Fintique SW quality good or bad?

[corkyGramma]

I'm checking the general public oppinion to see if you all see a difference in quality of Fintique's livestock and that of other LFS (ex. AD, B&B or any chain co-petco), AND why there is a difference. I know the names of the discount wholesalers fintique goes through- I'm wondering how the shift in appearance occurs! I am not in any way putting down this LFS, I only want to learn the cause.

"You get what you pay for" is a common generality... I first noticed this with their freshwater fish. (FW) hobbists would boast about how cheap they would purchase 3 or more cichlids, and then want other petstores with better colored specimens to match Fintique's price. :sarcastic:

Now, where my query is leading is this, are Fintique's SW low prices and quality (acceptable or not) due to the fact they are wild caught as opposed to captive breed? What accounts for the difference in quality (coloration/vitality)? It is my understanding that not all sw fish can be captive breed anyway. Or is it due to the conditions of the distributor's facility-perhaps the manner in which they where caught/handled from sea & then shipped?

Hope someone can come up with a better explaination.:nerd:

[Gseclipse02]

some people hate Fintique with a passion but i and many others here love them. There is no other LFS that will touch there prices most are generally 25%+ more in cost.

with that being said i have never had an issue with there fish all have lived ( my powder blue and naso tang both caught ick but it was due to an anemone falling apart which resulted in death for them not a quality factor from there part)

i also do buy there fish on thursday mornings at 10 in the bags

[Gseclipse02]

another thing about there customer service.... i bought a powder blue and he was nipping at all my corals and clams i called them told them and they told me just to bring it back and they will swap it out

[corkyGramma]

some people hate Fintique with a passion but i and many others here love them. There is no other LFS that will touch there prices most are generally 25%+ more in cost.

with that being said i have never had an issue with there fish all have lived ( my powder blue and naso tang both caught ick but it was due to an anemone falling apart which resulted in death for them not a quality factor from there part)

i also do buy there fish on thursday mornings at 10 in the bags
Yeah I've probably seen you there lol!

[Gseclipse02]

Yeah I've probably seen you there lol!

by chance do you drive the jag ??

[moe]

I love fintique, sometimes I just go there to see what they have. All anemones that I got there, "seabe" are probably the best that I ever own, nevertheless they were still in the bag.

I think really it probably where they order plus there old system setup. It still stuck in the 80's.

However if a fish could survive there tank for more than 2 week then I know it could survive mine. (not that my is setup as there's lol)

[moe]

by chance do you drive the jag ??

you in a jag yeeeeeaaaaaaah right.

[Gseclipse02]

the people i usually see there at that time is Joe (joe31) Ruben (jrsatx) Andrew (sinner) and the jag lady

[Gseclipse02]

However if a fish could survive there tank for more than 2 week then I know it could survive mine. (not that my is setup as there's lol)


that's what i think at times also lol


if they have tangs/angels in there tanks its because they were stressed out when they got there (i personally wouldn't buy them)

[corkyGramma]

by chance do you drive the jag ??
Actually, I used to have a champagne one, but not recently.

[robalv]

I have been there and try to make it every thursday just to see what I can nab never had a problem with anything from there I bought my yellow tang for hmmmmmmmmmm 24 bucks 2.5" and she is in great health. I did loose 2 peppermint shrimp come to think about it as soon as they hit my tank well a couple of hours I should say but I hear they the pep shrimp are are notorious for that. anyway I like---I like it allot!!

[Gseclipse02]

I used to a champagne one, but not recently.


like a month ago ??

i don't think it was you she told me she has a 300g tank or something like that

[moe]

the people i usually see there at that time is Joe (joe31) Ruben (jrsatx) Andrew (sinner) and the jag lady

maybe we all could get together after raiding fin' and have lunch.

[corkyGramma]

Nah, Gseclipse...its been a year or so. I thought you recognized my public profile pic. Some people know me from much earlier. Still haven't put a face to your name though:D

[aggman]

...

~alex

[Gseclipse02]

. i can even show you pricelists so you know i am not making it up.

~alex


i would love for you to do this!!!!

