mygolfisslow Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Each week my fiance and I try to find new fish stores to explore, but it's always hit or miss and it is difficult to find new stores to go to. As a service to my fellow reefers, I wanted to put this list together to take some of the guess work out of fish store hunting. I will continue to add on as we find more stores, hopefully this will be a useful resource, at least to those living in New England. Aqua Dreams 8 Southwick Street Feeding HIlls, MA 01030-2024 (413) 786-1000 http://aqua-dreams.com/ This store is clean and very well maintained. They have a nice selection of corals, although I find it to be a bit pricey. They do have good sales and special offers if you are on their e-mail list. Their dry goods are about the same, good selection but you can find cheaper. Their fish selection is pretty standard; clowns, cardinals, wrasses, etc. but they do seem healthy if that's what you're looking for. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful, although not especially outgoing. Overall a good store, definitely worth a visit, and on the right day you can find some very cool stuff. Fish Frenzy 246 East Street Ludlow, MA 01056 (413) 610-0700 http://www.fishfrenzyonline.com This is one of my most commonly visited stores, because the owner, Ed, is pretty much amazing. If you are willing to spend some time poking around this store, you can find just about anything! It may be a little disorganized, and the tanks are not sparkling, but I have never been disappointed with a purchase. Over the past seven years of shopping here, I have not lost a single fish or coral from him. There's generally a good selection of corals, fish, inverts and dry goods and his prices are very reasonable. Ed is one of the most honest businessmen you will find, if he is having an issue with a tank, he will not let you purchase anything from that tank. He will go above and beyond for his friends, and will give his time, experience and advice to everyone. He also takes risks with his purchases, so you can find some really unusual things on the right day. If you are in the market, Ed also has a very nice selection of freshwater fish, plants and supplies. Definitely worth a trip, Ed is a nice guy and an excellent resource and his store is very cool. Mark's Aquarium and Reef 1889 Memorial Drive Chicopee, MA 01020-3160 (413) 315-8424 I think I went to this store on the wrong day, because he was pretty low on stock. However, the owner was very friendly, helpful and definitely knowledgeable. He knows most of the other shop owners in the area and seems to be very involved in the local reef scene. I am definitely going to make another trip there, and will report more about his inventory. Puppy Center 1148 New Britain Avenue West Hartford, CT 06110 (860) 232-8888 http://puppycenterandaquarium.com/ I live about an hour from this store, but I still drive down about once a month. They have a very wide selection of just about everything, including PUPPIES!!! Ok, but seriously, this is a great store. They have frags in a variety of sizes, so it is easy to find something in your price range. They also have a large variety of fish and inverts that all seem very healthy. Some of the equipment is a bit pricey for me but other supplies, such as salt, are super cheap so it evens out. The staff is helpful and friendly, and they definitely know their stuff. They will give you a pretty fair bit of credit for trade-ins. They have a nice section of fresh water stuff as well, and general pet supplies (and puppies), and even a fridge full of tasty local sodas! Stop by if you are in the area, it is definitely a good store. Emmons Tropical Fish and Pond Center 1612 Hopmeadow Street Simsbury Center, CT 06070-1448 (860) 658-5401 http://www.emmonstropicalfishandpond.com/ Emmons has a very good selection of fish, but the tanks are somewhat crowded and are definitely medicated (the owner is up front about this, so I do not say that as a negative). This can cause some problems, as I'm sure most of you know, and I have had successes and failures with fish bought from Emmons. He doesn't usually have a whole lot of coral, but there is some, and there are usually some unusual inverts to be found. The staff is very nice and very helpful, and the prices are reasonable. There is a secret room upstairs (well not really secret, but you need to know it's there) where he has a ton of tanks and other larger equipment. They have an amazing selection of fresh water fish and plants, and in the spring and summer it is the place to go for pond stuff. Eddie's Aquarium Centre Inc. 1254 Loudon Road Cohoes, NY 12047 (518) 783-3474 http://www.eddiesaqua.com/ We ventured out to this store a couple weeks back after reading some excellent reviews. It certainly was impressive, very clean, well maintained, and well organized. They