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View Full Version : Favorite store in Edmonton


mexxedm
04-01-2012, 09:28 AM
I am just curious what your most favorite marine store in Edmonton is.
This is just for fun.

fishoholic
04-01-2012, 01:12 PM
Kinda hard to vote for just one when there are good things about a few of them.

noirsphynx
04-01-2012, 02:03 PM
Kinda hard to vote for just one when there are good things about a few of them.

+1

paddyob
04-01-2012, 02:20 PM
Kinda hard to vote for just one when there are good things about a few of them.

+1.

reefme
04-01-2012, 02:35 PM
Cheap, friendly, and close to my house.

kwok
04-01-2012, 04:16 PM
No aqua giant?

reefwars
04-01-2012, 04:24 PM
ill second aqua giant they are top nothch ...........oi!!!!!

if steve adds a popcorn machine to red coral then he has my vote:)

Edmonton newbie
04-01-2012, 04:37 PM
Kinda hard to vote for just one when there are good things about a few of them.



+1

jorjef
04-01-2012, 05:48 PM
Must be nice just to have the options (stores) available!! There is a total of 4 1/2 stores in SASKATCHEWAN None in the same city!! Only one dedicated to saltwater... No wonder I have next to everthing shipped in...Thank god for online stores and trustworthy shops
..

dreef
04-01-2012, 05:54 PM
I feel your pain jorjef it's true that almost everything we need or use or want has to be shipped.Hmmmm let me guess who the 1/2 store is LMAO ..nice call.

BlueWorldAquatic
04-01-2012, 05:59 PM
You guys will have a nice one open up close real soon :mrgreen:

jorjef
04-01-2012, 06:01 PM
You guys will have a nice one open up close real soon :mrgreen:


"What chu talk'in bout Willis"

BlueWorldAquatic
04-01-2012, 06:02 PM
I already let out too much information.

and its not an April fools joke

jorjef
04-01-2012, 06:07 PM
I already let out too much information.

and its not an April fools joke


Well you must know that Regina has NOTHING for saltwater,so it must be for here right??...Don't go to Saskatoon they already have Bayside, we have all begged Colby to start up or move to Regina but it ain't happin'in.

toytech
04-01-2012, 07:41 PM
Cant wait to move to edmonton , only one good store by me everything elses is an hour away .

intarsiabox
04-01-2012, 07:53 PM
I had to vote none of the above to be fair to all the stores. I've bought from all of them, even Aquagiant, and had good service and products from them all. If my wife is with me I go to BWA though, as Shannon is usually there and is probably the most friendly person in any of the stores so my wife has someone to chat with.

bignose
04-01-2012, 11:09 PM
For me it was all about location RC is only 5 minutes away from me.

MarkoD
04-02-2012, 02:18 AM
aquagiant.... free aptasia with every purchase.

and theres a 20% off holiday sale year round

Jeff000
04-02-2012, 03:30 PM
Who the hell is Aquarium Central?

Mike-fish
04-02-2012, 06:06 PM
Who the hell is Aquarium Central?

Their down by the city center airport

fido19
04-03-2012, 08:37 AM
what do people who voted for none of the above like
i wanna know

Jeff000
04-03-2012, 01:38 PM
Their down by the city center airport

Seems like they are just fresh water with a dash of salt in there for fun.
Also the only independent salt store on the list that is not a supporting sponsor here.

Whoever picked them as their favorite I would love to here why.

MarkoD
04-03-2012, 01:41 PM
Seems like they are just fresh water with a dash of salt in there for fun.
Also the only independent salt store on the list that is not a supporting sponsor here.

Whoever picked them as their favorite I would love to here why.

I didn't pick them, but maybe cuz they use to be cheap?...... Now they're pretty expensive Compared to others

subman
04-03-2012, 01:44 PM
Seems like they are just fresh water with a dash of salt in there for fun.
Also the only independent salt store on the list that is not a supporting sponsor here.

Whoever picked them as their favorite I would love to here why.

There actually is a site sponsor missing lol. (wouldn't have changed the results though)

saltfreak2012
05-02-2012, 03:23 AM
You guys will have a nice one open up close real soon :mrgreen:

Please say its opening in Regina?

warriorcookie
05-02-2012, 02:03 PM
You guys will have a nice one open up close real soon :mrgreen:

Come on! Throw us a bone here!



JorJeff, who else does saltwater? The only ones I know of are Bayside in Saskatoon (amazing btw) and Pats Pets in Regina...

jorjef
05-02-2012, 03:20 PM
Come on! Throw us a bone here!



JorJeff, who else does saltwater? The only ones I know of are Bayside in Saskatoon (amazing btw) and Pats Pets in Regina...

DDK Pets in Moose Jaw and The Reef Shoppe in Lloyd. Shipping can be dicey, It takes the red eye to Saskatoon switches bus then into Regina. I get about 99% of my corals and fish shipped in from other suppliers. Pats really is not an option for me. I'm not holding my breath that anyone new in coming to town.

Parker
05-02-2012, 04:29 PM
I think you will find that most stores have people who love them and people who hate them.

My criteria are Customer Service and Cleanliness.

