LFS in Los Angeles area

[roxy25]

I have been to both. I wasn't very impressed with Apex. The Aquarium seems like a great LFS. I have been in there a few times and spoke to two or three different people, all were very friendly.

 

I am looking for Live Rock. Something nice, Ultra Fiji, or something that has good coraline growth, and other things on the rock.

 

I dont' have a problem driving. I went to the Tong's in Fountain Valley today. I have been working in Newport Beach and driving back and forth all week. I also have a project going in Redondo Beach as well. I was planing on going to two or three places this weekend that are pretty far out of the way. It just seems that every LFS I go to has a very limited selction of LR. I don't want to pay a fortune for shipping, especially if I can get it here locally. I looked at Tong's and they didn't have what I am looking for.

 

I am trying to get my 2 tanks set up this Saturday. Any help would be great.

 

 

 

for LR go to http://www.oceanproaquatics.com/shop/

 

its in Chino I think you can go hand pick the rocks you want. This is where I got my rocks but I had them shipped to me.

[Phixion]

I got my L/R from Pasadena Tropical Fish and was skeptical about it at first. Didn't have a whole lot of coraline on it, but i did get to pick my own which is always a nice bonus. The rock only took 7-10 days to cycle in my tank which is VERY GOOD since rock typically takes a few weeks to cycle.

[Maeda]

I got my L/R from Pasadena Tropical Fish and was skeptical about it at first. Didn't have a whole lot of coraline on it, but i did get to pick my own which is always a nice bonus. The rock only took 7-10 days to cycle in my tank which is VERY GOOD since rock typically takes a few weeks to cycle.

 

Matt you actually bought the rock from PTF?

 

o.O

[Phixion]

Matt you actually bought the rock from PTF?

 

o.O

 

Yeah, I took the gamble and walked away richer... :-x Hey, what did I know back 3+ months ago? lol! So for it's worked out great! No bad hitchhikers came with it, so I was satisfied. I've bought one coral (candy cane) from them so far livestock wise. I'm resisting the urge to get anything else that's alive from there, but I might have talked Dave into a mantis from PTF, I told him I'd pay for it for him... =/ It's only $20....

[fuseman13]

Well if there aren't any just outstanding places to buy LR, I will just the peices I have found at a RHS, or at MedUSA. Both are close and have nice rock. MedUSA has Marshall. Both have Figi and Tonga.

 

I am going tomorrow so if anyone else has a good place for me to look at I will go. I am still undecided if I want to go to Chino. I looked at the website and they have the same stuff as everyone else. I'm not convinced it's worth the drive.

[psidriven]

Well if there aren't any just outstanding places to buy LR, I will just the peices I have found at a RHS, or at MedUSA.

 

You try Vivid, Aquarium City in Canoga or Tong's on Vermont? Since LR is subjective you really have to see the pieces in person to gauge if you like it.

 

Check the link below for LFS. Don't bother with Oranda, Yo's or Fumi's. I've never seen LR at those stores.

 

http://www.zoyzoy.com/aquarium/aquariumstoresmap.asp

[Maeda]

Matt, ive bought a few pieces from ptf and so far their coral has been very healthy. I'm actualling go to leave and buy a blasto right now.

[roxy25]

Well if there aren't any just outstanding places to buy LR, I will just the peices I have found at a RHS, or at MedUSA. Both are close and have nice rock. MedUSA has Marshall. Both have Figi and Tonga.

 

I am going tomorrow so if anyone else has a good place for me to look at I will go. I am still undecided if I want to go to Chino. I looked at the website and they have the same stuff as everyone else. I'm not convinced it's worth the drive.

 

 

what type of rock are you looking for ????

 

that place I suggested has so many types.

 

a lot of the types I have never heard of are you sure you looked at all 4 pages ?

[fuseman13]

I did look, and there were some rocks a little different than the other stores. I was looking for something more like the Tampa Bay stuff. I moved here from Florida two years ago and I had the Tampa stuff with Fiji in my last tank it was a FOWLR.

 

The rock that EzCompany has looks similar. DOes anyone know where EzCompany got it from?

[Phixion]

Matt, ive bought a few pieces from ptf and so far their coral has been very healthy. I'm actualling go to leave and buy a blasto right now.

