Boston Area Stores?
aaron dunning
: I am looking for a good priced and honest store in the suburban Boston
: area. I need some people I can go to and trust to help me fix stuff so it
: works that are not just interested in selling me expensive equipment or
: exotic fish. Any ideas?
: Jason
Good luck. I've spent the past couple of weekends driving out to various
shops here and there in the Boston area, and haven't been impressed. If
you're looking for freshwater fish- Petco, or Boston Pet Center, out in
Cambridge across from the Galeria has a fair selection- but I'm not sure
I'd listen to their advice. There's a neat little fish section in the
Upper Newbury Pet Center- but pricy and almost no supplies. Not a bad
little reef, though...
Outside of Boston, I've been to Pet Club in Dedham- Decent
fresh, not so good salt, huge, unfriendly atmosphere...
Tropic Ilse in Framingham: Good selection of "stuff," fish were
allright, reef stuff was not so good, and the advice I overheard was
downright awful.
Finally, I checked out Exotic Aquatics on Rt. 1 in Norwood. Tiny
place, all salt, very few supplies, but it seemed like they knew what
they were doing more than any of the others.
Let me know if you find a good shop- I'm still looking, but I'm
very picky...
-Aaron.
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: Jason Jarvis: jja...@netcom.com * or * jja...@pepperdine.edu
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Boxhedd adun...@lynx.dac.neu.edu
"The characteristic modern way of describing human relations
as those between self and other appears to have dug an
unbridgeable chasm between the two."
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Leander
>I am looking for a good priced and honest store in the suburban Boston
>area. I need some people I can go to and trust to help me fix stuff so it
>works that are not just interested in selling me expensive equipment or
>exotic fish. Any ideas?
>Jason
>
>
Their prices are reasonable [no,not rock bottom], Bob jr and sr are very
knowledgable and helpful, and they will not soak you or push you to get
stuff you don't need. And they back up what they sell. We've had good
luck with them in both fresh water and salt water set-ups.
---Leander
Raymond Hill
were given to me by a fellow diver. Several years ago I had
stated that I wanted a tropical dive site in my living room --
now I have it! The place I have gone to is the Pet Club. The Pet
Club is located on Route 1 at the Dedham-West Roxbury Line. I
think they, by far, have the largest selection of fish and
aquarium supplies in the area. If you go in during the day ask
for Don. He has been quite helpful in getting me started and
giving me advice. Let me know how you make out.
Good Luck
Ray
Jeff Grieve
research first because it seems the shops go on a hire with no
experience mode. Some of these places don't even what to feed the
fish. Good luck.
JGNJG
JoHn Ruscio
>shops here and there in the Boston area, and haven't been impressed. If
>you're looking for freshwater fish- Petco, or Boston Pet Center, out in
>Cambridge across from the Galeria has a fair selection- but I'm not sure
>I'd listen to their advice. There's a neat little fish section in the
>Upper Newbury Pet Center- but pricy and almost no supplies. Not a bad
>little reef, though...
> Outside of Boston, I've been to Pet Club in Dedham- Decent
>fresh, not so good salt, huge, unfriendly atmosphere...
> Tropic Ilse in Framingham: Good selection of "stuff," fish were
>allright, reef stuff was not so good, and the advice I overheard was
>downright awful.
> Finally, I checked out Exotic Aquatics on Rt. 1 in Norwood. Tiny
>place, all salt, very few supplies, but it seemed like they knew what
>they were doing more than any of the others.
> Let me know if you find a good shop- I'm still looking, but I'm
>very picky...
>
>-Aaron.
I'd agree with all of what Aaron said, and I can add a bit I think. Uncle
Ned's Fish Factory is in Millis, MA, about as close to Boston as Tropic Isle.
They've got an interesting collection of freshwater fishes, some fairly rare
and unusual, a lot of Africans. Very little salt and supplies, it really is a
fish factory -- imagine your basement with dozens of aquaria. There's a place
in Salem, NH (just across the border) that's pretty big, I've only been there
once. They had a large selection of fish, particularly salt (although I know
little of salt fish, so can't assess quality), as well as supplies. It's
tax-free, so that's nice. Wet Pets, in Newton (556 Comm. Ave.), is pretty
small but has some interesting Africans. Unfortunately, I can't comment on the
advice of these places, because I've never solicited it. I'm very wary of
anything a pet store employee tells me. I would, however, emphasize what Aaron
said about Tropic Isle and Boston Pet (Cambridge): rude, condescending, and
useless advice. There's actually a Pet Supply Depot in Waltham (Rt.20) whose
fish manager is pretty friendly and helpful. I wouldn't recommend their fish
(for some reason their space-age, high-tech filtration system produces a lot of
health problems -- perhaps TOO clean?), but advice is good and they have cheap
supplies.
Hope this helps,
JoHn
[-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- JoHn Ruscio -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --]
| Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02254-9110 |
[-- -- -- -- (617) 736-3254 -- RUS...@BINAH.CC.BRANDEIS.EDU -- -- -- --]
aaron dunning
: I have just started a salt water aquarium. The aquarium and stand
: Good Luck
: Ray
--
Large _stock_ maybe, or just large shelves- but I wouldn't say
they have a large selection. What they have is alot of one kind of this,
alot of one kind of that.... I think I'll drive to Ohio next, that's the
last place I saw a shop I liked.
