is anybody out there ???

[windgod]

I went up to Souix Falls 1 weekeend and saw lots of shops with reef goods, so were are all the South Dakotans???



R

[windgod]

all I hear is crickets

[windgod]

hello???

[Lunchbucket]

hey sorry no one really comes here anymore...sad to say

i'm in Brookings and i know Travis from SF and another guy from SF.

there are a few west river that i have heard from on this board....not that many people here on RC i don't think

later
Lunchbucket

[Travis]

Hey windgod,

Well, you already know I'm here. Honestly, I don't know too many other reefers around this area. And I don't know any others from this area and also on RC, except for Lunchbucket.

[fishresponse]

Hey Travis,

I agree. There is not a whole lot of offer aquarists in SD or for that matter Sioux Falls. I used to live in Beresford last year but now live in the Des Moines area. When I was building my system right when i moved there I heard from a few people in Beresford that they used to do it or still are. Not sure on that though. Well anyways, if you're ever in the Des Moines area there are a couple good stores. A lot of aquarists are in the area also. Check out the Greater Iowa Reef Society on RC.

Andy

[ultrinn]

There are other South Dakota Reefers here? I searched and could not find anything.

I live in Sioux Falls.

[Travis]

Sheesh, I didn't know anybody even checked this forum.

fishresponse, good to hear from an ex-South Dakotan. I am actually in Des Moines a few times per year. My fiancee moved here from Oskaloosa and that is where her family is. Last time I was down there was around Christmas time. My future bro-in-law introduced me to HOC and I got to see his amazing setup. He has since moved to Virginia. Did you get a chance to see his setup? I do usually hit the LFS's in Des Moines when I go through. There are a couple that I like. I don't remember the names. One is next to Hooters in a mall and the other one is in Altoona.


ultrinn, Wow, there is another person from Sioux Falls on here. I didn't know that. Glad to have you along. Maybe we can meet up sometime. You know anyone else around here that is into reefs? I know the guys at a couple of the tatto shops and sell them corals on occasion. I also know Dan and Mark from Mini Critters. Dan has a pretty neat 500 gallon bowfront in his home. Too bad he doesn't know more about taking care of corals though. He does have a lot of nice fish. Haven't seen Mark's 240 yet. The last time I saw his tanks they were literally so infested with algae that you couldn't see inside them. I used to keep in contact with Jim from Mini Critters too but haven't heard from him in a while and he got fired. Have you seen the tank at Executive Fireplace on Louise yet? It is pretty nice. Mini Critters used to maintain it and everything kept dying. Now I think a guy that used to work at the Omaha zoo is maintaining it and supposedly things are looking better. There was an article about that guy in the paper a couple days ago in the business section. It sounds like he is starting a business in town setting up and maintaining tanks for people.

Sorry for the rambling. Just excited that there is someone else from Sioux Falls on here. I wish we could get enough people together to start a club.

[ultrinn]

I have major issues with the tanks at mini critters so I don't go in there too often. the last time I was in there it looked like about half of the livestock was dead or dying so I haven't been back.

I usually go to Safari land. They have less selection but I know a couple of the people that work there and know they have most of the stuff they sell at home.

[Lunchbucket]

fishresponse - beresford that is where my family-in-law lives!!! small world

MC sucks. SL is better and getting better all the time IMO

Hmm guy from Omaha zoo...very cool. i still need to check out the tank at Executive fireplace

later
Lunchbucket

[ultrinn]

I haven't been to executive fieplaces so I didn't even know they had a reef tank set up. How did you ever figure out that they had a reef tank?