 

haha, so how's the rock bad then, or did my purchase just surprise you? YEah, I put down $100 to them for my L/R, but I don't have ANY regrets on it! Is it their fish that's really to watch out for? The candy cane i got is doing fine, so I'm happy. I want a blasto from them too! I was just there yesterday AND today, ugh!

[Texsun]

Well if there aren't any just outstanding places to buy LR, I will just the peices I have found at a RHS, or at MedUSA. Both are close and have nice rock. MedUSA has Marshall. Both have Figi and Tonga.

 

I am going tomorrow so if anyone else has a good place for me to look at I will go. I am still undecided if I want to go to Chino. I looked at the website and they have the same stuff as everyone else. I'm not convinced it's worth the drive.

What about Jeff's in Gardena? You can hand pick to your heart's delight...

[fuseman13]

What about Jeff's in Gardena? You can hand pick to your heart's delight...

 

I'm going that way today. I will stop by there to see what they have. I am also going to ATAfish. I think that's what it's called. I spoke with a guy named Eric and he says they have 1all LR for $1.99 a pound. Marshal, Tonga, Figi. Can't hurt to look.

[psidriven]

I'm going that way today. I will stop by there to see what they have. I am also going to ATAfish. I think that's what it's called. I spoke with a guy named Eric and he says they have 1all LR for $1.99 a pound. Marshal, Tonga, Figi. Can't hurt to look.

 

So how was Jeff's and ATA? Been meaning to check out both places.

[Global Aquatics]

Feel free to check out our website and then call or email us if there is anything specific you're looking for.

[fuseman13]

So how was Jeff's and ATA? Been meaning to check out both places.

 

I went to Jeff's in Gardenia. It was alot nicer than I was expecting. Pretty good deals going on. WIthout the deals, I think he was a little expensive. LR was 6-9 dollars a pound. He did have a pretty large coral selection, I didn't spend alot of time there looking at the livestock. I had a lot of places to go to before the day was over. I would go back. I would of bought my rock from him if he wasn't so overpriced. I couldn't see paying $ a pound. He came out of his office to help me, and was very helpful. He even opened up a box of uncured FIji for me to look at. Most stores won't do this.

 

I went to ATA Fish, horrible is the word for that place. Tanks looked like I was shopping at Petco. Dirty. Live Rock was a box of rubble. I called and spoke with Eric before I went there and he told me "we are fully stocked with all types fo LR" when I arrived, he had about a 120 gallon tank with hardly any rock. I was very disapointed to say the least. I will never go there again.

 

I also went to Pacific Reef Tropical Fish in Torrace. Also a very nice store. Helpful and friendly staff. They have a $10 frag tank. I can't really say if the corals were great because I am not sure what I am looking at all the time. I did see some really nice peices. Don't know what they were but they didn't look torn or have dead spots. No Floaters. Not terriblly overpriced.

 

I went back to Aquatic Outlet, they just recieved a new shipment of all kinds of Corals. There were alot that look very good. Last time I was there the majority of them were not looking so good. Very nice this trip. I am unsure about buying fish from them. I always see floaters, he was dosing the tanks with something when I was there as well. Something "fin" was what the bottle said. He did get a new shippment of LR, all FIgi, and I bought a few crumbled up peices for my filtration. He was trying to sell me the bacteria that cycles my tank in 48 hours. This is the second place that tried to sell me this stuff. The other place was MedUSA LA.

 

I ended up buying my rock from MedUSA. I was quoted a great price on Marshal so I jumped on it after seeing what Jeff was charging. $5 a pound, cured. I mixed in a few peiced of Fiji just to round it out. I ended up with about 50 pounds for both tanks. He had some really nice corals when I went there as well in the Lagoon tank. He does frag, not sure what the prices are like. He does seem really expensive. He just sold me the rock for the price I was quoted. He tried to charge me more, I wasn't having any of that. It's a nice store, but he must have a huge overhead, at least this is my opinion, and that's why everything is overpriced. I am mostly referring to Dry Goods. I asked him how much a Coral Life 65 skimmer was, I was quoted like $165. You can buy the same skimmer from Dr. Foster's for like $85. He had True Perc's there as well. Price tag said $25. I had to look twice, I saw them earlier that day at one of the places I went to for $10. I will go back to MedUSA. Very nice people work there, just do you research and haggle with them on the price. They also sell RO, and Premixed Saltwater by the gallon but so does Aquatic Outlet, Pacific Reef, and Jeff's.

