address: 7420 derry st., harrisburg pa 17111
website: www.zootopiapetz.com
phone: (717) 558-7387
hours: m-f: 1200-1930, sat: 1000-1700, sun: 1200-1700.
selection, 6/10:
this is more of a reptile store, which i'm fine with. their cichlid and predatory selection is decent, with a fair bit of uncommon things. however their website said "tankbusters" and their adult fish selection consisted of two ~8" pacus and a ~10" oscar. must been flimsy tanks. they had some north american gamefish, and it was there and then that i decided to start up a coldwater tank for them.
health, 5/10:
i bought 3 shiner minnows, a black crappie and a crayfish for my snappy new coldwater tank (keep in mind that it was cycled water). one of the shiners was dead before i got home, about 2 hours later. the other 2 were dead about 3 hours after going in the tank. so i have no shiners now. in all fairness, i think that the shiners were designed to be feeders. but the crappie and crayfish are good, though i suppose it's too soon to tell for sure.
staff, 4/10:
i was accosted at the door before the rain had even seeped into my hat. then when i actually needed help, the guy (who i gathered was the owner) whom i asked seemed upset that i was detracting from the conversation he was having with someone else. after a few minutes when i decided what i wanted i asked the original guy who jumped me at the door, as he was playing with his cell phone. he was helpful to an extent then. i asked if he could please double-bag the crayfish, as they have sharp claws and i had a long ride. he said he would, but about halfway home i realized i had a single-bagged leaking crayfish.
prices, 5/10:
some reasonable, but some ludicrous. like really ludicrous. $50 for a 2" black piranha. $15 for 1.5" red bellies. $35 for 1.5" electric dempseys. they had a redtail catfish i really wanted, but not for $40. my crappie was only $5, and some of their common stuff seemed reasonable.
overall, 20/40:
i did enjoy seeing some of their selection, but their prices are a little prohbitive. wasn't worth the trip on its own, but i'd likely stop in again next time i'm in the area.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
beyond the reef, bloomsburg.
address: 204a montour blvd., bloomsburg pa 17815
website: www.beyondthereefinc.com
phone: (570)784-7333
hours: f-s: 1000-1800, sun: 1000-1600.
selection, 7/10:
they focus on saltwater, but as i recall they did have a decent cichlid selection. when i was there they were under construction, i think (or hope so anyway), so the selection may have been pared back a little temporarily.
health, n/a:
never bought anything there.
staff, 7/10:
i don't recall anyone bothering me, so that's good.
prices, 5/10:
pretty high from what i can recount.
overall, 19/30:
this place kinda annoyed me through no fault of their own, really. well a little bit maybe. their hours suck. and i actually took a day off work (yes, like them i only work weekends) to go there. so i was a little disappointed to find a construction zone instead of the aquatic utopia some online reviews had promised me. to be fair, i do intend to give the place another chance some time.
website: www.beyondthereefinc.com
phone: (570)784-7333
hours: f-s: 1000-1800, sun: 1000-1600.
selection, 7/10:
they focus on saltwater, but as i recall they did have a decent cichlid selection. when i was there they were under construction, i think (or hope so anyway), so the selection may have been pared back a little temporarily.
health, n/a:
never bought anything there.
staff, 7/10:
i don't recall anyone bothering me, so that's good.
prices, 5/10:
pretty high from what i can recount.
overall, 19/30:
this place kinda annoyed me through no fault of their own, really. well a little bit maybe. their hours suck. and i actually took a day off work (yes, like them i only work weekends) to go there. so i was a little disappointed to find a construction zone instead of the aquatic utopia some online reviews had promised me. to be fair, i do intend to give the place another chance some time.
living things, schnecksville.
address: 5350 rte. 873 #2, schnecksville pa 18078.
website: n/a
phone: (610)224-4656
hours: will update
selection, 5/10:
"assorted african," angels, rams and oscars. they used to carry channel cats and pretty much the only reason i stop in ever is to see if they have any.
health, 7/10:
i bought a channel cat and an angel there once and both did well for a while.
staff, 7/10:
you don't bother them, they won't bother you. just how i like it.
prices, 5/10:
their channel cats were $4 when they had them. however their africans and oscars are high.
overall, 24/40:
not a bad place, but not the greatest selection either. they seem to be more focused to the community fish buyer. as mentioned, i stop back in periodically looking for a cheap channel cat.
website: n/a
phone: (610)224-4656
hours: will update
selection, 5/10:
"assorted african," angels, rams and oscars. they used to carry channel cats and pretty much the only reason i stop in ever is to see if they have any.
health, 7/10:
i bought a channel cat and an angel there once and both did well for a while.
staff, 7/10:
you don't bother them, they won't bother you. just how i like it.
prices, 5/10:
their channel cats were $4 when they had them. however their africans and oscars are high.