have a very large selection of equipment and supplies, for both salt and freshwater tanks. Wide variety of fish, as well as a few tanks of inverts. They have some coral, only two tanks though and the selection wasn't amazing. I have to point out, that the staff (or at least the guy who was helping us) had no clue. When I asked him what the ORA frags in one of the tanks were called, he said, "oh the ones on the blue plugs? yeah, those are $40". This was after we had to take a number in order to get any help (they won't even talk to you if your number hasn't been called. It's like an aquarium deli). Needless to say, I was somewhat aggravated by this store, but I bought a mystery ORA frag and a small rock with some cool zoas and headed home. Next morning, I look in my tank and the ORA frag is covered in red bugs. A quick dip and crisis averted, but I will not be making a trip back to Eddie's. Jay's Aquatics 10 Lawrence Road Salem, NH 03079 (603) 893-8126 http://www.jaysaquatics.net/ This store is one of the best I've been to. I drive 2 hours to go here... regularly. Enough said, right? First of all, it is nice and big, so they have tons of stuff but it's not hard to pick through. Excellent selection of corals, all different sizes and prices, there's really something for every tank. They also have a great selection of fish and inverts, more variety than the standards, though they have your classics as well. Good supply of dry goods and equipment, also at good prices, and just about every piece of plumbing you could ask for. They have a huge flat tank of live rock, in a variety of sizes and some interesting shapes. The people there are very experienced, knowledgeable, and friendly. I highly recommend this place, it's fantastic! Aqua Addicts 52 Lowell Road Salem, NH 03079 (603) 890-0011 http://www.aquaaddicts.com/ This store was pretty cool, they had some fish and a lot of corals. Some equipment, mostly higher end stuff but they seemed knowledgeable about it. I haven't bought anything from them yet, so I can't speak to the health of the livestock directly, but everything looked pretty good. They have a really nice show tank, that obviously gets a lot of love. Also, the most hugely gigantic pair of tomato clowns I have ever seen! Worth checking out, we'll probably stop by again and give some more details. Lovely Pets Aquarium 69 Parkingway St Quincy, MA 02169 (617) 786-1898 http://www.lovelypets.com/ Hidden in a basement, under a nondescript building in the shadow of a massive parking garage in Quincy MA, lies one of the coolest fish stores on the east coast. It's a bit difficult to get to, but well worth it. Huge variety, and some really unusual finds if you're there on the right day. The tanks are clean and well maintained. The fish are healthy, and have plenty of room, which is surprising since the shop is in, well, a basement. Great selection of corals, all of which seem healthy (I haven't bought anything recently but have had success in the past). Good selection of dry goods and equipment as well as a lot of good live rock. Very cool store, run by very cool people. Trop Isle Aquarium 4 Pierce Street Framingham, Ma 01701 (508) 875-5303 http://www.tropicisleaquarium.com/ This store has an amazing selection of everything you might need. Supplies, equipment (lots of brands and even some used stuff), tanks and tanks and tanks of fish and inverts, a couple of large frag tanks, and a couple of beautiful show tanks in the front (and yes, they are the sort of show tanks where the stuff is for sale). It's actually kind of ridiculous how many tanks they are operating, tens of thousands of gallons I'm sure. And speaking of tanks, they have a huge selection for sale, one of the largest selections I've seen, lots of different shapes and sizes, with stands and accessories to go along. Prices are pretty good, and the staff is really nice. There always seem to be a ton of people working there, or maybe there's just a bunch of guys who hang out there so much that they end up helping customers, I'm not exactly sure. In any case, they're friendly and knowledgeable. Check it out, I like them a lot. Krystal Clear Aquatics 700 Southbridge St. Auburn, MA 01501 (508) 832-2777 http://www.krystalclearaquatics.com/ Every time I visit this store, they seem to have grown an extra room full of beautiful tanks. It's a pretty new store, but the people who run it have many years of experience in the fish world. The guy (Roger?) knows just about everything there is to know about plumbing, and could probably answer any question you throw at him. Everyone at Krystal Clear is really friendly and helpful, and if they don't have the answer you need they will find the right person to ask (see note about the owner). They have a pretty good selection of corals and fish, and some really beautiful clams. Pretty good selection of supplies and equipment