Reef Stores in Denver - Some Observations...
- Thread starter DUPioneers
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Jscwerve
New member
Just getting into aquariums again after many years without, so I hadn't been in an LFS for quite some time. The last time I can remember going to one before the last couple of months is probably 2005. That's when I lived in Aurora, and Todd's was the place for me. Here are my more recent reactions from jumping in head first back into the hobby, mainly saltwater.
Todd's: The staff there are always friendly. The store itself is kind of run down, and the selection of saltwater livestock isn't that great. Although I was surprised to find they had some really cool stuff that I hadn't seen elsewhere like jellyfish. They have a great large selection of used equipment which will keep me returning there when I just need to pick up some misc equipment that isn't critical. Prices are decent and they will barter on the used equipment.
Nepunes: Nice looking store, it helps that it is close to my house on the southwest part of town. I stop by there if only for the convenience factor. The prices here are INSANE compared to other LFS. The staff are friendly, but I feel like they are always simply trying to sell sell sell!!
AquaMart: Very clean store. Nice selection and decent prices. I've only been there once, but the staff were very nice even on a weekend where it was really busy. Good selection of Loc Line. I'd shop there again (and I'm sure I will once I start buying frags).
Keys Island: This place was kind of intimidating to me when i first went there. I was still in the initial phases of researching getting a tank going and it almost felt like I was not welcome. The staff didn't really acknowledge that I was even in the store. I did notice however that their prices were better on pretty much everything than anywhere else. This store is the most convenient for me to go to because it is only one block off of my commute home. Frag tanks there are decent looking and well stocked. With the majority being $5-$10 it can't be beat. I have stopped in several times since then to pick up misc water test kits, plumbing fittings, even got some live rock. Having gone there several times now I am greeted when I come in, I've been asked my name, and feel much more welcome. I've started to purchase my water there (better priced than every other store in town) and will continue to go there for the majority of my needs now. Several times when I've come in a purchased several items at a time the owner has given a random discount of a couple of bucks for no reason. The staff seems to never be just hanging out. It seems like they are always busy doing water changes and other tank maintenance, like every single time I've been into the store. I'm guessing my first visit was probably off because it was on a weekend and I'll bet that most looky-loos will come in one time and never be seen again, especially on a busy Saturday or Sunday. Since then, this has become my go-to LFS.
Todd's: The staff there are always friendly. The store itself is kind of run down, and the selection of saltwater livestock isn't that great. Although I was surprised to find they had some really cool stuff that I hadn't seen elsewhere like jellyfish. They have a great large selection of used equipment which will keep me returning there when I just need to pick up some misc equipment that isn't critical. Prices are decent and they will barter on the used equipment.
Nepunes: Nice looking store, it helps that it is close to my house on the southwest part of town. I stop by there if only for the convenience factor. The prices here are INSANE compared to other LFS. The staff are friendly, but I feel like they are always simply trying to sell sell sell!!
AquaMart: Very clean store. Nice selection and decent prices. I've only been there once, but the staff were very nice even on a weekend where it was really busy. Good selection of Loc Line. I'd shop there again (and I'm sure I will once I start buying frags).
Keys Island: This place was kind of intimidating to me when i first went there. I was still in the initial phases of researching getting a tank going and it almost felt like I was not welcome. The staff didn't really acknowledge that I was even in the store. I did notice however that their prices were better on pretty much everything than anywhere else. This store is the most convenient for me to go to because it is only one block off of my commute home. Frag tanks there are decent looking and well stocked. With the majority being $5-$10 it can't be beat. I have stopped in several times since then to pick up misc water test kits, plumbing fittings, even got some live rock. Having gone there several times now I am greeted when I come in, I've been asked my name, and feel much more welcome. I've started to purchase my water there (better priced than every other store in town) and will continue to go there for the majority of my needs now. Several times when I've come in a purchased several items at a time the owner has given a random discount of a couple of bucks for no reason. The staff seems to never be just hanging out. It seems like they are always busy doing water changes and other tank maintenance, like every single time I've been into the store. I'm guessing my first visit was probably off because it was on a weekend and I'll bet that most looky-loos will come in one time and never be seen again, especially on a busy Saturday or Sunday. Since then, this has become my go-to LFS.
