Please post ANY fish shops local to you, tell what state and city you live in and 3 ratings for each shop. One for Variety/Selection, One for Cleanliness and quality and one for Staff friendlyness and knowledge. Ratings are from 1 to 10 1 being the worst you've seen and 10 being the best
Write the ratings as follows

State: Kentucky
City: Louisville
Store: Feeders Supply

Variety/ Selection: 7
Cleanliness and quality: 8
Staff friendlyness and Knowledge: 8
Smiley rating:

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State: Kentucky
City: Louisville
Store: Pets Galore

Variety/ Selection: 5
Cleanliness and Quality: 7
Staff Friendlyness and Knowledge: 5
Similey rating:


Now tell about any fish store near you.

This post has been edited by Durbkat: Feb 4 2006, 09:45 PM

Well done, you took my advice Come on you Yanks! Get posting!

State: California
City: South Lake Tahoe
Store: Pet Supermarket

Variety/ Selection: 4
Cleanliness and Quality: 5
Staff Friendlyness and Knowledge: 3
Smiley Rating:

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State: Nevada
City: Carson City
Store: Jan's Tropics

Variety/ Selection: 9
Cleanliness and Quality: 7
Staff Friendlyness and Knowledge: 5 - I have gotten some very questionable info from this store.
Smiley Rating:
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State: Nevada
City: Carson City
Store: Petco

Variety/ Selection: 8
Cleanliness and Quality: 7
Staff Friendlyness and Knowledge: 7
Smiley Rating:
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State: Nevada
City: Carson City
Store: PetsMart

Variety/ Selection: 7
Cleanliness and Quality: 9
Staff Friendlyness and Knowledge: 8
Smiley Rating:

This post has been edited by tttnjfttt: Jun 5 2006, 05:04 AM

Great idea Durbkat!

State: Maryland
City: Randallstown
Store: The Aquarium Center;
Website

Variety/ Selection: 9
Cleanliness and Quality: 9
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 10
Smiley Rating:
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State: Maryland
City: Rockville
Store: Congressional Aquarium, Inc
Wesbite

Variety/ Selection: 7
Cleanliness and Quality: 8
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 6
Smiley Rating:
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State: Maryland
City: Gaithersburg
Store: Tropical Fish World;
Website

Variety/ Selection: 9 (If you're into Cichlids)
Cleanliness and Quality: 8
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 8
Smiley Rating:
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State: Pennsylvania
City: Lancaster
Store: That Pet Place/That Fish Place
Website

Variety/ Selection: 10
Cleanliness and Quality: 9
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 9
Smiley Rating:
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I have a few more, I just need to remember the names. I'll edit those in.

This post has been edited by Annastasia: Feb 4 2006, 09:49 PM

Nice idea, i bet it will help alot of people.

State: New Jersey
City: Woodbridge
Store: Animal and Things

Variety/ Selection: 9
Cleanliness and Quality: 8
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 8
Smiley Rating:

Ill add more when I visit some. I am planning to visit a new lfs tommorow so ill add it.

This post has been edited by Fish Dude: Feb 4 2006, 09:57 PM

You forgot the city.

YEAH! Great idea Durbkat! Im off to the pet hate section....

Tropical Fish Depot - 10150 Almeda Genoa Rd, Houston, TX
EDIT: This place is gone now.

Aqua Zoo - 15502 Highway 3, Suite 112, Webster, TX (SE of Houston)
Variety/ Selection: 5
Cleanliness and Quality: 8
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 9
Smiley Rating:
Comments: Little, hole-in-the-wall place, but run by ethusiastic fish-lovers. They have freshwater setups only.

Megan's Tropical Fish Emporium - 11665 Fuqua St #C300, Houston TX
Variety/ Selection: 7
Cleanliness and Quality: 9
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 9
Smiley Rating:
Comments: Good discussion and knowledge from owner and employees.

This post has been edited by wendywc: May 5 2008, 03:43 PM

Great idea, Durbkat.

Central IL:

Sailfin Pet Shop
720 S Neil, Champaign, IL

Variety/ Selection: 8. They have some pretty funky varieties, and can get whatever you want. I am waiting for Rasbora brigittae.
Cleanliness and Quality: 8/9, depends on the time of year. Summer is better. Heater affects the fish a little in Winter. If I'm roasting in there, I bet the fish are. They're not dying, just not as spry.
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 10, that is a no brainer. Resident plant guy is a bit out of date, insists I don't need to dose Nitrogen, but I'll forgive him.
Smiley Rating:
Comments: This is THE place to buy fish and plants in Champaign, IL. They appeal to the college crowd who just want pet bettas, but they really treat you awesome if you know what you're talking about. Some of the staff know me by name and give me free Salvinia minima. They are a bit pricey on supplies, but sometimes I'll throw them a bone, I understand they need to make money. One of the few places where they give as much attention to FW as they do SW, and Plants, which is very rare. They are also open to suggestions. They mislabled C. pygmaeus as C. habrosus. I pointed that out and the next time I go, it's correctly labled. By far, the best Harlequin rasboras I have ever seen or purchased at a store.

