Chicago Area Local Fish Stores

[scubadan206]

I remember seeing a post by Nineball [Peter], where he purchased a few clowns. When he got home he was curious about the strange way the fish were behaving. He tested the water and found they were bagged in almost straight RO water[1.001]. Wow!! Is this something a LFS will do to simulate a freshwater dip or something? This store would be somewhere in Toronto area...
Daniel. :wildone:

 

[snorvich]

You ever heard of Marine Velvet disease? Sounds more than likely your system go hit with this. Ich doesn't wipe out your fish over night unless they already had it in there system for a few days or weeks. Marine Velvet will take out your fish over night and within days if adding new fish to your system that have this disease. Everyone should QT fish regardless of what the LFS says- they are in the business to sell just like any other fish store. I know some that practice QTing not saying they don't because most, now in days are starting to. But just be careful when adding new fish to your system. I would recommend setting up a QT in the future to prevent that from happening again.

The time line of the mortality suggests a parasite other than cryptocaryon irritans since ich tends to overwhelm over time rather than kill quickly. Velvet is a possibility but with chromis involved, uronema marinum is also in play. Any time a fish is placed into a fish system at a local fish store, any previous quarantine protocol is invalidated. Oh, and by the way, a non-therapeutic dose of copper will mask velvet and ich which will then show up approximately three weeks later. Just an FYI.

 

[Kmiec123]

We started a ich treatment and by the end of the next night we lost all fish....

ReefNinja....Ich is normal in most stressed fish...What what the Treatment you did? That would be my guess on most of the trouble.

 

[SkullV]

ReefNinja....Ich is normal in most stressed fish...What what the Treatment you did? That would be my guess on most of the trouble.

No parasite is normal in most stressed fish. If the parasite isn't introduced into the system it will not be present on any fish, stressed or not.

 

[Tank2379]

The time line of the mortality suggests a parasite other than cryptocaryon irritans since ich tends to overwhelm over time rather than kill quickly. Velvet is a possibility but with chromis involved, uronema marinum is also in play. Any time a fish is placed into a fish system at a local fish store, any previous quarantine protocol is invalidated. Oh, and by the way, a non-therapeutic dose of copper will mask velvet and ich which will then show up approximately three weeks later. Just an FYI.

Awesome good to know ... That's why QT is a must with any fish

 

[1000rrstunna]

Went to beyond the reef today... Not impressed

 

[Ridgeway Swiss]

Guys a quick question.

I'm at an expo at the McCormick centre in a couple of weeks, there for a few days. I need to pick up some Neptune Apex parts and wondered which shop is my best bet in that area ? I'll be staying down town but don't mind taking a cab ride out to within reason to find a good store ?

What do you you reckon ?

 

[fredfish13]

if you want stores close to there, try calling Old Town Aquarium or New Fish to see if they have parts in stock first. Those 2 should be the closest to downtown.

 

[Quiverfull]

Any suggestions for an sps store on the south side near palos park? In town for a few days and would like to check out some sps stores. Thanks for the info.

 

[fishonly tank]

Thanks for the post

 

[danielp]

I do not remember if I asked about it before but any opinions on Xzotic Aquatic World Inc. in Bensenville?
I want to check them out, just do not know if its worth the trip from Chicago.
By the way a week ago I was in Aquapros (I feel like I am their spokesman), what a great store it is, cannot beat their frags.
The only problem I had on monday they posted on fb their deal for turbo snails, on wednesday afternoon I was lucky enough to get the last one

 

[crawling junk]

Do not go to xzotic. That place is dirty and all their lifestock is sick

 

[danielp]

Anybody else?

 

[Dugless]

So for the serious SPS focused hobbyist, the consensus is Reefwise? I'm going to be passing through Chicago in a few weeks and would like to visit a store with a good selections of Acros. Thanks in advance.

 

[Dgagvgeg]

So for the serious SPS focused hobbyist, the consensus is Reefwise? I'm going to be passing through Chicago in a few weeks and would like to visit a store with a good selections of Acros. Thanks in advance.

Reefwise is a really nice place.

 

[blusun2]

Went to beyond the reef today... Not impressed

n00bie chiming in here, we went to the Aquarium Experience last weekend and purchased a 2g Nano tank from Beyond The Reef at the show. They told us we'd be ok to keep a single clown fish in the tank. I ended up going to Aquarium Adventure and bought salt water and live rock and went to Beyond the Reef for live sand, because AA only sells in the 10 or 20# bags, which we needed barely 1.5#, which we got from BTR. They were pushing pretty hard at both the expo and the shop that it's ok to put a fish in, but my experience in Freshwater fish tells me no (and it also told me no to a 2G, but that's another story)

I started a thread in the noob section with pics of the 2G tank and the rocks:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2456748

 

[scottsdale454ss]

Someone less lazy than me should make an updated list!!! im sure there are tons more new places now. Much easier than scrolling through the whole thread

 

[scottsdale454ss]

I stopped into Beyond the Reef today, that place is amazing!!! I had no money and was just looking but they had a ton of coral and fish. Every tank was super clean and healthy. Very nice, easily rivals reefwise and aqua pros. And they didnt pester me at all which was fantastic.

There are more tanks i didnt take pictures of.












Also stopped into Advanced aquatics. What a dump. 95% of the coral were bleached out and dying. The tanks were FULL of cyano and green hair and bubble algae. No idea how he's still in business. I asked for a frag of one thing he had in excess and he wanted $20 to break off a tiny piece. Not a good way to gain a new customer. just my 2 cents. And yes the owner did strike me as a little odd as well.

 

[tassod]

Seven Seas Aquatic life in Mt Prospect is an awesome place IMO. Nobody beats their prices and Fabio is a great guy and very honest and will not story tell you a bunch of crap just to make a sale. I've picked up a few fish from him and so far have not had any problems.

 

[DanzReef]

Anyone have any POSITIVE reviews about Aquatic Visions of Naperville? I for one am not at all impressed with this place... Was excited to have a LFS so close to me and of course from OLD reviews and my experience it happens to be the worst... You basically have to hound down the guy for help and even after you get lucky enough the help is very vague, its closed during OPEN hours, never answer the phone blah blah it goes on but hate to be negative, end rant......