# Kansas City Missouri Area - several



## SKSuser (Mar 20, 2006)

In an attempt to find the best, I'm going to attempt to visit all the aquaria stores in town.

I figured since I'm doing it for myself, I might as well let someone else benefit from my visits. In the posts to follow, you'll find info on the local shops I've been to.

Remember, I've only been to some of these stores once or twice. My experience may differ because of one bad shipment of fish they recieved, or because I was helped by the "friday staff."
If anyone else is in town and has an experience at any of the shops, I'd sure love to hear about it.


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## SKSuser (Mar 20, 2006)

Tropical Fish Cove - 291 & 23rd in Independence
Major con: They're still in the phone book, but the store was no longer there. A very friendly guy is remodeling the storefront to open a carpet store in the office space. He's into fish and actually bought from TFC back in the day, but said that he now drives north of the river (Missouri river for those not familiar with local lingo) to go to Miles of Exotics.
I bought

Brother's Pets - Sterling & 40 in Independence
*Pros:*
They have a large selection of reasonably priced fish.
They often have "specials" on some fish or another, usually fry or juviniles, but sometimes older fish as well.
Cheapest place in town to buy Tetra Whisper air pumps. They must sell them at cost as their lost leader. Not even Walmart competes. (This is a current sale/special.)
Friendly staff that likes to joke and have fun.
A varying selection of female veiltail betta. Only place in town that has em consistantly.
Freely warn customers when a new batch has arrived, so you know what tanks to avoid til the fish aclimatize. (ie, the weak ones die off.)  
*Cons:*
Large, but sometimes strange selection. For example, they've got 16" plecos and other useless stuff, but sometimes no Otos.
No extremely rare fish, like discus.
The place sometimes smells like ferrets and hampsters.
When I mentioned Daphnia they said "D - Dap - Dafff-neee-what???" I later got this response as several other stores in town.
Their plants are not labeled with the Scientific names, so the ability to visually identify is a must.
Their tanks all run on a common filter. During several visits, I've noticed the same desease has infested several tanks at a time. Scarry...
Only a 24 hour warantee on fish, but I guess having a shop in a neighborhood with low-end clientele they can't be giving a lifetime guarantee.
*Overall:*
So far Brothers is the only LFS in town where I've actually bought fish in the last 2 years. I got 6 Tiger Barb babies, and two Swordtail babies from Brother's. They all did fine, except for the jumper, until I got a smallish pleco from there that brought ick with him. One baby sword survived and is still kicking, but the rest visited the porcelin throne.
They didn't mention that the common pleco was not only already too big for my 10g tank already, but would become too huge for a 10 even if he was the only inhabitant. At the time they also didn't have a smaller algae eating alternative like a bristlenose pleco, otto, or SAE.
While there is the possibility of desease spread because of their common filter, the tanks look very clean, and if desease is noticed, the water level is immediately dropped and the tank medicated.
I would have no problem buying fish from Brothers in the future... However, I'll be careful to do my own research and not pull another noob mistake like buying a pleco for a 10.

Pet Planet Grand & 2nd in Lee's Summit
*Pros: *
Very knowlegable staff and owner. Knew what Daphnia even was. Doesn't bury the rhyzome of Java fern like the other places in town, etc. At least no mistakes I could identify right off.
Plants and most fish labeled with scientific name. The non-scientific names are correct to my knowlege, and not misleading.
The rodent cages are clean and big, so it doesn't smell in there.
Plants in almost every tank. The fish seem happier with this.
Large selection of Anubias. I saw barteri, b. var nana, I think a heterophylla and maybe a couple more.
The mailing list signup sheet. This way, I know whats on special, and what new they've got.
They had a 25% off Grand Opening sale the first time I went. I was able to get Java fern and moss below the usual price, which was already reasonable for our area.
*Cons:*
The betta aren't that well cared for. (a personal peeve of mine)
Still a new store. He's got to make up the setup costs of his business... something that his prices ocassionally show.
*Overall:*
The new guy in town! This is the only place I've bought live plants so far, and will probably be the place where I buy live plants in the future.
The jury's still out on how consistant his tanks will be. The first time I went, they had no rodents or birds at all yet, and the fish tanks were being cycled. The second time I went, there was a little algae on several tanks. This makes sense, because I saw him dumping ferts into one of the tanks the first time I visited. My most recent visit showed quite a bit of algae... maybe he needs to check out the fertilator. Still, he has no plans to win awards for aquascaping. He's in the business of selling plants, not showing them.