Kerry M Miller
: In article <00001e70...@msn.com>, JG...@msn.com (Jeff Grieve) writes:
: > I'm in Boston too. Got to agree that stores are pretty awful. Do your
: Exotic Aquatics in Norwood, Sea World in Salem; New Hampshire, and
: AquaDreams in Agawam, and Hidden Reef in Fall River are all excellent marine
: fish/reef stores in the New England region. Not exactly near Boston
: though......
: Also, Commonwealth Pets in Chestnut Hills is the first one in the Boston area
: to experience the Jaubert Method, they have very little but excellent stuff as
: well. Petco in Cambridge and the Pet Supply Depot (South Bound one) is okay to
: good quality of marine creatures but they vary quite a bit.
: Avoid: Lovely Pets, PJ's, Tropic Isle, Pet Club (kinda mixed feelings...).
Yes. Perfect, only I'm not so excited about Petco's livestock. The
"to avoid" list is the most important part, and I can say that each of
the above stores truly sucks. At the top of my hit list is Lovely
Pets, which is a total bucket shop full of brainless jerks with
attitude ("we suggest the latest in UGF's, and oh, how about a
lovely anemone for $20 (aiptasia)"), followed by
Tropic Isle, which charges stratospheric prices and has alot
of unhealthy fish. Just listen to their "resident marine biologist"
brag about the high quality of his "live" rock (looks like dead
brown volcanic rock), and his "state-of-the-art" reef system
with it's small W/D and 6"x6" (that's right, I said inches) CC protein
skimmer for a 150 gal tank...eech. Then again, if you need some
quick hardware and want to pay accordingly, they do have a big
inventory.
On the upside, Commonwealth Pets is a *great* little shop.
I have never had a problem with any fish, rock, or inverts
purchased there. The guy who does their reefs knows his stuff,
and the prices are OK for a retail shop (I got *excellent* cured
live rock for $5/lb - not bad).
-Kerry
patrick timlin
costs has to go to Debby's Pets (or is it Debby's Petland?). They have
several stores, one in Newton, and I remember seeing one in a mall
somewhere. They ALWAYS have dead fish in their tanks. And I don't mean
a few dead fish here and there like you see in most petstores, I mean out
of 50 tanks, you are likely to not only find roughly 20+ with dead fish,
but they are usually heavily fuzzed over indicating they have been in the
tank dead for at LEAST a couple days. Their selection of equipment and
food is very limited as well. On the plus side, they do try to encourage
people to buy schooling fish in groups of three or more by using a "buy
two get the third free" deal and also post signs telling customers that
schooling fish do better in groups of three or more. But considering the
condition of their fish, you had better by at least three in order to get
one left after you get them home. Oh ya, I think they do offer a
generious 7-day guarantee.
Normally I avoid pet "super stores" as they usually have a poor selection
of fish and usually of those they have, they are in poor condition, but I
have to give good marks to "Just For Pets Superstore" up in Nashua New
Hampshire. They have a large selection, the tanks look well kept, dead
fish seem to removed promptly, and they carry some more unusual fish that
most common pet stores may not stock. For instance, you can get Bristle
Nose Plecos in addition to the more common plecos. They also have a
decent selection of plants and some are very cheap. I bought four small
Java Ferns for less than two bucks! Normally Java Fern goes for $3-$4
for a single plant. Although one girl seemed completely clueless about
fish, the one who helped me seemed to know her stuff. Also, all fish
bought are put in bags and filled (the bags not the fish) with medical
grade pure oxygen! Especially nice if you are in the Boston area and
have to drive 30 minutes to home.
Patrick Timlin pti...@lynx.dac.neu.edu
Archibald Morgan
Quite a few have answered this already, but here's a bit more.
Of the marine fish store's that I have been to in the Boston area, the
best stores are in Providence. Aqua-Life Aquarium on Wickenden St.,
(401) 331-5376 is very small, but the proprietor is knowledgable and
helpful. The 1000gal tank with 3' sharks and 1000+ gal custom built
tidal pool tank make it worth the trip.
RI Aquarium on N. Main St. is also pretty good. Large selection of
fish and healthy reef/invert tanks. Fairly knowledgable staff.
Providence is less than an hour from Boston and the stores will bag for
the road trip.
Regards,
Archie Morgan, Chief Engineer
MV Northern Progress
George Kassabgi
Petco in Cambridge - near the Cambridge Galleria
See Peter Goodwin. Great livestock, equipment may be a bit $$$ though
SeaWorld in Salem NH
See Mike or Chris. Bigtime livestock! Specialties such as X-large
angels. I got a mammoth Queen X Blue Angel there and he's been great
Pet Supply Depo on North Side of Route 1
See Jim during the daytime hours. Sometimes the stock is nil.
Armstrong Animals in Salem MA
Once again, when stuff is in it is good, other times they have nothing
Good Luck...
tri...@marinefish.org
Just relocated to Massachusetts, and alas, the Nynex Yellow Pages just
dosn't list these gory details!
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MHM 1X3