I have been to many of the stores on the lower mainland, as far as rock goes, I have yet to see any rock I would spend a dollar on.... That may be because I get in some pretty spectacular show rock, but hey, I sure dont sell it for $5.99/lb, $8.00/lb is my starting price for rock, "my" show rock starts at $10.00/lb and goes up to $15.00 for lagoon rock. I deal with alot of high dollar fish so I keep live rock in with my fish, only sick fish get medicated, my fish are expensive, I feed them the best, they are kept in good healthy tanks, I take extra care for them and customers pay through the nose for this service, tanks that I maintain have a 6month livestock guarantee. You get what you pay for.... I just pre-sold a group of blacktips for a tank Im building, as well as a group of minature hammerheads for another tank, very cool fish. Back on topic, I personaly think some stores are shooting themselves in the foot with their price slashing, it would be much better for the hobby to raise prices to a reasonable level and maintain healthier enviroments that raise overhead prices, price slashing, and the unwillingness to spend a reasonable amount on livestock, to me just shows lack of care for the precious creatures we are trying to care for, people act like livestock is a dime a dozen and will never run out, I can say for a fact that this hobby wont continue to run like it currently does driving itself into the ground... On another note out of the store on the lower mainland that I have been to, I rate them all very comparable, I have seen great, and crappy livestock at all locations, its part of the business, I just dont like it when stores flog sick fish, and I would prefer to buy fish from a tank system that dosent hold any sick fish. Like Bob said, some would rather pay alot more for something well cared for and healthy, I think all hobbiests should have this frame of mind but I dont think Im going to sway many minds...lol
You get what you pay for, period.........

My rock is that cheap Kanai stuff. I've heard it's just Jakarta rock under a different name.

Hey Underworld - I personally would pay a lot more for livestock if it was in better condition and gave me more selection.

But, its not my choice and not in my hands to make that decision.

Re: I think you all need a few facts
 

I wonder if your history is complete. I lived in Vancouver in the late seventies. I bought my fish from a guy in what I think was Burnaby. I remember it was on a main road with a bus line on it. If I had a Vancouver map I might remember better. My memory is a bit hazy. :rolleyes: I lived on Harwood , and used to go across a bridge, and head East I think down Main for a ways then turn left. That's all I can remember. :confused:

Re: I think you all need a few facts
 

bacteria and bugs don't need light to live at all some of the ost populated rock I have came from a dark refuge that was set up for critter life instead of algae. in face the rock that was in 24 hour darkness had more pods and such onit than the rock that was in the main tank.

the definitation of live rock is slowly getting misscrewed towards rock that has algae and other "corals" on it instead of the true form which is rock that has been hosted by bugs and backteria and is capable of removing nitrates from the water due to the bacteria hosting in it.

sure the other stuff is pretty but all rock will go like that if you introduce one little chunk of plant/algae covered rock into your system.

Steve

Anyone remember the one on Hastings and Willington around mid 1980's? No live corals or liverock back then. My fish-only tank was decorated with only a decorative bleached white fire coral skeleton. I still still have that skeleton; now used as decor for my dining room shelf. Marine aquariums have come a LONG way in a short period of time.

Crap, you're really old eh Sam.... :razz: :lol:

Re: I think you all need a few facts
 

Reefknight, did you own the one on E. Hastings and Willingdon? If not, which one are you referring to? That one and Paul's were the only ones that I can remember. Fraser Aquarium experimented a little with saltwater but that didn't work out. There was a little shop in Middlegate Mall that sold marines but they are no longer there. A few Pet Habitats had some but no longer.

Oh yeah, and my tank was lit by 4 incandescent bulbs and I was running a Fluval cannister filter and an undergravel filter.

:eek: they had incandescent bulbs then :mrgreen: I was going to ask how many candle power your first tank was :biggrin:

Steve

gee and I thought having a salt tank in 1980 made me an old timer....

Doug

Re: I think you all need a few facts
 

Well did I not say we sold wholesale? so the store you bought from most likly bought from us :cool:

your talking about Paul's old location, he was the man then

most of the stores you talk about from the old days were all our (Pacific Tropical / Spruce Capital Supplies) customers
like I said we started saltwater or most of it here in BC

any more questions?

I remember Paul's location on Kingsway. The store that I was trying to remember the name of is on E. Hastings between Willingdon and SFU.

OK, I misunderstood. When you said 3 people started selling Marines, I wrongly assumed you meant 3 different businesses. It sounded from your message that Paul's was 1 of them, the wholesaler Pacific Tropicals was 2nd one, and you were 3rd one. This was probably what Bob thought as well. We didn't realize that you worked for the wholesaler. We thought you had your own retail business.