overall, 24/40:
not a bad place, but not the greatest selection either. they seem to be more focused to the community fish buyer. as mentioned, i stop back in periodically looking for a cheap channel cat.
american aquarium, orefield.
address: 3752 rte. 309 ste. a, orefield pa 18069.
website: www.americanaquariumandpetsupply.com
phone: (610)395-6085
hours: m-t: 1100-1900, f-s: 1100-2000.
selection, 8/10:
while they specialize in saltwater, the majority of their freshwater selection is cichlids and piranhas. this includes some nice adult fish.
health, 8/10:
i've only ever bought one thing there, a green severum, and he's doing very well.
staff, 8/10:
friendly, knowledgable and non-oppressive.
prices, 7/10:
a little high on some smaller fish, but their prices on adults when they have them is more than reasonable. i could have gotten an adult green severum for not much more than i paid for the 4" one i got, but i didn't have room for the big one.
overall, 31/40:
i can't really explain why i haven't bought more here, and have only been inside a handful of times. i think maybe i take it for granted, as i've driven past is several times a week for the last 3 years. i really should make it a point to stop in and browse again sometime soon. one little complaint that is too esoteric and trivial to warrant attention, they often have some texas barbecue trailer thing cooking in the parking lot and being a vegetarian the overwhelming smell of smoking meat kinda nauseates me a little bit.
website: www.americanaquariumandpetsupply.com
phone: (610)395-6085
hours: m-t: 1100-1900, f-s: 1100-2000.
selection, 8/10:
while they specialize in saltwater, the majority of their freshwater selection is cichlids and piranhas. this includes some nice adult fish.
health, 8/10:
i've only ever bought one thing there, a green severum, and he's doing very well.
staff, 8/10:
friendly, knowledgable and non-oppressive.
prices, 7/10:
a little high on some smaller fish, but their prices on adults when they have them is more than reasonable. i could have gotten an adult green severum for not much more than i paid for the 4" one i got, but i didn't have room for the big one.
overall, 31/40:
i can't really explain why i haven't bought more here, and have only been inside a handful of times. i think maybe i take it for granted, as i've driven past is several times a week for the last 3 years. i really should make it a point to stop in and browse again sometime soon. one little complaint that is too esoteric and trivial to warrant attention, they often have some texas barbecue trailer thing cooking in the parking lot and being a vegetarian the overwhelming smell of smoking meat kinda nauseates me a little bit.
pet supplies plus, wilkes-barre.
address: 555 scott st., wilkes-barre pa 18702.
website: www.petsuppliesplus.com
phone: (570)829-3446
hours: m-s: 0900-2100, sun: 1000-1800.
selection, 6/10:
one word: buttekoferi.
health, 6/10:
three words: buttekoferi don't mix. i bought a few fish there when they were running a buy one-get one special. i got two little buttekoferi to hang out with t-bone. he didn't appreciate the sentiment, but he did appreciate the meal. not the store's fault at all, but the other fish i bought there that did not go with t-bone pretty much were failures as well.
staff, 7/10:
their fish wall is right next to the counter, so the staff is onhand if you need them but they don't annoy you otherwise. not really sure if they're too very knowledgable because i've never had cause to ask them a question.
prices, 7/10:
for some reason their prices are lower than the whitehall location. and whitehall has to compete with petsmart and petco within a mile on the same road. the other corporations are present but not as nearby to the wilkes-barre pet supplies plus. but nevertheless, their buttekoferi are $7 as opposed to $10 in whitehall.
overall, 26/40:
not a bad little place overall. like whitehall they have the 10/$1 feeders, and their prices on fish are lower while service is better. this place also has a display for pet caskets, urns and memorials. it's probably worth stopping in just to see if they have any specials running, but if you're in the area you're within 10 miles of finsanity and pet zone.
website: www.petsuppliesplus.com
phone: (570)829-3446
hours: m-s: 0900-2100, sun: 1000-1800.
selection, 6/10:
one word: buttekoferi.
health, 6/10:
three words: buttekoferi don't mix. i bought a few fish there when they were running a buy one-get one special. i got two little buttekoferi to hang out with t-bone. he didn't appreciate the sentiment, but he did appreciate the meal. not the store's fault at all, but the other fish i bought there that did not go with t-bone pretty much were failures as well.
staff, 7/10:
their fish wall is right next to the counter, so the staff is onhand if you need them but they don't annoy you otherwise. not really sure if they're too very knowledgable because i've never had cause to ask them a question.
prices, 7/10:
for some reason their prices are lower than the whitehall location. and whitehall has to compete with petsmart and petco within a mile on the same road. the other corporations are present but not as nearby to the wilkes-barre pet supplies plus. but nevertheless, their buttekoferi are $7 as opposed to $10 in whitehall.
overall, 26/40:
not a bad little place overall. like whitehall they have the 10/$1 feeders, and their prices on fish are lower while service is better. this place also has a display for pet caskets, urns and memorials. it's probably worth stopping in just to see if they have any specials running, but if you're in the area you're within 10 miles of finsanity and pet zone.
