Michigan Cichlid Association
Classifieds => LFS Reviews => Topic started by: Frenchie on August 22, 2011, 08:24:36 AM
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I think this store is the best in Michigan. If you need anything they will get it. :)
Dale & Chris
38131 Ann Arbor Rd
Livonia Mi 48150
734 464 3523
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Hmmm, never heard of it. :P
Yep, I'd have to second this. Hands down the best LFS I've been to. The owners go over&above what you would expect.
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I agree the best store. ;D
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Great store. I'm glad it's so far away - easier on my wallet!
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Great store. I'm glad it's so far away - easier on my wallet!
yes that's the downside of me being so close to them. I easily get my tanks out of hand & overstocked.
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Best in the state, hands down. I've sent everyone I know to them and they've always thanked me for it.
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I just wish they would get in some rare plecos :o :o :o :o :o :o :o
Lol ;D
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Hi guys, good to see you again.
Chris
Fantastic Fins
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FF is obviously an awesome store and I'm a big supporter of theirs, but I wish they would make one change. Chris needs to change his name to Chip. So then they can be Chip and Dale Fish Rangers.
(And yes I do spend to much of my life thinking about stupid crap like this - no reminders needed)
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FF is obviously an awesome store and I'm a big supporter of theirs, but I wish they would make one change. Chris needs to change his name to Chip. So then they can be Chip and Dale Fish Rangers.
(And yes I do spend to much of my life thinking about stupid crap like this - no reminders needed)
LMAO
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Probly the best store i was in down there. Im wondering did they ever get that 240gal up and running in the back like they were talkin... Just curious, if so how does it look.
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FF is obviously an awesome store and I'm a big supporter of theirs, but I wish they would make one change. Chris needs to change his name to Chip. So then they can be Chip and Dale Fish Rangers.
(And yes I do spend to much of my life thinking about stupid crap like this - no reminders needed)
Totally just figured out a better version. Chippendale Fish Dancers. 8)
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Might possibly visit that store next weekend again, I will be in the area next sunday. If not i think i will be lookin for some more fish. I really like the Venustus. Unsure of specific name, (sorry) my wife calls them Giraff fish. My point is i might be shopin down there next sunday. Also a big fan of the peacocks, and many other of the i suppose you would consider them the more common African Cichlids....Just a thought.... In case someone has some fish available..... :-\ :-\ :-\
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Nimbochromis Venustus- giraffe cichlid
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Nimbochromis Venustus- giraffe cichlid
Thanks Reagal, yes those are it. Great looking fish. I have four of them, had five and just lost one about a week ago. Im thinkin i would like to pick up some more down there.
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4 sounds like a decent amount Jim, unless you're going for a herd of giraffes. lol
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4 sounds like a decent amount Jim, unless you're going for a herd of giraffes. lol
Yeah its a decent amount, a herd of giraff's, that would have to be a very TALL tank.....LOL... i really like those fish a lot... I just can't wait till they get a little bigger. The waiting is killing me. Suppose i gotta learn to be patient...
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Probly the best store i was in down there. Im wondering did they ever get that 240gal up and running in the back like they were talkin... Just curious, if so how does it look.
Tank should be put on the stand, Tonight !!
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Great! I'll have to go see it and I'll spend more money.... gee, great........
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Had to hold off on the tank - check back next week.
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Had to hold off on the tank - check back next week.
What happen ??
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Just wasn't ready - I called to see if I was still needed & was told maybe Saturday
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They are not going to put the huge 240gal on top of the new stand that what dale told me today... :(
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Well thats not good to hear. I was hoping next time im down it would be up and running. Im sure it will be, since i don't know when i will be down again.
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I had a bad encounter with Dale yesterday. He basically insulted my intelligence on the subject of Festae vs Urophthalmus. I'm sure some of you remember when I was sold Urophthalmus as Festae out there. I've had both and though I haven't been in the fish game long, I do know the difference in the 2 species. The general rule of thumb in this hobby is people know the fish they keep. I keep 2 Festae and I had 2 Urophthalmus, the difference in the 2 is very obvious due to the eye spot and striping (the striping sometimes doesn't show itself till the fish is bigger) But the color of this fish, stripes and eye spot do not match a Festae, they match the Urophthalmus. I even pulled up a picture of a friends female Festae on my phone and set it on the counter for him to see and he wouldn't look at it and pushed the phone back at me. I took that as him being too proud to admit wrong. For those wondering, here is a site with the difference between the 2, they're the first 2 fish http://bigguapote2.tripod.com/newworld.html
BTW, enjoy the money I spent out there. It's probably the last penny I'll ever drop in that store. I hate to do that to Chris, but I will not give Dale another penny of my hard earned money. That arrogant "I'm right because I have been in the hobby a long time and spoke at a catfish convention" attitude is not the right one to take.
