Who's your GO TO when it comes to buying your reef aquarium consumables?

[Biokabe]

lol. In what world is it 3 hours to Barrier in Renton? From Gig Harbor it took me 45 mins one way. So about 2 hours max. In Tacoma it would take significantly less.

But I don't blame you. I buy my stuff on BRS or Amazon. I'll buy local. But I'm not paying Barrier pricing.

Three hours round trip.

I'm quite off from I-5, very far south - if you're familiar with Firecracker Alley, that's basically it. On a good day, it's 10-15 minutes just to get to I-5.

From there, it's 25 minutes up to 405, an extra 15 minutes on 405. More, if traffic is bad (which it usually is, even on the weekends). So each leg is close to an hour assuming relatively clear traffic. If I was just going there, grabbing some additives off the shelf, and then turning around and going home, yeah, I could probably do that in two hours, there and back.

But I'm not spending two hours in my car to pick up some 2-part, a bottle of Acropower and a blisterpak of frozen. If I'm making the drive, I'm getting corals too... and it takes me some time to figure out what I want. So it's usually at least 30-60 minutes I spend in the shop.

And then tack on the fact that if I'm driving up that way with my wife, she's going to want to stop off at Uwajimaya in Renton, and also to pop off to Bigfoot for some coffee on the drive home... and yeah, it usually is close to 3-4 hours from the time I walk out of my house until I get home.

 

[Reefer Matt]

I am my own LFS for most things (very small local vendor), but do get salt on trade at a nearby store. BRS and saltwateraquarium.com are usually pretty solid on selection and pricing though

 

[braaap]

Three hours round trip.

I'm quite off from I-5, very far south - if you're familiar with Firecracker Alley, that's basically it. On a good day, it's 10-15 minutes just to get to I-5.

From there, it's 25 minutes up to 405, an extra 15 minutes on 405. More, if traffic is bad (which it usually is, even on the weekends). So each leg is close to an hour assuming relatively clear traffic. If I was just going there, grabbing some additives off the shelf, and then turning around and going home, yeah, I could probably do that in two hours, there and back.

But I'm not spending two hours in my car to pick up some 2-part, a bottle of Acropower and a blisterpak of frozen. If I'm making the drive, I'm getting corals too... and it takes me some time to figure out what I want. So it's usually at least 30-60 minutes I spend in the shop.

And then tack on the fact that if I'm driving up that way with my wife, she's going to want to stop off at Uwajimaya in Renton, and also to pop off to Bigfoot for some coffee on the drive home... and yeah, it usually is close to 3-4 hours from the time I walk out of my house until I get home.

Well if you are dragging your wife along it’s for sure 3-4 hours. My wife would make me stop for coffee and likely lunch too.

But ya if you are deep off 72nd then you’re basically surrounded by hell for traffic. No real good way out of there. I was thinking more west end Tacoma. University Place or something.

Aquarium Paradise not worth a trip? It wasn’t last time I was there about 5 years ago. I swore I’d never go back and I still haven’t.

 

[moretor1]

I've gotten to the point where I'll buy food and livestock from the lfs but I'm about to start using Amazon instead...

Almost 50% upcharge is too much to ignore when I'm broke

 

[paragrouper]

If you ever get to North Fort Worth, Robert’s Reef on N. Beach is Amazing, selection is great and hide DT of Tangs are awesome!
Debra (west Fort Worth)

Thanks, I’ll check it out.

 

[dwest]

Premium Aquatics (since the 90’s)
BRS
Amazon

 

[00W]

Stuff-Premium Aquatics. Every time.
Salt-Petco online.
Food-Petco.
Ebay-Parts if something is broken, rock,cheato, weird off the wall stuff and used stuff.

 

[BubbleBuddy]

LFS - Marine Warehouse Aquarium: saltmix, QT saltwater, frozen food, & CUC refresh
Sorta LFS - WorldWideCorals: live/frozen food
Petsmart/Petco: frozen food
Amazon: nori, supplements, filter pads & cleaning equipment
BRS: supplements
TSA: pods
Algaebarn: pods & phyto
IPFS (Hawaii) / ReefCleaners: CUC diversity

 

[MR294]

Try to shop local when possible, otherwise it's usually Aquacave, BRS, and PA.

 

[Biokabe]

Well if you are dragging your wife along it’s for sure 3-4 hours. My wife would make me stop for coffee and likely lunch too.

But ya if you are deep off 72nd then you’re basically surrounded by hell for traffic. No real good way out of there. I was thinking more west end Tacoma. University Place or something.

Aquarium Paradise not worth a trip? It wasn’t last time I was there about 5 years ago. I swore I’d never go back and I still haven’t.

Yeah, traffic is not a joy lately. There was a brief period, after they finished the 20-year construction project and before they started the 5-year construction project, that traffic through Fife improved, but it's back to being terrible.

Last time I was there I really wasn't impressed with Paradise. I think my last trip over there was also about 5 years ago. I'd just had a catastrophe that fried one of my lights, so I was trying to get something - anything - and it was late enough in the day that going up to Barrier wasn't feasible. They swore they had a Hydra 32 in stock, so I took myself over there. His SO and their kids hung out with us for 20-30 minutes while he scoured the backroom for the Hydra. Finally he came back out... without the Hydra, or any other reefing LED. I think he maybe had some Marineland fish-only fixtures. But regardless, he had nothing to sell me.


The next day, Barrier Reef sold me my first XR15.

Supposedly Paradise was renovating their store around the same time, but I was never impressed enough to go back in. Last time I had a look they had maybe 1-2 shelves of saltwater, none of it well-stocked or in good condition. Mostly it was freshwater, and the dry goods weren't much different from what you could get at PetCo.

Granted that was 5 years ago, but getting across to Lakewood takes way longer than it feels like it should, so I haven't felt inspired to give them another chance. Maybe they're better now, but I don't feel like schlepping my way over there to find out.

 

[revhtree]

Looking for more input!

 

[Sophie"s mom]

For me, either BRS, or Amazon!

 

[Chris Spaulding]

LFS for me , but lately with new build R2R marketplace then scattered around between BRS , Saltwateraquarium and Premium.

 

[Opus]

Online I use PremiumAquatics. Been a customer of theirs since they advertised in FAMA back in the 90's.

I have been ordering a few things from Petco lately because of the great deals. Just this past weekend they had 20% off online plus I got another 20% off for being a Petco member. They don't seem to care about MAP pricing on these sales so I was able to get my salt for a good discount.

I will buy food and a few other things locally including fish. I drive all over DFW to different LFS on the weekend.

Most of my corals are bought at frag swaps. Just spent way too much at Aquashella.