Red Coral is my favorite: not just for reasons of stock and knowledge alone, however.

Red Coral has quite a large space, and it is laid out very nicely. I find Gold's and Oceans to be very tight inside. I'm a bit claustrophobic.

Red Coral is the most "kid safe" of the bunch of them, too. :) There are no low and open tanks sitting on the floor that kids can reach into, and all of the plumbing is concealed. Of course, bringing my little guy in there is still a bit worrisome. But, the really big safety concerns that I have about the other places aren't much of an issue at Red Coral: though a child could reach into Zues' tank (live rock tub) at Red Coral.

I have bad dreams about Zeus!

I've bought from Wai's, Red Coral, Pisces, Big Als and Oceans and my best results have always been from Red Coral. I've never bought livestock online.

It's been my experience that Kevin and Doug will talk you out of buying something that isn't right for your tank if you don't know any better yourself. Good advice is hard to come by in todays' world and I value that -a lot.

Pricing is always a big 'arguing' point but this is not an inexpensive hobby and while I like a good price as much as the next guy, getting proper advice outweighs a few bucks here and there.

Selection is tougher. Most shops get 'what's available' and that means it's not like a grocery store where you can always find exactly what you want. Personally, one of my biggest mistakes in this hobby has been to go looking at fish and buying the one I like. I now understand that you need to research livestock for your specific tank and then go looking for what you want. Of course, you can phone around first and save the gas. Most shops will take your request and try to fill it. Just be patient, you can't expect to get healthy stock overnight if it's not in the shop.

I love Zeus, he swims up and lets me pet him.