[Lunchbucket]

heard from the guys at Mini Critters

[windgod]

Was the fire place tank in the "reef aquarium volume 1 " because I remember a tank in the back of the book that was said to be from Omaha

[Travis]

ultrinn, I agree. I don't like the way that MC does business. They try to sell everything the first day or 2 that it comes in. What doesn't go right away ends up sitting in their tanks and dying. They need someone there that knows how to keep reef tanks in the first place. They could also use a BIG skimmer, which I think would immensely help their tanks but you know Mini Critters... they tell us that protein skimmers are "bad" and we shouldn't be using them. SL has a much more ethical way of doing business. They care about the livestock that comes in, in fact they quarantine all of their fish for 2 weeks before they even go into the displays. Scott has a general knowlede about how to care for the animals he sells so they stay alive, and thrive, in his system at the store. I don't buy corals from either store as I'm just not satisfied with the "run of the mill" stuff they get in or the health of their specimens. When I do need to pick up some frozen food or something I will usually give my business to SL because I like how they treat their livestock and customers better. Not to mention their frozen food is half the price that MC sells them for.

I heard by word of mouth from the MC crew about the tank at Executive Fireplace. They would brag it up about how they were in charge of the tank and then I would go see the tank and all the corals would be melting and the fish would be covered in parasites. It's a good thing that tank is under someone else's care now.

windgod, definitely not the same tank. The one at Executive Fireplace is nothing special at all. It's just nice to see a "large" reef tank in Sioux Falls, even though I don't have to leave my house to do that anymore. What I like most about the setup there is the wall that it is in. You will have to stop by and see it one of the next times you are in town. It is really close to the mall so that should score bonus points with the wife.

[windgod]

I thoght you were talking about a tank in Omaha, I dont have my "reef aqaurium" (sprung) but in the back on vol 1 there was a tank from omaha.

and when it comes to th LFS scene it is almost to frustrating to go to them, there is never any good hardware like Tunze,MRC, ETS.....or just good ol fashion fabrication of journeyman diy'ers like some of us, not to mention the crappy almost dead livestock they are trying to pawn off at a ridicualous price.

and is MC the place that sells dogs as well, if it is I saw a gal buy 10lbs of rock for about 60.00 bucks(whoa) then I bought a dog leash for our dog and got it up to the counter (no price tag on it) they rang it up 35.00, next time wal-mart, 6.00

there was another shop that was in Redwood Falls MN not far from you guys, had a mass quanity of Fiji rock on the 'ol Ebay site so I thoght I would take a little detour from the wind parks up that way, what a big dissipoinment that was it was in a big rubbermaid tank 300 gallon or so and the water was yellow (ammonia laden) and no skimmer just 2 maxi-jets breaking the stagnit froth of the frog pond she called a curing tank, and since then I have relied on transhippers and internet


sorry to vent

Rick

[Travis]

Yup, Mini Critters is the place that sells dogs too. I remember back when I bought liverock from them when I was starting my first tank several years ago. They were charging $16/lb. I had a buddy that was working there so I thought I was getting a steal when he hooked me up with some of their rock for about half that price. Little did I know, I was still getting ripped off.

BTW, I was at MC today and they had this great big Sohal tang. It is so pale and sick looking. I don't know why they even get fish like that. I doubt if there is a single tank in this area that would be appropriate for that fish.

[ultrinn]

Someone at work today was telling me that there is someone in the area with two sharks in a tank. Anyone here about that?

[Travis]

Never heard of that, but it could certainly be true. Of course it could also be true that they have 2 sharks in a 40 gallon tank. You just never know around here. I could certainly see MC telling someone that it is ok to have sharks in a 20 gallon tank. If there is someone around here that has a couple sharks in a tank that is appropriately sized for them I would love to see it.

[Travis]

Actually, now that I think about it, I do remember MC having some shark eggs in one of their tanks a few years ago. Not sure what ever happened to them or who purchased them though.

[Lunchbucket]

hey had shark eggs not too long ago. less than one year. not sure what happend to them but i was ****ED when they had them there

Lunchbuciket

[Travis]

Dang, so that is at least twice in the last few years that they have had shark eggs. That really ****ES me off!!!!!!!!!!!!

[windgod]

hey Travis what are min pins??

[Lunchbucket]

minature pinchers...they are a breed of dogs. min pin is short hand

[windgod]

thats right I remember the little guys now

[windgod]

alot of work but this is the begining.............