Southern California LFS?

tashier · 09-15-2006, 10:18 AM

Heading to So. Cal for a week. I know there are some great shops down there. Anyone know of any forums or clubs to find info on LFS? Anyone from So. Cal that can recommend LFS?

Little Luey · 09-15-2006, 10:35 AM

San Diego?

tashier · 09-15-2006, 10:48 AM

No, Fountain Valley area.

steveweast · 09-15-2006, 12:15 PM

Ahhhh.... now you're talking my specialty since I was raised in Anaheim and travel to SoCal at least every other month. My favorites are:

1) Tongs in Fountain Valley (the link below is wrong for their location, they are located at the corner of Magnolia and Warner)
2) Coral Oasis by Orange County airport
3) frag farmers in Ontario
4) Reefermadness in Torrance
5) Tropical Illusion in Thousand Oaks

Here's a link that will show you every store in the basin. It takes awhile to load since it is a giant mapquest.....wait till all the balloons appear.

http://zoyzoy.com/aquarium/aquariums...91107&Size=800

tashier · 09-15-2006, 12:29 PM

Great Steve, thanks. I plan on punching them all into the GPS and hitting as many as I can. I've been to So Cal a million times since I lived in CA 20 years but that was before I was a reefaholic.

tashier · 09-15-2006, 12:37 PM

That's a great map. Thanks

tashier · 09-15-2006, 12:43 PM

Have you been to a lot of the other stores and those listed are just your favorites?

steveweast · 09-15-2006, 04:05 PM

I've been to most of them.....but, those that I listed are the ones that I MUST visit each time....with the exception of Tropical Illusion which is just usually too far from where I'm staying in south OC. There are alot of just OK shops around that usually just carry ordinary bread and butter stuff. There really are only a few high quality shops.....but, visit as many as you can. The Jeff's Exotic chain stores aren't too bad either....just minimal sps. Reefermadness should be on your don't miss list....they are on Normandie off the 405....just south of LAX.

combiemaster · 09-15-2006, 04:23 PM

the best one i can say is www.aquaticoutlet.com they are 5 minutes from LAX and you will never get anything cheaper than here. you have to become a member its 12.50 a year but you save more than that on your first purchase. the more you buy the more you save. ive been a member for about 1 year. this is were i got all my fish and corals and tank. check out the site and tell me what you think
PS i am not the owner or work here i am just saying were you can get a good deal on fish and corals

tashier · 09-15-2006, 04:27 PM

Great info, both of you. I'll be trying to hit as many as possible. Don't know how much I can carry back on the plane though.

Edit: Actually, definately not carrying on any fish with the new liquid bans.....not that I would anyways.

tashier · 09-17-2006, 12:13 PM

Well, I made it down to Fountain Valley. I hit Tongs yesterday and all I can say is holy cow. That place is as big as a Walgreens. All their hardware and chemicals are quite expensive. 1 Bucket of IO was almost 60 bucks. Biggest store I've seen so far.

Phishnoob · 09-17-2006, 12:17 PM

Went to Tong's and nothing good to say. I got ich and it was bad.

Buy a sidearm and head up to Signal Hill (forgot the town name but it is right across the 405) and see Jeff's Exotic Fish. It is a working warehouse and they have jillions of stuff. Not really show tanks but the holding tanks have tons of fish and critters and corals.

Never seen barbed wire or a security guard at an LFS but man they had good things.

Also, while you are in Fountain Valley head over to Fry's. That store has so much computer things that it will make your head spin. See if they have a return laptop while you are there as I need one.

tashier · 09-17-2006, 12:24 PM

I'll try and hit a few more LFS while down here. Haaah, I know ALL about Fry's. I've been shopping there since the original store up in Northern Cal. I've spent a whole lotta cash at Fry's in my days. They actually do have a Fry's up in Oregon but it's about 40 minutes away. I don't make it there much anymore. Where do you live Phishnoob?

BLEEZY · 09-17-2006, 02:42 PM

my main lfs is tats tropical illusion. pricey but theyre really knowledgable and get a huge variety of unusual critters. every time i go there i see something new.

steveweast · 09-17-2006, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tashier

Well, I made it down to Fountain Valley. I hit Tongs yesterday and all I can say is holy cow. That place is as big as a Walgreens. All their hardware and chemicals are quite expensive. 1 Bucket of IO was almost 60 bucks. Biggest store I've seen so far.

That's the reason to go there.....selection to view but not necessarily to buy. They will get in critters (especially fish) that you will not find back home....like numerous gigantea carpets, conspictulatus angels, dragon eels, etc. It's not necessaily a clean store (go to tropical illusions for that) but, it is an entertaining store. The stock will vary every few days....so, visit often if you can.

Hit Reefermadness if you can. It's only maybe 30minutes North on 405 from Fv....you'll be gald you did.