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Here we go again with you and the Festae. So he disagreed with you on the fish at the end of the store and now it's a big problem for you. Maybe it's for the best that you don't come back. Hate to lose a customer but on the crap pile of fish, people, water changes, orders, phone ringing, and everything else I have to take care of I really don't care if you and Dale don't agree on the fish. BTW it's a Festae.
Good Luck with everything.
Chris
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It's not a Festae. But I won't be back. I can promise I'd send my friend out there who has many Festae and he'd tell you it's a Mayan too. But go ahead and mislabel a fish as something it's not and set the hobby back a few steps.
I'd also like to recant anything nice I said about you guys. The fact that you're stubborn about this and don't want to see the fish for what it truly is and would write it off like this speaks volumes for the kind of people you are. I put you in the same category I do Joe at 101... jokes. This place WAS my favorite store until Chris and Dale exhibited the "I am better than you because I've been in the hobby for so long" attitude. I'm also done with this site as it is mostly African Cichlids and I keep CA/SA Cichlids. So long.
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Then everyone is happy. See how easy that was.
Chris
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You were fired from 101 for stealing. The reason I put cameras in my store was because I thought you were stealing. (joe called us and warned us you were stealing from us before he fired you) I'm not sorry to lose a customer that makes my whole store smell like pot every time he comes in. Dale and I learn something everyday from friends and customers. We don't know every thing there is about fish. No one does. You will be sorely missed. Good Luck with everything.
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Cameras??? Dang it. No more sneaking out those 18" Arrowana in my pants anymore. :P
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I knew it was you Jeff... lol
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Cameras??? Dang it. No more sneaking out those 18" Arrowana in my pants anymore. :P
Now that's an image to make you lol
LMAO!!!
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Great store !! And thanks for the heads up on the fish.
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Cameras??? Dang it. No more sneaking out those 18" Arrowana in my pants anymore. :P
Great, now any time I walk in there they're going to think I have an arowana down my pants. ;D
See what I did there? lol
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Damn, you guys can all get away with an 18" Arowana, i keep getting accused of trying to smuggle a "Dwarf Puffer"!!! ??? ;)
Just trying to have some fun there. Back to the regularly scheduled programming.
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I was just in the store yesterday...and the fish in question IS A FESTAE!!!
I also would put Dale and Chris's knowledge, as well as my 30+yrs of experience up against your few years in the hobby any day.
And from your posts that I have read on here and the old forum, you won't be missed in the store.
In fact, I'll go one step further and let you know not to bother ever contacting me about anything I have up for sale.
And this new forum has been entirely civil until your stubborn refusal to learn from people with more experience.
I've learned one thing in my life, is that sometimes even the most experienced people in hobbies can make mistakes. The next thing I'd like to say is I am far from stubborn in learning from those in this hobby with experience. I welcome any knowledge I can gain. With that said, from the first time I saw Festae I wanted some. After buying what I thought were Festae from FF only to later find out they were Urophthalma (Chris made that situation right and it was very much appreciated). Long story short, I've done A LOT of research on these fish because they're so commonly mistaken for Urophthalma so I knew I was getting the right fish. The fish in question looks NOTHING like these http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDYNuVEK2kQ which are definitely Festae. Here is a Urophthlama http://www.ipmimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=5371474
The other fish I've been burned twice on is H. Carpinte Escondido's. The first one from Cichlid World looked more like a Vontehillo while the one I got from FF looks like neither the one I got from CW or an Escondido. Even though the one I have is not an Escondido, I'm happy with it and that's what matters. Here is the one I got;
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/xgator313x/Fish/IMAG0039-1.jpg)
Here is an Escondido (this picture shows even at a small size the pearling is noticeably larger and more green than mine)
http://www.american.cichlids.ru/images/fishes/herichthys_carpintis_escondido_f_juv.jpg
Just because I'm "newer" to the hobby does not mean I'm stupid. As for your comment about not selling me anything, that's ok because you have nothing I want or need. So you and Dale can go on with your superiority complex and I'll go ahead and stop coming to this forum now.
