Nutmeggers Im looking for some feedback on local retailers!

Mikeand Mel · Dec 13, 2018

I'm in the Danbury area and all we have is Petco any good reef/marine stores left?? Locally that is.

Mike

fastest302 · Dec 13, 2018

Mikeand Mel said:
I'm in the Danbury area and all we have is Petco any good reef/marine stores left?? Locally that is.

Mike

Hi Mike I’m in Danbury as well.. i usually go up to blakes aqua den in Meriden or colchester pet in Colchester.. my name is Mike as well lol

Mikeand Mel · Dec 13, 2018

Wow that was fast! Ill have to try them.....miss the days of many small locals!
Thanks.

fastest302 · Dec 14, 2018

Mikeand Mel said:
Wow that was fast! Ill have to try them.....miss the days of many small locals!
Thanks.

Yea I remember the one across from stews.. that was a great place

Awesome Dennis · Dec 14, 2018

What's up mikes, I'm just outside danbury too.
I have had good luck with Gil's aquarium as well as complete aquarium both in NY.

Mikeand Mel · Dec 14, 2018

Awesome thanks! Probably good thing nothing is too close

! Impulse buys are my thing!!

pjb9166 · Jan 3, 2019

I know you said locally.

I go down to Blake's great shop. But if you don't mind a little drive for a great selection in coral there is Aqua Dreams 8 Southwick St Feeding Hills, MA 01030 (413) 786-1000. Also right here in Simsbury is Emmons Tropical Fish now they have an amazing offering of fresh and salt water fish,

Skydvr · Jan 4, 2019

That’s good to know about Emmons.
I stopped there a year and a half to two years ago. It seemed like the son was taking over (his is more into snakes and insects) and the fish sections were a bit neglected. Glad to hear that it has come back around. I might have to make the trek out that way soon.

pjb9166 · Jan 4, 2019

Skydvr said:
That’s good to know about Emmons.
I stopped there a year and a half to two years ago. It seemed like the son was taking over (his is more into snakes and insects) and the fish sections were a bit neglected. Glad to hear that it has come back around. I might have to make the trek out that way soon.

You must be mistaken. It sounds like you must of went to Harris in Wonderland.
Emmons has been open since 1971. Mr. Emmons was a hobbyist that bread fish in the cellar and then open the store in 1971 . When he died many years back his son did take over. The store is immaculate.
The shop your talking about makes you feel likeyou need a tetanus shot. I know what store you're talking about my son gets his stuff for his snakes and insects there.

Mikeand Mel · Jan 4, 2019

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Skydvr · Jan 4, 2019

Thanks PJ, I think you are correct, I am mixing the two store up.
I remember looking into both places when I first started my current job. Never made it over to Emmons for some reason. It is less than 20 minutes from work, I’ll have to stop by next week.

Fotocha · Jan 8, 2019

pjb9166 said:
I know you said locally. I go down to Blake's great shop. But if you don't mind a little drive for a great selection in coral there is Aqua Dreams 8 Southwick St Feeding Hills, MA 01030 (413) 786-1000. Also right here in Simsbury is Emmons Tropical Fish now they have an amazing offering of fresh and salt water fish,

Blake's (a bit odd though) is nice, he has a pretty good frag selection. I know that's a bit far for you folks in Danbury, but we have a few shops in the Hartford are. Aquatic Wildlife in East Windsor has a fairly large store (Fresh and Salt Water) and in Vernon is my favorite spot for Frags at Wet Pets, they have the best selection I've seen in CT.

pjb9166 · Jan 8, 2019

Fotocha said:
Blake's (a bit odd though) is nice, he has a pretty good frag selection. I know that's a bit far for you folks in Danbury, but we have a few shops in the Hartford are. Aquatic Wildlife in East Windsor has a fairly large store (Fresh and Salt Water) and in Vernon is my favorite spot for Frags at Wet Pets, they have the best selection I've seen in CT.

Aquatic Wildlife is a nice store. I have to agree. Unfortunately I haven't seem all that large of a selection and pricing is quite steep. Wet Pets I was just there recently "well a few months ago" . They have a larger selection of the simple meet and potato stuff. The condition of there tanks are a bit to desire. I was shocked because they had a beautiful store when they were in the storefront from where they are now. Also pricing is extremely steep for what they have to offer. For example both places yellow gang's are priced at $79.00 for small ones. Ouch...
Just my opinion... I wouldn't suggest either store. Man I miss the old Exotic Fin & Feather and Puppy Center.

Skydvr · Jan 8, 2019

Blake’s is expanding the coral section quite a bit. They had a lot of really nice pieces for really good prices. It is a bit out of the way for me, so I don’t make it there often, but they seem to have eels regularly and had garden eels the last two times I was there.

I heard that Wet Pets was pretty well set up in the new location after the fire.

I only saw Exotic after the move and subsequent decline (seems to be a theme of stores falling apart after moving). I heard that it used to be a really great store.

Fotocha · Jan 8, 2019

pjb9166 said:
Aquatic Wildlife is a nice store. I have to agree. Unfortunately I haven't seem all that large of a selection and pricing is quite steep. Wet Pets I was just there recently "well a few months ago" . They have a larger selection of the simple meet and potato stuff. The condition of there tanks are a bit to desire. I was shocked because they had a beautiful store when they were in the storefront from where they are now. Also pricing is extremely steep for what they have to offer. For example both places yellow gang's are priced at $79.00 for small ones. Ouch...
Just my opinion... I wouldn't suggest either store. Man I miss the old Exotic Fin & Feather and Puppy Center.

Did you mean tangs? Actually wet pets had some priced for $39 about 2-3 weeks ago. Thought that was a decent deal

Fotocha · Jan 8, 2019

pjb9166 said:
Aquatic Wildlife is a nice store. I have to agree. Unfortunately I haven't seem all that large of a selection and pricing is quite steep. Wet Pets I was just there recently "well a few months ago" . They have a larger selection of the simple meet and potato stuff. The condition of there tanks are a bit to desire. I was shocked because they had a beautiful store when they were in the storefront from where they are now. Also pricing is extremely steep for what they have to offer. For example both places yellow gang's are priced at $79.00 for small ones. Ouch...
Just my opinion... I wouldn't suggest either store. Man I miss the old Exotic Fin & Feather and Puppy Center.

Yeah I tend to agree. Aquatic Wildlife is WAY over priced for what they have. I remember when I got back into the hobby he (the owner) sold me a $100 refractometer lol. It’s kind of a new hobbyist trap lol.

However Blake’s kind of gave the cold shoulder (no personality) when I was setting up my nano. Growing up my father had a store and I never buy fish from a dirty tank (ie petco) and I felt like Blake’s tanks were in much better condition than most.

Wet pets is kind of hit or miss for fish. Tanks are dirty. But I went there 2 weeks ago. It has improved some (added some new display tanks). I get the distinct impression that it feels like a flea market very cramped and where there maybe multiple owners???

That being said they do carry somethings a lot of places don’t have. If your looking for basic frags they carry a lot that are in the $10-30 range (most in the $20)

Fotocha · Jan 9, 2019

So I would down to Blakes today, they did in fact expand it . They’ve added two new rooms full of frag tanks. When I came through today they just finished laying the floor And they’re probably going to be putting another six frag tanks in. Here’s a few shots

This is most likely going to be my go to place for now on