection sucks for the most part but with the right sale it only takes one. The live rock can be good at PL and they often have sales on it which is key because buying rocks by the pound is a bad idea right off the bat.
I may have rambled on a little too much, but I was trying to recount my experiences at local LFS. For me I have found that constancy is something the saltwater hobby has yet to capture. Since the industry is run on a turn 'em and burn 'em philosophy, everyday brings something different to Tucson's coral selection, and in order to find those prized corals you just can't live without, you have to look everywhere you possibly can, and you can always rest easy in the fact that the person who puts that coral in a bag for you is not included with purchase, and if by being an educated consumer and do your research, that new addition will bring you loads of joy. Furthermore I finally had the realization that pests are inevitable; None of the LFS want their customers to get a parasite from the product they sell, but due to the high volume of corals (many from the wild) that move through these systems it is only a matter of time before one slips by and it is absolutely necessary to DIP EVERY NEW CORAL EVERY TIME. Majestic is the only LFS that embraces parasites with their amazing collection of flatworms, but a few drops of flatworm exit make that amazing coral everyone in town has avoided buying a deal and a half. I enjoy all of the shops in town and am thankful to all the people that have a LFS in town so I don't have to order everything. Some of the locals seem torn when it comes to Hector, I think if Hector stops and listens to what people are saying, and adjust his methods accordingly, that he could have a really outstanding shop. Perhaps I will start a thread on what the perfect local LFS should entail.
I feel like you have to shop all the shops each time your feeling the coral bug bite. I have had great experiences at all the stores, and I have had some bad experiences at a few of the same stores. Everyday is different, the sales people are in different moods and the selection is always changing at all the shops. The best coral for you moves around everyday, by checking out all the shops, you ensure that perfect gem always finds its way into your tank.
Tropical Kingdom-
Andrew is awesome, and always hooks me up when I see him in there. Be sure you go to Andrew for all your needs, he has the power. I have found that TK generally has the lowest prices on additives. Also they are a good source for common dry-goods and have happily price matched for me before. I actually bought my live rock for my 15g here, after checking out all the stores in town, the root like tonga branches TK had were the best rock at that time in town.
Petco on Oracle-
I cruise over all the time, its so close to Oasis that I always have swing by. The only day to go is Wed(uhh I think its Wed), that is the day new shipments come in. If you are on top of your game, and get to know a few of the employees you can get the shipping invoice and snatch up what you want before it ever hits petco's system. Also they are happy to order you anything they can get, and if you don't like it you don't have to buy it, you can't beet $7blue linkias and most fish are literally 1/3 the price of all the other LFS, just be very careful and look everything over for disease. The best thing about Petco is a lot of the time you cannot get someone who knows whats up to help you out. I argued with a manager at Petco that my black F. Percs were exactly that and not saddleback clowns she thought them to be, at half of the price she quickly convinced me to see things her way, I tried. This is the place to buy drygoods. I bring printouts of Petco's website(much cheaper than in store prices) and other online competitors if there cheapest and for the most part they have matched these prices without factoring in shipping.
PetsMart on Oracle-
I stop by on my Tucson LFS Loop. PetM has a tiny salt water section, maybe 4ft of shelving. I generally do not find any thing I want here, other than the basic staples of a aquarium like heaters and airline. PetM is a good place for drygoods because they are corporate and will often match prices. Being corporate also means killer clearance items, you can often find clearance items marked well below actual cost.
Majestic-
I did not know about Majestic for a long time. It is sometimes hard to get someone that knows the prices of the corals, but once you get the right person they are helpful. I am appalled by the flat-worm infestation in some of their tanks. For God's sake, flat worm exit will kill those things (it should defiantly be done carefully since there are so many and could crash the system, but easily could and should be done), it looks like a flatworm species tank! I still buy corals here, I just make sure to dip everything, and quarantine as necessary. I tend to buy smaller items here, like a stray 5 zoo polyps cluster floating on the bottom of the tank or some random frag, they always give me a great deal on the randoms. I also bought my 400w 20K Ushio Bulb here. They ordered it in for me in about a week's time, and matched my best online price on the bulb. Majestic's way of putting rubber bands on the bags is the best in town, I always enjoy the ease of popping one of these bags open.
