Maryland Virginia People

What LFS are you guys going to. I don't want to name the ones that suck however I will say that The Marine Scene is a great fish store. www.marinescene.com but what else is there, this place is far from me and although it is spotless and has perfect specimens, its expensive. I need more places.

I've been going to the Aquarium Center in Randallstown; near Baltimore. Huge store, hundreds of display tanks and just about any dry good imagineable. They probably have a hundred or so saltwater tanks and several hundred freshwater tanks. Well worth a visit at least once if you're within an hour's drive. I just spent $10 for a card from them that is good for 10% and 10 purchases (entire purchase). If you spend $100 once, it pays for itself.

Yeah they're good too, but a little dirty too. What else you got.

They used to have much better livestock, about 7+ years ago. I just got back into the hobby and was a bit disappointed when I visited last week. Many of the SW tanks were marginally populated. I was browsing for small stuff and there was very little in the way of gobies, blennies, or even clowns. Maybe the demand wasn't there and they were losing money on livestock. Maybe more people are buying livestock online, I don't know. It's still the best reasonably local place I've found.

The Reef Tank in Burke - not a great place. Marine Scene is pricey, but they have quality stuff and I figure I'd pay the same if I ordered online and added in shipping costs. Plus I can get my SW premixed from them and RO/DI as well at a resonable cost.

Exotic Aquatics up here on the northern side of 695. i think they have another location but I'm not sure where. They have a lot of saltwater tanks, as well as fresh. Their corals are some of the healthiest, best I've seen. They're my new favorite.

Take the Perring pkwy exit north from 695, then right on Joppa, left at the 2nd light and its in the same shopping center as teh Safeway.

granted, that's nowhere near College Park, but maybe you'd want to make a little trip.

maru petsits on couthouse road in fredricksburg va. the address is 10705 courthouse road fredericksburg va and the number is 540-891-2704. they got decient prices. but not too much stock now cuz of the storm and everything plus there setting up a new system for the corals and everything but they get stuff in i think wednsdays and fridays, not positive,Chris

Thanks Buzz - sounds like I'll have to check them out....

no prob, i have actually been to Aquarium Center too, and I agree, that is probably the biggest fish store I've ever been to. They have pretty much everything, I was a little dissapointed by the looks of a few of their coral tanks, but the fish all looked great. I can't imagine trying to mantain all of those tanks,

it's a good place though, and worth the visit, I never bought any salt fish there but i picked up 3 dwarf puffers a while back for my fresh tank.

You can get a great deal on Aptasia at Aquarium Center:)

Seriously though, their livestock quality/selection has indeed suffered, but their live rock is the best that's consistently available.

There's "Exotic Aquatics" just north of Baltimore, and they have more selection of the nicer corals, but their dry goods are hit-or-miss. I did get surface skimmer attachment for AquaClear HOB for $15 and it rocks!

http://www.exoticaquatics.com

Also, "House Of Tropicals" just south of Baltimore. They have a small but sometimes interesting coral selection, and their system is very healthy. Bad prices but they will haggle if you are buying more than one thing.

410-761-1113

On the Eastern Shore of MD, the untimate dude is "Dr Mac!" He probably has the best Acropora and other SPS in the DelMarVa area. This is not really a retail location, but has WYSIWYG online ordering. They are in the process of expanding to a retail-type business.

www.drmaccorals.com

There's an old nursery that's now a Fiji importer located near Andrew's AFB outside Washington DC called "Roozen's." They have TONS of livestock, mostly in unlit holding tanks (they mostly distribute for wholsale, but will sell to anyone.) They don't have set prices, so be prepared to wheel and deal for all livestock. When you see what a dump the place looks like, you won't believe they have decent livestock, but they do. Their LR is in sunlit ponds, and is dying & covered with hair algae unless you get it when it arrives fresh.

http://www.roozens.com/

Never been to roozens myself but another member here, Brooklyn Johnny, says that it's a great place.