as well. They're prices are reasonable, and they seem to stock everything regularly. This is really an excellent store run by excellent people. Swamp Bottom's Exotic Aquatics 126 South Main Street Lanesboro, Ma. 01237 (413) 442-6725 http://swampbottomsexoticaquatics.com/ I'll be honest, I don't know a whole lot about this store, and I have never actually purchased anything there, but i do stop by occasionally, if I am in the area, and it is pretty cool. A couple of frag tanks, the last time I was there they had a bunch of zoas but not a whole lot of corals, although there were some. They have some fish and inverts, including the largest mantis shrimp I've ever seen (it was maybe 6 inches long, and more than a little creepy). They also have some fresh water stuff, fish and plants and such. Fintastic Aquariums, LLC 24 Birch Street Manchester CT 06040 (860) 643-6200 1 (888) 596-5221 http://www.fintasticaquariums.com/index.html We went to this store for the first time today, but they are in the middle of a move (I guess they've got a better/bigger location around the corner). So, I can't really do them justice in this review because they were really low on everything. What they did have (4 tanks of corals and about 12 each of salt and fresh water fish) seemed to be in pretty good condition, they had a lot of zoas but not a ton of variety this visit. The guy working there was super nice, and apologized for the low stock. Apparently they have a big setup/leasing/maintenance business going, or at least that's what it looks like from their website. So, we will be making another trip to Fintastic once they are moved in to their new location, it definitely has potential as a pretty cool store. Aquatic Wildlife 179D Deming St, Manchester, CT 06042 (860) 648-1166 http://aquaticwildlifecompany.net/index.html This shop is very clean and organized, with an excellent selection of dry goods. Lots of tanks and equipment for sale, and some really nice display tanks. Even if you don't buy anything this is a fun store to visit, and the staff is very friendly and helpful. The owner is usually there and seems pretty nice, he is usually chatting with everyone and making people feel welcome. They have a nice variety of fish, although the last time I was there they were all far too large for my tank (45 gal). I will say that the coral selection can be hit or miss, although the stuff that they have is nice quality. Our first visit we got some really nice frags that have flourished in the tank at home. This last visit, however, there was not a whole lot of coral to choose from. So, give them a visit for dry goods, or for some larger fish, or just because it's a nice shop, and if you're there on the right day you might find some great corals at very reasonable prices. Magic Pet Shop 1107 Silas Deane Hwy Wethersfield, CT 06109 (860) 563-3836 http://www.mymagicpet.net/ Don't let the smell of small furry rodents stop you from checking out this store. I guess they used to be solely fish and other pets, but have recently been developing their coral selection. The guy we talked to has been working there for about 6 months, cultivating the coral tanks. He was super nice and talkative, as well as extremely knowledgeable. He had a couple pieces that he was bringing back to life for customers, definitely a good guy to have as a resource. He had two massive grow out tanks (best kiddie pools ever!) in the back room, his own mini aquaculture farm. So, overall they had a decent selection of fish and inverts, the coral selection is still being developed, though the stuff they've got is nice. This visit they had some really nice LPS, including some gorgeous challices, and a couple tanks full of softies. They had one tank of SPS so far, and only large colonies that were pretty expensive (although beautiful and well priced for what they were, maybe next time they will have a tank of smaller SPS frags). I have hope for this store, I think with the influence of their new coral guy they will become truly awesome. I will definitely be returning. Exotic Superpet 842 Silver Lane East Hartford, CT 06118-1228 (860) 569-0200 http://exoticpet.com/ I'm not sure why I didn't like this store, they had a decent selection of dry goods and fish, and an ok selection of corals, prices were high but not unheard of, staff seemed like they knew what was going on, and it was pretty well organized. Maybe it was just the feel of the store, it was like an overpriced dollar store for marine wildlife, which was just not right. If Petco is the Wal-Mart of pet stores, then this place felt like the Big Lots. And I can't even articulate why... ah well, you win some you lose some right? Also, the location of this store is seriously sketchy, and it is right next to a discount fish and chips place... not a good sign. Animal Crackers 44 Deerfield St Greenfield, MA 01301 (413) 774-7346 http://animalcrackersinc.com/ If you are in the neighborhood, stop by this little store. They're not huge, but they pack some really nice stuff into their small space. Most of the business seems to come from their dog-grooming service and other fuzzy pet sales, but they have a few tanks in the back with some nice fish and corals. The selection varies as most of the corals have been grown out in customer tanks, but they're pretty inexpensive and always healthy. The people are really nice, and usually have time to chat with you. It is just an overall fun place to visit. It is the closest store to where I live, and they usually have whatever I am looking for. Good people, good place. Link to comment