Oasis-
Hector always makes me chuckle. I swing by every now and check it out when I catch it open (I have found it closed when the hours said it should be open a few times). Oasis is one of the few places where you sometimes can get some actual name-brand rare corals. Hector is the used-car salesman of coral, and can make some eccentric claims. He is also happy to let me hop on his computer and confirm his claims on ZoaId.com. I have found some pretty rare zoos here on occasion, and Hector is always happy to frag me off some polyps. Hector is also the only shop in town that has ever given me freebies.
Oasis is different in that, Hector is always the person you are going to be dealing with. I think that is good and bad for Oasis. Its good because I know I will always be dealing with Hector and he always knows the price of the coral I am looking at, my name, and all the info about the shop. Its bad when people disagree with his style of selling a product (remember all the shops "sell" to us, it is a business), his personality doesn't mesh with his customer's personality, or when the customer fails to recognize that Hector is into the hype and rare coral scene and the status that having these rare items brings about. People who don't buy into the hype, are not going to be happy with $10per polyp OTF Red People Eater zoos (by the way Hector I am very happy with mine, thanks for fragging some off for me). I do not agree with a lot of the "facts/info" that I have been told at LFS in the past. I realize that they are paid salesman, who's purpose for interacting with me is to make money selling me coral for a profit, and do not always have my best interest in mind when giving me suggestions, and often have not been provided enough info about my tank and it inhabitants to give me wise suggestions. We have all had some less than pleasant experiences at a LFS at on time or another, be it no help at all, or unmarked prices being randomly quoted. The problem Oasis faces is that there is only one Hector, and unlike other stores where I can avoid the deusch-bag employee that just annoys me and gives bad advice, at Oasis you deal with Hector take it or leave it. I sometimes have mixed feeling about Hector but I like coral and he has coral, so we seem to get along.
Southwest Saltwater-
I used to live right behind Southwest and dropped by to check it out often. First off, I love dealing with Bill, he may not know the answer to my question, but at least he doesn't lie to me about it. Southwest has really transformed over the last year and a half. Rob has really beefed up what his store is able to offer. Most of my local LFS coral purchases have been from Southwest. I have found some cool stuff at a decent price at SW. I personally have found that SW has some great sales and this is when purchases should be made (sales are often over holidays). It is when you have a problem, that you truly get to judge a LFS. I had a frogspawn head from SW die hours after adding it to my system and Rob happily replaced it for me free of charge. A few months ago I bought a bunch of wild zoo frags from SW and several of them ended up having zoo eating nudis on them. At the time I did not dip new corals before adding them to my system and the nudi's reeked havoc in my tank before I noticed them. 3 of the 8 frags I bought got munched on heavily and infection shortly followed by death resulted, not to mention I had to spend hours dipping every single thing in my tank and lost a few other zoos in my collection from the nudis. I went to SW 4 times seeking a resolution to the bogus frags. The first time I was told I had to talk to Rob and given his cell phone # which I called once a day for 7 days straight without it ever being answered. The second time and third time I was told that Rob would be right back and waited for 35min and just over an hour before leaving because Rob never showed. The fourth time I finally caught Rob at the shop over a month later. I told him about the nudis and he said that nudis don't wipe a whole frag out, just a few polyps. When I asked if he had a live guarantee and if it covered nudis he said he would frag me off some zoos the next time they came in. Parasites will always be a problem with wild corals and I no longer have the naive expectation that a LFS will eradicate them 100% of the time before selling me a coral. I simply dip everything every time before adding it to my system, I alone have the power to prevent them from being introduced to my system. It has been a few months and I still don't have my replacement. One day I may luck out and catch Rob at the shop when he has some extra zoos and actually get my replacement corals. I still like SW because they often have the coolest stuff, and an underwater deal is often waiting for me and even though it may take me months to get them to give me my replacement, at least they are giving me one. Rock on Rob!!!
