North Alabama: What would you want in an LFS?

[dantimdad]

Ugh. That is disappointing.

You bet it is. I see now why a lot of small stores have empty selves. But, we will not be deterred. There are avenues we can take to keep driving on.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

My future plans are to setup a Lagoon25 AIO; however, a couple of weeks ago I just finally setup a 10gal with filter, rock, sand and it's in the cycle process.
I am really not in a hurry so, whatever time it takes it's fine with me (it might be fish only at the beginning).

I think local clubs and forums are the places that a newbies can get more hands-on experience in addition to good LFS's.

Here I am, hijacking the thread again. I am well known for doing that. Sorry, damtimdad, but I would like to interject something here.

Starting a reef tank can be scary especially if you try to have a perfect one from the start. You can certainly buy a system that is already put together and running for awhile. It comes with a cost, though. If you want to go small and inexpensive, that is quite possible with a help that you can get here on this forum. I, for one, started my reef with a 15 gallon tank with a shop light fixture with a 50/50 fluorescent lamp and an actinic lamp. I rigged up a tiny skimmer out of a coke bottle and another plastic container, which worked amazingly well. One of the starting members of NARC had a 75 gallon reef lit with four fluorescent lamps and it was beautiful. We kept softies and some large polyp stony corals. We just went slow and careful to avoid major pitfalls. Would you like to start a thread and ask for help on this forum to maintain a small reef tank inexpensively and learn the basics at the same time? I am sure there are a number of qualified local people to give you a hand and share some stuff.

 

[dantimdad]

Being one of the founding members of NARC, I remember those days. I also remember your really cool DIY 70 watt metal halide over the 29 gallon you had. I believe an electrician at your work wired it up if not mistaken.

Those were the days of everything being terribly expensive so we made a whole bunch of stuff.

It was a lot of fun for sure.

I want to bring that sense of adventure back to the local aquarium scene again. I sure hope you and the founding members will be along for the ride, Tomoko.

 

[Ultrawalrus]

Currently live in Athens and relatively new to salt water. Would love to see another store open up around here.

 

[dantimdad]

Currently live in Athens and relatively new to salt water. Would love to see another store open up around here.

We are working on it

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I also remember your really cool DIY 70 watt metal halide over the 29 gallon you had. I believe an electrician at your work wired it up if not mistaken.

Those were the days of everything being terribly expensive so we made a whole bunch of stuff.

It was a lot of fun for sure

Yeah, it was a lot of fun.

The 70 watt MH bulb was fitted into a halogen security light housing, which I found in a clearance bin. When I was rummaging through a pile of cables at work, looking for some wires to connect the lamp to an electronic ballast, my electrician friend decided to do it for me. The whole thing cost me just 10 dollars plus the cost of 70W Ushio MH bulb. I still have the light and use it for starting seeds for my vegetable garden.

There is a certain amount of satisfaction in making your own things inexpensively. I think that reefing equipment is getting fancier and the cost of equipment is getting higher.

I rely on LFS's for frozen foods, some livestock, certain test kits, and emergency supplies such as freshwater fish medications (oh, my new 180 gallon tank, too, when my old one leaked.) I have purchased equipment, such as Apex, LED lights, and a skimmer online since no LFS carried the ones I wanted at the time. I will buy local if an LFS offers reasonable prices. I don't mind paying a slightly higher price to support a good local shop. The majority of purchases I made in the past, both livestock and equipment, was from Coral Reef Aquatics.

 

[dantimdad]

Yeah, it was a lot of fun.

The 70 watt MH bulb was fitted into a halogen security light housing, which I found in a clearance bin. When I was rummaging through a pile of cables at work, looking for some wires to connect the lamp to an electronic ballast, my electrician friend decided to do it for me. The whole thing cost me just 10 dollars plus the cost of 70W Ushio MH bulb. I still have the light and use it for starting seeds for my vegetable garden.

There is a certain amount of satisfaction in making your own things inexpensively. I think that reefing equipment is getting fancier and the cost of equipment is getting higher.

I rely on LFS's for frozen foods, some livestock, certain test kits, and emergency supplies such as freshwater fish medications (oh, my new 180 gallon tank, too, when my old one leaked.) I have purchased equipment, such as Apex, LED lights, and a skimmer online since no LFS carried the ones I wanted at the time. I will buy local if an LFS offers reasonable prices. I don't mind paying a slightly higher price to support a good local shop. The majority of purchases I made in the past, both livestock and equipment, was from Coral Reef Aquatics.

Awesome!

I sure miss Johnny!

 

[Brew12]

I think local clubs and forums are the places that a newbies can get more hands-on experience in addition to good LFS's.

I know I wish I had found out about NARC a year earlier. I would have loved some help and advice from someone local when I was setting up my first system.

 

[BestMomEver]

I’m outside Mobile and would be willing to travel to Birmingham occasionally to shop at your store if you had a good selection. I would recommend a tank or two with nothing but CUC. It would be great if some one had a wide variety of crabs and snails.

Also, one of the problems we have is that no one here sells specialized, high end supplies. Example.... if I’m looking for reef lighting, I want to buy Radion, AI, or Kessill. Not Fluval. Btw, Fluval lights have their place but I can get them at PetSmart. Instead of run-of-the-mill pumps, I’d like mp10’s, Nero or Tunze.

