LOVE THIS PLACE STAFF IS EXCELLENT!
BRADY 19:30:06 2/05/2008
LOVE THIS PLACE STAFF IS EXCELLENT! BRADY 19:30:06 2/05/2008 |
 Not gonna go into hard core details here. This store is very much worth visiting at least once. Being a pet owner you know what prices are like out there compare em for yourself, cause I found some lower and some higher which balanced out to be right about what i had been paying elswhere and closer to home. Would have loved to see the store operating with knowledgable staff though would have made me go back and shop again. |
 Overall, a relatively pleasant experience. Very nice large tanks greet the customers as they walk in, and there are more displays throughout the store. Unfortunately, there is sometimes livestock on display which is not actually for sale in the store, much to the dismay of anybody attempting to recreate the store tanks. Also, livestock availability and prices fluctuate wildly. I have been there twice, and have seen prices nearly triple for certain fish. One of the downsides of the store is their disorganization. Even the employees have trouble finding certain fish or plants on request, or are unable to tell you if it is in stock at the moment. Also, they sell dyed glass fish, which is an inhuman practice which should not be supported. And for God's sake, if you're going to dye a fish, at least make it look good! The dye looks like it's leaching out so the fish is left with sporadic spots and stripes of color along the backbone. Fish quality also varies a lot. The saltwater tanks all looked great, and the animals seemed to have plenty of space and be happy and healthy. On the other hand, the freshwater fish looked cramped and had to put up with dirty-looking water and algae infestations. I actually saw a few fish lying dead and rotting, and even two in the store's show tanks. Now that I've bashed House of Tropicals for a while, I do have to say that their selection is quite good and prices are nothing extravagant. All fish are fed live food to keep them healthy and content, and signs are (generally) informative. Especially helpful are the little markers for various species' aggressiveness and compatibility. Equipment is also in plentiful supply. I'm not totally sure about the prices- I've seen much better deals online and I'm starting to think that filters may be a bit overpriced. However, if you have a pretty good idea of what's reasonable, you won't get cheated out of your money. Overall, a decent deal and a fun place to browse through. |