I'm a VERY quiet customer and customer service oriented so if you don't approach me and offer service, I'm not buying from you that day. ( Outside of big box stores - I'm talking mom and pop places ) I’ve been in stores where the employee didn’t even know I was there because the music was so turned up a little high, I was in another where the employee barley looked up from playing WOW. On the flip side of the coin I had employees offer to help me when I bought my tank, helped me load it, unload it, carry it into the basement. Offers to come to the house and have a look at my setup, house my fish and coral for no charge.

Cleanliness, if you can’t bother to keep your lively hood clean and presentable, how are you treating the animals in your care? I hate crap all over the floor, rusting tools laying around tank glass covered in diatoms and you surfing Facebook..meh, doesn’t do it for me. Maybe I’m too judgmental, I don’t know. I've been back to these stores, I don't hold a grudge. We all have bad days. There is only one store I refuse to buy from, for other reasons.

saltfreak2012
05-02-2012, 10:42 PM
DDK Pets in Moose Jaw and The Reef Shoppe in Lloyd. Shipping can be dicey, It takes the red eye to Saskatoon switches bus then into . I get about 99% of my corals and fish shipped in from other suppliers. Pats really is not an option for me. I'm not holding my breath that anyone new in coming to town.

Pats Pets is not really an option for anyone. How he even stays in business is beyond me.

marblesab
07-12-2012, 05:29 AM
I can't vote as it appears that the voting has closed, however I've shopped at almost all of the stores listed. (all except Marine Aquaria, which I've never heard of until now BTW, I'll have to go check them out!) I have to say that I thank you tremendously for creating this poll! I am new to SW but have been doing FW for a long time. I've found that the stores I liked for FW, aren't necessarily all that great for SW. Heck even some of the FW quality has gone down a lot lately (just my opinion). I looked at this poll briefly last night and until then, I had never heard of Blue World Aquarium, after seeing that they received the most votes so far, I had to go check them out this afternoon. Well I have to admit that I was pretty impressed. We got to meet Shannon, who I have to say, in the short time my husband and I were in there.... I am already a fan! Her customer service is outstanding and she didn't scoff at any of my "Newbie" questions, which I really appreciated. We will definitely be going back when my tank is ready for it's first fishy addition or anything else I need in the near future. Their selection (even though she said it was low at the moment), prices, but above all their customer service is what will keep me a loyal customer.

I use to be a big shopper at Big Al's, and I respect some of the things they do, but at the same time... it's terrible how often we go in there and see so many tanks with the sign "Not for sale, new arrival" on them. Now it's terrible if I can say that they aren't always "new additions" because we go in so often, but tanks that have been severely ick infested instead. It's a store I tend to browse in more then purchase and this is one of the reasons. I would say that I have had some great customer service there, however I can also say the opposite as well. It just depends on the day I guess. I have my favourite employee, and I've waited almost a half hour once for her to finish up with another customer so I could get her help. Their tanks tend to be over crowded, which is a huge turn off for me, and I would never buy from a tank that has severe over crowding. Their SW selection doesn't seem to be the best, so it won't be a place I go to actually buy.

I noticed Aquagiant wasn't on the list, but it was mentioned in the thread. I can't say I have had the best of luck in there, especially lately. (First experience with SW... they let me buy a chocolate chip starfirsh and a coral at the same time!.... I did do some research prior to my purchase on starfishes and saw that they are great members of your cleanup crew (which stuck with me more then the second part) and most of them are reef compatible.... now at the time I didn't make note of which ones weren't but I have never had an issue buying something that wasn't compatible with my tank.... ever. Yes, I do recognize that I too am to blame for the error, I should have kept a closer eye on which stars are and aren't reef compatible. However, when you can see that I am very obviously making a potential mistake in my tank occupants, I don't know of any store that wouldn't have at least asked if they were going in the same tank... and let me leave with both items.... for this, I will not be returning.

Another new store (at least new to me!) that I very recently have found is Red Coral! Another little gem, I have to say. I happen to be driving by one day and made my hubby turn the truck around so I could go check it out. At the time it was still when I was just doing my research and it was prior to me buying my tank. Since then, I have been in once, and I like their selection and service. Their prices seem to be pretty good as well. This store too will get my future business.

Aquarium Illusions is the store that I have known to be mainly SW based for quite some time. I had a friend that had a SW tank a few years ago, and I use to always get her gift certificates there. I also bought 4 Red Belly Piranhas there a few years back. Their tanks are not usually over crowded which I really do appreciate. Their selection, especially on corals seems to be abundant, but then so do their prices.

Aquarium Central is a store that I found out about back in March or so. (I found out about them through the ACE spring auction that I attended) I've been in the store several times, and I have to say that I like their selection of FW live plants, fish, and "critters" (shrimp, clams, aquatic frogs, etc). Their SW selection however is disappointing. Prices and equipment selection seem to be good, and customer service is ok too... most days. However, if I had "newbie" questions it's not a place I feel comfortable asking them (with justified reason).

Anyway, if you have gotten to this point in my post.... thank you for sticking with me this long, lol. My post is just my opinion and what I've experienced. The only store I have been in only one time is BWA, all the others I have been in a number of times. The opinions I expressed has been done with multiple visits to the store over a period of time. I am never one to make a negative comment or judgment on any store after just one visit.... as perviously mentioned... we all have bad days from time to time. Again, these comments are just my opinion. :biggrin: