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LFS near Richmond?

4K views 16 replies 11 participants last post by  jpalimpsest 
#1 ·
I've kinda been out of the loop for a while. I'm restocking now and made visits to the stores I know of but wasn't impressed, especially with the plant selections. Where is the best place to go near Richmond? What about Lynchburg?
 
#4 · (Edited)
well i will tell you that i would check this place in the middle of Richmond called Skoolz of fish, it is just a one man operation but dude does awesome work, gets rare and wild fish, and you can custom order from him. Like this weekend he is getting all sorts of fish from Peru. Plants are hit and miss but everything else is great! Fin and Feather on Lakeside seems to be the best place to get plants. Also the local forum in my signature is a great place to find plants fish and everything in between. Er..and Azeula Aquariums is alright but i just use them for window shopping for fish and then tell Skoolz what I want, but they seem to have a decent plant selection..but caution with their fish as they use salt to suppress diseases so quarantine them and you should be fine. But thats all my personal opinion.
 
#8 ·
ya I would still recommend Skoolz of Fish. They usually have plants and a lot of different fish, and the owner there will work with you to get what you need. Also, I got some plants if you ever want some local stuff that is not common, least around here.
 
#10 ·
Hmm, I had posted here but it's gone.

Azalea Aquariums is also good. It's out by RIR but it's worth the drive. They have a great stock and will order anything for you for free. The staff has worked there for years so they're very knowledgable. They know their cichlids and carry a lot. I haven't been here in awhile since it's now on the other side of town for me but I highly recommend them.

-Lisa
 
#11 ·
ya azela isn't bad, I am just sorta on the wire with them. But there stock is unmatched anywhere around here. I like to window shop there ha..as with any new fish plz make sure you Quarantine. Also even though I work there I was very surprised at some of the stock Richmond Aquarium has! Good luck!
 
#12 ·
I agree with sketch. They've got a nice stock, but the guys that run the place are jerks and just abhorrent to deal with. For freshwater I do SkoolzofFish and Fin and Feather mostly. The Ashland F&F guy is really nice and while he can't special order anything, he'll show you a list of just about everything he can get and will give you a ring when he gets them in if you want.

For saltwater I gotta give a nod to Joe at Fish World. The dude's awesome. He will walk you through ANYTHING and EVERYTHING and actually treat you with patience and respect if you're new to the hobby.
 
#13 ·
frustrated -- LFS Richmond, VA

I'm returning to the hobby after several years away. I was previously in Indianapolis, IN, where I frequented a really wonderful fish store. Now I'm trying to find something in the Richmond, VA area. So far, I'm really disappointed with my options.

I've only been in Azalea Aquariums twice, but both experiences have been poor. The owner is extremely rude. Today I was talking to an employee about a used tank. He was in the process of building a stand for it. The owner walked up and told him not to help customers, that he was only to work on the stand. Then he just walked away without offering to answer the questions I had been asking the employee. :confused1:

Also, when I approached the owner about possibly buying some rocks from one of his established tanks to use as seed material for starting a new tank, he started in about Smart Start Complete -- "Just add it to the tank and throw your fish in a couple of days later." I tried to explain that I wanted to do a fishless cycle with the boost of some seed material. He completely dismissed me and went as far as to say, "There is no such thing as a fishless cycle." :icon_eek: He then marched me over to another employee and demanded that that employee tell me how they "dumped" several hundred dollars worth of discus in a tank with some Smart Start Complete and didn't lose a single fish.

I understand that he has been in the business for years and maybe he's had great luck with Smart Start Complete, but I did not appreciate being completely dismissed after voicing a preference for fishless cycling. I also don't appreciate anyone who uses verbs like "throwing" and "dumping" when talking about introducing fish to a new tank. :mad:

Although the staff at Fin and Feather was polite, they didn't seem particularly knowledgeable. The guy that tried to help me had never heard of the Julidochromis genus :icon_roll


I will definitely check out Skoolz of Fish. It appears to be my last hope *fingers crossed*
 
#14 ·
I'm returning to the hobby after several years away. I was previously in Indianapolis, IN, where I frequented a really wonderful fish store. Now I'm trying to find something in the Richmond, VA area. So far, I'm really disappointed with my options.

I've only been in Azalea Aquariums twice, but both experiences have been poor. The owner is extremely rude. Today I was talking to an employee about a used tank. He was in the process of building a stand for it. The owner walked up and told him not to help customers, that he was only to work on the stand. Then he just walked away without offering to answer the questions I had been asking the employee. :confused1:

Also, when I approached the owner about possibly buying some rocks from one of his established tanks to use as seed material for starting a new tank, he started in about Smart Start Complete -- "Just add it to the tank and throw your fish in a couple of days later." I tried to explain that I wanted to do a fishless cycle with the boost of some seed material. He completely dismissed me and went as far as to say, "There is no such thing as a fishless cycle." :icon_eek: He then marched me over to another employee and demanded that that employee tell me how they "dumped" several hundred dollars worth of discus in a tank with some Smart Start Complete and didn't lose a single fish.

I understand that he has been in the business for years and maybe he's had great luck with Smart Start Complete, but I did not appreciate being completely dismissed after voicing a preference for fishless cycling. I also don't appreciate anyone who uses verbs like "throwing" and "dumping" when talking about introducing fish to a new tank. :mad:

Although the staff at Fin and Feather was polite, they didn't seem particularly knowledgeable. The guy that tried to help me had never heard of the Julidochromis genus :icon_roll


I will definitely check out Skoolz of Fish. It appears to be my last hope *fingers crossed*
Skoolz of fish is pretty nice! Rama, the owner is super cordial. It is really more of a fish only store....very little plants...some decor...he has amazing Arowana and nice discus. I'm ordering some rcs through him shortly. Finding it is another dilemma. You enter on the side of a building trough a sliding metal door.
 
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