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]