jamie_mercer
New member
Denver Fish stores
Denver Fish stores
I frequently visit many of Denver area fish stores and here is my take. Bear in mind this is just my opinion based on what I've come to expect in 20 years keeping fish. I've seen sick or dead fish at every store in the Denver area at least once. I quarantine all livestock, corals, rock etcetera and I fully recommend all other hobbyists do the same. If anyone needs help with this feel free to message me.
I can't say anything about Todds as I haven't been there in over a year but that's due to my not being impressed the first time I went there.
Keys Island - dirty store and livestock seems so-so but I did find a couple coral frags here once after they took in a bunch from a area reefers tank tear down. Again this place has never impressed me and IMO your time would be better spent going to another store. I've been 2x in as many years and can't foresee me going anymore than that.
Elite Reef - clean store and livestock looks good, I rarely see sick fish. They have a moderate coral selection, mostly brown or green and some sps. That said the prices here are high especially on dry goods, like up to 2-3x what you will pay elsewhere. For example I payed 2x for a power head what I later saw for 1/2 the price at another nearby store. This store is ok but the only thing elite here is the prices even though they do carry live rock I can't recommend this store if you have to travel more than 10 minutes and then use caution as you will likely find the same thing elsewhere for significantly less. Staff could be friendlier and more knowledgeable.
Liquid Kingdom - this store is close to my house as are Elite Reef and About Fish the tanks here are very dirty and the nitrates are off the charts. They have a moderate dry goods selection, prices are fair and they will barter and deal with you. I have seen ich on some fish however I believe every reefer should assume that any fish bought has ich and should quarantine and treat any fish you buy no matter where it's from. This store only carries a small coral selection all of which is soft with a few lps. If this store is close say 10-15 minutes it's worth checking out due to prices and the friendliness of the owners.
About Fish - this store impresses me over and over. They deal both salt and fresh and though salt selection is less than fresh they typically have a good selection and the tanks are ALWAYS clean. I've seen other stores as clean but never cleaner. Prices are good and I've rarely seen a sick fish here. Quarantine all fish! Sales are common here and you could find good deals regularly. Staff are knowledgeable and have given good advise when I have asked for it. Coral selection is small and a mix of soft and lps corals. I bought my regal tank from here for $29, clownfish $12 and my snowflake eel for $20. Dry goods selection is small but good for the store size. I would recommend this store if you are within 30-45 minutes though I would call ahead first to see when when the new shipment comes in and time your visit to that. Also check craigslist out as they regularly post sales and promotions there.
Neptunes - the highest prices in Denver but the livestock all looks good. One of the few stores that actually quarantines and treats fish which impresses me though this cost is passed on to you. Selection is usually good for livestock and the dry goods selection is one of the best in Denver. The also offer live foods in the form of black worms and brine shrimp which they feed to the fish in addition to frozen. Tanks/store is clean overall and staff are friendly though knowledge could be better. Before I got my clowns I asked if the had any that were already hosting an anemone to which they said no but not to worry I was guaranteed that any clowns I bought would host which is completely misleading at best as some clowns never will and different clown species host different anemone species. There's a mix of different corals mostly soft and lps with very limited sps selection. I can't really recommend this store based on prices but overall selection can't be beat so it may be worth checking out if you live close or are in the area. Open 7 days a week.
Aquamart - this store is the biggest I've been to and they have a good selection of both dry goods and livestock. They also have a quarantine system though not all fish seem to be put through it. Store/tanks are clean and well lit. Prices are good for dry goods, livestock seems to be about average for the area. Coral selection is good and there's a good variety of soft, lps and sps. I'd recommend checking this place out if you're within an hours drive. They are closed on Tuesday I believe.
