It’s awesome being a newbie

[mig.]

Oh man, I do have a very well established tank thanks to a very large chunk of very old coral. It’s been setup for a couple of months but it may as well be years. It has everything going on in there and another alveopora I have is doing very well in there. I guess I will move my new guy back to that tank and not risk its future until my new tank is more established.

Thanks for the advice!!

So the alveopora that has been living in this 'established' tank is all stretched out and fat during the day and many hours after the lights have been turned off, is still out flapping around in the current. When I first had I was used to it retracting and sleeping like my paly's, zoas cloves etc. It looks very happy with its lot in life, as does everything else in this otherwise filthy green water tank. Is it?

 

[ShepherdReefer]

Hey there, welcome to the group.

 

[mig.]

ok

Thanks for this reply. I'll make a day of it!

All terrible photos - I don’t have a filter (yet). This was premier aquatics today. Now that I’m thinking about this a little more critically these guys are a bit overpriced compared to Reefshac. Their $50 frag tank is maybe the $25 or $30 tank at Reefshac and doesn’t have the same diversity or tidiness in the tank. They do have a much better selection of leathers and anenomies including a couple of RFA’s, sexy shrimp, multiple varieties of crabs, starfish and urchins, I’m not a fish guy but I guess a good selection of those. Their xenias - $70, Reefshac $25. Mushrooms - ok to meh discomas $50, Reefshac Yuma’s $25. No specials (Reefshac has a $10 tank).

On the other hand based on their pricing I have pulled out maybe $700 of coral from premiers live rock bin. A mushroom was floating around in there tonight in fact that they just gave me not 4ft away from the ones that were $50! So there’s that-

I think Nemo’s has a better healthier selection and better pricing to now I think about it. Given Reefshac is likely closest to you I bet you will go there first, and then again in your way home. Pure reef similar pricing but better healthier stock and those guys are pros as I mentioned before.

I think my time will be spent between Reefshac and nemos.

 

[mig.]

Hmm having photo trouble

 

[Glenner’sreef]

Welcome and don’t worry about the costs! We all got second jobs!

 

[mig.]

Oh and I bought 4x hermit crabs at premier for my clean up crew. They were small and they did not provide larger empty shells for them to move into as they grew. Reefshac made a point of providing larger shells and a point of telling me that when I bought from them. It’s a little thing but stuff like that really boosts my satisfaction. I will need more verts and I’ll be taking that business to the shac

 

[mig.]

Welcome and don’t worry about the costs! We all got second jobs!

Second and third hobbies too - yikes!!

 

[CrimsonTide]

Oh and I bought 4x hermit crabs at premier for my clean up crew. They were small and they did not provide larger empty shells for them to move into as they grew. Reefshac made a point of providing larger shells and a point of telling me that when I bought from them. It’s a little thing but stuff like that really boosts my satisfaction. I will need more verts and I’ll be taking that business to the shac

This is all awesome to know. I'm like exactly 2hrs from downtown ATL on the east side of Birmingham and half my family lives in ATL. I just haven't ever made it to the shops out there. It's always been going over for the day and don't want to leave Coral or fish in the car. One of these weekends when I'm not trying to finish a big job I will go over there in the morning and just make a day and drive around. We only have one reef store in Birmingham and the owner is nice enough but he has the same thing pretty much all year long just restocking.

I did go get two peppermint shrimps a couple days ago and they have a $10 frag area but it's always encrusting things that don't have any color but they had slipped in a mushroom over there and it had a baby mushroom as well on the frag plug so I did get 2 mushrooms for $10.

But all in all I appreciate all the info bc sometime in the next month I'm definitely going over there for the day.

 

[mig.]

Went to southern aquatics this weekend. The frag tank is still as I remember, the fish section seemed good (remember I’m not a fish guy) - had a brown starfish and an eel that looked super healthy. I bought some more hermit crabs, snails and an emerald crab which were night and day better than premier. They had a bowl of shells on the counter, so they past that test.

They have a hammer behind the counter which is very impressive - size of a volleyball in a tank that has not had a water change in 2 years. Crystal clear.

 

[mig.]

Few pics of premier

 

[kevgib67]

Welcome, glad you are here!

 

[mig.]

I woke up this morning to a Dino plague and I my reaction was yes! I’ve leveled up! Copepod plague is next. I’ve seen the copepods already so oh those little Dino’s are in for a surprise. Not a good one.