animalmaster6 Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 Nice! Just wanted to add something about Lovely Pets in Quincy. They are excellent. The workers there are pretty great and almost all of the fish are healthy. I never see dead fish laying around. The one time I saw a fish die was right after it came in. The man at the store tried very hard to save it though. They have a great selection and have a lot of out of the ordinary livestock. The corals also are very healthy. Definetly a great place to go if you are in the area. Link to comment
xgame2k Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 what's the best reef store in NH/MA area? i have family in the area and go up there every other year. Link to comment
arom Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Jays Aquatics 10 Lawrence Road Salem, NH Great place with a HUGE selection of corals (LPS and SPS) Good prices for pretty large pieces. And Jay is a good guy to deal with. There is another pretty close: Zoo Creatures, 149 Plaistow Road,Plaistow, NH. It's an OK place but mainly deal with reptiles. There is a kid there that does sell $10 frags.... Link to comment
mygolfisslow Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 Jays Aquatics10 Lawrence Road Salem, NH Great place with a HUGE selection of corals (LPS and SPS) Good prices for pretty large pieces. And Jay is a good guy to deal with. There is another pretty close: Zoo Creatures, 149 Plaistow Road,Plaistow, NH. It's an OK place but mainly deal with reptiles. There is a kid there that does sell $10 frags.... thanks, I hadn't gotten that far, I've got a long list to get through I'll definitely check out Zoo creatures next time I am up at Jay's Aqua Addicts is another one in Salem NH, and is pretty cool Link to comment
Seamonkey84 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 +1 for jays aquatics in NH, go every few months.. Or if you in NE then I've had great success with sponsor cultivated reef. Only $20 for shipping. I've had multiple orders, always great condition and price. In southern Maine I have Atlantis as my lfs in Portland, can usually get stuff in even if she doesn't stock them. I work at the Petco up the street and I have to get most my stuff there as we just don't have it or can't get it. Atlantis Marine Fish & Supplies 50 Maine Mall Rd # 2, South Portland, ME 04106 207-253-5558 Cultivatedreef.com based out of Orono, ME Link to comment
mygolfisslow Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 what's the best reef store in NH/MA area? i have family in the area and go up there every other year. My favorites: Jay's, Lovely Pets, Tropic Isle, Fish Frenzy and Puppy Center (although that one's in CT) If you're going to pick one, definitely go to Jay's Link to comment
animalmaster6 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 I'm gonna have to try Jay's. Link to comment
mygolfisslow Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 updated! 4 ct stores and one close to home Link to comment
animalmaster6 Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Wanted to add that Lovely Pets is not hard to get too. You just need to know that it is near a garage and it has a big sign on the building. It has awesome livestock. Possum wrasses are always there and a lot of online sites do not even have them! Link to comment
lobster876 Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 Uhh ive purchased four fish and two coral at lovely pets. All four died of velvet in qt only four days after I got them. The zoos had twelve aptasia and a zoa eating nudi on them. The gsp had aptasia and bryopsis. enough said about them Link to comment
masssnapz Posted October 15, 2015 Share Posted October 15, 2015 I have to recommend love the reef in wilmington, ma and acro gardens in concord ma. Love the reef is a legit store front with an amazing selection of corals, it's primarily a coral shop though so don't expect there to be many fish. Acro gardens is a legit business but the owner runs it out of his house, by far the best selection of sps in massachusetts and the best prices you could get anywhere Link to comment
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