Stone Aquatics - this store is newer and I've only been once. The staff couldn't stop talking up the owner and how there would be 5 more in Denver soon and how they have fish flown straight to a warehouse they have somewhere in Denver bypassing a stop in LA. That said I wasn't impressed, tanks were dirty, dimly lit and the water was cloudy. Having only been once I haven't fully formed my own opinion yet and I will update this after I visit again.
Aquatic Art - this store is the gold standard all other stores in the Denver area should be held to. Coral, fish and dry goods selection is amazing. There is no better selection of coral anywhere in Colorado that I am aware of. Fish selection is limited but clean and healthy. Dry goods selection is amazing. Store/tanks are clean and well lit. This place is only open Friday and Saturday but I'd drive 1-2 hours each way to come here. If you want to keep corals or add more corals you owe it to yourself to give this place a visit.
If I had to pick only 3 stores to keep it would be Aquamart, About Fish and Aquatic Art. This is all just my opinion and I hope it helps people. I've been keeping aquariums for over 20 years and I have pretty high standards of what I expect from an lfs.
Denver Fish stores
I frequently visit many of Denver area fish stores and here is my take. Bear in mind this is just my opinion based on what I've come to expect in 20 years keeping fish. I've seen sick or dead fish at every store in the Denver area at least once. I quarantine all livestock, corals, rock etcetera and I fully recommend all other hobbyists do the same. If anyone needs help with this feel free to message me.
I can't say anything about Todds as I haven't been there in over a year but that's due to my not being impressed the first time I went there.
Keys Island - dirty store and livestock seems so-so but I did find a couple coral frags here once after they took in a bunch from a area reefers tank tear down. Again this place has never impressed me and IMO your time would be better spent going to another store. I've been 2x in as many years and can't foresee me going anymore than that.
Elite Reef - clean store and livestock looks good, I rarely see sick fish. They have a moderate coral selection, mostly brown or green and some sps. That said the prices here are high especially on dry goods, like up to 2-3x what you will pay elsewhere. For example I payed 2x for a power head what I later saw for 1/2 the price at another nearby store. This store is ok but the only thing elite here is the prices even though they do carry live rock I can't recommend this store if you have to travel more than 10 minutes and then use caution as you will likely find the same thing elsewhere for significantly less. Staff could be friendlier and more knowledgeable.
Liquid Kingdom - this store is close to my house as are Elite Reef and About Fish the tanks here are very dirty and the nitrates are off the charts. They have a moderate dry goods selection, prices are fair and they will barter and deal with you. I have seen ich on some fish however I believe every reefer should assume that any fish bought has ich and should quarantine and treat any fish you buy no matter where it's from. This store only carries a small coral selection all of which is soft with a few lps. If this store is close say 10-15 minutes it's worth checking out due to prices and the friendliness of the owners.
About Fish - this store impresses me over and over. They deal both salt and fresh and though salt selection is less than fresh they typically have a good selection and the tanks are ALWAYS clean. I've seen other stores as clean but never cleaner. Prices are good and I've rarely seen a sick fish here. Quarantine all fish! Sales are common here and you could find good deals regularly. Staff are knowledgeable and have given good advise when I have asked for it. Coral selection is small and a mix of soft and lps corals. I bought my regal tank from here for $29, clownfish $12 and my snowflake eel for $20. Dry goods selection is small but good for the store size. I would recommend this store if you are within 30-45 minutes though I would call ahead first to see when when the new shipment comes in and time your visit to that. Also check craigslist out as they regularly post sales and promotions there.
