Hey Hudson Valley Reefers, What's Up With Your Tanks in 2023?? Updates here please.

[homer1475]

By all means. I love meeting new reefers. I had a guy up from Utica that wanted a frag of green slimer. I told him I wouldn't ship, but if he didn't mind spending the gas, I would give him a frag.

 

[mattdg]

Picked up a ton of acros at CFFM
not pictured here. Adding a 40 gallon refugium with dragons breath in the next couple weeks to the 220.

The tank looks better and better, every time I see it. Looking forward to seeing it person soon. It was great seeing you at FFM this year. What a show!

 

[albano]

Worst part about the trip to yonkers, I didn't get the fish I payed for. LOL

What happened to your fish?

 

[homer1475]

What happened to your fish?

No idea! I originally called and asked michael if I could purchase the fish, and drive out a week later because I didn't want a delicate fish(choati leopard wrasse) shipped. He told me to just buy it online, choose in store pickup, and he would hold it. Payed for it on thursday, drove out the following tuesday(he's closed saturday, and sunday).

When I walked in and ask him, he knew who I was and what fish I was there to pick up. After a while(The wife and I looked around) he came out and told me he had no idea where the fish was! Last he saw it was sunday when he was there to feed. He knew he sold 2(he had 3) on sunday online, but the third was on hold for me. We both searched around the tanks, and could not find it.

Hey it happens, fish jump, they go missing(if you ever been there, they could loose a fish and never know LOL), but I feel he made it right. Instead of a refund, when he gets more(was supposed to get more last week, but they did not show up, so I'm still waiting) he will ship one to me free of charge, to which I was OK with. I did get a pintail wrasse, and exquisite fairy wrasse for free, so I'm ok with it. Just wasn't to happy at the time, choati leopard is my holy grail fish.

 

[amoore311]

No idea! I originally called and asked michael if I could purchase the fish, and drive out a week later because I didn't want a delicate fish(choati leopard wrasse) shipped. He told me to just buy it online, choose in store pickup, and he would hold it. Payed for it on thursday, drove out the following tuesday(he's closed saturday, and sunday).

When I walked in and ask him, he knew who I was and what fish I was there to pick up. After a while(The wife and I looked around) he came out and told me he had no idea where the fish was! Last he saw it was sunday when he was there to feed. He knew he sold 2(he had 3) on sunday online, but the third was on hold for me. We both searched around the tanks, and could not find it.

Hey it happens, fish jump, they go missing(if you ever been there, they could loose a fish and never know LOL), but I feel he made it right. Instead of a refund, when he gets more(was supposed to get more last week, but they did not show up, so I'm still waiting) he will ship one to me free of charge, to which I was OK with. I did get a pintail wrasse, and exquisite fairy wrasse for free, so I'm ok with it. Just wasn't to happy at the time, choati leopard is my holy grail fish.

Let me know how your experience goes with the vendor. He has great prices on borbonius anthias. The price is so good it's putting up flags for me though lol.

 

[FitLabb]

There’s also Sound Aquatics in Thornwood and Complete Aquarium in Bedford Hills both not far from Jaws

I recently stopped at Complete Aquarium in Bedford Hills and it was a very different experience than what I remember from years ago when I was last there. I remember it being a small but impressive place when I last visited the store, and the guy working there at the time (possibly the owner) was very knowledgeable and helpful.

On my recent visit, there was one very nice guy working there who unfortunately didn't seem to know much about any of the corals or frags he had on display (I'm new to the hobby so was asking him a few questions, mostly fairly basic ones and asking to identify specific corals for sale, and he wasn't able to answer almost any of them), and they had a surprisingly small stock of frags on display for sale that didn't look that great, as many were somewhat covered in what looked like algae. I'll chalk it up to catching them on a bad day or week with a guy who may be a new or temporary employee covering for someone, and I'll stop by again at some point in the future to see if things have changed or improved. Everyone deserves a second chance, and I'm optimistic that it will be a much better experience next time I stop by, closer to what I remember them being like a few short years ago on my previous couple stops there.

Haven't been to Sound Aquatics yet, so will have to check them out one day soon to see what they have. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[albano]

Let me know how your experience goes with the vendor. He has great prices on borbonius anthias. The price is so good it's putting up flags for me though lol.

He gets them in every year and sells them all. Personally I’d QT everything because of the large # of shipments that he gets every week.

I recently stopped at Complete Aquarium in Bedford Hills and it was a very different experience than what I remember from years ago when I was last there.

