A massive aquarium in your local fish store: Is that still a thing?

[w8lifts]

Rift 2 reef had a massive tank and a huge beautiful clam, and I loved seeing it. I heard a rumor the tank collapsed, because that tank was just gone one day! They moved locations now, but always remember that tank!

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

One is big on featuring red sea & Waterbox, so more smaller tanks.

The other has a sexy OLD as hell 400 some odd gallon 10ft long reef. I remember helping the owner place it in the late 90's before my back checked out. We always have a laugh about it when I stop in as we both (the now owner and I) got old and fat.

 

[Bob Weigant]

Neptunes in San Jose has a few display tanks. Very nice to look at the last time I was there. Aquatic Collections which is much closer to me looks like they are building one. They have a FO tank right when you walk into the shop area. Looking forward to seeing what they are building in the back of the shop

 

[Beefyreefy]

Props to the Reef Shoppe in Rochester NY! They continue this tradition with an exquisite, large and fastidiously maintained LPS dominant snow tank. They really have some spectacular pieces at that, plus I believe they are the originators of “todd’s torch” a western NY favorite.

 

[elysics]

Both LFS near me are absolutely massive with multiple huge saltwater and multiple huge freshwater show tanks, in various states of health. The better one with the healthier tanks gets quite a pull through them too.

Mostly leathers and anemones and massive fish though, the healthy and colorful stonies are in smaller show and sale tanks, not really their specialty

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I live in a Seattle suburb, I have very little choices in my area. I would have to drive to Bellevue or Seattle, I do my best to stay away from Seattle and well, Bellevue is Bellevue. They have maybe 150 gallon display tanks but nothing to write hame about. I just found a person a mile from my house that runs a reef store out of there garage. She had run one of the best reef store in the area and had a falling out with the owner. It is filled with the great coral and you can barely get through between the tanks. But her selection is 1000. Time more and way better than any brick and mortar store I've been in. So no display tank but great deals.

 

[JSmith]

Big Al's in Fort Lauderdale area? Used to frequent that some 15 years ago.

It was Tropiquarium in Ocean NJ. It was a great store that unfortunately for us in the area the owner retired and closed the store.

 

[Calizoa]

I’m pretty much in the middle of Orlando and both WWC are impressive. Top Shelf have a decent setup but their staff is smug with an attitude. Living Reef is nicely renovated but with young inexperienced staff. My opinion but nice to have a nice selection

 

[Imrahilwjz]

Premium Aquarium in Salem, Oregon had an awesome 1200 gallon display tank with a big clam and tons of beautiful livestock, but it sprung a leak and they took it down. They're moving towards freshwater stock because that's where they were making money. They also had a cool Discus tank.

 

[Imrahilwjz]

I also went to All Things Aquariums in Wilsonville which started out as a subsidiary of Premium Aquarium. He had a couple of impressive tanks in his original location and moved later. In the new location he still has a pretty cool FOWLER.

 

[KrisReef]

I had to drive 70 miles to meet with my boss today. I mapped out the path home to check out 3 stores.
One has an ok big fish tank (150 gallons? 200?) Just fish I enjoyed their frag tank better. Next store was super clean, same (150-250g?) massive fish tank with a few corals thrown in, They had an acantho i was coveting but no price so I new that it wasn't for sale, just for show or for that "special deal" these stores always have on pieces you have to ask and they size you up before they give you a price.

The last store I went into had a 100-125, with 3 show piece acantos, same prices, not marked and nothing special but the price would be. The owner wasn't in the store so I bought some dry goods( support your LFS) and fish food and made a note not to bother spending more money at these stores until they get real and put a fair price on their goods.

The market has gone all dump since COVID scandemic and the mood is bitter and foul in the businesses that managed to hold on here in CA> I need a drink and some top off water, sorry, went negative.

Display bowl is the new thing.

 

[Screwby]

My LFS has some good size display tanks, but they're also working tanks as well. They have two typical 200 gal+ RedSea reef tanks fully stocked, but also four rimmless, 72" L × 36" W × 24" H custom tanks, all stocked with fish, corals, inverts, etc. Everything in those tanks is for.sale and each has it's own niche... softies, LPS, SPS. They have those 4.set about 30" off the floor which allows you to look through as well as on top. My LFS is currently moving, so I'll be interested to see if they keep them or not.

 

[unchaotic]

I actually do have a local pet store that does occasionally get saltwater fish in. Their selection is awful but when they get something in their prices are unbeatable.

I have the same situation. They don't really know what they're doing, but they keep it simple and their fish prices are usually great. But they REALLY don't know what they are doing.

 

[shakacuz]

LFS has a decent trio of big tanks but only two really qualify as DT’s. they’re both decently maintained

 

[Big Smelly fish]

The store I deal with has a 1200 gallon display tank. Beautiful tank. I wish I think about taking a picture or video.

 

[design.maddie]

I will ALWAYS 100% look for the main display tank. Not the freshwater one, yeah it is cool. The saltwater one. That baby better look amazing. It doesn't have to be a reef tank.

 

[LeftyReefer]

My LFS has a few show tanks, but nothing special. The big one behind the counter has some big arrowana or something in it... and a few oscars. Just a few rocks and a few big freshwater fish. Seems pretty meh to me, but I'm not a freshwater guy.

Then they built a big custom acrylic tank that is several hundred gallons in size, but they simply use it as a giant frag tank. Giant tank in the middle of the store... you can walk all around it but it has nothing but frag racks in it and frags... So the biggest tank in the store is just used as a frag tank not a display tank.

They have another "drop-off" type reef display tank. I'm pretty sure it is under 100 gallons, but they made it into a nice reef display tank. has some nice corals and some nice fish in it and won't sell anything out of it.... display only.

They build acrylic tanks in-house, so I'm not exactly sure why they don't have a little nicer display tanks set up.

 

[Joe.D]

My LFS has 4 nice tanks. I love them for several reasons - seeing coral and fish at full/good size and coral placement being the main ones.

I see coral I like, but don’t have a creative bone in my body and have no clue about designing what I think I want my tank to eventually look like. I look at those tanks and ask for a lot of suggestions - everyone that works there is pretty good.

 

[anabechara]

My LFS is working on a 600G tank that will have big, cool and uncommon fish. They currently have a shark egg in progress... they also have a 150ishG reef tank and a few nanos... all so beautiful to me! I love to go there! The owners are super cool and chill and helpful people. If you are in Ventura CA visit Bermuda Aquatics.

 

[Minifoot77]

Both gingerbread fish and corals and blueline corals have large display tanks