Fins & Foliage - 7022 Locust in Gladstone

*Pros:*
In business since 1976. - Large knowlege base, I'm sure.
Established tanks. - Algae takeover here and there, but pretty healthy looking fish that weren't overcrowded. What else can you expect besides a little algae in a tank with plants.
Bettas well cared for - I keep coming back to this, but it shows me how much a store really cares. Some were in hang-on corner breeders, the rest were sitting on top of the bottom row of tanks. Nice and warm, good day/night cycle with the lighting for the bottom row of tanks. Still, not perfect, because most were in the tiny cups, but maybe I'm just picky.
Some pretty healthy looking live plants, but none that stuck out or were noteworthy.
LARGE glass tank selection. - Many odd shapes. Used tanks. "All Glass Aquariums" seems to be the KC area tank wholesaler of choice, but F&F had a couple other brands too.
Large used selection of other new and used merchandise.
They're into koi and ponds too.
Heyuuuuuuge angels... and I mean big. They looked happy and healthy.
Not lots of saltwater, but looked well cared for. - I've never had marine, and don't know whats good and not, but their saltwater fish looked happy to my untrained eye.
*Cons:*
They seemed very "busy" for the ammount of other customers there. (Just one other guy, and a young couple looking at birds.) I like to be greeted instead of just "inspected" by someone when I walk in the door.
Someone that works there is a chain smoker. Anything I buy would need tar scraped off it before use.
*Overall:*
They're not located close to my house. I probably won't buy too much at F&F, not just because they were slightly rude and smelled like cancer, but also because I don't feel like slopping fish water all the way across town. If I'd been extremely warmly recieved, I could possibly have been convinced to do regular business there, but its realistically not a practical drive for anything short of spectacular.

Paradise Aquatics - 7312 119th St. over in Kansas
*Overall:*
If I were into sharks, eels, rays, high priced, rare, mature, huge, or otherwise extremely awesome marine fish, this is where I'd go to buy stuff. I'm not, so I just had to look and get a general impression. I do have some friends that are into saltwater. They buy fish at PA.
Their yellow pages add says they offer guaranteed fish and do maintenance. I went just to check it out, and also because there are several good restraunts and a sporting goods store on 119th St.  
Despite showing up to a store still full of customers near closing time, I was greeted and told to yell for help if I needed it. There were numerous employees rushing about trying to help everybody, and even politely answering dumb questions from people that obviously didn't even own a goldfish bowl.
The place was so crowded with awesome tanks there was hardly room for all the people, but we managed somehow. They had truely nice marine fish. It was worth the drive just to look at. As a matter of fact, I may take the kids there (once we have them) as its a better show than the local Zoo and it was free to look.
Their pièce de résistance was a tank that stretched from the cash register counter all the way across the front of the store. It looked to be about a billion jillion gallons, and was truely awesome. Nothing was for sale in that tank, it was just their little gift to mankind. They had several other pretty impressive show tanks, but they only looked to be about a hundred thousand gallons big.  I'm exagerating.... but only a little bit.


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## SKSuser (Mar 20, 2006)

*Sandy's Safari* - 7hwy in Blue Springs
Pros:
Cheaper prices on some things like air stones and thermometers. If you don't feel like supporting Walmart, but want cheap stuff, this may be the place.
Cons: The aquarium supply area was small, especially in the way of exotic gravel and other aquascaping supplies. For as many tanks as she had going, there wasn't a huge selection of fish. There wasn't a big selection of plants either. I think this may be more of a bird and hampster store.

*Update*
*Pet Planet* Grand & 2nd in Lee's Summit


> The betta aren't that well cared for.


This area seems to have been more or less taken care of. Its at least up to the standard of everybody else. He's got some Double Tail (Mislabeled as Half Moon) and Delta Tail males in stock as well. I think he's the only store in town with that, and he appears to be taking some measures to care for his spendy new betta investments. I still wish they were in bigger containers or in net breeders in his main tanks.
However, he is going through a duckweed infestation at the moment.


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## bradac56 (May 9, 2007)

*Fish World LLC* (796 SW US Highway 40 - Blue Springs, MO)

It's a nice little corner fish only store in a newer strip mall. They mostly
carry saltwater fish which isn't my type but they looked healthy if a bit
over priced.

They have most of the basic supplies for about $2 or $3 over internet prices.
The thing I liked the most was that they had several different tanks and
cabinets for sale other than the standard square 5's, 10's, 20's at good prices.
I'm even thinking about going back in a few weeks to pick up there corner
55gal tank and stand.

