FishShop Tour Photos

Will Hayward

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 5, 2008
1,131
0
0
Canada
www.alternativeaquariums.com
The following post is a repost I made last year on my local club forum. It got a good reception from the few members on there. I thought it would interest MFK though. All photos were taken by myself with an older Nikon D50 and a few lenses. I actually made the photos into a presentation and later gave a short slideshow and presentation to the members at a club meeting. Enjoy.

I've left the post nearly complete as I wrote it the first time, so don't be worried if something don't make complete sense.

------------------------------------





I beleive that the trip took place on december 30th 2007.

Noel & Mike (arapaimag [the same user that participates on MFK with the 15K and 50K gallon tanks] ) posted on this forum back in Mid December about a planned trip to visit several Pet Stores in St Catherines and near Niagara Falls in New York. Enthusiastically I replied about coming. Soon after Charles Drew (Bwhiskered) joined the gang. The morning of December 27th Charles and I sat at in his van in the Big Al's Aquarium Services parking lot, in Stoney Creek. A half hour later, Mike and Noel pull in, claiming (Hahahah) to have been driving through a horrible snow storm that delayed their arrival. After a brief browse of Big Al's Boxing week sales and a personal walk-through from Larry Johnson (Larryochromis), the Fish Manager at this location, we were off on our way.


Our second stop of the trip was Petland Pets (St. Catherines) which somewhat reminded me of a Super Pet feel as far as the entrance. Noel can be seen walking towards the fish product isles.


Passing a pond with a bridge, some large Koi and Half a dozen foot long Red Ear Slider Turtles jogging to be first in line for feeding, we entered the Fish Department. To your left a nice Marine display and to your right a very natural-like "Amazon River"-esque tank with tetras.


Each tank is designed entirely differently. Different gravel, different stones and wood, different combinations of fish and live plants. A much improved style than what is shown in the Pet Smart stores following their strict regime of #5 size natural gravel, two plastic plants, and a bubbling castle. Each tank had a little bit of style and personality. Through the algae you could bare witness to some impressive fish. Both Marine fish and Freshwater are available, with some nice rarer finds, and some exotic fish like arrowanas with certificates of authenticity. In the photo below is a very nice Fu Manchu Lionfish (Dendrochirus biocellatus) that came up to the front curious-like and posed for a snapshot.



Must to my personal dismay, the Reptile department was closed for entirely unknown reason! Off to lunch!



What better a meal to be had while on a fish store tour... than fish! (I have a friend that would start chanting, "Fish are Friends! Fish are Friends!" right about now...) In the same parking lot was Joey's Seafood restaurant. Mike and Noel tell me that it is somewhat of a tradition to stop at this particular restaurant during the 'pet shop hops'. Mike and Charles had some haddock. I found pork more fitting for this day. Noel and I both agree the fries were desirable. While waiting for the food we (I) shared photos of our (my) Aquarium and reptiles. Where were your photos guys!?!?



After getting directions to our somewhat impromptu stop at the store belonging to a friend of mine (I hadn't yet been to their store), we were off on our exploration once more. A few wrong turns, a cell phone call, and some map deciphering and we arrive at Garden City Reptile and Aquaria. Upon leaving I ask Susan about the storefront beside them. She informs me that they are expanding into it, and also building a "Party room" for birthdays and whatnot where youths can interact with reptiles and herps.


Susan greets us as we enter the modest store front. Modest maybe, but surprises to be found. Along the left wall in the photo and some unseen are tanks and tanks of all manner of snakes, lizards, amphibians and turtles. from the rear of the shop I peek through a doorway that says "employees only", which reveals live reptile food and stacks of cages for breeding various reptiles.


The Marine tanks shown contain everything from corals to hermit crabs, gobies to anenomiefish. One highlight was the newly born Banggai Cardinalfish, which arrived on Christmas day. Being a mouth brooding species, the male kept them safely inside his mouth away from the tanks predators, until they were removed from the tank. I managed to take a couple descent photos of the 5mm fry in their breeding trap. Even one tenth the size of their parents, they are nearly exact replicas.



On the road again, we cross the border and shortly later reach Pets Plus, a family started business in Lockport. I hurried while wandering through the furry and feathered animal sections with less interest and enthusiasm (What?! I'm allergic to fur...) and found Charlie already inside the fish department.


The marine tank at the entrance had a strong draw...


This one is for you Craig. There were two of these 12" babies... $250 for the pair.


Any turtle lovers in the house? A rare Mata Mata Turtle smirks at us in the top corner of one isle.


The cascading plant tanks and a few display tanks, one planted and one with very large Frontosas.





One of the Marine Isles with various curiosities...






This odd foot length fish was listed as a Big-Eye Little-Fish or something to that extent. Such an odd creature. If I hadn't said it was a foot long I'm sure most of you would have thought it was but an inch or two.


Wandering further towards the back of the building was another room with two oddly connected tanks and a Live rock tank surrounded by a system containing all designs of ornamental 'goldfish'. You can see Charles and Noel (Though Noel is camouflaging in with the Flowerhorns and Parrot Hybrids in his orange jacket) discussing some fish in the gap between the two giant 250+ gallon tanks.



A little farther in (Does this place ever end?) was a reptile department. One of the main feature displays was a menacing crocodilian (I say that as if some are not menacing...), with a 3 foot Red Tail catfish. Other tanks featured everything from pygmy chameleons, ball pythons, and leopard geckos, to $7000 albino green iguanas, 3 foot spur thigh tortoises.





After making a few small purchases we made our way South-West to The Fish Place. The store was divided into 4 or 5 sections and rooms. The largest containing tanks, complete setups and all the equipment. Another with smaller freshwater fish and plants. Past that a room with larger freshwater fish, discus, catfish, arrowanas, gar, etc. The next over a Marine room. Attached to the rear side of the building was a greenhouse room opening out onto the parking lot. Koi large and small were in this room with large tropical ferns and pond plants. An isle full of cichlids...


A couple planted display tanks in the Marine room.



A list of items inside correspond with the numbers written on the glass in front of each coral in this tank


A nice 8-9" Blue Diamond Discus, which proved too difficult to capture his real colour to it's full extent on camera. Spectacular specimen at a great price.


Hiding in the furthest corner of the store stood a 16 foot 2000 gallon tank. Inside amongst the driftwood and moss, were several Peacock bass and an almost 2.5 foot gar. I'm not good at identifying them, but I thought it was either a Spotted gar or a Florida Gar. Curious and cautious like, half a dozen peacock bass made their way to the front.



I'm fairly certain that all of us made purchases here at The Fish place- which you may hear about from their respected buyers if they want to share. There were some great prices and a selection unmatched in most 'Fish-Only' stores if not all, that I have personally seen. This was our last stop, and shortly after 8:00 we were back in the homeland and on our way to get the newly acquired fish into our tanks.


I hope you enjoyed the photos. Please feel free to comment and ask questions. Maybe if the next tour has some people that are more photogenic, I'll include some photos of them! (Kidding kidding! Don't hurt me.) Thanks for the invite Mike, Charlie for the pickup, and Noel for the back seat conversation.
 

---XR---

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Nov 11, 2006
4,110
23
38
Pa
all pics taken with a fish eye lens?

guess that must have been coincidence
 

JayK1320

Candiru
MFK Member
Feb 22, 2008
501
11
48
40
Boston, MA
Those places are absolutely sick! I need a place like this near me! Those tanks and fish are beautiful. If I ever make it back to Buffalo area I know who to get a hold of!
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store