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