good stores in Tampa ?

[donaldbyrd]

does anyone know of any good fish shops in or around tampa ?

[Sponsors]

[Overfloater]

About the best one I've seen is the Marine Warehouse. They carry pretty much everything fish realted and the service is decent. Their plant selection is abyssmal however. There aren't any stores around here that give plants any serious interest... that I know of.

[thumperinflorida]

It amazes me that aquatic plants aren't consider more of a commodity in southern Florida. Being this is the *tropical fish farming capital* and condsidering our weather, you would think that there would be more farmers.

Funny, to find really *tropical and rare* plants you look to states such as New York. Just might be that northern folks, being trapped inside during the winter months....long for something GREEN. While we in Florida, don't miss the GREEN?

....and I might add, most LFS are terrible.

[m249saw]

Marine Warehouse. Petsmart by Citrus Park mall has some live plants, but the quality is sketchy.

[chenaus]

The Petsmart by citris plants are crappy. i was there the other day and boy they really need to take plants more seriosly

[playaslk]

I think "good store" depends on what you are trying to purchase. If you are looking for plants, there is the farm on Euclid off of I4 which sell very reasonably. Just have to get out there.

Playa

[RadioNerd]

How far down Euchlid and any idea what the farm is called? I've had good luck with plants (albeit a limited selection) from Marine Warehouse.

[thumperinflorida]

Aquaticplantdepot 6414 Eureka Springs Road Tampa, Fl 33610 Phone: 813-621-4213 aquaticplantdpt@aol.com.

[ToYoTa]

Theres a store on alt 19 called Pets-Mart I think Alt19 turns into seminole blvd there. If you take gandy/park blvd to alt 19/seminole blvd turn left go south there on the left before the bridge..nice plant selections. let me know if this helps?

[Youjin]

I am going to Tampa for a business trip in early May. Any recommended stores to visit that have a good selection of tropical fish ?

[RESGuy]

Originally Posted by Youjin

I am going to Tampa for a business trip in early May. Any recommended stores to visit that have a good selection of tropical fish ?

Umm there are a few already mentioned above

[Church]

I've been doing a lot of shopping recently, here in Tampa, and I thought I should point out what I've found...

First of all, the Marine Warehouse is definitely the best, cleanest, most knowledgeable shop around that caters to the planted tank crowd. There's one guy there who is considered the "plant guy" by the rest of the staff, and I can't remember his name at the moment, but he has been extremely helpful to me (I only just set up my first planted tank about 5 weeks ago!). Also, their prices are the best I've found so far, and the fish all seem extremely healthy and well-cared-for. The only problem is it is too $&#*@$ far from my house, and gas is expensive!!!

Then I found a place right down the street from my house, that I can't remember the name of, but I gave them a shot one Sunday afternoon. They are located in the [Winn Dixie?] shopping plaza on Waters and Armenia. I asked the guy who was helping me a few questions about the plants in the tanks, and he didn't have ONE answer for me. He kept on asking the other guy, who was behind the counter, the answer to every question I posed. Yet, he had just finished telling me right before then that he was the guy who took care of the plants. When I realized he knew nothing about the plants, I passed on a purchase, although I decided I wanted a few cardinal tetras to add to my tank. So i told him I would take 6 cardinal tetras, and he stared dumbly into the tanks along the wall, like he didn't know what I was talking about. I then pointed at them, and he said "Oh, you mean neon tetras." Needless to say, I sighed, and educated him on the difference between neons and cardinals. I still ended up buying the tetras, and took them home to my quarantine tank... one died, and the other 5 now have a serious case of ich that I'm battling. Don't go to the fish store in the shopping plaza on Waters and Armenia!!!!

And finally, after that experience, I found yet another place in town, which is actually right down Waters ave from the aforementioned shop, called the Fish World. They are [quite] a bit pricier than the Marine Warehouse, but the amount of money I'm saving on gas makes up for it in most cases. So far, they have been extremely helpful and knowledgeable. I just bought a small school of harlequin rasboras from them, and they are all very colorful and healthy! Also, they have a reasonably good selection of plants, and so far the one bunch I bought, rotala walliichi, has been thriving in my high-light, low-budget tank. I definitely recommend this place as well.

In summary, the Marine Warehouse and the Fish World are the only two places [so far] that I know of in Tampa to get healthy plants and/or fish from.

Hope this helps any Tampa folk who are reading this!

[PHalas]

True enough, the Marine Wharehouse is one of the few stores in the area W/ a good selection of clean Plants, & the "Go To" guy you mentioned is probably Steve.

Besides the other stores you mentioned both on Armenia there is a store on S Dale Mabry 1/2 Mile N of Gandy that sometimes has plants.

I am not certain where you are located but there also is a Plant farm on the eastside of town.

The Pet supermarket near Gunn Hwy mall (Citrus) also has a selection of low tech / starter plants.

[Church]

^ I think I know the plant farm you're speaking of... they're over towards the Seffner area, right? I haven't been there, but I hear many people refer to them on several other planted tank forums around the 'net.

Actually, I really would like to visit them someday!

[cah925]

I have to say Fish World is my favorite and Marine Warehouse my second for fish. Marine Warehouse has a bigger selection of plants though.