Do you guys mind the big store price tag?

[Opus]

all the petcos near me have closed their saltwater. I did visit one 30 mins away and it was very well run. Great prices too

Was that the Allen location? They are supposed to have the largest saltwater in the DFW area. From what I've gathered from talking to employees, they have to actually have someone there that knows what they are doing before they will really let them have the nice stuff. Unfortunately finding someone is near impossible. The girl that runs the one in Frisco says she gets to do a lot of the ordering but they are limited to what Petco has to offer. They don't have the luxury of several wholesalers to choose from like a LFS. They will also do special orders. My son has special ordered several fish from the Frisco Petco and they have tested him when they come in so he can go pick them up while they are still in the shipping bag. Unfortunately the Frisco location doesn't really do corals. They have a couple of leathers and a few unhealthy looking anemones.

 

[Opus]

My LFS store was selling a bubble for $200.. I bought that, 13 other corals, plus dip online for the same price. Needless to say I’ll probably stick to online sales and local sellers as it seems they can dish out way more discounts that a brick&mortar, probably because less overhead.

Unfortunately the "less overhead" for local sellers is many times they aren't paying all the taxes and fees to the local city/county that they are supposed to pay because they are a business. Some aren't even collecting sales taxes. I bought from a local seller and he had me specifically pay him by paypal as family and friends and to put in the description that it was a reimbursement.

 

[afrokobe]

Was that the Allen location? They are supposed to have the largest saltwater in the DFW area. From what I've gathered from talking to employees, they have to actually have someone there that knows what they are doing before they will really let them have the nice stuff. Unfortunately finding someone is near impossible. The girl that runs the one in Frisco says she gets to do a lot of the ordering but they are limited to what Petco has to offer. They don't have the luxury of several wholesalers to choose from like a LFS. They will also do special orders. My son has special ordered several fish from the Frisco Petco and they have tested him when they come in so he can go pick them up while they are still in the shipping bag. Unfortunately the Frisco location doesn't really do corals. They have a couple of leathers and a few unhealthy looking anemones.

Spot on with Allen. I almost bought a clam last time I was there. Never visited the Frisco one. I am in north Dallas near fish gallery. All the petcos around me have closed their saltwater.