Hey, everyone. First of all, an introduction: I'm Joleen and I am dipping my toes back into the hobby after 10 years away. I had just started getting comfortable with my salt water tank when Hurricane Katrina and then Rita hit LA. Between that and a realistic look at military moves for the foreseeable future, I downgraded to a nanocube for a couple of years before packing it in.
We are permanently in TN now, and while I had not planned on starting again for a few years, I found a 150 gallon reef ready tank for a price I could not pass up. (Free! Good thing I know how to reseal it.)
The tank is still in the planning stages, obviously, as I research, research, research. The hobby has changed to much in the last decade! Deep sand beds are no longer a thing. LEDs are readily available as main lighting and not just DIY moon lights. Computers that control and test basically everything are available.
I'm still probably 3+ months away from water touching my tank for anything more than initial leak tests, but I can still start checking out the local stores.
What stores do you like, and why? Which stores do you avoid, and why? Best selection? Most helpful staff? Distance is not a factor for me, since I live far enough from everything that all the fish stores are at least 45 minutes away.
Thanks!
We are permanently in TN now, and while I had not planned on starting again for a few years, I found a 150 gallon reef ready tank for a price I could not pass up. (Free! Good thing I know how to reseal it.)
The tank is still in the planning stages, obviously, as I research, research, research. The hobby has changed to much in the last decade! Deep sand beds are no longer a thing. LEDs are readily available as main lighting and not just DIY moon lights. Computers that control and test basically everything are available.
I'm still probably 3+ months away from water touching my tank for anything more than initial leak tests, but I can still start checking out the local stores.
What stores do you like, and why? Which stores do you avoid, and why? Best selection? Most helpful staff? Distance is not a factor for me, since I live far enough from everything that all the fish stores are at least 45 minutes away.
Thanks!