 

Tomorrow I am going to swing by a shop around Redondo. I will post my thoughts when I return home.

 

I think every fish store has it's problems and days that things just don't go right. I would say that out of the mentioned places above, the one that was completely outclassed was ATA Fish. It was just blown away by the rest of the store. Hope this info is helpful.

 

Feel free to check out our website and then call or email us if there is anything specific you're looking for.

 

There's a bad link or no page established for LR.

[psidriven]

Fuse, thanks for the write up. I have the same opinion about Medusa. Nice storefront but get the feeling that they're overpriced and will try to sell you something you shouldn't have. There are some nice stores in the valley. Just bought a starcki damsel at aquarium center and they have a 14 day live fish quarantee. I have to check the fine print though.

[fuseman13]

Fuse, thanks for the write up. I have the same opinion about Medusa. Nice storefront but get the feeling that they're overpriced and will try to sell you something you shouldn't have. There are some nice stores in the valley. Just bought a starcki damsel at aquarium center and they have a 14 day live fish quarantee. I have to check the fine print though.

 

 

That's a lot better than Aquatic Outlet, 24hours, if you buy the fish at a discount, i.e. 40% off, no live fish guarantee. Watch what you buy.

[psidriven]

Anyone know a good place for zoa's and rics that have really bright colors? All the one's I've seen at the LFS are pretty dull and don't "pop". I'm trying to avoid having to deal with shipping and much rather deal with a local purchase. Thanks in advance.

[adinsxq]

anyone been to JIM'S EXOTIC FISH (not jeff's) on Sepulveda about a mile south of LAX?

[fuseman13]

anyone been to JIM'S EXOTIC FISH (not jeff's) on Sepulveda about a mile south of LAX?

 

I am going to be working in Redondo all week. When I get a chance I am gong to stop by a few places. I don't know what day, but if I have time, I will stop by Jim's as well. I can just take the long way home. I'll let you know what I think.

[IlikeNanos]

Anyone know a good place for zoa's and rics that have really bright colors? All the one's I've seen at the LFS are pretty dull and don't "pop". I'm trying to avoid having to deal with shipping and much rather deal with a local purchase. Thanks in advance.

 

I went to ReefHotSpot last Tuesday. They had a really nice colony of zoas. Probably the nicest I've ever seen in a LFS. The polyps are bright neon yellow on the outside and the center was a bright neon green. Never seen them like that before. $59, kinda pricey. Size is about 6 x 3.5 inches or so. Don't know if they still have it.

[fuseman13]

Stopped by RHS today and he still has quite a few. He was shipping alot of things out as well but he had quite of few there. I saw some pretty large ones as well.

[psidriven]

Stopped by RHS today and he still has quite a few. He was shipping alot of things out as well but he had quite of few there. I saw some pretty large ones as well.

 

Yeah, I've been to RHS before and he has some great pieces. Unfortunately he also had sundial snails with his zoa's. Sucks, cause I was thinking of going in on half of one of the zoa's with a buddy.

[United_Poseidon]

Havent read through this whole post yet, but have any of you been to The Aquarium in Culver City? If not it is worth checking out. IMO they are really helpful and knowledgeable and have a good selection of coral in two main dispays that is of a pretty reasonable price. They have got a lot of nice fish as well that tend to be on the larger side for you FO people with the room to keep them.

 

BTW, I live about 1.5 miles away from Jim's and go there about twice a week for water and just to look around. Not a huge selection at the moment but he has got some nice mushrooms (red, blue, fuzzy green), some leathers, monti, other various stuff. He said that it is slow at the moment all around, but to expect things to pick up a lot after this holiday weekend because it is the beginning of the season for corals. I guess that there is only 12 major distributers in Ca that run the market. I am currious to see what happens.

[Phixion]

PTF (Pasadena Tropical Fish) is still having a pretty nice frag and whole piece coral sale. Some nice blastos, decent zoas and other goodies can be had. They never used to have a good selection of corals, but they have really stepped that up in the past couple months.