Greetings and Thank You

[Back in the fold]

Yes it is. I used to buy my fish/herp stuff from Heights Pet Center, and was totally bummed they were closed when I started looking for fish/plants again. Thank goodness for TS. I hope they're open and thriving for a long time (idiot drivers and burglars notwithstanding).

I hadn't thought about The Tropical Shop in a long time...wow. Blast from the past!

Are you kidding me ? Heights Pet Center closed up ? My best friend and mentor used to work there after he retired from the Navy. Do you remember Greg ? Ron and Patty ran a great pet shop and then they turned it over to their son a few years back , or so I heard. I’m out past 32nd Street West so I never get out to the Heights anymore. Ron was the go to guy for reef and marine. If they’re closed then that’s a great loss.
Yeah, I hope the drunks can keep from running through the walls at Treasure State from now on. That guy has an amazing shop and he’s weathered Covid and mayhem and he’s also in the old Bonanza Health Foods building which can’t be cheap. I’ve been keeping fish since 1965 and have seen lots of pet shops come and go here in Billings and Treasure State is the best ever hands down.
Do you remember that Ben had two locations for the Tropical Shop ? First he was down on 8th and Grand by the Holiday and then moved up to 13th and Grand. I wonder whatever happened to Terry that worked there ? I think I heard he passed away but he was pretty young.

 

[Jamie D.]

Are you kidding me ? Heights Pet Center closed up ? My best friend and mentor used to work there after he retired from the Navy. Do you remember Greg ? Ron and Patty ran a great pet shop and then they turned it over to their son a few years back , or so I heard. I’m out past 32nd Street West so I never get out to the Heights anymore. Ron was the go to guy for reef and marine. If they’re closed then that’s a great loss.
Yeah, I hope the drunks can keep from running through the walls at Treasure State from now on. That guy has an amazing shop and he’s weathered Covid and mayhem and he’s also in the old Bonanza Health Foods building which can’t be cheap. I’ve been keeping fish since 1965 and have seen lots of pet shops come and go here in Billings and Treasure State is the best ever hands down.
Do you remember that Ben had two locations for the Tropical Shop ? First he was down on 8th and Grand by the Holiday and then moved up to 13th and Grand. I wonder whatever happened to Terry that worked there ? I think I heard he passed away but he was pretty young.

I'm sure I probably saw Greg/knew him by sight, but I don't remember the name. I was in there weekly for crickets and worms when I had herps, because they were the best place in town for such things (I live on the west end too, not quite as far out as you, but just east of 24th). I bought my big goldfish aquarium there, and my lovely goldies, plus really nice plants (that my goldies delighted in eating, mostly). I drove out a few months back when I was just starting to get into fish again, and was really surprised that they weren't there anymore - someone told me they retired and just closed up.

I was pretty young when The Tropical Shop was around...my dad got his fish supplies there (he's always been more into reef tanks), and I remember going in and gawking at all the fish with him. It was always a really fun outing, but I didn't keep fish on my own until my mid-20's, which would have been in the late 90's. I think it was gone by then, unfortunately.

 

[Back in the fold]

@Jamie D. I wonder if you’re that one kid . Once some kid came into HPC and asked Ron if he could get a cricket for his Anole. Ron couldn’t take it and handed him off to Greg. If this sounds weird then I guess you’d a had to of been there.

 

[jaylach]

@Jamie D. I wonder if you’re that one kid . Once some kid came into HPC and asked Ron if he could get a cricket for his Anole. Ron couldn’t take it and handed him off to Greg. If this sounds weird then I guess you’d a had to of been there.

LOL! That brings back memories! When I had my 'heavy' cichlid tank in Ohio in the 1980's my kid's friends would go out in the local fields to catch crickets to feed my fish. I had Blue and Yellow Acara, Jack Dempsey, Green Terror and convicts along with a rope fish. These fish LOVED crickets! Most of the fish would actually eat the crickets from the kid's fingers especially the rope.

