Comments on: Aquarium Service Companies, Bad for the Hobby? http://blog.aquanerd.com/2010/01/aquarium-service-companies-bad-for-the-hobby.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=aquarium-service-companies-bad-for-the-hobby Reef Aquarium and Saltwater Hobbyist Blog Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:18:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: AquaNerd http://blog.aquanerd.com/2010/01/aquarium-service-companies-bad-for-the-hobby.html/comment-page-1#comment-785 AquaNerd Fri, 11 Jun 2010 22:19:34 +0000 http://blog.aquanerd.com/?p=3518#comment-785 i guess you are an aquarium service company by the strong stance you are taking. well, i guess i'll respond as best I can. yes, i think most aquarium service companies are bad for the hobby. from my experience (i never used one but i did work for a fish store who did service calls and i have heard horror stories from various customers who had used other local aquarium service companies) they are quite expensive, don't do a very good job, take advantage of unknowing customers, and cut corners. this isn't just my personal opinion, but the experience i have had with these sorts of companies. perhaps this area just has a but of scam artists and maybe service companies in other parts of the country are much better. i don't know. but my experience leads me to doubt the skill and sincerity of most aquarium service companies. i guess you are an aquarium service company by the strong stance you are taking. well, i guess i'll respond as best I can. yes, i think most aquarium service companies are bad for the hobby. from my experience (i never used one but i did work for a fish store who did service calls and i have heard horror stories from various customers who had used other local aquarium service companies) they are quite expensive, don't do a very good job, take advantage of unknowing customers, and cut corners. this isn't just my personal opinion, but the experience i have had with these sorts of companies. perhaps this area just has a but of scam artists and maybe service companies in other parts of the country are much better. i don't know. but my experience leads me to doubt the skill and sincerity of most aquarium service companies.

]]> By: your mom http://blog.aquanerd.com/2010/01/aquarium-service-companies-bad-for-the-hobby.html/comment-page-1#comment-784 your mom Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:12:34 +0000 http://blog.aquanerd.com/?p=3518#comment-784 I think blogs like this are a disgrace to the industry. posting your personal opinions without really knowing what you are talkign about I think blogs like this are a disgrace to the industry. posting your personal opinions without really knowing what you are talkign about

]]> By: Brandon Klaus http://blog.aquanerd.com/2010/01/aquarium-service-companies-bad-for-the-hobby.html/comment-page-1#comment-405 Brandon Klaus Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:25:40 +0000 http://blog.aquanerd.com/?p=3518#comment-405 i may not have worded it properly in the article, but i wasn't trying to promote fish stores. i was just saying that some of the larger companies are insured and have a physical location. if something goes wrong it's easy to find them. if the maintenance guy works out of his truck, it will be much harder to track him down. i know of a lot of local fish stores that are terrible. but the big aquarium maintenance companies here in houston seem to be ok. in fact, the two largest are big supporters of my local reef club and have excellent staff. however, while working at some local stores i noticed a lot of really bad service people. we talked to them regarding how they practice their profession and everyone at the store was horrified, so much so that we stopped selling to them. i may not have worded it properly in the article, but i wasn’t trying to promote fish stores. i was just saying that some of the larger companies are insured and have a physical location. if something goes wrong it’s easy to find them. if the maintenance guy works out of his truck, it will be much harder to track him down.

i know of a lot of local fish stores that are terrible. but the big aquarium maintenance companies here in houston seem to be ok. in fact, the two largest are big supporters of my local reef club and have excellent staff. however, while working at some local stores i noticed a lot of really bad service people. we talked to them regarding how they practice their profession and everyone at the store was horrified, so much so that we stopped selling to them.

]]> By: Steve http://blog.aquanerd.com/2010/01/aquarium-service-companies-bad-for-the-hobby.html/comment-page-1#comment-404 Steve Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:49:54 +0000 http://blog.aquanerd.com/?p=3518#comment-404 Funny I have seen a lot of what you describe at the LFS around here. The guys I know that do servicing are much better then most of the local stores. Funny I have seen a lot of what you describe at the LFS around here. The guys I know that do servicing are much better then most of the local stores.

]]> By: AquaNerd http://blog.aquanerd.com/2010/01/aquarium-service-companies-bad-for-the-hobby.html/comment-page-1#comment-402 AquaNerd Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:02:06 +0000 http://blog.aquanerd.com/?p=3518#comment-402 i completely agree art, and i guess i did sort of paint everyone with the same brush. the point i was trying to reflect though was that in my numerous experiences with dealing with aquarium maintenance companies run out of the back of a truck/garage, i found nothing but sleazy people with no real working knowledge of aquariums. i completely agree art, and i guess i did sort of paint everyone with the same brush. the point i was trying to reflect though was that in my numerous experiences with dealing with aquarium maintenance companies run out of the back of a truck/garage, i found nothing but sleazy people with no real working knowledge of aquariums.

]]> By: Art http://blog.aquanerd.com/2010/01/aquarium-service-companies-bad-for-the-hobby.html/comment-page-1#comment-401 Art Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:30:20 +0000 http://blog.aquanerd.com/?p=3518#comment-401 While I agree that aquarium owners are best served being actively involved with the maintenance of their aquariums, I think the point of having a service do it is so they don't have to. And just because someone works out of the back of their truck does not mean they do not know what they are doing. I can say that in the last 20 years that I have been in the saltwater hobby, I would say that 80% of the "fish stores" I have visited are full of bad or out dated information. So in my opinion, i do not think that aquarium service companies are bad for the hobby. One just has to be selective in choosing the right company, much like any other service one would choose. While I agree that aquarium owners are best served being actively involved with the maintenance of their aquariums, I think the point of having a service do it is so they don't have to. And just because someone works out of the back of their truck does not mean they do not know what they are doing. I can say that in the last 20 years that I have been in the saltwater hobby, I would say that 80% of the "fish stores" I have visited are full of bad or out dated information. So in my opinion, i do not think that aquarium service companies are bad for the hobby. One just has to be selective in choosing the right company, much like any other service one would choose.

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