Returning! Any new LFS?

[noobie]

After a two years+ hiatus, I'm getting a new tank setup!

I'm wondering if there's been any big changes to local stores. Are there any new LFS i should check out or if any stores closed? I know Nemos moved to a new location, but that's about it.

 

[backoffbella]

if youre into freshwater. mystical ponds and aquariums is such a cool shop with great prices on plants and family run. Lance and his son bring in some great odd ball species! As for saltwater, Nemos still bang for your buck, quality Off the Hook and Optimum are great. Off the Hook is currently working on 2 displays for fresh and salt (well a new coral frag tank and planted “frag” tank)

 

[jkz429]

Off the hook is really expensive and not a great selection. If your looking for coral Nemo’s is far away the best in my opinion

 

[backoffbella]

only reason i put Off The Hook is they medicate their fish heavily. The tanks are small so they cant really keep the cool stuff but if you ask theyll bring it in for you no problem

 

[backoffbella]

only reason i put Off The Hook is they medicate their fish heavily. The tanks are small so they cant really keep the cool stuff but if you ask theyll bring it in for you no problem

ive just had better luck with their fish rather than nemos or premier

 

[jkz429]

I was just down at Off the Hook and the prices were extremely high and the selection was poor. 90% of the coral was 1/2 dead. This is just my opinion. I have purchased over 20 fish from Nemo’s and never had any issues and I feel like their prices are very reasonable

 

[siege]

Despite some other stores being closer to where I live now, I still make the 1-hour each way trip to Southern Aquatics LFS. They've always been good to me and I've never had a single problem with anything I've ever gotten from them. Their wild-caught fish are all kept in continuous copper, aquacultured fish are not, and I've never seen a single thing in any of their tanks that didn't look healthy. Store isn't the hugest, and they don't have the biggest variety of stock on-hand, but they've been willing to order stuff in the past for me.

Nemo's is about 20m closer to me, and everything there looks great, but they will never be one of my first choices unless/until they decide to sponsor ARC again, which is less about the discount, and more their support of our club. I simply will not recommend them to anyone on that basis as a result. If small/local business wants my support, I expect some local support in return.

Premier is also a little closer to me, but their prices are a bit high... and Southern Aquatics has long ago earned my loyalty - most especially with the way they helped me get my wife's birthday present together for her pea puffer tanks - and so I'd have to be looking for something they can't get before I go elsewhere.

 

[noobie]

I do like southern aquatics. I bought a few freshwater and saltwater livestock from them. Never had any issues with them too.

I used to frequent Pure Reef too, they were my primary dry goods store and that will probably continue.

 

[jkz429]

Prices and selection at Nemo’s are far superior to any other fish store in Atlanta—easily 1000 times better. Even without discounts for ARC members, Nemo’s prices remain significantly better, even when factoring in a 10% difference. From my experience, no other store comes close to matching Nemo’s extensive variety of fish and coral.

 

[CherylG]

I pulled this map together to make it easier to see where fish stores are. I’m sure it is missing things and there is no way I’ll get all the Petco put in there but this may help

Atlanta Area LFS – Google My Maps

Atlanta Area LFS

www.google.com

 

[siege]

Prices and selection at Nemo’s are far superior to any other fish store in Atlanta—easily 1000 times better. Even without discounts for ARC members, Nemo’s prices remain significantly better, even when factoring in a 10% difference. From my experience, no other store comes close to matching Nemo’s extensive variety of fish and coral.

It's not the discount.

All other things - like livestock health and prices - being equal, it's the support of our club, period, that makes me willing to go the extra distance for our sponsors. We depend on our community, and we need support to keep doing what we do as a club. That or we either have to do - and as a result, be- less, or we have to charge our members more. The latter, I fear, would only serve to decrease our number of supporting members even further.

And it seems to me as though we might need to do more to rally our members around the club and those who support it.

 

[siege]

I pulled this map together to make it easier to see where fish stores are. I’m sure it is missing things and there is no way I’ll get all the Petco put in there but this may help

Atlanta Area LFS – Google My Maps

Atlanta Area LFS

www.google.com

Huh, I had kind of forgotten Atlanta Aquarium is there. I hadn't been in 6 or 7 years. I remember thinking it was pretty nice the one time I went in, back when I was looking for freshwater stuff.

I also didn't realize they were a club sponsor.

Might have to be my new destination of choice if Southern Aquatics has bailed on us.

 

[CherylG]

Huh, I had kind of forgotten Atlanta Aquarium is there. I hadn't been in 6 or 7 years. I remember thinking it was pretty nice the one time I went in, back when I was looking for freshwater stuff.

I also didn't realize they were a club sponsor.

Might have to be my new destination of choice if Southern Aquatics has bailed on us.

I’ve only been once and I wasn’t impressed with the cleanliness of the tanks. However (!) I’ve seen them recommended here enough to think maybe I came in during a rough day. I’m not often in that area but plan to give them another visit when I am nearby next

 

[backoffbella]

I’ve only been once and I wasn’t impressed with the cleanliness of the tanks. However (!) I’ve seen them recommended here enough to think maybe I came in during a rough day. I’m not often in that area but plan to give them another visit when I am nearby next

i was at atlanta recently and theyve actually cleaned up a LOT or at least they were actively cleaning when i was in there.

 

[siege]

i was at atlanta recently and theyve actually cleaned up a LOT or at least they were actively cleaning when i was in there.

Are we all talking about the same place, up in Gwinnett off of Pleasant Hill, across from the old mall?

 

[myvwrock]

I was at Atlanta aquarium on Tuesday and it's dirty, packed full of stuff and just honestly not what it used to be. I know Rit is older than he looks, I hope it's not a matter of he just simply can't do it anymore to the level he want and can't find help. I used to go in there about every week. That's where I got my Mandarin that I got to eat pellets from.

I typically go to nemos and I enjoy Aaron's store and they know me in there. At times the fish have been hit or miss, mainly with wrasses, that we're eating when bought, take that for what it's worth.

We used to be blessed in Metro Atlanta, there were dozens of stores, once upon a time , not so long ago.
Chris c

 

[CherylG]

Are we all talking about the same place, up in Gwinnett off of Pleasant Hill, across from the old mall?

Yes

 

[siege]

Yes

Fair enough, just, when the people mentioning it were coming from Newnan and P'Tree City, I had to stop and wonder.

 

[siege]

I was at Atlanta aquarium on Tuesday and it's dirty, packed full of stuff and just honestly not what it used to be. I know Rit is older than he looks, I hope it's not a matter of he just simply can't do it anymore to the level he want and can't find help. I used to go in there about every week. That's where I got my Mandarin that I got to eat pellets from.

I typically go to nemos and I enjoy Aaron's store and they know me in there. At times the fish have been hit or miss, mainly with wrasses, that we're eating when bought, take that for what it's worth.

We used to be blessed in Metro Atlanta, there were dozens of stores, once upon a time , not so long ago.
Chris c

Ugh. Shame, that.

So, all the options to support the club within an hour's drive of me are a dirty store, or one that is clean, but paying super high rent and therefore charging commensurately high prices.

So that leaves me with... online ordering. Which, given the various horror stories, I am disinclined to do. Or to go give my money to a store that doesn't care to support our club.

Yay.

 

[CherylG]

Fair enough, just, when the people mentioning it were coming from Newnan and P'Tree City, I had to stop and wonder.

We don’t have a whole lot out here. I did a big loop one day when hit up most of the shops on the other side of Atlanta