A&R Aquariums — Attraction in Seminole

Consider this more of a public service announcement for anyone that is thinking about getting into saltwater or is new to it. I hired Adam to move a well established and healthy tank that I purchased from a friend. I also hired him to service and maintain it after setup as I knew absolutely nothing about this hobby which I communicated during just about every conversation with Adam. He had maintained this tank for some time for my friend, so it seemed to make sense. The tank was moved with no trouble and setup. Looked great, everyone in the tank seemed happy, Adam is a personable guy who seemed very knowledgeable, and we were good to go. No worries. That was May 16th. Six weeks later everything in the tank was dead. There were a number of factors that can play a roll in nuking a tank, and all of which are the reason you hire a fish guy who can prevent or correct them. Unfortunately that was not what I got after hiring Adam. Starting with not changing 1.5 year old sand when the tank was moved. Not suggesting that adding a new fish 3 days after the move was probably not the best idea. Not noticing that all of the fish developed Ick. Not effectively treating the Ick and extending the ineffective treatment long after it was obviously not working. Having the protein skimmer off for nearly a month due to this treatment. Not noticing that there was not a heater in the tank which was having 7 to 8 degree temp swings daily. Then completely bailing on the whole thing when everything went bad. No show for a scheduled service on 6/20 (knowing that the tank was in trouble) and no communication since. The bottom line to what I did get from Adam's "service and maintenance" was 7 dead fish from Ick and Brooklynella, red slime, an algae bloom that has covered the tank, water test numbers up to 8 times where they should be, and a disaster of a tank that is being torn down and started over. And I understand that all of these issues are fairly common with saltwater. What isn't common is getting them all at the same time, and them being allowed to go uncorrected long enough to destroy the tank when you have hired a "fish guy". Like I said, Adam is a personable guy who sounds very knowledgeable in the shop and I assume has had some success with his service customers. I would consider my experience, however, to be similar to going into Advance Auto Parts and asking the kid behind the counter to rebuild the engine in my car. Putting knowledge into practice is...

I just purchased a shoal of 9 fish here yesterday. One died in the bag during the 15 minute ride home. I called to let them know and they said if they had any more they would give me one, but I had just bought them all, so they couldn't get me one until the next shipment came in. They acted as if the death of the fish was normal, and when I asked about their policy on the rest of them, they said they have no guarantees or refunds on the fish they sell. It's now 24 hours later, and a total of 4 out of the 9 are dead, with no obvious reason why. My water parameters are correct, so I know it's not that. I have no hope for the others to last much longer since this is how it's going already, and they really belong in groups of at least 6 or more so they don't become stressed. I find it ridiculous that they will sell fish that perish within hours and offer no refund or guarantees of any kind. I've not experienced this with any other fish I've purchased at other stores. I won't purchase from here again, and I'd strongly advise others to be cautious with...

I had been meaning to get here for a while and I'm so glad I did. this will be my go-to for my shrimp & hardscapes & products. These shrimp are absolutely Beautiful! Also, they had all these products on the shelves that I've been ordering online. Awesome.The main thing was how I was treated. That's what's going to get me to drive past two other locally owned fish shops to go all the way out to Bay Pines... I was treated as valued customer. Happy & respectful. She was glad I was in the shop even tho she was busy. I received first class customer service. She was more than happy to get me my shrimp and talk about them with me. I felt very comfortable there. As a female in the hobby (consistently since 1971). I get tired of the weird attitude I get from guys at other local fish shops (not new twords females in the fish keeping hobby but it's 2024 Ugh!). I So I'm not dropping 20k or 30k on a salt system. My $30 -$60+ to a local shop each month instead of online shopping is because I like to support my local business. Just . Thank. You. Seriously. It...