Best Fish Stores in Asheville, Hickory, Charlotte?

AppalachianFeet · 12-05-2011, 01:23 AM

I live in Greenville, SC and am hoping to find some great quality fish stores within a 2 hour drive of me. Any stores in Asheville (1 hour away) Hickory (2 hours away), or Charlotte (2 hours away)?

I'd be willing to drive as far as Raleigh (4 hours away) if the store was incredible.

**Wingsdlc** · 12-05-2011, 10:15 PM

Here are a couple you should look into.

Charlotte - Very big store, prices are a bit high, plants normally are not great.
Fintastic

Hickory - Not a huge store but lots of really neat stuff you wont find anywhere else. Plants are ok also.
The Fish Warehouse

Galvatron898 · 03-06-2012, 02:30 AM

Fintastic is very big and the staff is pretty friendly, lot's of fish but as wingsdlc said prices are up there. Not sure if Gastonia is not on you travel route but there is a smaller place called http://www.wetpetsgas.com/ Nice collection of fish, good prices but the staff ok. we have gotten most of our fish and supplies from WetPets.

jtfromcharlotte · 09-24-2012, 11:39 AM

I wouldn't recommend Fintastic. I, along with other people I know, have had nearly 0% success in keeping ANYTHING from Fintastic alive. On the other hand, I rarely lose anything from Petsmart.

Stormtracker · 09-24-2012, 01:36 PM

I too have not been impressed with Fintastic lately. I went this past weekend looking for angelfish to finish stocking my tank and every single one was covered in ich. If you are a fan of Cory's they do have a few species that I have not been able to find anywhere. I like that hickory store too but it is small and wouldn't drive more than an hour to get there. Call ahead if you are looking for something specific.

SaltyNC · 09-28-2012, 03:38 AM

Fintastic is about 1/2 mile from my office, so I stop by quite a bit. They are constantly getting in new (sometimes rare) fish and some are sold out quickly. I haven't bought any fish from them, but do have snails and shrimp from them that are doing fine. That's disappointing to hear about the angel fish. It's a nice fish store, but a little on the high side.

**ngrubich** · 11-13-2012, 11:09 PM

Update on plants from Fintastic:
they got rid of Alex (plant guy that was also really good with cichlids) for whatever reason, so now a younger guy is handling the planted area of the store. He's definitely got it looking a lot better than what I was used to seeing, though.
There are still quite a few "typical" plants there, but he's been bringing in some cool new (and healthier-looking) plants.

With that being said, their prices are still a little on the steep side, in my opinion. But at least they got rid of those Red tinfoil barb-looking fish and cichlids that were at the end of the plant aisle. That whole bowfront tank was infested with something awful, like red spot disease or some other ulcers (those fish looked bad when I first saw them and then terrible like 3 weeks later).

csf · 12-20-2012, 02:07 PM

I've had decent luck from them, but they aren't convenient to me anymore (moved from Dilworth / Southend out to Arysly), so I don't drop by often.

They have the best plants around that I've seen (which is decent), but that doesn't say much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtfromcharlotte

I wouldn't recommend Fintastic. I, along with other people I know, have had nearly 0% success in keeping ANYTHING from Fintastic alive. On the other hand, I rarely lose anything from Petsmart.

Sluuuder · 02-01-2013, 04:36 PM

I bought all of the plants in my 10 g from contrastive and they are flourishing. I did pay an arm and a leg for them tho lol. If your close to app (WCU all day!) in sylva NC is where I sell all of my plants and snails too. It's called fish and stuff I believe pretty neat store guy breeds the most amazing guppies I've ever seen an I keep him stocked with all if his plants and snails so you can check his place out too. Guess you live near Charlotte and go to app?

GlennR · 04-08-2013, 11:52 AM

I'm just getting back into keeping an aquarium, but years ago there was an impressive shop in downtown Mooresville. I can't recall the name, but does anybody know if it's still open?

I live in the mtns, near Boone now. Just set up a 29, and hoping to have a 90 or 120 with Discus next Fall.

rasyfan81 · 05-07-2013, 04:22 PM

Since you mentioned the Raleigh area, there is a beautiful store called the fish room in Cary. There is also a location in Raleigh as well but I haven't been there yet.