The only problem with that stuff, is they’re expensive to purchase and stock, and they are a specialty item... not everyone will buy them. But it would be nice. I’m much more likely to buy something like that if it’s right in front of me whereas if I have to order it, I’ll debate over it for weeks.

There is a store in Mississippi that carries a good selection of high end equipment but they are usually slammed on Saturday when I’m able to go and their store is little. When it’s crowded you can hardly walk through and the salespeople are hard to get to. They are moving so fast to get to customers that I feel bad about taking their time to ask questions.

After you’ve opened and are successful, please consider another location anywhere south of Montgomery!

 

[dantimdad]

I’m outside Mobile and would be willing to travel to Birmingham occasionally to shop at your store if you had a good selection. I would recommend a tank or two with nothing but CUC. It would be great if some one had a wide variety of crabs and snails.

Also, one of the problems we have is that no one here sells specialized, high end supplies. Example.... if I’m looking for reef lighting, I want to buy Radion, AI, or Kessill. Not Fluval. Btw, Fluval lights have their place but I can get them at PetSmart. Instead of run-of-the-mill pumps, I’d like mp10’s, Nero or Tunze.

The only problem with that stuff, is they’re expensive to purchase and stock, and they are a specialty item... not everyone will buy them. But it would be nice. I’m much more likely to buy something like that if it’s right in front of me whereas if I have to order it, I’ll debate over it for weeks.

There is a store in Mississippi that carries a good selection of high end equipment but they are usually slammed on Saturday when I’m able to go and their store is little. When it’s crowded you can hardly walk through and the salespeople are hard to get to. They are moving so fast to get to customers that I feel bad about taking their time to ask questions.

After you’ve opened and are successful, please consider another location anywhere south of Montgomery!

We had considered Birmingham but it would kill us with the commute.

I don't know if we would ever do a second location and if we did it would probably be no further south than Birmingham and one of us would have to relocated.

I would love for you to come visit though if you could.

CUC is definitely a consideration we have discussed. I would keep that in a separate system and buy in bulk to offer decent pricing. Not internet but close enough.

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

After you’ve opened and are successful, please consider another location anywhere south of Montgomery!

I hope I'm not derailing this thread, but I think you're going to have a hard time in that area (and I know OP has said he wasn't looking to go that south). The store in Montgomery just closed, and they had the best selection of coral I've seen in the state. I'd driven down from Birmingham quite a few times to stop by and see them.

 

[BestMomEver]

Another thing..... decent hours.... the LFSs around here that specialize in saltwater are only open from 12 or 2, to 5 or 6 on Saturday. Only one of them is open on Sunday but only every other. The other isn’t open at all. If I drive on Saturday, I’d like to have more flexibility. The large all purpose pet store here has great , albeit average, (nothing high end) supplies but it’s hit or miss when it comes to livestock.

 

[dantimdad]

I hope I'm not derailing this thread, but I think you're going to have a hard time in that area (and I know OP has said he wasn't looking to go that south). The store in Montgomery just closed, and they had the best selection of coral I've seen in the state. I'd driven down from Birmingham quite a few times to stop by and see them.

The one by the mall closed?

Dangit! That place was great. My fiancé is from Montgomery and her Mom still lives there.

 

[dantimdad]

Another thing..... decent hours.... the LFSs around here that specialize in saltwater are only open from 12 or 2, to 5 or 6 on Saturday. Only one of them is open on Sunday but only every other. The other isn’t open at all. If I drive on Saturday, I’d like to have more flexibility. The large all purpose pet store here has great , albeit average, (nothing high end) supplies but it’s hit or miss when it comes to livestock.

Yeah we will have evening hours during the week except Monday. We will be open from about 10 Saturday and Sunday and be open until 8 at least.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Do you remember the small shop in Rainbow City we used to go to? NARC had two or three club meetings there. Philip Root run the store and the shop was really the best small reef shop that I have seen. Philip later moved to Birmingham and operated out of Aquarium Design for awhile. I thought Anthony Calfo visited the store and gave it a rave review.

 

[Brew12]

I hope I'm not derailing this thread, but I think you're going to have a hard time in that area (and I know OP has said he wasn't looking to go that south). The store in Montgomery just closed, and they had the best selection of coral I've seen in the state. I'd driven down from Birmingham quite a few times to stop by and see them.

I heard that after one or two of the hurricanes that came through the gulf coast that many reefers gave up on the hobby. I wonder if that had a big impact on the store closing.

 

[dantimdad]

Do you remember the small shop in Rainbow City we used to go to? NARC had two or three club meetings there. Philip Root run the store and the shop was really the best small reef shop that I have seen. Philip later moved to Birmingham and operated out of Aquarium Design for awhile. I thought Anthony Calfo visited the store and gave it a rave review.

I was just talking about Philp the other day!

Yes, Anthony did visit it. That store was awesome! When they opened a satellite store in Inverness, I build the display cabinets for the two half round tanks and the cabinet doors for all the inwall tanks.

The owner was the best aquascaper I ever met. He taught me a bunch.

 

[dantimdad]

@Tomoko Schum you remember the boys?

They are both over 6 foot tall now. Daniel leaves for the Army June 11th. Tim leaves for the Marines June of next year.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

@Tomoko Schum you remember the boys?

They are both over 6 foot tall now. Daniel leaves for the Army June 11th. Tim leaves for the Marines June of next year.

Wow, time flies! I probably would not recognize them now.

 

[dantimdad]

Wow, time flies! I probably would not recognize them now.

Daniel you might. Timothy, no way. LOL!