 

[Back in the fold]

@jaylach I want to try feeding live crickets. I think they’re relatively cheap and they come in sizes from very small on up. All bagged up and ready to go.

 

[Jamie D.]

@Jamie D. I wonder if you’re that one kid . Once some kid came into HPC and asked Ron if he could get a cricket for his Anole. Ron couldn’t take it and handed him off to Greg. If this sounds weird then I guess you’d a had to of been there.

Nope - wasn't me! I'm female, for one thing. LOL And I had a variety of lizards, but no anoles.

A friend of mine has a cichlid tank...she buys rosy minnows for them. I should tell her to try the small crickets. Bet they'd be a hit!

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

@Jamie D. !
Funny that you and @Back in the fold are neighbours! That's pretty cool. I wanna come hang out and talk fish! It's a bit far though...

You can definitely learn a lot from lurking, but even more so when you can join in threads and pick people's brains directly! You clearly have lots of experience, so can offer help to others too, which is always great to have more hobbyists around who can help people who are new to the hobby or having a crisis.

@jaylach I sneakily kept a trio of rats in my dorm when I was in college, and one summer we were inundated with crickets, and my friend discovered my rats loved to snatch and eat live crickets when offered. Was sorta grim in a way, but the plague of crickets got so annoying, that I didn't object too much. The rats made short work of them for sure.

 

[Back in the fold]

@Jamie D. Where does your friend get those minnows ?

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Welcome! Always nice to have another westerner on the forum! Looking forward to seeing your tanks.

 

[Rocky998]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[jaylach]

Nope - wasn't me! I'm female, for one thing. LOL And I had a variety of lizards, but no anoles.

A friend of mine has a cichlid tank...she buys rosy minnows for them. I should tell her to try the small crickets. Bet they'd be a hit!

I have yet to meet a cichlid that would not scarf down crickets. Still one has to remember that you don't just buy a bag of the beasties and toss in a cabinet. Even though they will be used as food they are still living creatures and must be kept as such including an enclosure and food. Also has to be considered that if they get loose they can be a problem. Still they are an exceptional food source.

 

[Jamie D.]

@Jamie D. Where does your friend get those minnows ?

I think she buys them from the feeder tank at Petsmart. Probably not something I'd choose, but...she's not picky.

I have yet to meet a cichlid that would not scarf down crickets. Still one has to remember that you don't just buy a bag of the beasties and toss in a cabinet. Even though they will be used as food they are still living creatures and must be kept as such including an enclosure and food. Also has to be considered that if they get loose they can be a problem. Still they are an exceptional food source.

Yep - I used to have cricket tanks and beetle drawers for my herps when I was single. My husband isn't okay with that, so I don't keep anything that requires crickets anymore. Pity, because I really miss fire-bellied toads.

I am going to try to start a blackworm colony if I can get my hands on some. I don't think he'll say much about that, since they won't jump around much if they get out of their jar.

 

[Jamie D.]

Thanks all! It's been a nutty week, so not much time, but maybe I can get a few pics up this weekend. I was going to try to get a decent pic of my frog tank for the contest.

 

[Jamie D.]

@Jamie D. !
Funny that you and @Back in the fold are neighbours! That's pretty cool. I wanna come hang out and talk fish! It's a bit far though...

You can definitely learn a lot from lurking, but even more so when you can join in threads and pick people's brains directly! You clearly have lots of experience, so can offer help to others too, which is always great to have more hobbyists around who can help people who are new to the hobby or having a crisis.

I wish you could come talk fish too! But, that's what we're all doing here, right?

I will probably be asking all sorts of questions when I get to the cherry barb part of my stocking...my experience is limited mostly to fancy goldfish, plecos and bettas, and aside from a few live bearers, I've had terrible luck with small fish (no neon tetras here, ever!). But I'll definitely jump in and offer help where I can, too!