Upon a tip about Valley Pets in Fountain, CO just south of the Springs I made the long trip down to check it out. The rumor was this LFS was struggling and may go out of business. From what I can tell and without talking to management, the store is hanging on just fine. The smell of reptiles and feeders was much more prevalent this time, but other than that, the fish dept. looks good. The aquatic plants were mostly sold out and what remained looked sad. The fish though are healthy and the tanks are mostly all stocked. Same goes for the dry goods and new tanks for sale. I did not even take pictures because I see no reason when the store looks much the same as it did on my last visit. If I lived in the area I would not hesitate to shop here.
The other LFS in Colorado Springs are status quo as well. I did not visit Tropical Treasures, but the two other stores ReefKoi and Seascapes both are about the same as last visit. They both look good and while the selection is no where as good as the stores in the Denver Metro, they are clean and the livestock healthy. So they get my class A rating. It is up to you whether you take the long drive from the Springs to Denver just to get fish, coral, or plants. If I was into aquascaping and lived in the Springs I would be taking the drive up to Aqua Rocks.
While I am grateful, I don’t live in the Springs, if I did, I would be shopping locally till my hobby lead me beyond the average LFS. So, there you go, an honest update on the second largest city in Colorado. Stay tuned for a blog on Aqua Culture which has made some nice improvements.
Sequoia Elisabeth
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