Local Pet shop closed?

[FischAutoTechGarten]

I live about 1/2 hour away from the Tucson AZ Metro area. At the end of December, we lost our very best store, Arizona Nature Aquatics (they moved to the Appalachians in Tennessee, acquired some property to build something aquaponics/aquaculture/hydroponics related, havee a podcast, etc..) Arizona Nature Aquatics was a high quality store like Aquarium Zen in Seattle. The owners Ben and March say the decision to close was 10+ years living the retail hours lifestyle.... all weekends..., and not related to Covid.

The existing 5 independantly run stores have rather dirty tanks, poor selection, bad layouts, etc...

However, if you like herptiles, there is a store called Ever Evolving Exoctics that is immaculate, well stocked, with super engaged ownership and staff!

Oddly enough, there is a cute little pet store in ShowLow Arizona that is very clean and has a decent selection for being way up in the mountains. But that's hours and hours away.

I ventured across the border a few months back into Nogales, Sonora, Mexico and found a tiny little independent fish store. Clean, but not much selection.... He had just finished installing nice ceramic tile in the store the day before. I purchased food, an iron supplement and 6 red eye tetras. The Tetras went into my quarantine tank for 10 days before going into my community tanks.

My best bet is to make some pilgrimidges over to Phoenix, I guess there are two very nice independents over there.

Interesting statements about stores booming during Covid. I'm not surprised. I've spent WAY more money this year than others... and COVID was a factor in me staying put in Southern Arizona and building my mini fishroom...

[Willie]

It’s sad being in the largest city in the U.S.A and I can’t find a decent fish store. You’d think with all these people there’d be a great market...

A long, long, long time ago, a junior high kid with a 20-gal planted tank rode the subway for an hour and a half from Queens into Brooklyn. After walking 7 - 8 blocks, I found a fish store that advertised brown discus and spent my life savings at that store. This was back in the late 60's and I found out recently that these were likely the first discus shipment to be exported from Singapore. They probably lasted 4 months in my tank.

I also used to walk 45 minutes from my apartment building to the nearest LFS, Ed's Aquarium, where silver angels were 39 cents and the new black ones were 79 cents. LOL!

[Vinni Smith]

A long, long, long time ago, a junior high kid with a 20-gal planted tank rode the subway for an hour and a half from Queens into Brooklyn. After walking 7 - 8 blocks, I found a fish store that advertised brown discus and spent my life savings at that store. This was back in the late 60's and I found out recently that these were likely the first discus shipment to be exported from Singapore. They probably lasted 4 months in my tank.

I also used to walk 45 minutes from my apartment building to the nearest LFS, Ed's Aquarium, where silver angels were 39 cents and the new black ones were 79 cents. LOL!

I bet you are now going to tell us it was in the snow and uphill, both ways ~!

[Willie]

I bet you are now going to tell us it was in the snow and uphill, both ways ~!

No Google app. I had to use a map! LOL.

[Iminit]

No google app!! There weren’t ever cell phones! Your even going back to the rotary phone!!lol. These are the days before cable!! Dinosaurs roamed the earth! Gilligans island was a new show!! . Where in Queens were you Willie?

[Willie]

Cartoons were in black and white, LOL! My favorite was Astro Boy and Rocky and Bullwinkle. In fact, I started a local interest group in Minneapolis called Frostbite Falls Discus Club here. We had people like Bing Seto, Hans and John Nicholson speak.

Back then, I lived in (what was then brand new) Lefrak City. You probably drive pass it on the Long Island Expressway.

[Iminit]

Grew up in Maspeth my doctor was in Lefrak city. Coral aquarium on rosevelt ave and paradise on fresh pond rd were where I went and the Bohacks five&dime in wood side.

[LizStreithorst]

Gosh, I remember when you could walk into any Woolworths and buy fish. Walmart offered fish for a while but those days are long gone.

[CliffsDiscus]

A long, long, long time ago, a junior high kid with a 20-gal planted tank rode the subway for an hour and a half from Queens into Brooklyn. After walking 7 - 8 blocks, I found a fish store that advertised brown discus and spent my life savings at that store. This was back in the late 60's and I found out recently that these were likely the first discus shipment to be exported from Singapore. They probably lasted 4 months in my tank.

I also used to walk 45 minutes from my apartment building to the nearest LFS, Ed's Aquarium, where silver angels were 39 cents and the new black ones were 79 cents. LOL!

Willie,
Your giving away your age. Back in the early 60s I bought adult wild Discus for ten dollars that was consider high. Fairly Lake Discus didn't open till
around mid 60s, Jack Wattley didn't come out with the turquoise yet.

Cliff

[Trapdoor Snail Enthusiast]

i like dean from aquarium co-op's old timey stories about raising guppies in a toilet

[FischAutoTechGarten]

Fairly Lake Discus didn't open till
around mid 60s.

ahhh, the Palace... I went to see Henry Chan for the first time in San Fran in 2001 (or was it 2003?)... He was already an older man by that point... Brought back a mess of Rams in a cooler on the flight back to my home in Upstate NY.

[Willie]

I'm going to stop now before these young whippersnappers laugh out loud.

[Vinni Smith]

I'm going to stop now before these young whippersnappers laugh out loud.

I'm right with ya bro. If you notice, I stopped a long time ago. ; ^ )

I remember watching Ozzie & Harriet. Ricky Nelson used to sing on that show. He was their son.
Also The Flintstones was a prime time show on Friday eve at 7:00PM
How about watching the episode of The Fugitive when he caught up with the one armed man on that water tower?

[gunnerschh2]

Grew up in Maspeth my doctor was in Lefrak city. Coral aquarium on rosevelt ave and paradise on fresh pond rd were where I went and the Bohacks five&dime in wood side.

Tom is Ed's aqua still in Farmingdale about a mile or two west of town. Did you ever get to Billy Bs. great seclection.

[Willie]

...How about watching the episode of The Fugitive when he caught up with the one armed man on that water tower?

David Janssen never looked happy - I always thought he had issues besides being a fugitive.