Neptunes - the highest prices in Denver but the livestock all looks good. One of the few stores that actually quarantines and treats fish which impresses me though this cost is passed on to you. Selection is usually good for livestock and the dry goods selection is one of the best in Denver. The also offer live foods in the form of black worms and brine shrimp which they feed to the fish in addition to frozen. Tanks/store is clean overall and staff are friendly though knowledge could be better. Before I got my clowns I asked if the had any that were already hosting an anemone to which they said no but not to worry I was guaranteed that any clowns I bought would host which is completely misleading at best as some clowns never will and different clown species host different anemone species. There's a mix of different corals mostly soft and lps with very limited sps selection. I can't really recommend this store based on prices but overall selection can't be beat so it may be worth checking out if you live close or are in the area. Open 7 days a week.
Aquamart - this store is the biggest I've been to and they have a good selection of both dry goods and livestock. They also have a quarantine system though not all fish seem to be put through it. Store/tanks are clean and well lit. Prices are good for dry goods, livestock seems to be about average for the area. Coral selection is good and there's a good variety of soft, lps and sps. I'd recommend checking this place out if you're within an hours drive. They are closed on Tuesday I believe.
Stone Aquatics - this store is newer and I've only been once. The staff couldn't stop talking up the owner and how there would be 5 more in Denver soon and how they have fish flown straight to a warehouse they have somewhere in Denver bypassing a stop in LA. That said I wasn't impressed, tanks were dirty, dimly lit and the water was cloudy. Having only been once I haven't fully formed my own opinion yet and I will update this after I visit again.
Aquatic Art - this store is the gold standard all other stores in the Denver area should be held to. Coral, fish and dry goods selection is amazing. There is no better selection of coral anywhere in Colorado that I am aware of. Fish selection is limited but clean and healthy. Dry goods selection is amazing. Store/tanks are clean and well lit. This place is only open Friday and Saturday but I'd drive 1-2 hours each way to come here. If you want to keep corals or add more corals you owe it to yourself to give this place a visit.
If I had to pick only 3 stores to keep it would be Aquamart, About Fish and Aquatic Art. This is all just my opinion and I hope it helps people. I've been keeping aquariums for over 20 years and I have pretty high standards of what I expect from an lfs.
jamie_mercer
New member
Also for the DIY'ers out there Plasticare is a great source for all your acrylic needs and they offer cut to size pieces either by table saw or laser. Saw cut pieces can be ran through the joiner by request just make sure to ask before they cut so the can oversize the price appropriately. Laser cuts are an additional charge. They carry all the solvents you need including weldon 3,4,16 and 40 as well as all the tools and polishes you need. This store is one block from Keys Island.
Jscwerve
New member
Yup, that's where I've been getting my acrylic. Good guys there.
Nice to see someone from Great Falls!! I grew up there!! CMR 1996!!! lol
jamie_mercer
New member
Is it glass or acrylic?
jamie_mercer
New member
L&L Glass at 64th and Wadsworth will do it for $25 a hole....if you have the diamond hole saw I have a guide you can use.
If anyone cares, below are some reviews of my recent Reef Store visits...all within the past 30 days. Please keep in mind that these are merely my observations from limited time spent in the stores and are not meant to disparage anyone's favorite LFS. These are clouded with my biases and expectations and your mileage may vary. Still interested? Read on:
AquaMart: (In Lakewood, just off Hampden on Wadsworth)
Experience Rating: 9.0/10
First visit.
Comments:
Good: Large, bright store. Lots of tanks and hard goods. Asked lots of questions, got good advice. Didn't treat me like a second class citizen, just because I'm new-ish. Passed the "confirm a few things that I already knew from spending hours at ReefCentral" test. Didn't try to sell me anything. Let my 2 year old look at stuff to his heart's content. Explained store's quarantine procedures quickly and efficiently. Livestock looked healthy. Display tanks were clean, healthy looking, and well set up.
Bad: Staff person was unfamiliar almost to the point of being afraid of LED lighting for reefs.
Will definitely return. These guys were the consummate professionals and didn't treat me like I was an idiot. Really, a great experience.
Elite Reef: (in Broomfield - on Wadsworth around 80th ave)
Experience Rating: 6.0/10
First visit.
