Mobile Bay Reef Keepers

I do not want this to become a rant and progress any further. I have stated my opinion and others have stated theirs.

I will end my involvement in this conversation.

I do appreciate you allowing me to post my opinion.

jagal

Brandon wrote:On another not, Reefer21, what is debbie's tropical like? I work not too far from pace, but have never heard of that place.

Debbie's Tropical is right across from the walmart supercenter in pace. It is in the same shopping center oppsite of Office Depot. So far the place is pretty nice, they carry saltwater & freshwater fish. They carry inverts, and corals too, but they last time i checked they didn't have any corals. They also carry some reptiles and hampsters. I just recently talked to the owner and they are hurting becasue of the airport not getting any live shipments in. The main cargo/shippment building at the airport in in pensacola was damaged by hurricane dennis and the insurance company was not willing to pay to replace the roof. They are just now starting to try and get another company to do the work becasue the other company that was going to do it moved on to another job (they couldn't wait for the airport to get the money).

reefer21 wrote:

Brandon wrote:On another not, Reefer21, what is debbie's tropical like? I work not too far from pace, but have never heard of that place.

Debbie's Tropical is right across from the walmart supercenter in pace. It is in the same shopping center oppsite of Office Depot. So far the place is pretty nice, they carry saltwater & freshwater fish. They carry inverts, and corals too, but they last time i checked they didn't have any corals. They also carry some reptiles and hampsters. I just recently talked to the owner and they are hurting becasue of the airport not getting any live shipments in. The main cargo/shippment building at the airport in in pensacola was damaged by hurricane dennis and the insurance company was not willing to pay to replace the roof. They are just now starting to try and get another company to do the work becasue the other company that was going to do it moved on to another job (they couldn't wait for the airport to get the money).

I just don't understand this... I have heard another shop around town complain about not being able to get shipments. I think they finally are but for a long time after Ivan they said they couldn't, while all the other stores around town were getting things in. If you are in the business of selling live fish and you don't have any then there is a problem. If my supplier couldn't get me what I needed I would go somewhere else.

For one of the smaller shops to say they cannot get fish is a joke. They just are not on top of their game.

All they have to do is contact the guy at frieght at the airport and they can have it shipped in. Plus, Seagrest makes deliveries by truck into the area. If it is your lifeblood, you would drive to Mobile to get the shipment.

A store like WaterWorld on the other hand is a problem because they get 30 boxes not six.

I would have to say it's a problem in our area because it was not just Debbies Tropical that said it was Waterworld as well. They also said something along the lines of they weren’t able to get a hold of their supplier. Ahhhh, I'm getting sick of the excuses.......

reefer21 wrote:I would have to say it's a problem in our area because it was not just Debbies Tropical that said it was Waterworld as well. They also said something along the lines of they weren’t able to get a hold of their supplier. Ahhhh, I'm getting sick of the excuses.......

ReefScapes said it also and all the while Aquaria and Aquaworks had been getting stuff in. If they are still saying that til this day they have problems because Phil and I have asked Dave to special order for us several times in the last year and the only time I have had problems was when it was a limited item.

I don't know what all of the airport issues are about but I'm wondering if some folks got the wrong impression or the wrong info. The stores in P'cola & beyond can get in freight just fine. Sure the cargo building being gone is a hassle to some, but it does not impede freight at all. I pick up our stuff in P'cola, and often meet & greet with the other store owners picking up their shipments. As for airport shipping, if your LFS is working with a good reputable supplier, these suppliers already have accounts set up with many of the major airlines flying into their area. Not being able to get orders at all makes no sense whatsoever. The only time some of us truly don't get some orders in is when shipments are bumped, lost, or just mishandled while in transit.

As for not being able to get fish in, it's 1. a supplier issue (small availability), and 2. a store issue. This is why I deal with several suppliers, so I get what I want when I want it (with the exception of a very small amount of special items during certain seasons).

As for Seagrest, I don't like them at all & wouldn't touch the company with a 10ft. pole. (Just my personal opinion from experience).

Cya

Pensacola's airfreight office was closed after Ivan supposedly and they are not opening it again until they build a new building. The people getting shipments in are generally driving to another airport or paying shipping from the airports.

I for the most part only go to Aqua Works anymore. Once in a while I will go to Aquaria or Water World. Every time I have gone into Debs tropicals they seem to have good deals on tanks and stands, but the live stock makes me want to mercy buy.

Pensacola's airfreight office was closed after Ivan supposedly and they are not opening it again until they build a new building. The people getting shipments in are generally driving to another airport or paying shipping from the airports.

You don't need a freight office to pick up shipments and FYI, Water World, Aqua Works, and many of the other stores I see on a weekly basis are picking up orders IN Pensacola. Freight is done through each airline, whether they have a central place to store your packages when you get there. Pensacola just does it through the same are as your luggage is handled now.

Medikall is your email working properly I am getting a lot of messages saying your mail is not deliverable.

Now if we could just get Waterworld to lower there prices a bit.

GL there.

Casey,

If you have a specific fish or other item you wish to order, there are plenty of folks who will accomodate you at a lower price.

Let me know if there is something you are interested in and I will hook you up.

By the way casey, you were at one time looking for acros. Dave at Aquaria got about eight hot acros in yesterday and they are all still there. I had identical acros already in my tank, so I was going to let others pick through them. I would suggest you hurry though.

Ok will do be there tomorrow thanks,I am looking for a scribbled rabbitfish if you can help.

Redfish wrote:Casey,

If you have a specific fish or other item you wish to order, there are plenty of folks who will accomodate you at a lower price.

Let me know if there is something you are interested in and I will hook you up.

By the way casey, you were at one time looking for acros. Dave at Aquaria got about eight hot acros in yesterday and they are all still there. I had identical acros already in my tank, so I was going to let others pick through them. I would suggest you hurry though.

Speaking of fish we got in.... That Tomini tang I got just disappeared in the last two days. I have no clue what happened. He was doing so well. That Angel also has some kind of fungus or something on its fins.