Ultimate Fish

[Bluefyre_Rob]

We are so blessed to have someone like Alex, who over the years has made the imports, listened to all of us, and still maintains a business. You should consider yourself lucky to be able to go into his store and "handpick" the fish you want. I do...

+1

Had to reply to stand up for Alex. Ultimate's a long way from me. I've been going there a few times a year since around 2000. After G. Ubulu sold me my first trophs, Alex helped me out with them. Actually helped me out may not be the best way of putting it . He pretty much got me addicted. Yes, it's his fault! Oh... well, I digress...

Whenever I go to Ultimate and he's there, he always goes out of his way to say hello and ask about my fish. I honestly have not bought a lot of stuff from him over the years, just here and there, but that doesn't seem to matter. I appreciate that in a business owner. And it is good to be able to go there and hand pick something that may be pricey, but the quality's rock solid.

We are fortunate to have so many quality LFS in the area. You can go into any of them and find problems of one sort or another. Ultimate is no different. And it's expensive there. But it's still one of the top stores around here IMO.

[geoff_tropheus]

geoff pm sent

I never got anything, was it important?

[Delock]

He set part of the foundation. Know everyone else is putting up the frame and starting to close the house up.


But when you adjust to a growing market you succeed. NLS for starters!

[geoff_tropheus]

That's great there are more, fantastic its what makes this country great. Capitalism.

Just dont forget who paved the way, who set the standard.

Alex is a hobbyist too, sometimes business sense and hobbyist sense conflict with each other.

[Delock]

hmm tnt, global, fish r us (both locations). You praised this dude so keep on trucking.

[geoff_tropheus]

You can go to any store to pick a fish, but how many stores can you hand pick WC Trophs and Petros in? Extreme Fish and Pets, only other one I know and he just started doing so in the last year or so.

[TaTeR ToT]

geoff pm sent

[Delock]

I somewhat concur with the above poster...


But I must interject some things.

I have known Alex since the late eighties early nineties. Over time I felt his desire to make a dollar overcame his desire for the common hobbyist. From the apartment to the fist store to the current location he have lost something. And what he have lost was a lot of great customers. As competition increase with more people being able to get Tangs he never adjusted to capture the market. Thus he is starting to become obsolete. a few points I want to throw out there. I paid less for true wc trophs back in the days vs what he charge in the store now. His filtration is in a great need of an upgrade. Hell if a guy have a better setup in a garage them a retailer something is wrong. And this is a reason I'm really hesitant of buying fish from there. a few members have seen me walk out of a store due to poor filtration. And I know that what I have said before about Alex's on here find a way of getting back to him. So whomever feel the need to run to Alex do so. I speak as a hobbyist and a consumer before anything else.

And I think you can go to any store and hand pick a fish!

[geoff_tropheus]

I was in there yesturday and handpicked a female Trewavasae for purchase. I would have purchased more had I more QT space.

I have been a customer of Alex's since 2002, and if it were not for him about a good 1/3 of my knowledge would be hard knocks. Alex has done a tremendous amount for the husbandry of these fishes, and has tried to operate a store in doing so. There is a huge difference in having a store where all kinds of people can walk in, hand pick their fish, and walk out with some kind of satisfaction versus one that just orders these fishes from the internet.

There were some beautiful Ilangi, Red Rainbows, Red & Yellow Kachese, Maswa, Moliro, mpulungu, and Trewavasae in his store for sale. He is a bastion of knowledge and someone I have trusted for years.

His Petrochromis Bulu Points are his fish. What he has chosen to do with them is entirely his business. I wish in the 4 years or so he has had them that he could have spent the resources to get them to breed, but for what ever reason he did not. I believe if he had made the time, they would have. They are F1 fish that still have plenty of time left in them for breeding. If he chooses to sell them, then I would do all I could to buy them. If he does not, then fine by me, it gives me a lot of joy in just seeing them. I wish they were in my 300 gallon breeding like rabbits, but they are not.
Its good to dream, it keeps us alive.

We are so blessed to have someone like Alex, who over the years has made the imports, listened to all of us, and still maintains a business. You should consider yourself lucky to be able to go into his store and "handpick" the fish you want. I do...

[myjohnson]

+2

[gotticgs]

Most of us want NLS so sell your customers what they want. They must not be able to make money on it. I do not bad mouth retailers on the box. I let my money do my talking. Nobody is dogging ultimate it's just sad to see the bulu's wasting away though.

+1

[fshfrk]

Most of us want NLS so sell your customers what they want. They must not be able to make money on it. I do not bad mouth retailers on the box. I let my money do my talking. Nobody is dogging ultimate it's just sad to see the bulu's wasting away though.

[Delock]

lol why is everyone dogging on Ultimate Fish?

his fish are always healthy and show quality. his prices aren't a bargain, but they're competitive with other LFS, especially considering he's always got those hard-to-find Tangs or Malawis.

not true

[CichlidFan]

Well, that's kind of my point, for the price he wants for some of his fish, they might as well be back in Africa, because I can't afford them...but that's just me, I know they will be sold to someone eventually.

I can be thankful that I at least get to see them in person now and then.

CF

[jughead]

if its the only place in town where you can get a certain species,worry less about the
price and just be thankful he's bringing them in.