Buying Major Aquarium Components
Something to consider before making that purchase.

There are some critical aquarium system components that must be 'up and running'. The primary filter or pump is definitely the most important. Without that, there is no gas exchange and oxygen levels quickly drop, causing a deadly situation.

On reef systems, with light dependent corals, lighting components are an important requirement and many corals must have light or they will start to die-off within days. A chiller is also a critical component on some reef systems and if it fails, water temperatures could quickly get too warm for sensitive corals.

When purchasing these components it is important to consider the benefits of buying from Beverly's Pet Center. Online discount sellers offer little or no warranty on these components. The best you can expect to get from an online seller is a 30 day warranty, but many offer no warranty at all. Warranty repair or replacement is handled by the manufacturer. The experience of getting warranty coverage from a manufacturer varies considerably from one to another, but is almost always a very time consuming process. When shipping a product back for warranty you will usually be required to return the product at your own cost. Manufacturer warranty replacements commonly take weeks or more.

If you come home today and find your pump has failed, you need a pump TODAY! This is why Beverly's offers a one year in-store warranty on all major electrical components. No worries, you will walk out with a working pump or a new pump and be back in business. The same goes for canister filters, hang-on filters, chillers, lights and more.

Unfortunately, there are some aquarium components that are prone to problems. If purchased locally from Beverly's a broken bulb in a new light fixture or a faulty thermostat in that new chiller is no problem. Those new thin T-5 bulbs break if you look at them too hard, let alone try to ship them across the country (no offense Fedex or UPS). Ever shipped a chiller back? You are looking at $50.00 or more in shipping!

We will always work hard to offer good low prices. We may not have that killer low price featured on getfishstuffcheap.com this week, BUT we will be there for you. You are not talking to someone with a headset,  sitting in a cubicle. We actually keep fish and corals. Lots of them! And we try out and use the products we sell every day. We have experienced, knowledgeable people on staff that can answer your questions, help you with set-up questions and if the worst does happen, replace a defective item immediately.

Sometimes saving a little money up-front may be more headache than it is really worth and at other times it could actually cost you more. If the pump you purchased 2 months ago fails, you could have to buy a new pump locally while you wait to get the faulty one replaced. Where is the savings there?

When it comes to mission critical components -  remember that price is not everything.