[Gseclipse02]

Nah, Gseclipse...its been a year or so. I thought you recognized my public profile pic. Some people know me from much earlier. Still haven't put a face to your name though:D


not to sure if i have seen you ... most of time you will catch me in flip flops shorts and shirt

[jennabee]

I love fintiques, Weve had great success with the fish we bought there. I dont know how many times I use my lunch time to go there on thursdays. Which reminds me its almost lunch time, and its thursday:blushing:

[Gilbert]

I love the store, i have never had any problems with their SW fish. Amd im also there on thursdays when ever i get some free time in the mornings. Funny thing is if your there at 10 the table and underneath the table is full different fish bags, but if you show up at 11ish only about a quarter of the shipment is still there.

[Gseclipse02]

maybe we all could get together after raiding fin' and have lunch.


i don't know what there time schedule is like i would be willing to


I love the store, i have never had any problems with their SW fish. Amd im also there on thursdays when ever i get some free time in the mornings. Funny thing is if your there at 10 the table and underneath the table is full different fish bags, but if you show up at 11ish only about a quarter of the shipment is still there.

very true .... when my tank crashed i was there every week for a about 6 weeks restocking but they only do really big orders once a month ( last week was a big order)



the people who put "Bad; I'd rather shop somewhere else" why didnt yall state why???

[Gilbert]

i'd like to know WHY also

[The Butcher]

I shop at Fintique often. I started going there when I had my freshwater tanks, like most, and never had a problem. Since I started saltwater, I have continued to shop there for livestock and food and have had no issues. The place may be old, but the service and prices are fantastic. The sales people have always treated me and my family well. If I had questions, they have answers or can find answers. If they didn't have an item that I needed, they would always refer me to several local fish stores without hesitation. They understand that this is a hobby and have never badmouthed any of their competitors. I appreciate their honesty, service, and products.

[aggman]

i would love for you to do this!!!!

i didn't read your post last night. pm me your email and i will get you a copy of one of the lists.

~alex

[brewercm]

Wow, it's been a long time since I've been there. No real reason other than I tend not to travel across town or too far. Just can't stand driving in traffic to go somewhere. Amazing how many great deals I've passed up on just because the person lived on the far NW side. BTW, did I say that I really hate driving in traffic.

[wesheltonj]

I have shopped there many times. I have had some live stock die that I have bought there, but I have had livestock from other stores die too.

They get 3 Pacific shipments and 1 Alantic shipment a month, or at least they did at one time. You are right about being picked over by 11.

[Gseclipse02]

Wow, it's been a long time since I've been there. No real reason other than I tend not to travel across town or too far. Just can't stand driving in traffic to go somewhere. Amazing how many great deals I've passed up on just because the person lived on the far NW side. BTW, did I say that I really hate driving in traffic.


lol trust me i know how you feel ... i barley go to B&B and AD due to how far of a drive it is .... i like going to awana pets since its about 5 mins away and frank and alton are real cool to deal with:thumbs_up:

[Firstman]

I like Fin. its cool I am 30 I have been going since I was a kid with my dad he started off in salt water back in 80s Hahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhha. think I was 9 or 10. I do believe Tom been there since, grumpy cool old dude. they get the job done they been around SA. I say 5 out of my 8 fish are from them and still swiming no problems. however want rear I hit up my boy Ed.

[hilltopperpete]

I have purchased all kinds of freshwater stuff there-- Fintique's quality/selection/price can't be beat. Plus their feeders are 12/$1, which is just about the cheapest in the city. Ghost shrimp from FW can be dropped straight into SW and live for a week until your fish hunts it down

In terms of SW, I've only purchased 2 snowflake eels from there-- they have been great, though-- bagged properly, healthy, very active. I was VERY tempted to pick up a great looking 5" Blue Tang recently they had for $60 ($45 with Thursday 25% discount), but I decided against it because of the species' notorious health problems.

Prices can't be beat-- even by Aquarium Designs, though their selection is what you'd expect from a place that focuses on freshwater so much (they are a wholesaler to other fish stores in the city) and only gets 1x shipment/week.

[littlewrentx]

They don't make a profit on their saltwater fish .One of the guys told me they do it to get the customers to come in for dry goods.

[Gseclipse02]

They don't make a profit on their saltwater fish .One of the guys told me they do it to get the customers to come in for dry goods.



they make a profit don't be fooled when some store tells you that ... i don't know how many times i have been this is a dollar above cost or something to that extent .... once you see a list of what cost is you would be surprised

[hilltopperpete]

They don't make a profit on their saltwater fish .One of the guys told me they do it to get the customers to come in for dry goods.

