Unhappy with West LA LFS - Medusa and The Aquarium

sykospark

Premium Member
I just want to post a rant about my experience with both fish stores yesterday. Both my issues have to do with store policies (either changing, or not 'the norm').
Perhaps these are consistent policies with fish stores, and I just never knew.

The Aquarium: I bought some items on Thursday, didn't need them, never opened or used them, and brought them back Saturday with the receipt. I was told they don't refund money, but would give me store credit. I pointed out that I had a receipt, a nd never used the items. They finally refunded me for one thing (with a warning), but not the other (magnesium buffer, before my head cleared and I went and bough epsom salts). According to them, they don't accept returned 'liquids', although I had never used it.

Medusa LA: I bought some livestock from them, and asked what their policy was regarding returning livestock. The guy said they would accept returns as long as the livestock was alive. OK - fair enough.

My peppermint shrimp tried to eat my xenia, so I boxed him up and brought him back to Medusa (I only had him less than 2 weeks). Dood at store says that the guy that told me that policy was let go, and that they only accept returns within 24 hours. I was like 'OK well, I accept that moving forward, but I have spent a lot of money here and would like to return, so you should honor the policy your store clerk told me'. No dice. They offered to just take the shrimp (and obviously flip it), instead of letting me return it for a cleaner shrimp.

L-A-M-E
 
Just dont ever go back to those places.
I have yet to find a good lfs in the city. Apex has huge selection but bad quality. The pets store on wilshire and 9th or 7th I believe is just terrible all around.

I am forced to drive to the valley for my corals, livestock, and water. Aquarium center on Ventura in Sherman oaks is great. If you talk with Phil about comparative pricing he will almost always give you the benefit of the doubt.

And they get rare stuff it every once in a while. Yesterday I bought a nice size green Hydnophora and a small pink tube nem for 60 bucks. :) They had a fluorescent orange scholy that I was eyeing but it was going for 69 I believe.
 
RHS is really good for fish/corals, but has almost NO dry goods. Also, they are never open during times I can go, except for a small window on Saturday.

And I'm definately never going back to Medusa/Aquarium!
 
reef hot spot is pretty cool. I just bought some fish from them for a great price. From what I heard, they will be stocking dry goods soon - which is great news for me since they are so close to where I live.

They are located between olympic and santa monica on sepulveda, just west of the car wash there.

I wish they would open a little bit later a few times a week though. Definitely a store worth checking out. Max is a great guy to deal with a well.
 
Ok, I personally have never been to either of these LFS stores so I have no affiliation with them what-so-ever. I have worked for a LFS back in Texas for a long time. As far as returning live stock, it is *generally* a rule to have a 24 hour return policy for saltwater fish/corals and 7 day return policy for freshwater fish. The reason is that saltwater aquariums are much more difficult to have success in keeping an established tank and saltwater fish are much less hardier than freshwater fish. Generally you need a water sample, the dead item and a receipt. The reason for this is many people dont know how to keep their saltwater systems thriving. You would not know how many people would bring in their fish claiming it just died when it was beaten up by other fish or their tank paremeters are off. Also, as far as returning dry liquids, it is hard for LFS to take stuff like that back. You dont know what the person did to the bottle, if they used some, opened it up and put something in there (It has happened I know personally) or didn't keep it referigerated when it shoud have been. Now if there was a seal on the top or on the side and it was not broken, then that should be able to be returned with the receipt. I am just giving you the other side of the coin and again I have no affiliation with either of these LFS. Hope this helps.
 
My lfs will not give any credit back for any live good, they will just flip it even if it is an hour old... no materr.

I think that is bogus, as we know that not all species act like the books read out.

IF you have a conflict witha certain livestock and there is no problem with teh live goods and it is within s very reasoanable and short time frame we chould be able to return or at least trade in our live growth...

Bill
 
I don't have many return experiences at any West LA LFS but one: Santa Monica Aquarium. I bought a sand sifting star and decided I didn't want it, so I brought it back for an exchange and they gave me the cost off another item. Don't know if they would have refunded me outright, but they take care of their customers. Prices are a little higher, so maybe you get what you pay for (though Medusa is pricey, too).

