first time experience at vets pets

[apax]

i thought i been to all the san diego fish store until i found out about vets pets... so i went there over the weekend and checked it out... i ended up buying 5 fishes from there... my thoughts: the staff was very professional and knowledgeable... i love how they don't use a net to catch the fish (especially the angel fishes)... they just earn a new customer and i like to spend...lol

[scubasteve]

Cris and his staff are awesome! I always drop by there when i need something!

[cutterx23]

One of the best FS in all of SD, especially for fish. Have shopped and compared all, from Chula Vista to vista, and Chris has some of the most competitive pricing around, and always works with customers to make them happy. The hobby is more important than the dollar at vets pets. And who can't love the fish whisperer that catches fish sans net.

[rodbuster229]

Best place to buy fish IMO

[scubasteve]

Also vets pets will hold a fish for a week so you can be sure they are healthy! Always a great thing! Plus Cris is awesome for knowledge! :p

[Navyaero]

Also vets pets will hold a fish for a week so you can be sure they are healthy! Always a great thing! Plus Cris is awesome for knowledge! :p

I have to disagree while I like the store their business model is horrible I went in there and all the good fish were on hold and Maybe someone might come back for them on the other hand there I sit with cash in hand and I can't buy anything because it is all on hold I don't think I will go back because of that

[DaveMorris]

Having a fish on hold is no different than somebody buying it before you do. You just get to see what you missed. Chris makes a lot of effort to buy only healthy fish at the wholesaler and it shows in the behavior of the fish in his tanks. If you want a particular fish, just ask him to pick one up for you.

[apax]

Having a fish on hold is no different than somebody buying it before you do. You just get to see what you missed. Chris makes a lot of effort to buy only healthy fish at the wholesaler and it shows in the behavior of the fish in his tanks. If you want a particular fish, just ask him to pick one up for you.
i agree... their fishes are healthy and eating right off the bat.... and it's good for a store to hold fishes... that shows that the fishes are really healthy cuz most store will not hold them too long due to they might die....

[Navyaero]

i agree... their fishes are healthy and eating right off the bat.... and it's good for a store to hold fishes... that shows that the fishes are really healthy cuz most store will not hold them too long due to they might die....
I dunno having a fish on hold to me applies that they didn't pay for it and are asking for it to be held until they have the money. Now if they paid for the fish and they are just holding it for them that is one thing but if they diddnt I feel that it just makes sense to sell to the people that have the money. Honestly I could see holding until the end of the day like AWdoes or Aqua SD but to hold it for an entire week and the person might not even come back is not good business.

[h20poloman]

I have to disagree while I like the store their business model is horrible I went in there and all the good fish were on hold and Maybe someone might come back for them on the other hand there I sit with cash in hand and I can't buy anything because it is all on hold I don't think I will go back because of that

I usually do my best to buy established fish out of someone's system but when I have typically want to try a fish known to be delicate such as a Copper Band Butterfly Vet's Pets is where I go and it's not really close to where I live. I understand your frustration with a fish being on hold but on the flip side you will learn to appreciate when it's on hold because they want to make sure it's eating and a quality specimen rather than risk you taking home an already stressed fish to have it die in your system. My CBB I bought from them has been in my system for well over a year and while the initial one I saw was on hold they happened to have mine in a different tank and said/showed me that it had been eating great.

The owner Chris is definitely known among hobbyists as being one of the best at picking out healthy specimens. It's usually a good idea to know what kind of fish you are looking for before entering an LFS so you are already aware of what the requirements are for that fish and if it may have any issues with your current tank inhabitants. I can say from experienced that I've killed my fair share of the years because I didn't do my research first and went with an impulse buy. As previously mentioned if you want something specific Chris will look to get it for you on his weekly fish run. Also...love the deal on their prawn eggs - always stock up while I'm there.

If you think of it on those terms you may have a different experience the next time if you are willing to give them another shot.

[d-man]

agreed. Best fish store in all of SD. Chris, Mike and Ashley are very knowledgable and helpful. Ive been going there for 10 yrs now and they always have been that way. Holding the fish to make sure its healthy is something the high end retailers do, yet this little place that has far less inventory does the same. Thats Stand Up business if you ask me. Chris will also get you anything at the wholesalers and gets it to you for much cheaper than any other store.
GRADE A for sure!!

