ReefingFun
Member
Decided to write down my experience with some Belgium shops that I had deals with in the last year. I realize there are very very few Dutchies on this forum, but for those of us trying to crawl our way out of the very low representation of reef keepers, here is a list of my experiences.
[*]De Siervis
-Located in Leuven, in the old shopping center. This store is absolute chaos. Electricity wires everywhere! I'm serious, you're lucky to get out alive sometimes, cause if one of those cables ever rips, he can close his store probably.
- Fish are fairly bad shape. When asking for information, he just tells you what you want to hear, knows jack all about SW tanks imho.
- Prices are never mentioned on the articles, you need to go ask it every time. Fairly expensive as well (45 euro for a normal Sera thermometer for example...)
Conclussion: Not worth going too, you're gonna be very disappointed when you get there.
[*]Rotselaar Aquarium
- Located in Rotselaar, next to the main highway. This store is very organised and clean looking.
- Male owner is the only one that knows SW aquarium stuff. His wife is only fresh water. Male one is never there on Thursday's.
- Very few fish, but those that they have are in decent shape.
- Almost no corals, perhaps 2-3 species.
- Prices are fair
- They will sell you used stuff for new, so be careful! Although they are polite and nice, they sold me fake live rock when I just started out with the hobby.
Conclusion: Faily nice beginner's shop, just be on your toes that they don't try to sell you stuff.
[*]Brussels Aquarium
- Very big SW division. Nice and healthy fish and corals. A lot of species.
- Fairly pricy compared to other shops.
- Born salesman! They ripped me off big time a couple of times, giving me totally wrong information with it!
- They will help you with w/e you want, but I'm not 100% sure that their information is accurate.
- Only 1 really nice guy that tries to help you out and not make money out of you.
Conclusion: Really nice store, a lot of choice, but ask around on forums first for information before you buy it there. EG: needs of x species of fish, they will sell you stuff you don't need, so ask around first.
[*]Hustinx Aquarium
- Looks like a small shop, but actually has the most for SW.
- Family store, past down in generations.
- Very friendly people there, specially Nick (if you ever go there, just ask for Nick).
- Giving you loads of accurate information (confirmed it by asking the same questions here on the forum).
- Prices are cheap imo. SW stuff is generally much more expensive in Europe than in the US, but they got fair prices tbh.
- Make their own custom aquariums, specifications of the customer.
- Negative point: Sometimes long waiting time on deliveries on live stock imo. Not sure how it elsewhere, but I got the feeling that it's fairly long here.
- Healthiest fish I've seen in a store so far. You see they get cared for with passion, owner's son's aquarium is in the shop itself as display aquarium, really nice!
- Loads of coral and frags, can always order if not in stock.
Conclusion: By far the best shop that I've found so far. There are actually very very few shops that have a SW division as it's not such a common hobby here (yet! Promoting it like crazy :bigbounce)
Hope this list helps a bit for those interested!
Feel free to add more please!
[*]De Siervis
-Located in Leuven, in the old shopping center. This store is absolute chaos. Electricity wires everywhere! I'm serious, you're lucky to get out alive sometimes, cause if one of those cables ever rips, he can close his store probably.
- Fish are fairly bad shape. When asking for information, he just tells you what you want to hear, knows jack all about SW tanks imho.
- Prices are never mentioned on the articles, you need to go ask it every time. Fairly expensive as well (45 euro for a normal Sera thermometer for example...)
Conclussion: Not worth going too, you're gonna be very disappointed when you get there.
[*]Rotselaar Aquarium
- Located in Rotselaar, next to the main highway. This store is very organised and clean looking.
- Male owner is the only one that knows SW aquarium stuff. His wife is only fresh water. Male one is never there on Thursday's.
- Very few fish, but those that they have are in decent shape.
- Almost no corals, perhaps 2-3 species.
- Prices are fair
- They will sell you used stuff for new, so be careful! Although they are polite and nice, they sold me fake live rock when I just started out with the hobby.
Conclusion: Faily nice beginner's shop, just be on your toes that they don't try to sell you stuff.
[*]Brussels Aquarium
- Very big SW division. Nice and healthy fish and corals. A lot of species.
- Fairly pricy compared to other shops.
- Born salesman! They ripped me off big time a couple of times, giving me totally wrong information with it!
- They will help you with w/e you want, but I'm not 100% sure that their information is accurate.
- Only 1 really nice guy that tries to help you out and not make money out of you.
Conclusion: Really nice store, a lot of choice, but ask around on forums first for information before you buy it there. EG: needs of x species of fish, they will sell you stuff you don't need, so ask around first.
[*]Hustinx Aquarium
- Looks like a small shop, but actually has the most for SW.
- Family store, past down in generations.
- Very friendly people there, specially Nick (if you ever go there, just ask for Nick).
- Giving you loads of accurate information (confirmed it by asking the same questions here on the forum).
- Prices are cheap imo. SW stuff is generally much more expensive in Europe than in the US, but they got fair prices tbh.
- Make their own custom aquariums, specifications of the customer.
- Negative point: Sometimes long waiting time on deliveries on live stock imo. Not sure how it elsewhere, but I got the feeling that it's fairly long here.
- Healthiest fish I've seen in a store so far. You see they get cared for with passion, owner's son's aquarium is in the shop itself as display aquarium, really nice!
- Loads of coral and frags, can always order if not in stock.
Conclusion: By far the best shop that I've found so far. There are actually very very few shops that have a SW division as it's not such a common hobby here (yet! Promoting it like crazy :bigbounce)
Hope this list helps a bit for those interested!
Feel free to add more please!