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First things first, the Festae issue is over. Any more posts by you regarding this are going a little beyond civil behavior and will result in your involuntary removal from the site (ie. you'll be banned).
There are a couple of comments that I'm going to make, and then we're all going to move on.
# 1 Dale occasionally rubs people the wrong way. He'll be the first one to admit it, and we've even discussed it. That being said, there is a difference between confidence and arrogance. The guy has a lot of experience in the aquarium hobby and business and is very willing to share that knowledge.
# 2 According to you in one sentence, the guys make things right after correcting an error and the next they're arrogant and have superiority complexes. To me, this sounds like you weren't given the attention you thought you deserved, and now it's sour grapes.
# 3 While I don't know squat about festae, it would not surprise me if there are differences within the species to where each one does not look exactly the same. This could be due to collection point, selective breeding, and diet.
# 4 After a discussion with Dale, he indicated that then entirety of your attempting to notify him of the perceived mislabeling of the fish was while he was helping another customer. Perhaps if you had waited a few minutes, this entire issue could have been avoided.
Again, I do not want or expect any answers, rebuttals, etc. Time to move on.
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Best store around ......and last time i was in there the best price i have seen on true festae fry around, and best pleco selection and prices, best wild type livebearers , awesome customer service , clean organized tanks packed with hard to find species while still having the staple fish we all know and love all of this in such a tiny store....
With out a doubt my favorite LFS
Thank you , Chris and Dale for making this hobby more enjoyable
PS Marty , i believe you are correct there is variation within species , the only way to be sure is the marking at the caudal pundicle , it should be mostly above the lateral line , however i have seen offspring of ture festae pairs throw fry that grew out to have the mark actualy cross the lateral line
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Had the opportunity to go to Fins recently and meet Chris. Great guy willing to talk to a newbie in the hobby and wonderful store full of amazing fish. I can't wait to go back......
Cadman2000
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Did he sell u a festae????
LOL sorry couldnt help myself
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Great store nice people ;)
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Great store nice people ;)
I Agree !!
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Just went there for the first last week to purchase some mpimbwe, and i gotta say by far the best LFS ive been to so far. I the best was the help and patience i recieved from Chris. simply awesome.
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Took everyone's advice and visited this store today, fantastic selection, reasonably priced and just an overall great experience.
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I've had great experiences here as well. It'd definitely one of the top two fish stores I've ever been to!
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I stopped by Fantastic Fins on my way to Detroit last weekend. Small but nice. Prices are as good as others have posted. The selection was above average for what I would be looking for considering the size and he seemed very helpful. I am sure if I didnt live more than 1.5hrs away it would be one of my frequent stops. It was a quick stop so i cant give a full critique. I can say that I have bought from far worse.
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I really enjoy going to this store. Knowledgeable people and also friendly and willing to share their experiences. I happen to read through the whole thread and I must say that was an entertaining read nonethless, lol.
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Fantastic Fins was the topic of a significant number of conversations at the ACA in Indy this past weekend. All good.
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Just started in the hobby and I'm hooked. I stop in ff at least once a week and they always have awesome stuff everyone should check this place out if there ever in the area. They have been really helpful and even ordered me some fish I changed my mind and they didn't have any problem with it. The owners are great but are often very busy but even the younger kids are very helpful. 5 stars best fish store in se Michigan with out a doubt!
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Stopped in Fins last week. They had more pike cichlids that I already had in the past, didn't need them, didn't want them, didn't have room for them.
Bought two sexed pairs anyway.
ID'd as Crenicichla sveni, glad I took them home after all.
Mike
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Already left a review but i went in there today and met dale for the first time he showed me the pleco palace next door and I was litteraly speachless. I love ff!
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I have been out of the hobby for over 25 years, So I bought some tanks and equipment from a guy on Craigslist. He recommendend that I stop at FF to get me up and running. I must say I was impressed, Youll be seeing me soon. Johnny from Livonia.
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Already left a review but i went in there today and met dale for the first time he showed me the pleco palace next door and I was litteraly speachless. I love ff!
pleco palace... what? I wanna see!!
