Huntington Beach, California

[allan]

Well,

I walk into a LFS and wow, never realized some operations get so big. This guy had what I could only assume were three 1500 gallon containers in the back. One was filled with saltwater just off the coast, one was RODI and the other was premix with Marin salt.

Several thousand pounds of live rock in different containers divided by branch, base, figi, and even an entire devoted to rubble.

The thing that got me were two anenomies from Japan (pics later) ranging from 500 to almost 1000. One was a chocolate chip anenome and the other was some kind of bubble tip... and I mean bubble tip, the tips were little brown balls. He warned me to be careful as it had a bad sting.

Traveling is awesome. Except for the getting their part. and the getting back. and of course living in the hotel isn't fun...

[Europhyllia]

No pics? What's up with that!
Sleeping in hotel beds has actually always been one of my favorite perks of traveling. I bought the exact down comforters the Hilton hotels have to get that cushy Hilton feel at home now that I don't travel anymore. lol

Okay so I am going to wait for you to upload the pics because clearly you wouldn't dare to post about all of this without some pics, right?

[justahobby]

Karin, not everyone gets to sleep in a Hilton bed when they travel LOL!

Allan, great story and all, but we are simple minded and enjoy picture books better....indulge us!

[justahobby]

BTW i havent found a single Choco chip nemone pic anywhere... this is going to be great!

[allan]

tell you what, if you can pm me your email addy, and if you have the time, I can send you the pics. Right now I'm in class learning MicroStation but I can send you the pics if you'd like to post them.

Kind of like a team effort??? :)

Karin, we're at the Embassy suites... but no, I don't sleep well even in their comfy beds. It takes a few weeks for me to get into a new bed.

[justahobby]

Deal!


....
Karin, we're at the Embassy suites... but no, I don't sleep well even in their comfy beds. It takes a few weeks for me to get into a new bed.

HA! Told you Karin! :p ... not that Embassy isn't any less nice lol.

[Europhyllia]

guess Allan is working for the wrong company. ;)
Looking forward to Justin posting the pics. :)

[justahobby]

I'm uploading to photobucket right now.

[justahobby]

Teaser:
http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af324/BioFish09/th_Coral1.jpg (http://s1020.photobucket.com/albums/af324/BioFish09/?action=view&current=Coral1.jpg)

[txav8r]

I go to Huntington Beach at least twice a year. Our home office and warehouse are located there.

What store did you go to? Sea Side Tropical?

[justahobby]

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af324/BioFish09/LR2.jpg

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af324/BioFish09/LR.jpg

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af324/BioFish09/Coral1.jpg

[justahobby]

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af324/BioFish09/Shrooms.jpg

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af324/BioFish09/Shrimp.jpg

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af324/BioFish09/Mille.jpg

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af324/BioFish09/ChocoAnemone.jpg

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af324/BioFish09/Choco.jpg

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af324/BioFish09/BTA2.jpg

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af324/BioFish09/BTA.jpg

[justahobby]

The anemones are wickedly sick!! I wonder how much the mushrooms cost??

[allan]

Ooh, cool, I'm not the only one. Those aren't mushrooms. They're plate coral babies. I had to ask them about it.

The hermits, terrible picture I know, has some kind of coral growing out of it... that's what he said, actually to me it looked like they were little anenomies adhered to the shell. One of them had two growing from them.

Jack, I need to come work with you. The place was coral oasis. The guy had just gotten done moving his whole operation into another location for floor space. I think his name was Bart. He called me Allan so many times that at one point I started calling him Allan.

Karin... really, would you trust a government employee that stayed at the Hilton on your tax payer dime? :)

Justin didn't post the water containers. They're huge! Anenomies are awesome aren't they? He had a few anenomies (RBTA) in one of the rock containers... in case you wanted to buy your rock with a very large hitchhiker. :)

[txav8r]

Isn't that one in Costa mesa or Irvine? Right at the end of the runway of John Wayne Airport?
If so that place is like 4 blocks from our warehouse. Our warehouse is on Airway Ave.

[justahobby]

I emailed asking you to resend the containers shot. after I viewed it it disappeared from inbox, trash, it was gone man. The containers really are a must see

[Bill S]

Many moons ago when I worked in a LFS for 8 years, when I left the store had over 1000 tanks... Only about 80 were SW, but that was 34 years ago.

[allan]

Many moons ago when I worked in a LFS for 8 years, when I left the store had over 1000 tanks... Only about 80 were SW, but that was 34 years ago.


Wow, Bill, I didn't even know they had glass tanks back then.... :D

Justin, picture is on it's way.

[justahobby]

http://i1020.photobucket.com/albums/af324/BioFish09/Container.jpg

[Europhyllia]

Very cool. Whenever Jeremy or Gabe post that they'll open late I get the urge to work at a fish store -gimme the keys! I'll wrestle the snakes and catch the fish...

[allan]

Jack, I'm right next to John waynes airport but my class is about a mile from the beach (huntinton beach).

Lmk if you want me to pick something up from the airport. Save you a trip. :)

[txav8r]

Thanks for the offer but I only go out there to get updated on new products.
Umm errr.... You could swing by and tell my boss that I'm a great sales/tech support guy.:ph34r:

[Bill S]

Wow, Bill, I didn't even know they had glass tanks back then.... :D

Not funny. Not funny at all.

[alton]

Yea they had glass tanks with stainless steel frames back then. Don't worry Bill I have your back.Thanks for the pictures Allan, it is alway neat when someone travels and sends back pictures of stores in other parts of the country. I did not see if any body ask about prices compared to here?

[allan]

Not funny. Not funny at all.

No offense intended bill, none at all. Remember that I am getting old as dirt myself. In fact I will turn 41 this summer so I assure you that I know that instead of "many moons ago" you actually meant to say "many decades ago". :D

prices (except for those two anenomies) were just a few more bones than ours. Little harlequins for 25, peps for six, .35 for sea water.

What I thought was neat was that he did not like to sell frags. Mostly he sells colonies, although he said that he did break off frags to sell when one was asked for. I don't remember seeing any frag plugs.

He also had a little shark for sale. Wasn't a bamboo, didn't ask as I didn't think I could bring him home while staying under three ounces of water.

[Bill S]

Yea they had glass tanks with stainless steel frames back then. Don't worry Bill I have your back.Thanks for the pictures Allan, it is alway neat when someone travels and sends back pictures of stores in other parts of the country. I did not see if any body ask about prices compared to here?

Actually, the all-glass tanks came our around 1968-1970. We still had a couple of hundred stainless ones. They didn't work well for salt water.