Shout Out: Today is the day for you to give love....

Choose the following that pertains to you. Multiple selections allowed!

  • I only buy coral online.

    Votes: 42 9.1%
  • I only buy equipment and drygoods online.

    Votes: 105 22.7%
  • I only buy coral locally or at a LFS.

    Votes: 117 25.3%
  • I only buy equipment and drygoods locally or at a LFS.

    Votes: 14 3.0%
  • I buy coral online and locally.

    Votes: 261 56.5%
  • I buy equipment and drygoods online and locally.

    Votes: 319 69.0%

  • Total voters
    462

revhtree

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Shout Out: Today is the day for you to give love to your favorite retailers! Coral slingers and Equipment pushers! :p

Please answer the following questions and leave a link to show your love to the reef companies that are good to you. Links are our friends! (it's ok to have more than one favorite)
  1. What company is your favorite place to buy coral online?
  2. What company is your favorite place to buy fish online?
  3. What company is your favorite place to buy coral or fish locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store)
  4. What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment online?
  5. What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store)

Images of Top Shelf Aquatics in Orlando Fl.
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TriggerFinger

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I’m a newbie so Ive Only bought 1 fish and some inverts and coral locally. I was also lucky enough for a local r2r member to give me some extra coral he had (thanks flipper :))

As far as online purchases of dry goods and equipment; BRS, Premium Aquatics and Amazon are my money takers.
 

Geebs19

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  1. What company is your favorite place to buy coral online? @AquaSD and I plan to buy from @Battlecorals soon once I have some spending money.
  2. What company is your favorite place to buy fish online? LA- Divers Den, I will only buy from Divers Den portion
  3. What company is your favorite place to buy coral or fish locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store) The Reef Rack KC https://thereefrack.com/ and Petopia (found on FB)
  4. What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment online? BRS, Marine Depot, SaltwaterAquarium, Amazon.
  5. What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store) The Reef Rack and Petopia
 

reacclimating 2 the hobby

patience is... oh look an acro pack fs!
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  1. What company is your favorite place to buy coral online? R2R Members or Battlecorals
  2. What company is your favorite place to buy fish online? I've only bought and had good luck with Live Aquaria
  3. What company is your favorite place to buy coral or fish locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store) unfortunately the closest is a Pet Advantage in Burlington, VT. I would not buy anything from this store.
  4. What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment online? BRS
  5. What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store) unfortunately the closest is a Pet Advantage in Burlington, VT. I would not buy anything from this store.
 

Js.Aqua.Project

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What company is your favorite place to buy coral online? I don't often buy coral online, but when I do I bid on WWC ebay auctions.

What company is your favorite place to buy fish online? Have not purchased fish online yet.
What company is your favorite place to buy coral or fish locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store) Stormborn Reef in Debary, FL
What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment online? BRS
What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store) Stormborn Reef in Debary, FL
 

Ruben's Reef

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  1. What company is your favorite place to buy coral online?--- @WWC , @TopShelfAquatics
  2. What company is your favorite place to buy fish online?--None yet
  3. What company is your favorite place to buy coral or fish locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store)--- Creative Aquariums, Tampa FL
  4. What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment online?--- @BRS
  5. What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store)--- None
 

SDK

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I'm going to go a bit off script here to share a resource that is less known in the reef and SW community. Hopefully it is useful to someone...

http://jehmco.com/

Jehmco is an old school supplier that is a great resource for breeders and those who use brine shrimp. The website is so old that I think it's domain number is 1 or 2 lol. Take a look or bookmark this site if you are considering breeding marine fish. Some highlights:

The best 92% hatch rate Artemia cysts that can be had. You have to watch the website as they disappear quickly when they come in.

A strain of Artemia cyst that hatches out smaller than standard strains, which should be of particular interest to marine breeders

Great prices on a variety of hatcheries for brine

Everything you need to set up multiple breeding tanks. They give volume discounts on sponge filters, regular/central air pumps and all the necessary fittings to put it all together...
 

fish farmer

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I buy critters online from reefcleaners, Cultivated Reef and a vendor or two on ebay.

I sometimes buy corals/fish locally from Green Mountain Corals (Waterbury, VT), but usually the Pet Advantage(Burlington, VT) or Petco(the latter isn't my favorite).

Dry goods online from Marine Depot, Bulk Reef Supply, and Frank's Tanks.