Re: I think you all need a few facts
 

Damn Steve, lots of insightful posts this evening. And your spelling is doing great! Except for "definitation" (sounds like something a sociologist would think up) and "misscrewed" (may involve large quantities of alcohol and...).

Hey Sam...is the store you were of Sees Aquarium. There was also Billy's which has morphed a few times into what is now Rainforest Pet Spectrum. Hope this helps.

Yeah, See's doesn't sound familiar but Billy's sounds familiar. Are they still in business as Rainforest Pet? Do they sell marines? I remember they converted half the store to selling bikes so yeah, I see what you mean when you say it morphed a few times. Thanks.

Sam,

I think youi were talking about Joe's Aquarium (sold it to Billy's)
around 1987. on Hastings. Further down Hastings was a great little shop called The Tropical Hut. One block off of Willingdon @ Hastings.(early 70's)
Gazza

Ah yes. Joe's and Billy's sounds familiar. Its all coming back to me now. Thanks Gazza. Long time no see. Whatever happened to those guys (Joe's and Billy's).

I believe Billys' was from the 70'S (maybe the 60's) Billy Wong helped stock the original Vancouver Aquarium. It was bought out and turned into International Aquariums and maybe even one more incarnation (I forget the name at the moment) until it became Rainforest. (I could be wrong though since I was just a kid in the 70's).

Anyone remember "Panda" a couple blocks west of the PNE on Hastings? There was also this store (I forget where it was) that had a german owner with a real thick accent. How about the store that was near little india on Main & 49th just north of the Esso station?

Also I was pretty good friends with the owner of the Cambie Aqaurium before it was sold & then it closed (the new owners did not know much about the aquarium business). I miss that store........ he did not do much coral (he experimented) but he had some of the best fish I have ever seen. we are talking big angels & butterflies (also the biggest breeding pair of clown loaches I have ever seen, 13 inches each).

Lots of Red Sea Fish(Asfar, Half Moon, Golden Butterfly (his first shipment was 12 3.5 inch fish that he all sold for $400 each [the was the early 90's]) & a Regal......... that actually ate........ that one was in store for at least 2 years.) & Caribbean Fish (Queen, Blue & French angels) and the most Passer (King) angels I have ever seen in one store at one time (14 in the store varying in size from 2 inches to 12 inches). Also the only Blue Ring Angel I have ever seen in Vancovuer & and a gorgeous Blue Face angel (14 inches long) that was in the store for 7 months before it was sold (a very robust fish......... and pricey ~$400 also). I also witnessed a juvenile Emperor, Koran & Six Gill angel transfrom into adult colours.

I remember the original owners of Aquaworld "visiting" the store & muttering to each other about the good fish & wondering where he bought them from. The store owner (MC) did not care they were there (he know who they were). MC also taught me a lot about what fish are not worth keeping (ie coral eating angels & butterflys) because they would not survive in our tanks. He was actuallly a pigeon farmer in Hong Kong before he came to Canada and he showed me a picture of his old 500 Imperial gallon Fish Only Saltwater Aquarium.......... that he used to sleep under before he got married. I gained a lot of knowledge from him.

Ah......... memories :) Good times :)

Cheers,
Vic [veng68]

I used to frequent Cambie aquariums, that was a great area, lots of cool little stores n stuff. I lived at Cambie and 24th so it wasn't much of a walk at all.

Doug

Hi Vic. What's at Rainforest now? Any marines?

I've not actually been there for a couple years......... last time I was there ....... they had lots of discus & freshwater, lots of lizards & some saltwater.

We should get a LFS tour going. I usaully go to all of the stores once or twice a year :)

Cheers,
Vic [veng68]

fish store
 

Has anyone tried Pet Lovers in Abbotsford? I bought livestock from them that is still with me to this day. They are something to check out if you ever come down this way.

Old stores
 

I kept a lot of Amazon fw fish as a kid in the 60s - I bought most of them from a place on Broadway at Oak - can't remember the name - something to do with Jungle?? The guy in there was very nice and helpful to a kid with no money - ended up with 15 tanks, breeding angels and oscars - I remember seeing the occasional SW tank, but it was too daunting to try - and needed $$$.

Main Aquarium was the big place then - are they still going? I live in Victoria now.

Interesting thread.
John

Main aquariums is still there.. (or at least was two years ago)... guess I should check in.

Doug

Unfortunately Main Aq. closed several years ago. Tommy retired. But that was a great store for freshwater fish.

Broadway & Oak was Fin n Feathers. Always had exotic stuff. The store is long gone but the owner Jim, still imports and sells to local stores.
Gazza

I was in at Rainforest a few weeks ago and they are starting up in SW again. A shipment of LR had just arrived and it looked pretty good to me. Smelled fresh too. I was told that their live rock is delivered within 24 hours of being harvested from the ocean. Wonder where they're getting it from?