Coral Retailers in NYC and NJ

[Johnny Reef]

If any of you are from NYC or NJ, please tell me who the best coral retailers are. I live in NYC, and am willing to travel to NJ, as long as it is not too far from the outerbridge or the Goethals Bridge. If you are from this general area, please let me know of retailers who have a good selection of reef stuff!!!


Thanks!!! ;)

[Rovert]

Johnny, the retailer that comes to mind first is Absolutely Fish, off of Rt. 46W in Totowa. They have a broad selection, and reasonably fair prices.

[Johnny Reef]

Thanks for the reply. Could you give me their phine number, or directions from the Goethal or Outerbridge?

Thanks Again!!!:D

[reefaddict]

In NJ... here are a few...

Animals and Things, Route 9 North by route 35, Woodbridge, NJ, 07095, phone 908-855-8515 Big store with big selection of fish.. They redid the reef section and it is quite a mess. I was there last month and after 10 months it is not looking good

Absolutly Fish, formally AquaTropics, Route 46,west, Clifton, NJ, 07011, phone 973-365-1081.This is a big store with employees who either are hiding or do not have a clue. Great selection of Salt Water inverts and fish, but the prices are very high. The nicest things are in the "show" tank and you can't buy anything out of it, not even a frag. They have lots years of salt creep build up on the plumbing and it looks horrible. I must admit.. I have not been there since the change in ownership.

Atlantis Aquatics, 206 Second Street, Dunellen, NJ, 08812-1313, phone 732-752-7267 Atlantis Aquatics is a coral farm run out of the home of an avid reefer. Though he does mostly mail order, he will allow visits by appoinment only. The coloration of the corals he sells is incredible. Nicer than any "store" in the state!!! They also carry High Tech Drygoods now.

Hanover Pet & Aquarium, 200 R.T 10 West (inside RX place shopping center), East Hanover, NJ,phone (201) 386_0885.Upon my last visit the store did not look in the cleanest of conditions. A slight disapoitnment to the ethusist. Big selection though.

Ocean Gallery 2, Rt 22 East, North Plainfield, NJ, phone 908-226-1100. This store has one of the bigger selections of fresh and salt water fish in the area. They have a large reef system and maintain it pretty well. They keep their tanks clean (most of the time) and seem to do regular maintenance. Nice friendly service and most of the staff is very knowledgable.

Pet Shanty, Rt. 22 (East Bound), Scotch Plains, NJ. The invert systems had a majot overhaul recently. 2 300 gallon tanks, but they mounted the lights 5 feet above the tanks and they look poorly lit. They are in a sorry state. The Salt & Fresh Water Fish are still looking pretty good.

Tropiquarium, Rt. 35 South, Ocean Plaza Shopping Center, Wanamassa, NJ, phone 908-922-2300. Fair Dry goods section. Large selection of reef inverts, Large selection of marine fish. Not to many people there know what they are doing.

Underwater World, 209 East Westfield Ave, Roselle, NJ, phone 908-241-6630.This store is dedicated only to salt & freshwater fish and inverts. It has to be the nicest looking fish store in the state. The tanks are well maintained and very alive. Unfortunatly... It is a one man operation and the owner is a nasty guy who doesn't seem to care about you. Prices are outrageously high but the livestock is very healthy

[Johnny Reef]

Thank you for an amazing reply. The list certainly does help me a lot. Like I said, I live in NYC, and would have no problem traveling to NJ, if I found a reliable place with reasonable prices. If anyone else wants to add to the list, please feel free to do so. Also, how about you people who live in NYC, any retailers? Perhaps there are some places on Long Island? I would travel there as well is the place is good with reasonable prices.

Thanks again to everyone!!!:cool:

[schlitzie]

Hi Johnny -- I lived on Long Island for a few years and scoured the area for good reef stores - There are two good ones I'd recommend, but the best by far is Country Critters way out East in Patchogue (90 minutes from manhattan). Call them at 516-758-6777 to see when their shipments are, but they typically have some pretty cool stuff. Prices are not the best, but you get what you pay for with this obsession of ours.

The other place on the island is a small shop in Massapequa on Sunrise Hiway called Pet Port. He typically gets some REAL funky, rare stuff, but you almost have to be there when it comes in because it sells out so fast.

You could also try Southern Connecticut in the Greenwich/Stamford area -- there were a couple of shops there that had some great animals, but thery were very expensive, if memory serves. Good luck!

[zebrasoma17]

Johnny Reef:

I'm from LI and I agree with schlitzie's comments.

Country Critters is IMO by far the best reef store around. Unusual livestock, knowledgeable staff, large very clean store, lots of high tech stuff in stock. Make the trip once and I'm sure you'll go back again and again.

