Hello fellow Long Island reefers, wanted to put a warning out to avoid Caribbean blue in bayshore for a multitude of reasons. Just recently two friends and I drove down to the store and purchased one fish each. All fish being of decent size/price; tangs, triggers, etc.
Within 3 days of being in the home aquariums, all developed Ich worse than I've seen, and ALL perished, we went in with pictures, receipts etc
So guess what? No money back, because "he isn't there to determine the conditions of our aquariums". Take note this is after we showed pictures of happy SPS color/growth. So to top it off, we are told that we create problems and headaches in this hobby returning fish. I won't get into numbers, but anyone who knows anything about reef tanks of a decent size, is that they are anything but cheap. My point for saying this is because I went on to tell the owner how much money I have spent in his store and how many people I have sent there originally (two years ago)...he then tells me "you've probably spent like 50$ here", word for word.
Aside from this individual story, the store has gone so downhill over the past year and a half. Fish getting sick left and right, dead fish found constantly floating in tanks in store (I've pointed out on MANY occasions), corals ALL browning, very rarely anything exclusive or colorful, same selection of corals for years, specifically the sps tanks with the uniform low contrast browning out look of everything.
Also take note I've stepped foot in this store probably over 100 times (no exaggeration) and spent well over $7,000 over the course of two tanks.. And built a good relationship with the staff members and new everyone on a first name basis as well as them knowing me. The owner takes month long trips regularly to Indonesia where all corals are corals are also flown in from. It's a pretty evident from the moment you walk in the store that the corals are not Australian or even worth a second look (most of them), and never will be for the fact that the owners wife is from Indonesia and they have a cultural tie there and won't go elsewhere.
I will say one thing, majority of the staff is helpful, but unfortunately when a store is run by an arrogant, disrespectful person like the one at Caribbean blue, it will usually only see decline in business.
I know myself and two others will never step foot in this store again and I hope anyone reading this will support other stores that are SIGNIFICANTLY better with much rarer corals and fish such as aquarium village in westbury, or tropical island in deer park. Country critters, aqua hut, magic isle, Caribbean blue ALL GARBAGE. And this is coming from somebody who lives in the middle of all four stores I just named but would rather drive 40 minutes further to avoid them.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I love nothing more than to walk into a store and feel welcomed, the way tropical island and aquarium village do, instead of getting a nasty "know it all" attitude from employees who think they're on a throne.
Take care fellow reefers!
Within 3 days of being in the home aquariums, all developed Ich worse than I've seen, and ALL perished, we went in with pictures, receipts etc
So guess what? No money back, because "he isn't there to determine the conditions of our aquariums". Take note this is after we showed pictures of happy SPS color/growth. So to top it off, we are told that we create problems and headaches in this hobby returning fish. I won't get into numbers, but anyone who knows anything about reef tanks of a decent size, is that they are anything but cheap. My point for saying this is because I went on to tell the owner how much money I have spent in his store and how many people I have sent there originally (two years ago)...he then tells me "you've probably spent like 50$ here", word for word.
Aside from this individual story, the store has gone so downhill over the past year and a half. Fish getting sick left and right, dead fish found constantly floating in tanks in store (I've pointed out on MANY occasions), corals ALL browning, very rarely anything exclusive or colorful, same selection of corals for years, specifically the sps tanks with the uniform low contrast browning out look of everything.
Also take note I've stepped foot in this store probably over 100 times (no exaggeration) and spent well over $7,000 over the course of two tanks.. And built a good relationship with the staff members and new everyone on a first name basis as well as them knowing me. The owner takes month long trips regularly to Indonesia where all corals are corals are also flown in from. It's a pretty evident from the moment you walk in the store that the corals are not Australian or even worth a second look (most of them), and never will be for the fact that the owners wife is from Indonesia and they have a cultural tie there and won't go elsewhere.
I will say one thing, majority of the staff is helpful, but unfortunately when a store is run by an arrogant, disrespectful person like the one at Caribbean blue, it will usually only see decline in business.
I know myself and two others will never step foot in this store again and I hope anyone reading this will support other stores that are SIGNIFICANTLY better with much rarer corals and fish such as aquarium village in westbury, or tropical island in deer park. Country critters, aqua hut, magic isle, Caribbean blue ALL GARBAGE. And this is coming from somebody who lives in the middle of all four stores I just named but would rather drive 40 minutes further to avoid them.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. I love nothing more than to walk into a store and feel welcomed, the way tropical island and aquarium village do, instead of getting a nasty "know it all" attitude from employees who think they're on a throne.
Take care fellow reefers!
