Favorite SoCal shop?

[BeanMachine]

Coral Gazers is my number 1. Its a plus I live less than a mile from there. Chad has helped me out many a time. Has great deals on corals and live stock, is handy (drills, taps lights hehe) always plumbing things or testing equipment for people.

Ali at Amazing Aquarium and Reefs in Orange is also the man, nice guy, great shop, fancy schmancy corals.

Reef Raft is an incredible shop, but I'm not a big SPS guy and they didn't have any fish last time I was there, or much dry goods. Tony is a nice guy and definitely has collector pieces if your into that.

Age of Aquariums, another personal favorite, great fish stock, staff, equipment, has almost anything you will need.

I have been to other stores, its just not that often since I go to ones more local to me. But Sea Side in HB is cool, lots of fish, Coral Collection in Fountain Valley, those two guys are really cool, nice little shop, and um I've even gone to Tong's in the past as they always have a ton of inverts.

It stinks for the LFS owners but we here in So Cal have it made with all the variety and selection, its hard to shop or visit just one place.

 

[wickedfish]

I like the dry goods place in Fullerton, (google they no sponsor so f'em) cause they have about everything I could want. A lot of spare parts too. For pishies Age is solid and I've been going to an LFS in Torrance that's also not a sponsor so f'em too.

 

[d-man]

Aquasd for corals,
Vets pets for fish although not large the owner Chris takes great care of his fish

 

[Gboy66]

Wow thanks guys. Ive got a big list goin!

 

[Katjianna]

... we here in So Cal have it made with all the variety and selection, its hard to shop or visit just one place.

SO true. For all of you that have gorwn up here, you have no idea how lucky you are. I am from Ohio, then lived in AZ before moving here. I have NEVER seen so many awesome SW LFS. Simply amazing. I haven't even been to any in LA area yet, the SD ones keep me busy (and broke!) enough!

I personally like Aquatic Warehouse, its hit or miss, but i've gotten some good pieces/deal there every so often, and of course AquaSD for the rarer stuff.

 

[Surgical]

Ck fish world in azusa. Peter is very knowledgeable and prices are fair from the research i did on buying new equipment. Gave me a pretty good discount for spending so much there!!


-iain

 

[wickedfish]

I think all LFS's have their strong points and weak ones. The ones around the southbay have super expensive dry goods and mediocre Sps. Fish selection is great though for the most part.

In OC the guys have good coral and most shops have good customer service. I heard Tongs, they have pests check yo stuff. I saw crab city on their Sps last time I was there. A Lil interceptor would do those guys wonders. Trying to sell me a 100$ stag for 250$, f em

 

[evad1]

based off appearence/art of design/culture

REEFRAFT and ALIs(old store since i havent seen his new one)
are my top two...

 

[wickedfish]

That's my point they have that feel
At home and inspiring feel. What lacks is the Multi level frag selection. Tony has a Niche market so I know he won't do any dry goods and has mentioned fish are the giveaways.

Ali's is dope, also lacking dry goods VIP section. And stripper pole and hashish bar.

 

[cymaster007]

So far the nicest shops I've been in are ali's, reef raft, & sps coral store.

I wish they could all merge into one mega shop and open up by the in-n-out & bevmo down the street from me


Sent from my SPH-D700 using Tapatalk 2

 

[LilNemoReefer]

Mine are Phil Your Aquarium, formerly known as OC TROPICAL in Lake Forest, Seaside in HB and of course Tongs.

 

[watchguy123]

All of the stores mentioned are great. But no one has mentioned three that certainly deserve visits.

First is Vivid Aquarium. My favorite because it has the largest selection of sps and lps anywhere in southern california and probably the country. Or more correctly stated , colored up sps and lps. Their stuff is always bright and colorful. Their frags are not getting there, they have arrived. And a big plus, they have lots of the mother colonies to see what your frag will grow into. It's in the San Fernando valley and close to where I live.

SPS store. It is new but the owner has been around this hobby for a long time. All named,high end,limited editions. A wealth of information. And all his frags are at really inexpensive prices compared to any retailer, online or brick and mortar. And most of the mother colonies are right there to gaze at. It is the best deal anywhere and I wish they had opened before I filled my tank up and ran out of real estate.

Lastly, aquarium city. It has been around for ever and has history. Very few named pieces if any, but you might find some gems there on occasion. Lots of fish though.

 

[cymaster007]

All of the stores mentioned are great. But no one has mentioned three that certainly deserve visits.

First is Vivid Aquarium. My favorite because it has the largest selection of sps and lps anywhere in southern california and probably the country. Or more correctly stated , colored up sps and lps. Their stuff is always bright and colorful. Their frags are not getting there, they have arrived. And a big plus, they have lots of the mother colonies to see what your frag will grow into. It's in the San Fernando valley and close to where I live.

.

Vivid is good, just too far for me Ive picked a frag or 2 up every time ive stopped in there. Kinda pricey but hey, its always a acro/milli i havent seen before.

 

[fchain]

Aqua sd, they have really nice stuff..

 

[t76mach]

I really like age of aquariums, cool guys and nice selection

 

[Wankel]

I've found that the beach cities area is seriously lacking a good quality coral/fish store. Age of Aquariums is probably the closest/most popular for my area, but I have never been there so I cannot speak to the quality of selection. I wish I had the money to invest in one, because nobody around here is as nice as your Vivid/Coral Gazers/Reef Raft type stores and im pretty confident that it would do very well.

 

[Reeftard]

I like tongs in fountain valley the best

 

[MikeGilliland]

Everything I've ever gotten from tongs, be it fish or coral, has never survived. IME

 

[Mr V]

Tong is a good place to get fish, but coral, I have to say price is high!

 

[toromp]

Anything I've gotten from tongs died