Dom at Pet Port used to run Pets Plus in Freeport NY. He gets great stuff on an irregular basis. You just have to keep stopping in. He has odd hours so call first.

Another decent store is Pet Barn on Franklin Ave in Franklin Square NY. This is a dingy old -fashioned style pet store that usually has some good corals and has a decent but basic fish selection. The best staffers are usually there during the week- sometimes you don't catch them on weekends.

Tropical Showcase on Old Country Rd in Hicksville NY gets some interesting fish but has virtually no corals and few inverts.

If you feel like driving to CT then Reef & Fin in Stamford is a very nice marine store.

HTH. Take the trip to Patchogue. You won't regret it.

Al

[Johnny Reef]

I went to Countyry Critters yesterday, and I agree, it is an ausumn place. I had been there a few years ago, but at the time, I had a fish only tank. I picked up a nice Colt Coral and some mushrooms - As I mentioned, these are the first corals I purchased.

Thanks!!!

[THEPHISHGUY]

Just thought i wouild add that pet stop on li is great. I forgot what road its on but it about exit 36 off the northern in Plainview..... Also Dom at pet port gets some incredible stuff but his shipments are few and far between in the summer months and are typically quite expensive. ALso pets warehouse off sunrise highway has nice stuff. Lots and lots of fish and corals, but usually move easily available stuff like, hammer, frogspawn , bubble , stuff like that. I have not found any sps's on the island.....

[zebrasoma17]

Phishguy:

Country Critters has a system with about 6 30 or 40 gal breeder tanks that is primarily sps. It's located by the freshwater
section. Make a quick right when you first walk in the fish room.

Pet Barn gets sps fairly regularly and they also sometimes sell mounted frags from some customers.

I've been to the Plainview shop you described and I had no plans to go back. Maybe I just caught them at bad times. I'll try again.

Al

[JohnL]

Nice Job, Guys! This is the best compilation I've seen.

[FLASH]

Good list..pretty accurate, though I think Tropiquarium is pretty high priced, with a mediocre selection of corals. And I think Underwater world is the best I've ever seen, the owner is a bit grumpy sometimes, but I have always got along with him, he even gives me discounts. Very knowledgable, super clean, healthy tanks, and some of the the largest corals I've seen in any store. You've got to at least pay a visit!

[tomatoeclown]

www.1000islandaquarium.com , great people great service, little pricey but they have nice pices go to their site and check out a few of thei corals, there is 1 more around the corner from them actually a few blocks they also have nice pieces but no website, both are in brooklyn, Belt Pkway to Bushwick exit, same direction as heading to the mall, cya.

[tomatoeclown]

same way as heading to JFK Airport.

[Johnny Reef]

I just thought I'd throw my 2 cents in since I did some touring of different stores in the last few days - Country Critters is an ausumn store, in fact, that is where I purchased from, but Underwater World in NJ is the best I have seen. The only complaint I have is that they are extremely pricey. But as many mentioned before, the tanks and the pieces are in great shape, and you get what you pay for. So I plan on making my next purchase from underwater world.

Thanks for all of the responses!!!

[no job]

Just to let everyone in the area know....

At the Aquarium Center on Blackwood Clemington Rd in NJ they do not back the things that they sell...

A short story...

I have been buying from there since I purchased my tank and have come to know some of the people who work there. Who knows what they are talking about and who doesn't.

My sister, brand new to the salt water hobby went there with my blessing... She has a 20 gal non-reef tankwith no lighting. She made this clear to the person that was working there.

She came home with a Green Mandarin. a Purple Tang, and a Torch Coral. As per the sales person working there he said these were all fine for her aquarium.

Most people that have been in the hobby know that all of these things can not go in her tank. I couldn't believe that they let her purchase these things let alone suggest them???

So I figure... No problem, it's a reputable LFS I'll call them up and let them know the misstake... Spoke to the OWNER and explained to him the situation, he said "You can bring them back but I'm not going to give you anything for them." I told him I had no problem taking store credit. I always get my stuff from him. He said no. I WAS ASTONISHED...

I expalined to him that I had been going to his store and reminded him who I was because I had met him the week before. I also told him that I am setting up 3 tanks in the near future for friends and my sister also has a 75 gal that she wants to start up as a reef... He said "How much of the 75 gal are you going to purchase here?" I told him that his store WAS the only one I went to.

It amazes me that a business owner will not back the mistakes that come out of his store. These fish were purchased only the day before...

I will not go back to the Aquarium Center on Blackwood Cleminton Rd in New Jersey again.

[scubamook]

what about petswarehouse in just east of rte 110 on sunrise highway?


not a pretty store - but prices less than other lfs

country critters by far the nicest i've seen

mike f

[TandN]

this is a awesome page thanx