Fish Ranch II

[TaTeR ToT]

well, i went there today, at around 5:30pm, and was very pleasd, mike was very helpful as always, and suprisingly so was the other dude who P***ed me off, so i was like rock on, i picked up some hikari algae wafers and stocked up on hikari bio pure frozen foods, and also came out with a really nice little juvie geophagus brasiliensis for a SWEET PRICE!!!:)
so i am very happy, i also asked mike if he culd order more daemon, and he said he will try as soon as they become available:)
so double yay:)
i also picked up about 50 ghost shrimp, which my eartheaters LOVE!!!
and which hardly anyone else carries for the price mike does, all in all, very pleasing experience, i didnt get into the personal story, cause i didnt have time, but i am very pleased i gave them a second chance, i will continue giving them my buiseness for as long as these kinds of visits keep comin:)

[newb]

I have always enjoyed this store. I started out as a SA/CA kinda guy and this was definately the best in town for those fish. Mike is always very welcoming and he actually recognizes me, which is the best customer service someone can give. He is actually the reason I got into severums in the first place. I see a few negatives with the store, but for the most part I would give them a strong 8 out of 10.

[jeebus]

I posted this last fall:

It should be worth noting that we (my wife, kiddo, & I) went by what we thought was the "Fish Ranch" today on Larkwood. I can only judge based on how everyone described it when Charles was there (as I had never been there before today), but the store is in horrible shape. ALL, yes ALL the tanks were filthy, the fish looked miserable, and the store was just dirty. I mean no disrespect to the current owners, but I can not give you an endorsement to anyone to shop there after what I saw today.

Worst of all was that the staff seemed not the least bit concerned with the condition of their store. EVERY fish store I've went into in Houston, no matter the time of day or day of the week, I can 100% always find someone cleaning a tank, or changing water, or doing something constructive to the health and up-keep of the store. This was visibly absent today.

It was shameful to say the least. Of course after reading this thread tonight I know the whole story of the Fish Ranch, and will be making a little trip out to Rosenberg to see Charles' store soon.

We went back today and it was MUCH improved. I think it has a LONG way to go, but it was a much more enjoyable experience. I think what is lacking there is hard work though. It seems the owner is content to just leave the place in mediocre shape. Its a shame, because of all the LFS in the Houston area, I see this one easily having the most potential.

Hopefully things will continue to improve! :emt_thumbs:

[imagirlgeek]

Cut Mike some slack. He's busting his butt trying to reverse all the damage that was done by the previous owner.

[Rico]

It's still my number one spot for fish.

Cichlid lovers he just told me yesterday that he has REAL red terrors on the way. im getting at least 6 of them.

[eklikewhoa]

+1, for those that know what that store has been through its been improving! Also the economy is probably not helping it recover any faster.

[newb]

speaking of this store...I was at the Astros game tonight and ran into the European guy that works there(I know his name but have no clue how to spell it). He was the one noticed me, and even came up and said hello. I thought that was really cool of him and showed good customer knowledge.

[Rico]

speaking of this store...I was at the Astros game tonight and ran into the European guy that works there(I know his name but have no clue how to spell it). He was the one noticed me, and even came up and said hello. I thought that was really cool of him and showed good customer knowledge.

the guy with the tattoos? he's got a good memory. he can remember just about every fish I have purchased from that place.

[Krisvalkyrie]

So he has scarlet badis in? I want more for my 20 Gal long... does he have any females?

[nacra99]

Come on guys, Mike is still paying off the debts that the previous owner dumped on him, and this is no chump change.... The previous owner ran the place into the ground, if you remember what the place looked like a year ago, you'll know what he did to the place.

In light of this, he has done an excellent job getting FR2 back on its feet. Sure there's always room for improvement but compare the place to how it looked a year ago. We should be thankful that FR2 continues to even exist after all that happened.

If you doubt mike's intention for that place, go talk to him and ask him what he plans to do with area up front (by the huge grouper), or the area to the rear of the FW section, or the large piece of land next to the building, and you'll see his passion to see FR2 improve and succeed.

I believe that if he didn't sell the place to the previous owner in the first place, the current FR2 might look very different.

[imagirlgeek]

So he has scarlet badis in? I want more for my 20 Gal long... does he have any females?

He did when I was in there....and yes on the females.

[Kiovo]

that huge grouper scared the heck out of me! i just walked by and was peering in since it was dark and all of a sudden there it was just staring back at me!

[jeebus]

I want to wrestle with that thing.

[eklikewhoa]

I want to wrestle with that thing.

+1

[supadave]

I want to wrestle with that thing.

+1

I can only imagine having that thing on the end of my fishing line.