[wonder woman]

I have to add a rave about Strictly Fish in Lakewood. I've been there before, and have always liked their selection and condition of their tanks, but I'm a really happy camper today.
I have a Tetra pond pump that had a broken (and I thought unfixable) impeller. Part of the impeller had broken off and gotten stuck in the housing. Someone on another forum suggested I go there because they have tons of parts, and are very helpful with that sort of thing. When I showed it to them, they found a replacement impeller, and explained that the stuck part could be removed and replaced. Even though they had several other customers come in and out, they did their best with the tools they had on hand to try to remove the stuck part. They weren't successful, but I decided to buy the replacement impeller anyway (it was only $20), in the hopes that I could get the part out myself at home. The guy said I was more than welcome to return the new impeller later if I was unsuccessful.
At home, after a little digging and prying, I got the part out, and put in the new impeller. The pump is now as good as new.

I've been to a lot of fish stores in Orange County and L.A. County, but I don't know of another store where the salespeople will voluntarily take time out from running the cash register to help someone with a broken piece of equipment they didn't even buy from them. And never, at any time, did they try to tell me that the pump was ruined, and that I should just buy another one ($100+).
-Christina