A single clownfish can be bought for about 25¢ on the dock, and it it marked up from the initial buyer to the local transhipper to the US transhipper to your LFS, where you eventually buy it for $20. All the money in between goes to pay shipping costs, employee wages, rent, electricity, and there is hopefully profit somewhere in there as well.

The 25% Thursday discount is absolutely to get customers in to buy dry goods-- it's quite the event, I've only been once, but there were about 15 people milling around the store that came solely for their SW shipment. It saves Fintique money on saltwater tank space too, because they don't have to have quite so many tanks running to keep all the fish from their orders, nor do they have to worry about stock dying in their tanks. It's really an ingenious business strategy if you think of it.

[Darth-Tater]

I have been going to finique since 1977. The one guy has been there since God and Buddah were in school. I bought my 1st salt water set up from them. Dolimite and crushed oyster shells for substrate. I have never been led astray by them. Yes I keep going back.

Tater

[tebstan]

When I worked at PetSmart years ago, I shopped at Fintique, and other LFS. I never had any problems with their livestock, though I was only shopping for FW then. The people were all really nice, and remembered my face even when I was only in once a month or so. I don't travel beyond my little zone on the other side of town much anymore, but Fintique is still one of my favorites to visit when I do wander.

I'm glad to see so many positive responses. This thread had potential to be negative, however good intentioned it may have been. I only recently joined MAAST... I didn't join for a very long time because of negativity I saw in some posts. I'm glad that's only in the archives since I've signed up.

[KarenR]

I've bought from Fintique for many years both fresh and saltwater and have nothing but good things to say about them. I bought a bubble tip anemone from them over a year ago and it's doing great as well as the fish that I purchased from them (most recently a Coral Beauty that was purchased last week and is doing GREAT in my tank, eating etc.)

[Milly]

what's the address to fintique i want to stop by..anyone know?

[Paul28]

701 West Ave
San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 735-2829

http://www.maast.org/modules/PetStores/

[corkyGramma]

701 West Ave
San Antonio, TX 78201
(210) 735-2829

http://www.maast.org/modules/PetStores/
Yeah between I10 & hildebrand on West, its a blue/grn building on your right.

[Kristy]

Yeah between I10 & huebner on West, its a blue/grn building on your right.

I think you mean on West Ave, between I-10 and Fredericksburg?

[corkyGramma]

hildebrand runs along the HEB

[Demetrio]

i'm not a fan of fintique..salt water selection is minimal at best..
just thought i'd leave my opinion.

[brewercm]

i'm not a fan of fintique..salt water selection is minimal at best..
just thought i'd leave my opinion.


Not to defend them because I don't go there very often any more (just out of my way). But if you don't get there before noon on shipment day you aren't going to get much variety. Most are never even unbagged before going out the door.

[The Butcher]

Not to defend them because I don't go there very often any more (just out of my way). But if you don't get there before noon on shipment day you aren't going to get much variety. Most are never even unbagged before going out the door.
Very True!

[envy]

i go there for frozen and sw fish and had never had any problems with them. great customer assistance, I even think they have the cheapest frozen in the city if u get san fransico bay in the 16oz or 32oz of brine. i also like feeding there live brine every now and then to my fish just to make them work a bit for there food.

[moe]

I was there today, was tempted to buy a naso tang that was there for three weeks now. It been in a tank that not up to date with there competition. Now that say something bout there SW quality if a tang survived for three week showing signs of stress.

[JoshOdphi]

man i have to make a trip sometime on a thursday.....

[Gseclipse02]

man i have to make a trip sometime on a thursday.....
be sure to get there right at 10 so you get prime picking...

[millerdog]

I would call ahead. The last few weeks they have been getting the fish in a little later. But agree fully for their service and prices are hard to beat.

[Crazyeyes]

I think they're and they have set some of the curves for local fish stores in town.

[pepper]

I have never purchased salt water livestock from there as this is our first venture into it. However, I have been purchasing fresh water from them since I was a little girl! To be honest, we have never really had one of their fish die on us and the prices are amazing. They are also very helpful and, as far as FW goes, will let you know who can go with what if you don't know.