nice dood i was just there today i live near Elizabeth

State: New York
City: Buffalo (Kenmore)
Store: Niagara Aquarium

Variety/ Selection: 6
Cleanliness and quality: 8
Staff friendlyness and Knowledge: 8 (ask for John)
Smiley rating:

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State: New York
City: Buffalo (North Tonowanda)
Store: The Fish Place

Variety/ Selection: 9 (LOTS of saltwater)
Cleanliness and quality: 10
Staff friendlyness and Knowledge: 8 (ask for Joe, at least the kids admit when they dont know )
Smiley rating: (Great quality, but a little pricey)

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State: New York
City: Buffalo (Amherst)
Store: Markheim Pets

Variety/ Selection: 7
Cleanliness and quality: 7
Staff friendlyness and Knowledge: 7 (ask for Ron)
Smiley rating:

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State: New York
City: Buffalo (Amherst)
Store: Steve's Pet World

Variety/ Selection: 6 (adding saltwater soon)
Cleanliness and quality: 9
Staff friendlyness and Knowledge: 10 (ask for Kevin)
Smiley rating:

State: California
City: Berkeley
Store: Octopus' Garden

Variety/Selection: 5
Cleanliness and quality: 1 (This place made me very sad. Lots of sick and/or dead fish. Filthy tanks)
Staff friendliness and Knowledge: 1 (Staff showed no interest whatsoever. For some reason, I felt like this place must be a front for something)
Smiley rating:
Made me want to call the SPCA.

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State: California
City: Oakland
Store: Lucky Goldfish

Variety/Selection: 7 (They get a lot of small batches of very interesting fish. I go about once a week just to look if not buy)
Cleanliness and quality: 8
Staff friendliness and knowledge: 7 (The woman owner/manager? is great! Very helpful and fun to chat with!)
Smiley rating:
My favorite LFS in the area! Their in house reef tank is worth the visit alone!

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State: California
City: Albany
Store: Albany Aquarium

Variety/Selection: 5 for fish, 9 for live plants
Cleanliness and quality: 6
Staff friendliness and knowledge: 5 (As a newbie, employee threw in a free older Danio with TB telling me it would be fine though might not live as long as the other 6 i bought. No s*@t! I know better now. Also told me I absolutely needed bacteria drops for an already fully cycled tank otherwise Danios would all die.)
Smiley rating:
This place is great if you are looking for live plants. Very good selection. As for fish, I found the Petco a few blocks away to have a better selection with healthier looking fish and much cleaner tanks. I know, it's Petco, but it's the truth!

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State: California
City: El Cerrito
Store: PetCo

Variety/Selection: 6
Cleanliness and quality: 9 (Wow! Immaculate! Not a single dead or sick looking fish)
Staff friendliness and knowledge: 8 (This is the only LFS I have been to where the employee actually demanded to know the state of my tank and what fish I already had before he would let me walk away with the fish I wanted. He gave me some great tips and generally made for a great experience. As I said before, I know it's Petco and I hate evil corporations as much as anyone, but the fish department people I have dealt with at this one are great!)
Smiley rating: for the staff, to Petco proper
I would go here more if it wasn't a big ugly corporation. As good as it is, I am still from the People's Republic of Berkeley!

This post has been edited by StAbbitt: Mar 31 2006, 02:42 AM

State: Washington
City: Issaquha
Store: Blue sierra exotics

Variety/ Selection: 9
Cleanliness and quality: 7
Staff friendlyness and Knowledge: 7

website

State: Washington
City: factoria
Store: pets and sierra

Variety/ Selection: 10 (all freshwater)
Cleanliness and quality: 5-6
Staff friendlyness and Knowledge: 6

State: Ohio
City: Middleburg Heights
Store: RMS Aquaculture

Variety/ Selection: 8
Cleanliness and Quality: 7
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 9

State: California
City: Capistrano Beach
Store: Petsmart

Variety/Selection: 6
Cleanliness and Quality: 7
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 3

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State: California
City: Mission Viejo
Store: Sanbar Pets

Variety/ Selection: 6.5
Cleanliness and Quality: 3
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 7

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State: Califronia
City: San Diego
Store: Aquatics Warehouse

Variety/ Selection: 10
Cleanliness and quality: 10
Staff Friendliness and Knowledge: 10

(This is what every LFS should be like)
Plenty of L's and huge variety. If they don't have it they will order it.

State: Alabama
City: Trussville
Store: The Fish Peddler

Variety/Selection: 7
Cleanliness & Quality: 10
Staff friendliness & knowledge: 10

Summary: The PERFECT fish store!
State: Alabama
City: Brookwood
Store: Ed's pet World

Variety/Selection: 10
Cleanliness & Quality: 4
Staff Friendliness: 1
Staff Knowledge: 10

SUMMARY: Ed scares the S*&# out of me, good store though. Every kind of fish IMAGINABLE, just they might not be in great condition. Arrowanas, $69.95!!

Nice to see a US version of the Fish store directory popping up. I think if it takes off as the UK version did then it should go in the FAQs section.

Ben