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Stopped in last week just to say hello to Chris and Dale while in the area on business. Walked out with three pair of half black yellow delta-tail guppies. I DON'T EVEN KEEP GUPPIES!!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!
Mike Z.
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I stopped in with Laif on Thursday afternoon. As always, an extensive selection of freshwater fish. I managed to get out of the store with only a piece of driftwood for my son's tank.
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I noticed what I think is the website... no longer works.
At least the one that Google lists as the website. Looks like the registration for the domain name slipped and someone took it up for sale.
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I noticed what I think is the website... no longer works.
At least the one that Google lists as the website. Looks like the registration for the domain name slipped and someone took it up for sale.
better off finding them on Facebook or GLA
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Just wondering, this is one of the few places that I have not been to yet! Is it worth driving out there from Romeo ?
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Just wondering, this is one of the few places that I have not been to yet! Is it worth driving out there from Romeo ?
Heck yeah if u like rare fish. And make sure to ask to see the breeding room.
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i really need to stop in.never been there.
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Great store would have to think hard about a complaint...... to much fish stuff in the bathroom? Love that store!( I know last time I was there they said they were expanding have to go by and see it again soon
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Was able to stop in during a little road trip on Saturday right when they opened.
I WISH this store was closer to me. But, maybe it wouldn't be so good for the bank account.
Loved the store. On the smaller side, but sure made use of the space. As others have said, they are moving all the breeding to the store next door. This will make some more room.
All kinds of unusual/rare fish. Loved it.
It was probably a good thing that I still had a full day of driving ahead of me or I would have bought something.
All kinds of cool plecos.
If you are able to swing by, definitely recommend it.
Owners (I only met one of the) who really do like their job.
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Every time I go in I end up leaving with something I wasn't expecting to see, let alone buy. Today it was neolamprologus brevis "kitumba orange belly". I was able to grab a pair.
Anyway, they have great stock and are more worried about getting you something you are happy with, rather than selling you the most fish possible. If you haven't checked them out you should soon.
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I've been reading the reviews of LFS's and this sure sounds like a great store. It sounds like it's time for a road trip.
Sorry for a newbie question, but is it the general consensus this is the best store around?
Thanks and all the best !!! ;D
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Sorry for a newbie question, but is it the general consensus this is the best store around?
IMO Yes
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It's worth the trip, especially for freshwater.
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It's worth the trip, especially for freshwater.
I hadn't previously, due to no interest, but the last two times I checked out their saltwater and though small they have a decent selection of SW fish plus some corals/anemones/inverts for what I felt were fair prices. Especially since their emphasis is more on the oddball/pleco/unique FW fish it seems.
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stop in the other day bought some fish very nice store will be going again
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My mother and I are taking a trip here next week! I'm excited to check it out!
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Single best Location in the Metro Detroit area. Dale and Chris I have to view almost as Brothers. Always a great selection and always a great experience to go there.
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didn't read the whole thread, but anyone know what time they open on Mondays? they don't have an answering machine
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didn't read the whole thread, but anyone know what time they open on Mondays? they don't have an answering machine
Generally 12PM - 8PM most days.
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didn't read the whole thread, but anyone know what time they open on Mondays? they don't have an answering machine
Generally 12PM - 8PM most days.
12-8 Mon -Sat. & 12:15- 6 on Sunday
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Met severum keeper up at fins today to make a trade. And as always I peaked around and I must say fins' stock is incredibly impressive this time of year. Tons of discus in stock atleast 4 fish breeding in tank lots of large African breeders for very modest prices. African tiger fish a few large flower horns, a incredible school of red hooks, stingrays, azul peacock bass incredibly rare, and a ton more. An of course there always fine selection of fancy plecos and large angel fish. Thi time of year I'll be in thre atleast once a week.
I highly recommend stoping in for there holiday season the stock constantly changing and some stuff I haven't seen since last year.
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Have they finished the expansion ? I was in there maybe 4/5 months ago and someone told me they were expanding the store...I haven't been back since ... I really need to swing by again....
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That side isnt open to the public, they use it to breed and is not set up as a retail store. If there slow and ask nicley they may take you over there though.