For freshwater they had most of the basic .99 cent fish in limited quantities
and a few fancy guppies but nothing semi-fancy like german rams (thats
the one fish I was looking for) or better.

I wasn't impressed with there bettas, they keep them in the smaller deli
cups and mislabeled distressed, ripped up DT's as crowntails. They did
have several types of Anibus and a val but no more than two or three of
each. That could be chalked up to it being the weekend.

The major turn off for me could also be chalked up to weekend (Sunday)
store clerks. I went in with my wife and six year old son and the clerk
never came out from behind the counter and only said hello. I would
have bought a few staple items like flake and betta food as they carry
the full line of Ocean Nutrition stuff but the clerk turned me off so I'll
get my staples at Foster&Smith instead.

*PROS:*

Clean store and tanks without algea, desease, or dead fish and several show
tanks at the front that had just been setup and starting to cycle. Good
selection of staples if a bit limited. Good selection of well priced tanks and
stands for the size of the store that wasn't the standard Wal-Mart variety.

*CONS:*

Small store with very limited fish selection and nothing interesting that day.
Unfriendly, un-talkative weekend staff. But they are worth giving a second
chance the next time I'm in KC.


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## bradac56 (May 9, 2007)

*Brother's Pets - Sterling & 40 in Independence*

I've visited this store once and I have the same impression that you did
except I wouldn't buy any fish there. They do have a large selection but
it's strange as you said. If your into very common pleco's then you'll be
in heaven but if you want something other than .99 variates your out of
luck. No luck at finding any rams or cherry or bumblebee shrimp tanks.

They had allot of dead fish that day and a tank full of dead ghost shrimp.
I got the impression that the Sunday clerks are good at dealing with dogs,
cats, and birds but nothing more than bagging fish. My wife was a bit
upset at them having a golden retriever in to small of a cage. He wanted
to run but could barely turn around. They were friendly enough four out
of four clerks stopped me and my wife to talk.

I went on a Sunday and they had only a few small stems of Java Fern
but it was marked at $1.99 which isn't bad unless you buy online or 
on the "For Sale or Trade" section here at APC.

They only had the standard 5's, 10's, and 20 gal tanks and a few way
over priced common 100gal+ setups.

And I wasn't impressed with there betta's. They were the standard
battered VT's and mislabeled HM's (no HM's but a couple of Delta's)


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## mph_chap (May 22, 2008)

BROTHERS PETS
PROS:
Hello I have found brothers pets to be a great pet store! They have it all Dogs,Cats,Birds,Fish,Reptiles, and alot of different feeders. They seem to be very smart most of the time with the few exception to some of the younger girls that work there. If they dont have something then they can order it for you. Everytime i have gone there they have all kinds of tanks from 2.5 gallons all the way up to 210 gallons. they have a wide range of fish and i have not had any problems with fish that i have gotten from them. LOW LOW prices and they carry alot of parts for filters and i feal right at home when i go there.They usually are very quick and knowledge able. I personaly think that there selection of plecos is wuite large at least it has defenetly grown in the last couple months, also what if you are wanting a 12 inch pleco for a pond. not many pet stores cary those i have bought a couple for my ponds from at quite resonable prices.

CONS:Alot of the employese smoke.( that might not be a problem for some of you but i do not like getting head echs every time i leave the store) Some animals seem to be forgoten about(mostly in reptiles) But not everyone that works there is a specialist in reptiles. Sometimes you do get ignored by younger employese . something that is a good tip were eer you go is that you should find someone out and let them no what you want not just wait for a employee to find you. Are are very good at finding you but when they get buisy i have seen many people get mad because they have just been standing in the fish section waiting for someone when other people are getting to them first. 

OVER ALL I WOULD GIVE BROTHERS PETS A 9.5 OUT OF 10.

HOUSE OF SCALES
PROS:
Like the name says they are a reptile specialty store and if you are looking for some of the desienger morphs they will often or not have them. they Do have a fish section with very healthy looking fish mostly live bearers, guppies,mollies,planties, and other common fish. very clean staff are very knowledge able and are ready to help. it is a smaller store so you are sure to be seen.

CONS:
They are a very small store maby the same size as my two car garage. they do not have a large selection of fish. They do not cary even most of the common suplies for fish. betta selection is minamal maby 10 at the most all commons and a little higher than i would like. 

OVER ALL A GREAT PET STOE FOR THE KIDS OR REPTILE ENTHUSIEST LIKE MY SELF BUT NOT FOR THE FISH LOVER(ALSO LIKE MY SELF) 

I GIVE THEM A 7.8 OVER ALL.


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