Petland-
I think thats the name, its in the Walmart parking lot on wetmore. I stop by here once a month or so. I am yet to actually find something I want here. Last week they had some good sized leathers on sale and I was close to buying one for $25 but I remembered that I don't really like leathers. I can't remember the sales-guy's name but he is always friendly to me. The coral selection sucks for the most part but with the right sale it only takes one. The live rock can be good at PL and they often have sales on it which is key because buying rocks by the pound is a bad idea right off the bat.
I may have rambled on a little too much, but I was trying to recount my experiences at local LFS. For me I have found that constancy is something the saltwater hobby has yet to capture. Since the industry is run on a turn 'em and burn 'em philosophy, everyday brings something different to Tucson's coral selection, and in order to find those prized corals you just can't live without, you have to look everywhere you possibly can, and you can always rest easy in the fact that the person who puts that coral in a bag for you is not included with purchase, and if by being an educated consumer and do your research, that new addition will bring you loads of joy. Furthermore I finally had the realization that pests are inevitable; None of the LFS want their customers to get a parasite from the product they sell, but due to the high volume of corals (many from the wild) that move through these systems it is only a matter of time before one slips by and it is absolutely necessary to DIP EVERY NEW CORAL EVERY TIME. Majestic is the only LFS that embraces parasites with their amazing collection of flatworms, but a few drops of flatworm exit make that amazing coral everyone in town has avoided buying a deal and a half. I enjoy all of the shops in town and am thankful to all the people that have a LFS in town so I don't have to order everything. Some of the locals seem torn when it comes to Hector, I think if Hector stops and listens to what people are saying, and adjust his methods accordingly, that he could have a really outstanding shop. Perhaps I will start a thread on what the perfect local LFS should entail.
tacocat
Premium Member
OK, so I stopped in several different stores. Most of the shops were low on livestock. That's understandable. It happens occasionally. In general, the prices are a little higher than the big city shops in CA, but they are not outrageous contrary to popular belief.
The myth that CA is rammed full of LFS with cheap super exotic corals is false. There are a few shops (less than 20 statewide) that consistently get the best corals, but believe me, they do cost a pretty penny.
Southwest Saltwater:
This was the only shop opened on Monday. The staff was friendly. The shop was clean, and the displays were nice. The only exception being the top tier tanks. Those are hard to see in, and you need a ladder to look down on them. I think the livestock tanks in general are too high. They had some nice clams and decent corals at the time. The staff was excellent, knowledgeable and helpful.
What struck me was the selection of fish. They had nice specimens, that are typically hard to find. The pricing was very decent, and if I am guessing correctly, this shop experiences a feast or famine cycle with their livestock. I give this store high marks for layout and a presumptive high mark for livestock. There is nothing really negative about this store. I'd shop here a bunch if I lived here.
Majestic:
I was warned about the flatworms, but D-A-N-G. Yeah there are a bunch, but broad spectrum treatment would surely nuke every tank. I'd still buy corals there, but I would definitely give everything some FW Exit, even the fish.
The shop - Nice layout, and clean. It seems like parts are under construction, but the display tanks are nice. the prices are decent. The staff is excellent. The fish collection at the time was decent, but their coral selection was excellent. This is a GREAT shop for softies, and LPS. Their more expensive LPS was right in line with CA pricing. The display tanks were easy to gaze at.
Overall, I give this shop high marks for livestock, and good marks for what displays they had functioning. Great marks for staff, but a negative on the flatties. I'd stop in quite frequently for the LPS.