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Stopped in today,first time. Called at 11:45ish internet said they did not open until 12noon. I was in desperate need of a new filter,old one gave up the ghost. Picked up a fx6 and a double bright led light for my 150 gallon and of course did some fish shopping! Took home a trio of red top aristochromis,nicely colored male,a nice eureka red peacock and a beautiful pair of nimbochromis venustus.
Could not be happier,great store and decent prices!
Hopefully if the weather cooperates,the next shipment will include a pair of wild caught usisya flavescent peacock to add to the collection. Dale showed me some of his prize collection and took some time to pass on some always needed knowledge! Overall a awesome,awesome time.
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I and another hobbyist made a trip to Fantastic Fins and I was impressed with the store. Nice selection of fishes, great people working in the store. Dale's passion is contagious. Great breeding room next door. High humidity in the store, but what should one expect amongst gallons of water. :) No complaints from me. Better than any of the LFS we have in Windsor, Ontario.
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So yesterday my fellow fish breeder friend (aquaponicsJim) and I went to Fantastic Fins in Livonia for the first time. I heard a lot about the place but was excited to actually go...and wow! What a seriously awesome fish store not too far from home!
First off, they any and all varieties of African Ciclids which was HUGE for me...and the fact that they were all from local breeders, farms, and top notch fishkeepers really showed in how healthy many of the cichlids are!
Second, the staff were very helpful! I met Ryan and one of the owners. They sure knew their facts and answered all our questions...even 10 minutes to closing time when they obviously were trying to clean up! Nice guys.
They provided lots of information to us and I have to say that we will both definitely be back there to buy some quality fish.
I highly recommend this place. Favorite fish store in Michigan by far.
Zach
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Great review of the place. Spot on!
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I was starting this post off as just a friendly recommendation and then this happened. Lol!
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Good to hear you guys really enjoyed the trip. I've always enjoyed my trips there as well. They are also a supporter of the MCA, which is great.
FWIW, for anyone looking for FF reviews, here is the main review thread http://michigancichlid.com/simplemachinesforum/index.php?topic=10.0
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I went to the store today. It was funny. I used to live just down the street!
It's funny how you can drive by a place for years and never notice. Then you start a new hobby and you recall seeing it but not paying attention to it. My wife loved the temperature in the store because she's always cold. Next winter she'll be wanting to go there and look around. :)
We got there a few minutes after opening. I was surprised how busy it was. There was a steady stream of people buying fish. Not just looking; but also buying.
Before we went in I told my wife "we're just looking first" I wanted to see all the varieties and tanks before making my purchase. I knew what I wanted, but knew that if we zeroed in first I'd end up rushing through.
We went to get rotkeils, but after seeing the blue Jack Dempsey's I almost changed my mind. :) I guess that's the danger of "looking around" first.
We had a lot of questions and they answered them all. They also recommended food and gave some tips on how to store the extra properly. I have read a lot of reviews and even a You Tube video about the store. I'd have to agree with everyone based on my experience. It's a nice locally owned store with service that hard to find from the "big box" locations.
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Heading to fantastic fins today. Does anyone know any fish stores near by?
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Heading to fantastic fins today. Does anyone know any fish stores near by?
Pet Connection in Livonia
Fish Doctor in Canton
Something Fishy in westland
Cichlid World in Garden City
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Since I set up my tank a month ago I've hit about 20 stores in Metro Detroit, this was, by a good margin, the best out there.
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I'm always amazed for what appears from the outside to be a small store, just how much they have available in there! Dale and his staff are great to deal with. I spent about an hour looking through everything and then ended up finding some plants, a few tetras, and a spiny monster that I couldn't leave without! It's always a pleasure to stop by there when the opportunity arises.
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This is what I look for in a fish store. Knowledgeable staff, cramped, wall to wall ceiling to floor fish tanks and filled with oddballs and rarities. This is not a display store with spectacular setups and lots of tanks labeled "NFS". But that is also reflected in the prices, which is a tradeoff I'll take anyday. Especially when the fish that are actually for sale are so amazing. By far my favorite fish store for cichlids and Plecos. The owner breeds many of the plecos in the store and the prices can't be matched, nor can the selection. They also tend to have a good selection of monsterfish/predators as they always seem to have several varieties of peacock bass, sting rays, puffer fish, vampire tetras, ect. When I went in there last weekend they had a full tank with 4-5 different species of Birchir and another tank of wolfish (maybe a dozen?). This is a true fish hobbyist store and it shows.