pet supplies plus, whitehall.
address: 2433 macarthur rd., whitehall pa 18052.
website: www.petsuppliesplus.com
phone: (610)432-2199
hours: m-s: 0900-2100, sun: 1000-1800.
selection, 6/10:
not so great, really. but they consistently stock tilapia buttekoferi. another highlight is blue acaras. apart from that, the standard angels, oscars, firemouths, dempseys.
health, 7/10:
my great buttekoferi, t-bone, came from there. can't recall that i've ever bought anything else there though.
staff, 4/10:
my last visit went as follows: i stopped in to buy live feeders (on that they have the best price around). i stood in the fishroom for a little while, then went up to the cashiers to ask for assistance. in the meantime two other gentlemen had come into the fishroom. the cashier paged a guy to the fishroom. a moment later he arrived, walked right past me (as i was back in the fishroom at this point) over to the two gentlemen who had arrived at least 5 minutes after i did. they had little command of the english language, and so it took a little while for them to get what they wanted. so i had to waith about 15-20 minutes before getting assistance, even though i was there first. in retrospect i should have said something. i really would have if the gentlemen "ahead" of me were getting feeders, as the feeder tank was pretty sparse. i'm no customer service expert, but i'd say that the proper thing for the guy to do would have been to ask who was there first.
prices, 4/10:
this is a strange instance where different locations of the same chain have radically different prices; the wilkes-barre location is $3 cheaper on buttekoferis, and i would hope a whole lot cheaper on jewels. this place wanted $20 for a jewel. really. not even big or nice jewels. since i was in the market for one, i went to the petsmart less than a mile up the road and got a nice one for $2.50.
overall, 21/40:
the only redeeming factors of this place are that they carry buttekoferi (though i really don't know why more places don't; not a starter fish, but one of my personal favorites), and 10/$1 feeders. and they do actually count them, not just estimate.
website: www.petsuppliesplus.com
phone: (610)432-2199
hours: m-s: 0900-2100, sun: 1000-1800.
selection, 6/10:
not so great, really. but they consistently stock tilapia buttekoferi. another highlight is blue acaras. apart from that, the standard angels, oscars, firemouths, dempseys.
health, 7/10:
my great buttekoferi, t-bone, came from there. can't recall that i've ever bought anything else there though.
staff, 4/10:
my last visit went as follows: i stopped in to buy live feeders (on that they have the best price around). i stood in the fishroom for a little while, then went up to the cashiers to ask for assistance. in the meantime two other gentlemen had come into the fishroom. the cashier paged a guy to the fishroom. a moment later he arrived, walked right past me (as i was back in the fishroom at this point) over to the two gentlemen who had arrived at least 5 minutes after i did. they had little command of the english language, and so it took a little while for them to get what they wanted. so i had to waith about 15-20 minutes before getting assistance, even though i was there first. in retrospect i should have said something. i really would have if the gentlemen "ahead" of me were getting feeders, as the feeder tank was pretty sparse. i'm no customer service expert, but i'd say that the proper thing for the guy to do would have been to ask who was there first.
prices, 4/10:
this is a strange instance where different locations of the same chain have radically different prices; the wilkes-barre location is $3 cheaper on buttekoferis, and i would hope a whole lot cheaper on jewels. this place wanted $20 for a jewel. really. not even big or nice jewels. since i was in the market for one, i went to the petsmart less than a mile up the road and got a nice one for $2.50.
overall, 21/40:
the only redeeming factors of this place are that they carry buttekoferi (though i really don't know why more places don't; not a starter fish, but one of my personal favorites), and 10/$1 feeders. and they do actually count them, not just estimate.
superpetz, bethlehem.
address: 2920 easton ave., bethlehem pa 18017
website: www.superpetz.com
phone: (610)861-8040
hours: will update
selection, 4/10:
the one time i was there their cichlid selection consisted of angels, oscars and convicts.
health, 7/10:
got a convict (in exchange for an albino oscar purchased at the selinsgrove location) who did well for a while.
staff, 4/10:
as i recall the guy who assisted me was a little surly about exchanging a fish from another store even though i called ahead to see if i could.
prices, 5/10:
their prices are about average.
overall, 20/40:
if i had to go to a superpetz i would choose the selinsgrove location.
website: www.superpetz.com
phone: (610)861-8040
hours: will update
selection, 4/10:
the one time i was there their cichlid selection consisted of angels, oscars and convicts.
health, 7/10:
got a convict (in exchange for an albino oscar purchased at the selinsgrove location) who did well for a while.
staff, 4/10:
as i recall the guy who assisted me was a little surly about exchanging a fish from another store even though i called ahead to see if i could.
prices, 5/10:
their prices are about average.
overall, 20/40:
if i had to go to a superpetz i would choose the selinsgrove location.
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