[Navyaero]

Sorry if I seem negative I diddnt mean to come off that way I am currently working on my masters in business management and if I turn in a paper with that type of business model I would def get a failing grade. It may work for them and that is great I just tend to look at things from a profitability and customer satisfaction stand point. Hence one good idea might be to put fish o. Hold in a separate tank all together or in the back if they are not aggressive so that others do not get annoyed when half the fish in the store are on hold. Again I diddnt mean to come off negitive

[Esco reef]

Sorry if I seem negative I diddnt mean to come off that way I am currently working on my masters in business management and if I turn in a paper with that type of business model I would def get a failing grade. It may work for them and that is great I just tend to look at things from a profitability and customer satisfaction stand point. Hence one good idea might be to put fish o. Hold in a separate tank all together or in the back if they are not aggressive so that others do not get annoyed when half the fish in the store are on hold. Again I diddnt mean to come off negitive
I dont think you owe any one an apology brotha , its your point of view and your right as a buyer to give your opinion good or bad it helps others to expect whatever has been said about the store good or bad. Im in escondido so if I make the trip to vets pets I will now know how the store works . I will be going to that store in the near future ive heard lots of good things as well. Reef on :)

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[apax]

I dont think you owe any one an apology brotha , its your point of view and your right as a buyer to give your opinion good or bad it helps others to expect whatever has been said about the store good or bad. Im in escondido so if I make the trip to vets pets I will now know how the store works . I will be going to that store in the near future ive heard lots of good things as well. Reef on :)

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if you go call ahead to see whats in stock... thats what i did and scored some great deals and fishes.... the hard to get ones...

[Tapio]

Dealing with live animals is so different from many other businesses. Vets Pets is the best place in town to by quality fish and to get excellent service and prices. To place fish on hold and make sure they have acclimated and are eating is invaluable. IMO and IME marine fish should always be quarantined and preferably treated before release into a display aquarium. A 1 week hold or so at the retail store to make sure the fish is healthy, eating and reasonably acclimated is a good start. I have been in the hobby for 20 years and have learned this the hard way. Only a small fraction of fish are on hold usually. I am a satisfied customer and I think you should give Chris a second try.


Sorry if I seem negative I diddnt mean to come off that way I am currently working on my masters in business management and if I turn in a paper with that type of business model I would def get a failing grade. It may work for them and that is great I just tend to look at things from a profitability and customer satisfaction stand point. Hence one good idea might be to put fish o. Hold in a separate tank all together or in the back if they are not aggressive so that others do not get annoyed when half the fish in the store are on hold. Again I diddnt mean to come off negitive

[rodbuster229]

You can also go on Tuesdays around 4 maybe 5 and get first pic of whatever they get from LA with a discount

[scubasteve]

+1 on Tuesdays! It's like fish xmas! Lol! Plus you can get an "in the bag" deal where the price is cheaper! :p Cris is great too- cuz he will listen to what setup you have- and won't try and sell you something you shouldn't get. Lol. He was awesome when he got me my Tessalata on special order- only took a week to get it! :) http://i1144.photobucket.com/albums/o498/Stephen_Sullivan421/20120921_150543.jpg

[Vets Pets]

Oh wow, I can't believe it took us so long to see this thread!

Thank you all for the kind words! It really means a lot that so many hobbyists think so highly of what we do at Vets Pets!

The constructive criticism will be taken to heart when it comes to holds. I think most of the replies explained why we do holds the way we do, though we understand completely that it can be frustrating (and yes, we could make a better profit if we sold on a first-come-first-serve basis). As the later posts said, coming in on Tuesday evenings will net you a nice in-bag discount! Wednesdays will usually give you first pick of most of the specimens as well. I hope that helps and that you will give us another chance! :)

[jmoney619]

This store is great. I knocked on the door after hours as Chris was acclimating a new shipment of fish. I needed a much-needed Maggie muffler for my family's comfort. Chris nicely opened the store so I could make a quick Maggie purchase. Thanks Chris and Vets Pets. I frequented this store when it was originally in the strip mall in the 90's.

[apax]

my 2nd visit was an awesome experience again.... chris and ashley are awesome people.. i requested the large angel WITH streamer and he got it within 2 days... i also saw that they care about the fishes and community more then just another LFS thats in for the money.... you guys must give them a chance and talk to them also to see what i'm talking about... GREAT fish store.. 1 of the best i've been to and i've been to ALL the SD/OC/LA stores..

BTW, i was there last night and they got a full stock of healthy looking fishes....

[pointblank]

I have to disagree while I like the store their business model is horrible I went in there and all the good fish were on hold and Maybe someone might come back for them on the other hand there I sit with cash in hand and I can't buy anything because it is all on hold I don't think I will go back because of that Well if a lot of there fish are on hold that means they have a lot of happy customers that like there product, service, and policy. When ever I go if they don't have the fish I want he will get it for me.

[apax]

TRUE... he got me my XL angelfish in 2 days.... =) and it was a hard request ....

[brianth3lion]

I guess the on hold model can go both ways. Chris held an achilles tang for me for one day. Something came up and I couldn't make it in that day. I told him I'd come in first thing in the morning and he said sure, I'll hold it still. I came in the next morning and bought the fish. I just shows Chris and his staff really care about the customer and makes me coming back for their dedication to customer service. +1 on quality fish. Anyways, he held the achilles tang in his tank for a week after I bought it while I got my qt tank set up at no extra charge. From my understanding, their holding policy is to hold a fish till the end of the day.