Recommend a Good LFS in SoCal Area

[euphoria]

Anyone living in SoCal, especially L.A. county area, if you know a good LFS that has good selection of corals, please give a name or website so I can check it out. I'm kinda growing sick of the LFS I go to, cuz he always has the same stuff. He also doesn't have any SPS corals.

 

[golfish]

Have you been to Jeff's exoticfish in gardena. That's about as good as it gets in LA county.
My advice is to NOT BUY sps from any LFS. All your going to get is wild colonies that have a good chance of RTN in a few months.
There are tons of local reefers selling and trading tank raised frags. If your really in a hurry and you have fill your tank up with wild caught sps colonies then you might try the black coral in Santa Ana. They have a very good selection of Bali aquacultured SPS....

 

[spsfreak100]

Please email me:
spsfreak@sbcglobal.net
Graham

 

[golfish]

come on Graham...your not going to suggest he load up his tank with wild caught sps like you did are ya :nervous:

 

[spsfreak100]

Originally posted by golfish
come on Graham...your not going to suggest he load up his tank with wild caught sps like you did are ya :nervous:
I wanted to notify him about a different forum which is specifically deticated to Southern California, where he/she may find more information.
Graham

 

[spline9]

SPSfreak100, mind if i email you for the info also?
I'm on the border of LA and Ventura counties. The shops mentioned above are on the other side of LA from me.
EUPHORIA, if youre closer to my side of LA (west), then I recommend Mark's Tropical Fish in Studio City. Everybody I've spoken to there is really friendly and appears to be very knowledgeable. If you ever saw the movie Deuce Bigalow, they were the ones who were responsible for that enormous fishtank in the movie. They also have a mailing list for specials.
If you want the website, just google for the store name. It should be the first result.

 

[euphoria]

I've never kept SPS, so I don't know what RTN is and why wild colonies should be avoided. What's the difference between the wild and the tank raised SPS ?
Oh and you've got mail

 

[golfish]

Originally posted by EUPHORIA
What's the difference between the wild and the tank raised SPS ?

Ummm, wild being from the ocean and tank raised being from a reef tank

 

[euphoria]

So why would you care for one over the other? Only reason I could think of is avoid buying ocean ones so that they are preserved and not threatened

 

[tonyt26]

you should try aquaticoutlet in inglewood. its off of manchester and the 405 on hindy ave. they have an excellant selection and some real good prices.

 

[golfish]

Originally posted by EUPHORIA
So why would you care for one over the other? Only reason I could think of is avoid buying ocean ones so that they are preserved and not threatened
Don't you think that's a good enough reason?
Here's one more. Tank raised corals are just that, tank raised. They are used to the conditions we throw at em...If you feel you MUST buy colonies at least get aquacultured corals. Probably still going to have the same problems as wild caught but at least they don't get pulled off the reefs, kind a.....The Bali stuff coming in these days is real nice, costly too. I would expecthope for the prices to fall in the next 12 months.

 

[euphoria]

That IS a good reason and trust me I rather buy the raised ones than the wild caught.

 

[spsfreak100]

Originally posted by tonyt26
you should try aquaticoutlet in inglewood. its off of manchester and the 405 on hindy ave. they have an excellant selection and some real good prices.
I can't stand that place. The owner cares nothing about the wellfare of his livestock, nor does he know anything about his livestock other than how much it is. I would not recommend that place.
SPSfreak100, mind if i email you for the info also?
Sure.
Graham

 

[golfish]

Hey Graham,
Isn't the place you bought your first setup from? The place over by LAX, right?
It could be a nice place but its just like most LFS, $$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[spsfreak100]

Originally posted by golfish
Hey Graham,
Isn't the place you bought your first setup from? The place over by LAX, right?
Exactly.
I could be a nice place but its just like most LFS, $$$$$$$$$$$$
More than anything I dislike their advice and service. The owner cares about nothing much the profit, and will go to any length to sell you something. The employees haven't the slightest clue of what they're talking about. I've met one man there telling me that corals were plants. To my knowledge I was banned from their store for telling them that it was inhumane to sell a 10 gallon 'Nemo & Dori' aquarium, which includes a live Percula clownfish and Blue Tang.
Graham

 

[badkharma]

Originally posted by SPSfreak100
a 10 gallon 'Nemo & Dori' aquarium, which includes a live Percula clownfish and Blue Tang.
Graham
:nope: :nope:

 

[euphoria]

Originally posted by SPSfreak100
Exactly.
More than anything I dislike their advice and service. The owner cares about nothing much the profit, and will go to any length to sell you something. The employees haven't the slightest clue of what they're talking about. I've met one man there telling me that corals were plants. To my knowledge I was banned from their store for telling them that it was inhumane to sell a 10 gallon 'Nemo & Dori' aquarium, which includes a live Percula clownfish and Blue Tang.
Graham
WOW, let's go egg the store, see if he likes it

 

[golfish]

its too bad that LFS have to be like this but it IS all about the money. It was much worse 20 years ago, all we had were bad books and bad advice from the LFS, you guys have it made now.
You can't put all the blaim on the store tho. If people did a little more homework on sites like these they would have the info they need when they walk into the LFS. Even then, some people still take the advice of their LFS.

 

[zephyrlily]

I'm not from LA but I just came back from there, I stayed at the Safari Inn on Olive Ave, Burbank and just walking a block down the street to a shopping center I found an aquarium shop (don't recall the name). It had a wide assortment of fishes and corals and some sharks ands rays too. They looked healthy and well kept and prices looked reasonable.

 

[spline9]

Was it near a park? I looked at yellowpages.com and found a business near the Safari Inn you stayed in. Maybe I'll take a trip out there and check it out. Thanks!