My personal favorite is All-Reef, just North of Hudson. (
www.all-reef.com) Peggy (who runs it) is moving to a new location in Stillwater, though, so she won't be open again until mid-May or possibly later. But, her customer service and livestock are top-notch. For me, it's a nice road trip over for an afternoon, and I'm more than willing to go out of my way to buy livestock from her. I have 100% confidence in her ability to give me the healthiest possible livestock. More than anything, though, she's one of the nicest people in the business and she's got an encyclopedia of fish knowledge in her brain.
Now, as far as Tropic Waters in
Eau Claire, don't get me started... It disgusts me the way Jim and his staff "take care of" (or not...) the livestock. Let's just put it that way. I demand quality for the amount of money I put into my hobby, and that is certainly the last place I'd ever shop in Eau Claire, as far as LFS's go. It takes a lot of time and hard work to run a really good LFS, and few places seem to really commit to it. Give Peggy a chance (you can e-mail her at
peggyn@all-reef.com), and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.
-Joe
p.s. I don't work for Peggy or get any kickbacks or anything like that; I just think she's one of the best in the business. The more people I send her way, the bigger she can grow her business, and the more livestock she can bring in from me (and others...) to choose from. Most importantly, though, more people will see what's it's like to shop at a fantastic LFS. Enough said. Just give her a try when she opens back up in her new location.
