A great selection of diverse livestock and access to aquatic expertise can be reliably found at Sea Creatures. My wife and I are extremely happy that we discovered this place a while back when we started a new saltwater tank (the first of several!) We're pretty much regulars at this point, often visiting this store every week or two. Our kids love it here as well, and they look forward to seeing all the interesting marine life and learning more about the hobby whenever we stop in.
John, the owner, came off as a bit standoffish at first but he's actually very friendly and knowledgeable. The store is often quite busy and I get the impression that he deals with a large number of people who come in the shop just to look at interesting fish or "kick the tires." He warmed up after we had been there two or three times and it became obvious we were interested in more than just looking around. He's provided some great insight, has special ordered a few bulbs for me, etc.
I think one of the most telling things about Sea Creatures is the fact that there's almost always one or two "fish guys" around. There are numerous avid hobbyists who frequent this location and at least one can generally be found sitting in the store chatting with the owner and customers about their tanks, giving friendly advice, discussing various setups, etc. As far as I know none of these individuals is employed by the shop and they simply choose to hang around out of their love for the hobby. To me, this speaks volumes about the type of place Sea Creatures really is. This isn't a store that was opened just to make a buck like the big box chain stores. In fact, the owner has actually discouraged me from buying things on several occasions (he indicated that I didn't need a few items I had planned to buy and told me it would be a waste of money to purchase them.) This is a place that cares about the animals and the hobbyists equally and actively seeks to promote a friendly learning environment for people of all experience/knowledge levels.
I've attached pictures of some of the "sea creatures" in my home that we've gotten here to date!
All in all, this is an exceptional place. I anticipate my family and I continuing to be regular customers for a long time to come. read more