Shops worth checking out for livestock?

[cjdevito]

Hi all.

I grew up in Brooklyn but spent the last ten years living in Los Angeles. Just moved back here a short time ago and I'm getting a tank set up. But I just can't seem to find an LFS worth making a trip to.

I admit - I'm spoiled. 10 years in LA means I'm used to places like Jeff's Exotic Fish, Aquarium City, Piece of the Reef, Aquatic Depot etc etc... places that are big and full to bursting with cheap livestock (no shipping costs, folks just drive over to the importers/wholesalers to grab their stock) of a very high quality.

Do we have any place comparable in the five boroughs? Someplace with a large livestock selection and lots of "cherry" pieces?

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

First and foremost welcome to Manhattan Reefs.

 

[DEEPWATER]

Hi CJ

Welcome to MR and Welcome Back

You are always welcome to come by my place and check out some nice stuff ,I can also order mostly anything you want livestock and drygood ,equpiment as well .Here a link to my forum ,Look through and see if you like anything http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/deepwater-extreme/



Welcome aboard

Ronen

 

[inkblue]

weLcome to tHe East Coast reeF... i tHink MR is tHe best source for inExpensive/heaLthy coraLs, difficuLt to find anY LFS that can compete.

 

[drunktank]

w/o starting a war on whos store is better, or having my post edited for my opinion on certain store's actions..

simple answer is no. I've yet to see a store in our area packed with healthy fish of all sizes and species, nor have i been to a store which carries ''cherry pieces''

I've stopped going to the retail stores, and decided to help the vendors on this site who actually care about the hobby,fish, and us- instead of $ and turn over.

 

[scarf_ace1981]

welcome.

i don't think you'll have anything in comparison to LA, here in NY. there are vendors on this forum that will try and help you get the fish or coral you are looking for(vendor's forum). you can also check the reviews section, which list some stores located in NY, NJ and LI. best of luck

 

[ANCHIENT MARINER]

welcom to M/R

 

[bad coffee]

CJD from Reefs.org? You mean I'll finally get to meet someone else besides Tangirl?

oh, btw, I'm Bingo over there at RDO.

Welcome to MR! Unfortunately, The shops here aren't that good. There are some that have great stuff, Like Country Critters on Long Island, but they're expensive.

New World Aquarium on 38th in Manhattan is decent sometimes. You have to ignore their elitist attitude you get from some of the guys working there. Some of the guys are cool. Overall, the store is OK. Once in a long while they'll have something really good. But I usually only shop there when I need dry goods faster than I can mail order.

There's a few other stores around that are okay. Petqua on 98th and Broadway, Fish town out in queens are two I've been to.

Lots of people here have corals up for trade. Plus, we have a big frag swap every now and then.

Welcome to the best damn reef club in the world.

B

 

[meschaefer]

There are some that have great stuff, Like Country Critters on Long Island, but they're expensive.

I think this is the only LFS worth its...umm... salt.

It's a about an hour east.

Welcome to MR

 

[ming]

Welcome

Considering you're spoiled from CA, if you want "cherry pieces", then your best bet is to trade with other members. Otherwise, you can expect to pay an arm and a leg here. But at least the choices of corals go up when you trade with other people because you can actually see the coral in the environment its been growing so its at its best.

 

[cjdevito]

Thanks for the welcome, everyone.

CJD from Reefs.org? You mean I'll finally get to meet someone else besides Tangirl?

Yep, it's me. Just to prove it, len's tank is a dirty, dirty lie

Welcome to MR! Unfortunately, The shops here aren't that good. There are some that have great stuff, Like Country Critters on Long Island, but they're expensive.

I've been there, but it must have been back around 1995 or so. Fish Town I remember from years and years ago as well. Is that place Terry & Craig used to hang out in flatbush still around? Can't recall the name, but they always seemed to speak well of it.

Welcome to the best damn reef club in the world.

Thanks - I have a sneaking suspicion I may have to resort to trolling for frags at some point, based on what I'm hearing about the local shops. I hate having stuff like xenia shipped.

Deepwater: Thanks, I'll definitely have to check you out.

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Hi there,

Welcome. I am the free minded crazy dude here and can hook you up with live rocks if you need them. So sad, you will find things in NY twice as expensive as down there.:shhh: :irked:

I asume you have last name of Devito, so do you relate to Louis Devito? I am his music fan.

 

[cjdevito]

Live rock I'm covered on, but thank you Wingo. As to the other, yep, I'm a DeVito - but sorry, no relation to Louis. Or to Danny, for that matter.

 

[beyondnp]

a few places near Flatbush (man to I miss Brooklyn).
New World Aquarium
1000 Island
Fish Expo
Brooklyn Zoo and Aquarium

My .02 cents
While all of these places are worth visiting, they arent nearly as high quality or will you find as much value as what is avail through this website and some of the local hobbyists on it. If your in Brooklyn, Ronen has always come through for me in the past and I know there are many others happy to help. Welcome!

 

[cali_reef]

CJ, I moved back from the Valley about 3 years ago. Nothing in the NY area can compare in price or selection.

Were you ever in MASLAC?

 

[cjdevito]

CJ, I moved back from the Valley about 3 years ago. Nothing in the NY area can compare in price or selection.

Ah well. I'd hoped we might have even just one or two shops like that here, but considering the LFS I've been wandering through hereabouts I'm not entirely surprised :/

Were you ever in MASLAC?

Avoided it like the plague, to be honest. I was around for MACNA 10 and between everything that went on with the old club and then the financial improprieties and it becoming the new club, it just kind of put me off.

Was good pals with a number of members of MASLAC and SCMAS though.

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

Almost impossible to find a shop that compares to LA for a few reasons:

1. Most shipments (with the exception of Red Sea and Carib stuff) arrive in LAX first, so most of the wholesale outfits are there.
2. The wholesellers get first dibs for their retail "outlets" and favorite wholesale customers.
3. Most transshippers AND wholesellers have an almost superstitious hate for shops on the East Coast, New York/NJ in particular. Every wholeseller I have ever dealt with has told me horror stories about how they were ripped off by multiple stores in the area.
4. Rent, taxes and expenses are incredibly high in NY, therefore, big places are much harder to afford.

The best place (in my opinion) closed recently. (NY Aqua in Mammaroneck)

-Alfred

 

[DEEPWATER]

a few places near Flatbush (man to I miss Brooklyn).
New World Aquarium
1000 Island
Fish Expo
Brooklyn Zoo and Aquarium

My .02 cents
While all of these places are worth visiting, they arent nearly as high quality or will you find as much value as what is avail through this website and some of the local hobbyists on it. If your in Brooklyn, Ronen has always come through for me in the past and I know there are many others happy to help. Welcome!

i would stay away from fish expo to $$$$$ and brklyn zoo is really not update with any saltwater fish or coral

1000 island is cool ,they have a good selection of fish and coral ,but you want t get to the LFS before they put stuff in thier tanks ,JMO

 

[ShaunW]

Welcome to MR!

Unfortunately everbody is correct in that there are no stores of comparison to what your use to, . We have tried to make up for that by having bi-annual fragswaps and having an extremely strong reef club here at Manhattanreefs.

 

[cali_reef]

Avoided it like the plague, to be honest. I was around for MACNA 10 and between everything that went on with the old club and then the financial improprieties and it becoming the new club, it just kind of put me off.

Was good pals with a number of members of MASLAC and SCMAS though.

The new MASLAC have nothing of the old. My wife was the membership Sec from 2002-2004, awesome club. Do you know Bill Crocket? He was a mod on RDC.