Country Critters

[marrone]

Well I had sometime and though I would finally check out Country Critters, well below are my impressions of the store:

Store is very large, around the same size as Absoulty Fish, and everything was in very good shape. I didn't like the large fish being kept in small tanks or that the tanks were overflowed with fish.

What got me was the store has no prices on their corals. They just seem to make them up, this also goes for their frag tanks. Their prices are very high, and I thought New World was high, but theses guy are just to much.

What completely turned me off to the store was I asked them if I purchased 2 pieces would they give me a discount. Well they told me no as that their corals are premium so they don't do that. I then told them that the coral didn't even have a price on it and the other coral that I wanted was a frag.

As for the prices on their frag, they almost cost as much as the really coral pieces. When I was there they were getting corals in and fraging them right there and then pricing them very high.

For the trip, from Manhattan, it differently wasn't worth the trip.

Michael

 

[occb2]

I could have told you that. I drove from upstate NY and i had the same impression. I do have to say that the coral does look great for a store that only runs Power Compacts. The frags are very high priced, they go from 25 and up. I sale frags for $5 to $10. I guess they have to pay a hell of an eletric bill and rent for that big warehouse. If you want to take a road trip, go to The FISH BARN upstate. The owner is the best..and he is the cheapest around. Also all he has is salt water reef, no fresh water or other animals.

 

[Crakeur2]

that's odd. when I was there about 6 months ago (haven't had the need since but will hit it again soon) I bought a few frags and nothing was more than $15. nothing was priced but the salesman (salesboy really) checked and dished out good prices for me.

agreed that the fish tanks are a bit full tho.

 

[marrone]

I didn't see any prices on the frags but everyone that I asked for a price was $25 and over. You must have gotten a good saleboy as I want to know a price on another piece on coral, I got already got one on a piece that had 2 corals attached, and the saleboy got snippy and told me he already gave me the price.

What got me about the prices on the frags was that they were charging almost as much as what a regular piece costs. They were also fraging their own corals and also fraging corals that were comming in. Now I don't have a problem with that but don't charge such a high price and on top of it they tried to tell me that the frags were premium.

On another note I visted Beital's Exotic Aquariums in Pearl River on Sunday and it was much better than last time I went. The fish this time didn't have dieases but they're still over stock their fish tank. Their corals, mostly soft and Mushrooms, where ok you have to pick them out of rubble in the tanks and some where priced ok other a little high, as are their fish. I got a Blast Wellsi, Orange/Green rim with Purple centers about 8 heads for $35. Also it's a much shorter trip from NYC.

Michael

 

[Dave ESPI]

Prices are all depending on what is available and what divers get for shipping out.

I have seen hammer corals one week be 47.50 for XL pieces on my trans sheets, the next they are 35.00

Supply and demand my friends

FWIW, I replaced a guy at a LFS who moved downstate to work at the Country Critters as the cichlid expert. He was decent with saltwater fish, but was clueless when it came to reefs.

His name is TIM. He is B) peeps.
He doesn't work there anymore ( I think).


THE FISH BARN... that the pace in Hopewell Junction?

You are within SPITTING DISTANCE of reefsplendor.
www.reefsplendor.com

but ya have to be a transshipper and/ or be licenced to walk in there as they don't do retail.

Mark "goofert" Rupert went with me there once.....

they don't take kindly to strangers with "J-AFROS" on their head

PS: Mark is jewish and white. ( not black)

[ July 08, 2003, 01:05 AM: Message edited by: Dave ESPI ]