My favorites in the area are Santa Monica Aquarium (on Santa Monica and Federal) and Reef Hot Spot (on Pontius near Mississippi). The new store Nature Aquarium on Santa Monica and Yale (in Santa Monica) looks nice, but I don't know about their customer service.
 
I like Reef Hot Spot but they are never open during times I am available. Santa Monica Aquarium is pretty nice. I went to go there today but I think they were closed early. St00pid football game!

Nature Aquarium has a lot of dry goods, but very high prices. Also, they have large aiptasia growing in their main reef tank, which ain't cool. They are better for freshwater, imho.
 
went to the aquarium yesterday to pick up 5 snails. Ended up with 3 empty shells, 1 snail, and 1 hermit.. MEaH! I shoulda checked..
 
According to them, they don't accept returned 'liquids', although I had never used it.

If you think about it, that's a prudent business decision. Not say that you are this type of person, but anyone can use a liquid, decide they don't want it and can refill the used portion with anything. How is a store to know who are their honest customers and dishonest customers?

I personally like The Aquarium. Of all the fish stores in the area, I find them to be the most honest and depending who you talk to, knowledgable about what they sell. I know the owner makes a big effort in selecting healthy and high quality animals.

I only had him less than 2 weeks

Two weeks??? I don't know any stores that'll take an animal back after two days. If you find one, let me know.
 
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Nature Aquarium has great customer service.

I got my mantis shrimp from there and a lot of stuff for my spray bar set up.

The fella in there is a nice guy and most of his tanks are exibiting the classic new tank / LFS syndrome...

I find The Aquarium is a different experience now that a couple of long time employees and the owner have left but if you just take your time you can get some pretty good deals on frags there and they do take care of their tanks reasonably well for LFS.

Drygoods... Alans Aquarium in Venice usually has good prices on drygoods and a pretty good selection. But most of my drygoods are purchased online.
 
Wow I didn't even know there were this many LFS in West LA.

Santa Monica Aquarium and RHS are still on my list to check out.

Apex has a decent selection but is overpriced and I don't think anything I've gotten there has survived.
 
In the year and a half since I started a reef, the store selection in West LA has gone from nada to overwhelming! Here are the ones I know that are north of 10 and west of 405:

Santa Monica Aquarium -- SMB at Federal
Reef Hot Spot -- Pontius at Mississippi
Medusa -- Pico at Bundy
Nature Aquarium -- SMB at Yale
(all these places listed above are good and opened in the last year!)

Apex -- Sepulveda at Culver (crappy place) (ok, not north of the 10)
Aquarium / pet store on Wilshire & 10th (will go in a pinch)
Aquarium store on Pico near Barrington (won't go there either)
 
Bromion, the guys on Pico/Barrington went out of business a few months ago. Are you thinking of the one next to the Subway and Campos?

Can any of you guys tell me where I can find plumbing supplies here in West LA? I have my bulkheads, but I need pretty much everything else.

I'd prefer buying locally since this is my first time plumbing. I think it will be best for me to actually see all the pieces in person.
 
home depot on federal and something near loyola marymount you cant miss it if you go south. Thats where i went for my plumbing spent like 2 hours in there.
 
Just a humble opinion, but I'm a little sketched out about Reef Hot Spot. I have tried several times different types of animals there, and all with little success. In fact they are the only LFS that I have had anything die, or bring in pests. Also, the company as a whole I believe doesn't hold the best policies for the collection of their animals. Most of the stuff I see at their shop is usually dead, dieing, or sickly, and only recently have they began to do frags of things, which is a much more sustainable practice for the hobby and environment. The prices are good, but buyer be ware.

The place I like the most is Vivid Aquariums in Canoga Park. I little further of a drive, but they offer the best all around stuff I think, and Dave the owner is helpful. also on-line at Vividaquariums.com.
 
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