Dry good locally is the Pet Advantage or Petco(the latter isn't my favorite).
 

saltyhog

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  • What company is your favorite place to buy coral online? Tough one. So many good places. In order I'd have to go with Battle Corals, Top Shelf, Cultivated Reef and Reef Gardener.
  • What company is your favorite place to buy fish online? Another tough one. Pacific Island Aquatics is #1. LA, Fishy Business and NY Aquatics right there.
  • What company is your favorite place to buy coral or fish locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store) The Fish Tank, Little Rock, AR
  • What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment online? BRS...the only thing they don't seem to have a good selection of is meds.
  • What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store) Not really a good place anywhere near me.
 

Reeferguy365

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  1. What company is your favorite place to buy coral online? So probably the only person that's going to say this but most my online purchases have been from cornbred corals eBay auctions they are Nubs but I get good deals on Great corals. But Adam at Battle corals is awesome probably the best packaging I've ever had plus frags are chunky and super healthy
  2. What company is your favorite place to buy fish online? Haven't bought a fish online yet
  3. What company is your favorite place to buy coral or fish locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store) locally I have two great shops NorCal corals is my number one tho. The other place is called the Deep but I mainly only go there for fish
  4. What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment online? Amazon lol. They have everything I swear
  5. What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store) once again NorCal corals.
 

MnFish1

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  • What company is your favorite place to buy coral online? None
  • What company is your favorite place to buy fish online? None
  • What company is your favorite place to buy coral or fish locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store). New Wave Aquatics and Aquamarine Imports
  • What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment online? BRS
 

DivingTheWorld

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  1. What company is your favorite place to buy coral online? Battlecorals
  2. What company is your favorite place to buy fish online? I don't trust online for fish.
  3. What company is your favorite place to buy coral or fish locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store) Aquatic Collection, Hayward CA
  4. What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment online? BRS
  5. What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store) Neptune Aquatics, San Jose CA
 

Donna313

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I haven’t ordered equipment offline, but my local pet stores I normally shop at is Petco, as well as Critters. At Critters they know a lot about saltwater issues so I enjoy shopping with them. Petco knows enough information but I’m just now starting to shop there for saltwater items.
 

Reef of Fillory

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I don't have any specifics to answer the list of questions, but where I buy really depends on a few different factors.

1. Time or perceived need
If I "need" something right now, i'll always buy it locally even if the price is not comparable to online vendors. My impatience gets the best of me sometimes. This mostly applies to dry goods.

2. Cost
Secondary to how badly I want it, I also consider the cost [specifically on dry goods] as I can usually order from Amazon and get it by the end of the week/weekend at a comparable or better price than I can get it locally [and I don't have to search around for a store that has what I need in stock].

3. Availability
For livestock purchases, minimum order for free shipping, etc. play in to the Cost factor, and my availability to come home from work during the day to receive and acclimate livestock is the biggest factor to why I buy almost all of my livestock locally. I try to buy from forums and locals as much as I can, but the local market in my area isn't stellar. Other times, it's waiting for frag swaps to stock up on corals, or going to a LFS to pick up a new tank mate.
 

ca1ore

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I buy the vast majority of my fish online - live aquaria or nyaquatics.

I buy most of my corals locally, either LFS or local shows.

I buy all of my dry goods online - mostly BRS, some speciality.
 

ReefWithCare

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I buy nearly everything online - except for corals which I get through hobbyist groups. If I can can get it 1-2 day on Amazon I'm ordering it. I also appreciate their no questions returns policy. I switched to them after having to pay ship fees for returns on other sites. Some of their stuff is more expensive then specialty sites but I still order through them because their returns are hassle free.
 

Lukas75

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I grew up in Orlando and the LFS' there are insane, it makes me want to move back. I buy just about everything from everywhere except fish. Lately because of the increase in diseases (whether perceived or real) I've been buying only locally and only from Reef to Rift local to me. They at the very least quarantine all saltwater fish for 2 weeks prior to going onto the floor. Freshwater dip all new arrivals and treat for anything that shows during quarantine. So far (knock on wood) everything I've bought from them has been perfect.
 

siggy

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If I had a local shop like top shelf I would always buy local!
 

BestMomEver

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  1. What company is your favorite place to buy coral online? WWC and Jason Fox
  1. What company is your favorite place to buy fish online? On occasion I’ll buy fish online but haven’t for a year or so.
  1. What company is your favorite place to buy coral or fish locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store)
Progressive Marine in Mobile, Alabama... www.progressivemarine.com
B9E09420-D629-4B53-951F-4B58410CD97A.png


Oceans Corals in Mobile, Alabama..
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  1. What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment online? Bulk Reef Supply only...
  1. What company is your favorite place to buy drygoods and equipment locally in a brick and mortar type setting? (local fish store)
B&B Pet Stop, Oceans Corals, Progressive Marine, Just Fish Biloxi, MS, SB Reefs and More Pensacola, Fl
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 64 37.0%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 34.1%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 24 13.9%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 15.0%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
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