Oasis:
Definitely the odd duck of the bunch (but not in a bad way). The displays were very different from the other shops, and unlike the others, he carries a lot of dry goods. The shop was kind of a mess, and the displays (sorry Hector) are ugly. The livestock at the time was average, but it all appeared in EXCELLENT health. The fish looked healthy, as did the corals. Hector's ideas and methodologies (the ones he discussed with me) were very uncommon, but proven. These included the use of hydrogen peroxide on zoas and feeding fish sushi ingredients.
I give Oasis good marks on staff and knowledge. I give the livestock good marks for health, but average marks for selection. The displays are ugly IMO, but I was told that this was changing. The equipment he has chosen for his shop's switch over looked really nice. As the shop is now, I probably wouldn't swing by too often, but I would call in because this store seems to get some unusual items.
All in all, the peeps in Tucson have it pretty good. Your shops are not ultra grade in selection, but they definitely have plenty to offer. Bear in mind, I have to drive 2.5 hours to go to a shop that will blow me away. The pricing in Tucson is pretty good, and fish selection isn't too shabby. As the goat sucker said earlier, each shop has its strengths and weaknesses, and I'd stop by each one based on what I was looking for.
BTW, are acros outlawed in Pima County?
The myth that CA is rammed full of LFS with cheap super exotic corals is false. There are a few shops (less than 20 statewide) that consistently get the best corals, but believe me, they do cost a pretty penny.
Southwest Saltwater:
This was the only shop opened on Monday. The staff was friendly. The shop was clean, and the displays were nice. The only exception being the top tier tanks. Those are hard to see in, and you need a ladder to look down on them. I think the livestock tanks in general are too high. They had some nice clams and decent corals at the time. The staff was excellent, knowledgeable and helpful.
What struck me was the selection of fish. They had nice specimens, that are typically hard to find. The pricing was very decent, and if I am guessing correctly, this shop experiences a feast or famine cycle with their livestock. I give this store high marks for layout and a presumptive high mark for livestock. There is nothing really negative about this store. I'd shop here a bunch if I lived here.
Majestic:
I was warned about the flatworms, but D-A-N-G. Yeah there are a bunch, but broad spectrum treatment would surely nuke every tank. I'd still buy corals there, but I would definitely give everything some FW Exit, even the fish.
The shop - Nice layout, and clean. It seems like parts are under construction, but the display tanks are nice. the prices are decent. The staff is excellent. The fish collection at the time was decent, but their coral selection was excellent. This is a GREAT shop for softies, and LPS. Their more expensive LPS was right in line with CA pricing. The display tanks were easy to gaze at.
Overall, I give this shop high marks for livestock, and good marks for what displays they had functioning. Great marks for staff, but a negative on the flatties. I'd stop in quite frequently for the LPS.
Oasis:
Definitely the odd duck of the bunch (but not in a bad way). The displays were very different from the other shops, and unlike the others, he carries a lot of dry goods. The shop was kind of a mess, and the displays (sorry Hector) are ugly. The livestock at the time was average, but it all appeared in EXCELLENT health. The fish looked healthy, as did the corals. Hector's ideas and methodologies (the ones he discussed with me) were very uncommon, but proven. These included the use of hydrogen peroxide on zoas and feeding fish sushi ingredients.
I give Oasis good marks on staff and knowledge. I give the livestock good marks for health, but average marks for selection. The displays are ugly IMO, but I was told that this was changing. The equipment he has chosen for his shop's switch over looked really nice. As the shop is now, I probably wouldn't swing by too often, but I would call in because this store seems to get some unusual items.
All in all, the peeps in Tucson have it pretty good. Your shops are not ultra grade in selection, but they definitely have plenty to offer. Bear in mind, I have to drive 2.5 hours to go to a shop that will blow me away. The pricing in Tucson is pretty good, and fish selection isn't too shabby. As the goat sucker said earlier, each shop has its strengths and weaknesses, and I'd stop by each one based on what I was looking for.
BTW, are acros outlawed in Pima County?
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