I set up my first tank with aqurium adventure about 3 years ago. I spent about 3-4k on a 55 gallon with crushed coral, a ehiem canister filter and a CF deluxe light fixture.
Needless to say, it was all a total rip off. I haven't bought anything from them in years, but I do go in there at least once a month to just look. It is still a nice set up.
That 40=50% thing is a "good deal", but they also jack up their prices an additional 15-20% when they run that sale. You are still paying higher than average prices compared to aquatic tech and salty, but they do generally have really healthy fish from there.
and a pretty neat selection of inverts. corals have always been lacking.
and even though they are a "chain", they are still privatly owned by those two brothers.
all in all, it's a great place to take your kids, kind of a mini zoo, and an ok place to buy fish and inverts about 4 times a year when something really special catches your eye and your wallet happens to be overflowing.
you want to know what is more amazing about them having a powder blue for 200 bucks?
the fact that they sell out every time!
I dont know what it is, but that place moves more fish than any store around even at their jacked up prices.
Aquarium adventure is basically the commercialized "newbie" store.
they do have alot of overhead to cover though being at ridge park square and all.