Comments:
Good: Multi-level frag tank is VERY impressive, with stuff that you can't find elsewhere. Livestock in sale tanks looked very healthy and was marked to show degree of "reef safe-ness", which was nice for a new guy. Display reef tank is not terribly impressive, but is clean. Lots of CUC critters available. Nice looking live rock.
Bad: Place is SMALL and DARK...I mean, everything is painted black. Staff was aloof and somewhat unfriendly, particularly when they realized that I was new and wasn't buying anything that day. They were less-than-thrilled about my 2 year old being there...seemed to think he would damage something. Asked about quarantine procedures and was told "we quarantine everything" and....that's it. Minimal hard goods selection. Dead - LONG dead (at least a day) - powder blue tang in a tank in QT room.
Funny: Had a substantial water spill from RO/DI area during my visit..I mean, they had to break out the squeeges!
Will probably return if, for no other reason, than to see if staff rudeness is systemic or just "one of those days". They do have nice corals and some livestock that I haven't seen before, but it's a long way to drive (I live in central Denver, near DU) to be treated like crap.
Reef N' Pond: (on Santa Fe - just north of Dartmouth)
Experience Rating: 6.0/10
First visit.
Good: Fairly good selection of hard goods. Large display tank that looked clean, but was minimally stocked. Big tessalata eel in another DT that my son loved. Friendly staff that understood I was new and asked what they could do to help. Nice frag tank. When my wife asked about Mandarin Dragonette, advice given was perfect (wait until your tank has been up and running for a year...make sure you have a producing fuge...don't have other pod eaters that will outcompete them).
Bad: Aside from corals, most livestock offered for sale didn't look quite as healthy as at Elite or Aquamart. Subdued lighting on sale tanks, making me wonder about QT procedures (didn't ask...).
Notes: Weird store. Set up 1/2 reef and 1/2 back yard pond. Didn't venture into the pond section as I don't want carp in my back yard.
May return. It's fairly close to my house and the staff was friendly and eager with advice.
Key's Island: (Santa Fe & Oxford - next to A1 Scuba)
Experience Rating: 4.0/10
Been a couple of times.
Good: A couple of nice display tanks that, to be honest, look like they're just about to get away from the staff in terms of husbandry (so I'm not sure that's really "good"...). They are nice to my son here and don't mind him running around and going, "Dat's a blue tang!!! Dere's a flame angel!!!"
Bad: Not much in the way of hard goods. Staff is occasionally Best Buy-esque...ask if you need help once, then have a tendency to completely ignore you. On one visit, a staff member assured me that a flame hawkfish wouldn't eat shrimp if you got it when it was small and the shrimp were large and well established...not sure I believe that. Obvious aptasia on liverock marked as for sale. Staff told me about their established quarantine procedures, but not entirely sure if they are followed, as I saw a Hepatus tang that obviously had ich.
Meh: Kind of a rag-tag store, but it's close to Costco, so we can bribe my son with the promise of going to see fish if he behaves while in Costco. Some livestock looked very healthy - others did not. Frag area is a couple of 150s in the back corner with frags growing on plugs stuck in a multi-level acrylic frame...plenty effective, I'm sure, just not very impressive. Almost all fish were marked as "Sold" or "Hold for so-and-so".
I'm sure I'll come back to this place, simply because of its proximity to Costco and A1 (my dive shop of choice). But, I doubt I'll ever buy anything there.
Anyway. Hope this helps folks in Denver. There are lots more reef stores that I'm sure I'll hit eventually, but these are just the ones I've been to in the last month. Depending on how this is received, I may update with new store visits as they happen.
Cheers!!!
I know this is an old thread but I have to say I visit Aquamart regularly and Crystal is awesome. She's knows her stuff and she's honest. Most of the time when I'm there I see Jeff the owner and I often notice he either ignores me and that makes me feel I'm not worth his time as a customer. If I buy anything from there I only buy it when Crystal is there because she gives me her undivided attention and answers my questions. Keep up the good work Crystal!
Marc
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