12-05-2011, 01:23 AM	#1
AppalachianFeet Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 8	Best Fish Stores in Asheville, Hickory, Charlotte? I live in Greenville, SC and am hoping to find some great quality fish stores within a 2 hour drive of me. Any stores in Asheville (1 hour away) Hickory (2 hours away), or Charlotte (2 hours away)? I'd be willing to drive as far as Raleigh (4 hours away) if the store was incredible. __________________ 90 standard (running since 2000): Moved tank 12/4/2011 & starting anew with plants, bristlenose pleco trio 46 bow-front (running since 2002): Hospital tank w/1 decade-old, indestructible horse-faced loach named "Seabiscuit." http://www.appalachianfeet.com/

12-05-2011, 10:15 PM	#2
Wingsdlc Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (65/100%) Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Lincolnton, NC Posts: 1,297	Here are a couple you should look into. Charlotte - Very big store, prices are a bit high, plants normally are not great. Fintastic Hickory - Not a huge store but lots of really neat stuff you wont find anywhere else. Plants are ok also. The Fish Warehouse __________________ 40 Gallon Long Taken down Aug. 2007 5.65WPG, EI dosing 55 Gallon Set up Aug. 2007 4WPG, EI dosing Container Pond April 2008 75 Gallon Set up Dec. 31 2010 40 Gallon Breeder Set up Dec. 29 2012

09-28-2012, 03:38 AM	#6
SaltyNC Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Near Lake Wylie NC Posts: 283	Fintastic is about 1/2 mile from my office, so I stop by quite a bit. They are constantly getting in new (sometimes rare) fish and some are sold out quickly. I haven't bought any fish from them, but do have snails and shrimp from them that are doing fine. That's disappointing to hear about the angel fish. It's a nice fish store, but a little on the high side. __________________ Salty First Planted Iwagumi Petco 6.6 Gallon Bookshelf

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03-06-2012, 02:30 AM	#3
Galvatron898 Newbie (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Gastonia, NC Posts: 4	Fintastic is very big and the staff is pretty friendly, lot's of fish but as wingsdlc said prices are up there. Not sure if Gastonia is not on you travel route but there is a smaller place called http://www.wetpetsgas.com/ Nice collection of fish, good prices but the staff ok. we have gotten most of our fish and supplies from WetPets.

09-24-2012, 11:39 AM	#4
jtfromcharlotte Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: United States Posts: 22	I wouldn't recommend Fintastic. I, along with other people I know, have had nearly 0% success in keeping ANYTHING from Fintastic alive. On the other hand, I rarely lose anything from Petsmart.

09-24-2012, 01:36 PM	#5
Stormtracker Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: North Carolina Posts: 10	I too have not been impressed with Fintastic lately. I went this past weekend looking for angelfish to finish stocking my tank and every single one was covered in ich. If you are a fan of Cory's they do have a few species that I have not been able to find anywhere. I like that hickory store too but it is small and wouldn't drive more than an hour to get there. Call ahead if you are looking for something specific.

11-13-2012, 11:09 PM	#7
ngrubich Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (20/100%) Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 475	Update on plants from Fintastic: they got rid of Alex (plant guy that was also really good with cichlids) for whatever reason, so now a younger guy is handling the planted area of the store. He's definitely got it looking a lot better than what I was used to seeing, though. There are still quite a few "typical" plants there, but he's been bringing in some cool new (and healthier-looking) plants. With that being said, their prices are still a little on the steep side, in my opinion. But at least they got rid of those Red tinfoil barb-looking fish and cichlids that were at the end of the plant aisle. That whole bowfront tank was infested with something awful, like red spot disease or some other ulcers (those fish looked bad when I first saw them and then terrible like 3 weeks later).

02-01-2013, 04:36 PM	#9
Sluuuder Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (3/100%) Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Lexington,NC Posts: 87	I bought all of the plants in my 10 g from contrastive and they are flourishing. I did pay an arm and a leg for them tho lol. If your close to app (WCU all day!) in sylva NC is where I sell all of my plants and snails too. It's called fish and stuff I believe pretty neat store guy breeds the most amazing guppies I've ever seen an I keep him stocked with all if his plants and snails so you can check his place out too. Guess you live near Charlotte and go to app?

04-08-2013, 11:52 AM	#10
GlennR Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Boone, NC Posts: 18	I'm just getting back into keeping an aquarium, but years ago there was an impressive shop in downtown Mooresville. I can't recall the name, but does anybody know if it's still open? I live in the mtns, near Boone now. Just set up a 29, and hoping to have a 90 or 120 with Discus next Fall.

05-07-2013, 04:22 PM	#11
rasyfan81 Newbie (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: May 2013 Location: Boone, North Carolina Posts: 1	Since you mentioned the Raleigh area, there is a beautiful store called the fish room in Cary. There is also a location in Raleigh as well but I haven't been there yet.