Haven't been to Sound Aquatics yet, so will have to check them out one day soon to see what they have. Thanks for the suggestion!

In their ~25(?) years I have been in maybe 5 times, (5 minutes from my home! ) no reason to go back…but others are welcome to check it out…
Sound usually keeps their current inventory listed on their website

 

[FitLabb]

Hello and congrats! This is a really great hobby, especially to do with kids, if they are in to it. I totally remember the day when I was so excited to add a clown and a few hermits to my system. Eventually you will be like most of us, with a tank so full of inverts, fish and coral, you barely notice the little critters scooting around. Definitely enjoy every phase of it!

Thank you! We have 5 other tanks (all freshwater planted tanks, including one quarantine tank), so while I'm not new to the hobby, I am completely new to the salt water and reef tank side of the hobby. My kids have greatly enjoyed all our aquariums to date, and this new reef tank was a special birthday gift for my older son on his 11th birthday for him. The intention was for him and I to have something new and special to work on and learn about together as a new bonding experience, and he's been very into it so far and learning a lot as well. Both of my kids and I have been enjoying the process, and we can't get enough of watching the hermit crabs and the single tiger conch in the tank (much more than the 2 clownfish we added last week). I can definitely see how every phase of putting a reef tank together has it's own exciting parts to enjoy as everything slowly comes together.

PS: Last night we discovered what looks like a peanut worm living in a hole in one of the pieces of live rock, and from what I could find online, they seem to be one of the good hitchhikers that can come with your live rock.....?

 

[Smoke-Town]

Fighting a ton of algae in this tank all winter. Fun fun.

This little tank is doing well. Got a few others in the house also.

 

[mattdg]

Fighting a ton of algae in this tank all winter. Fun fun.

This little tank is doing well. Got a few others in the house also.

Nice reef tanks! Thank you for sharing them.

 

[mattdg]

Here are all mine as they look today. The big tank suffered through some neglect in 22, but it has recovered quickly. The frag tanks saved me, give or take a few pieces of SPS.

 

[Kcstoker1]

Here are the promised photos. I don't shop. I have no room. Come visit me and get corals.

 

[mattdg]

Here are the promised photos. I don't shop. I have no room. Come visit me and get corals.

That green anacropora in the corner and the Capricornis are getting nice a big. Everything is looking great!

 

[Kcstoker1]

That green anacropora in the corner and the Capricornis are getting nice a big. Everything is looking great!

Thanks, Matt. It's going well. Only four years in and this tank is already the easiest and best so far.

 

[dutch27]

Do you still have the cube? That tank had such great dimensions.

Here are the promised photos. I don't shop. I have no room. Come visit me and get corals.

 

[Kcstoker1]

Do you still have the cube? That tank had such great dimensions.

It’s in the garage waiting for a new owner, lol. Loved that tank, too. Glad I upgraded, but I definitely miss that shape.

 

[jasonrusso]

I go to House of Fins & Greenwich Aquaria in Greenwich, CT, and I also go to Absolutely Fish & Ely’s Aquarium Store in NJ. House of Fins has been servicing my freshwater tanks once a month for a few years & we ordered our new reef tank & most of our equipment from them. They’re a bit expensive, but they’re really good people c are incredibly helpful, & have a great selection of livestock (especially for salt water). Always looking to find new aquarium stores to check out though.

How is House of Fins now? I just ordered. Most of their reviews have been from a few years ago. Are they still good quality?

 

[albano]

How is House of Fins now? I just ordered. Most of their reviews have been from a few years ago. Are they still good quality?

Expensive doesn’t mean good (or better) quality. I’ve been there when shipments come in, and they were added directly to display tanks.

 

[jasonrusso]

Expensive doesn’t mean good (or better) quality. I’ve been there when shipments come in, and they were added directly to display tanks.

You have no idea what I bought or what I paid. I actually paid much less for a larger fish, than I paid for the last 2 smaller fish that disappeared in my tank.

I know you think they are overpriced, that wasn't the case here.

 

[albano]

You have no idea what I bought or what I paid. I actually paid much less for a larger fish, than I paid for the last 2 smaller fish that disappeared in my tank.

I know you think they are overpriced, that wasn't the case here.

Wasn’t referring to your purchase, just mentioning that their pricing doesn’t mean that their fish are higher quality or QTed…
They have posted high retail prices so that they can charge those higher prices to their maintenance customers, which is where they make their money.