The Reef Tank is probably the worst store I have ever been to. Im not going to get into it but the guy there was super mean and cocky and they had NOTHING and acted like their store was the best place on earth. Its an abandoned warehouse with nothing in it!

So are we agreeing that Marine Scene www.marinescene.com is the best place around here?

I don't know.... Exotic Aquatics though small has excellent livestock. Perhaps call it a tie....

emerson

Centreville, VA has a tiny but decent LFS just off US-29 about 3/4 of a mile east of Va-28. Look for Payne's Diner (an istitution) and it is tucked into the little shopping center there.

They have test kits, foods, dry goods, a few tanks, lots of pieces and parts and some fish (mix of freshwater tropicals and marine). Not many corals.

They are pretty knowledgeable. Not as large as MarineScene (which keeps getting better and better), nor as interesting as The Reef Tank (which is in a warehouse space, and the guy is cranky - but they have really good corals there).

There is a HUGE tank and dry goods store in Annandale called Superpets (not part of a chain), but it is awesome for tanks and drygoods.... but I would not get anything live there.

Heard great things about ExoticAquatic and Roozen's - though I've been to neither. Also, "That Fish Place" is legendary and just over the border into Pennsylvania... might be worth a trip.

Vienna Aquarium is nice... very little Marine livestock (but some) and lots of tropical freshwater livestock. They have tanks, dry goods, pieces and parts and real carpenters who can make things custom built.

Reef Tank (Burke)

5609 Guinea Rd/Sandy Lewis Dr

Fairfax, VA 22032

703-978-1700

Superpets Annandale

4415 John Marr Dr.

Annandale, VA 22003

703-256-2400

Vienna Aquarium

303 Mill Street Northeast, Vienna, VA 22180

703-242-0553

NOVA Tropicals

4946A Eisenhower Ave

Alexandria,VA

703-370-2204

What about coral frag trading in the local (DC/VA/MD) area?

hey all! i would have to say Marine Scene is the BEST! Their staff is very knowledgable and informative plus they have everything! One more place to mention, Wally's Aquarium on Little River Turnpike has lots of dry goods as well as fiji live rock and some animals as well.

Got a street address for that?

Wally's is at 6493 Little River Tpke in Alexandria. Not far off of 395. I am happy with the LR I got there, but they don't have LS (except the fake bagged kind) and their livestock selection is minimal. Last time I went in to look at the SW fish, most of the tanks were empty and the only snails they have are turbo snails (too big for my 10 gal). Their FW selection seems pretty good though, and they usually have some nice goldfish as well. I'm going to check out Marine Scene this weekend for my clean-up crew.

Try to get there at opening for best selection. They tend to be super busy on the weekends. They always have tons of margarita snails and hermits tho.

hehehe...i was planning to go to marine scene on sunday, hope they still have stuff when i get there!!

FYI, next wamas meeting ifo:

http://www.wamas.org

Originally posted by caja

Never been to roozens myself but another member here, Brooklyn Johnny, says that it's a great place.

...Roozens is nice!! Went there sunday afternoon for the first time...staff was friendly and helpful. I caught a good deal on 7lbs. of small pieces (baseball sized and smaller) of live rock (fiji and tonga mixed) @ $1.50/lb!!

FYI, in case anyone goes by there that have never been there before, they're aquaria stuff is WAYYYYY in the back of the garden nursery pass the Koi ponds and through their greenhouse. Also, their entire 50+ display tanks are all running off of NATURAL sunlight in a greenhouse...they have some VHO's here and there but its all outside! Pretty wild setup...here is a link to their website.

www.roozens.com

ROOZEN'S NURSERY OFF OF ALLENTOWN ROAD RIGHT OFF THE BELTWAY IS THE BEST PLACE POSSIBLE NEAR YOU....IVE BEEN ALLLLLLL AROUND~

Dangit, you people are not helping here. I've been talking myself out of drivng to Maryland for months now and then you guys show up and start back in with Roozens. Guess I'll have to go check it out.