not impressed

[LIVINGART]

Appreciate the comments everyone.
At least 1/3 of all locally owned pet stores in the United States have closed within the last five years.
We're just doing our best to stick around.
Thanks for your ongoing business and support!

Paul
Living Art Aquarium

[jbm421]

I have never been there but hope to go soon!

[skanderson]

when i was doing a career search back in the late 70s, i was already hooked on fish, i noticed that pet stores had the greatest failure rate of any new business start up within 10 years of opening. the lowest failure rate for a new business was dental offices. im glad ive stayed on the outside of the counter in pet stores, excluding a few months one summer during college. keep up the good work paul.

[beansandmia]

I think all lfs have their ups and downs Aquatics Unlimited has flames for $69.99 but their cleaner shrimps are like $30. I bought a blue spotted jawfish from them for $120 which is around what you find them online with the exception of a few places and it's flawless in my opinion but they also have a 40% off sale every week that rotates with all products and livestock weekly at AU so there is always a time to go there for something in my case. You don't see a lot of lfs doing that do you?

Place still sucks anyway you want to try and sugar coat your purchases. 3 heads of duncans for over $100. The place is all yours buddy.

[jbm421]

I think all lfs have their ups and downs Aquatics Unlimited has flames for $69.99 but their cleaner shrimps are like $30. I bought a blue spotted jawfish from them for $120 which is around what you find them online with the exception of a few places and it's flawless in my opinion but they also have a 40% off sale every week that rotates with all products and livestock weekly at AU so there is always a time to go there for something in my case. You don't see a lot of lfs doing that do you?

Place still sucks anyway you want to try and sugar coat your purchases. 3 heads of duncans for over $100. The place is all yours buddy.

Like I said before some things are outrageous and some not that bad not trying to sugar coat my purchases it is what it is if you don't like it don't go I just said in my case it worked for me!

[Patrick]

This thread is for Living Art, isnt it? Lets keep it that way, I think you guys pretty well beat this horse to death .
Keep bringing in the crazy sh*t Paul, thats what keeps us coming back! ... Well at least me.

[ziggy_impy]

Just had to throw it out there. A buddy and I drive almost 3 hours to come and check out Living Art every once in a while. Every time we leave with at least one nice coral. Just like what is being said already...Prices are prices. I rather drive down to Madison and pay the price to see the sweet coral I am getting rather than chance a cheaper coral online and not know what you are really getting. And did I mention... the service is awesome at Living Art. These guys know what they are talking about and we are always happy when we leave there. Like stated above.. keep getting in those sweet corals and we'll keep driving down to Madison to buy them!

[LIVINGART]

Thanks everybody!

[PinkLady]

I'm still only a year into saltwater keeping but my family has been into fish for over 30 years, and I've been carted to just about every specialty fish store in southern Wisconsin since I was little. Jack's on the west side of Madison was my dad's staple store, and while his prices weren't dirt cheap, his animals were incredible and his knowledge was priceless. That is what we paid for -- the experience, the quality, and the expertise. The same goes for why I do 99% of my shopping at Living Art -- the quality of the animals provided, the care they are given while in residence at the store, the experience of great customer service, and the knowledge I've learned from Paul and his staff. I paid a bit more for the fish I have but they are thriving, fat, healthy, and gorgeous. I get to sit on my couch after a long day at work and watch my tank glow with life, all because of what I've learned and picked up from Living Art. They are an asset to our hobby and I hope to see them around for a long while.

[gem_nut85]

I agree prices can be steep, then again waiting for the sales and knowing that no matter what happens to your tank or fish you can trust the advice of your lfs is something important, where i can take a picture in to them and they know what to help with is sometimes pricless. yes there isn't really compitition like them in madison, heck i'f NEVER buy fish or coral from pet world and animart used to be great but unless you get the animal out of the bag directly your going to get "issues" mainly aipstia with the animal, and i've been to all the other stores as well, but i understand disapointment of driving and hour or more and they have nothing you want, happened going to milwaukee . I have to say of course have to plan to save up for your fish and you could have called ahead and gotten prices too, but the truth is yes you might find the same fish elsewhere for less, but do are you guarnteed where they got it, for that price! YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU GET absolutely! if they're selling that item for below average then there may be something wrong, or they;ll probably would be bankrupt not making enough profit which recently has happened to a few. On another note to paul, you should totally get a simple site store website up and runny, i thought at one time there was one but not now, would totally get the pic.s and inventory out there.

[LIVINGART]

A website is truly in the works now.....
I met w/our website extraordinaire last week and the balls rolling.
It may be a month or two, but at least we're finally working on it.
The website is just what we need, thanks for the input!
Paul
Living Art Aquarium

[nemo]

I stopped in the living art aquarium i had my two kids with too i liked stuff the prices werent too much higher than pet stores but the place is way too small for the business they had that day....maybe i just picked a bad day(saturday afternoon) but i dont think i will ever go there again.

[Anupam]

Glad to hear Living Art are going to have a decent web site.

Their prices might be a little high but it's the premium one pays for great service and advice. I've bought mostly planted aquarium stuff from them and they've always taken my extra plants and sometimes fish. In fact, a couple of times I've had to ask them to offer LESS store credit for the stuff I was giving them. And they've never hesitated to let me know when the quality of fish in a tank is below par or under treatment. Few chain stores will do that and none of the fish stores around Madison come even close to the kind of advice that you will get from them. Their planted tank guy (Patrick?) knows his stuff, and has offered me invaluable advice with some difficult plants. As I venture into saltwater, I do believe I'll get similar guidance from them.

[sslak]

I just wanted to add this:

Living Art is the ONLY fish store I've ever been to where an employee recommended that I NOT buy a fish because he wasn't sure it was completely healthy. He actually pointed out a small injury the fish had that I didn't notice.

That alone will keep me coming back.

[SeeingGreen]

Nemo:

It was raining this weekend, which seems to make everyone go fish shopping.
Plus this weekend was Crazylegs, so you are looking at more people being in town than the average.


Really give them another shot. You just happened to hit a perfect storm of crowd causing.