PDA

View Full Version : Aqua Serene



Hirogoi
07-18-2008, 03:05 AM
It should be noted that this is being written at the recommendation of other site members, but these are in fact my personal experiences and opinions of the store.

I have found Aqua Serene to be a less than professional store. Not only is some of the staff unknowledgable the owner is unprofessional and deals sick fish knowingly.

I was personally told by the store's owner that he in fact quarantined his fish in order for KHV to show. I later found out his idea of "quarantine" was to put the fish into sale tanks with the existing fish, but they were divided by a mesh barrier. This quarantine lasted for nine days with a temperature of 62 degrees.

The fish I bought died within two weeks of heating in a quarantine system. Samples were sent for serology testing and they came back positive for KHV. Unfortunately I did not save any more samples for a secondary test in the event of a false positive. I contacted the store asking for a possible refund as well as warning them that their fish were possibly contaminated. I was told I was "full of BS", this is not an embellishment, and that it "wasn't my fault I'd killed them". I asked what I was supposed to do in the event of KHV. The response I received from an employee was to lower the water temperature below 75 degrees and then my fish would be fine and I could add new fish. :eek1: Any hobbyist knows this is not true.

The owner has in the past PURPOSEFULLY bought sick fish and told his employees it was their job to make them better. Not only were the sick fish available for sale upon the day of arrival the employees are only allowed to use salt as a treatment. I have heard the owner yelling at his employees the above things. They were also yelled at for trying to formalin dip the fish before they were put into the runs as well as yelled at for feeding them. This was during store hours in front of patrons.

It has also been expressed rather loudly by the owner that sick fish will get better on their own. That's why his display fish often end up in the compost pile. Any hobbyist can look into the back pond and instantly see ulcers, tumors, and in some cases fish with dropsy.

When I went into the store a second time to try and get a refund or even store credit for the 180 dollars worth of fish I'd bought, that had been "quarantied to show KHV" I was told to leave immediately. I have since been informed by one of the store employees that I am not to enter the building, and should I do so I will immediately be escorted out.

saltiery
07-18-2008, 07:48 AM
so sad... I know there are more reputable sources in your area... When in doubt, don't buy! Visit often and watch. It will be pretty obvious if what they're "telling" you,is accurate.

simon
07-21-2008, 08:46 PM
That's too bad to hear. I used to visit that store (in Eugene, OR) if we're talking about the same store.

I never noticed a high turnover of their display fish indoors, but I do recall the various "runs" of fish bins in their back bldg as sharing common filtration bins.