Living Sea (Stoneham)

[Keith Sheridan]

I know there was already a couple threads posted on this subject, but I just went there for the first time tonight. I gotta say the store seems to be off to a nice start. There was a good variety of fish, inverts and corals. Their corals didn't look great, but not too bad either. The store itself was well setup and extremely clean. I know it has just opened up, but I am sure it could have been pretty nasty by now if they didn't keep up with it. I guess my biggest problem was that the only prices in the store were on the drygoods and corals, not on the fish or inverts. All in all a pleasent experience, I suggest you check it out.

[Tobyt]

FYI, Sat., I plan to go to the Living Sea and shoot some photos if they'll let me.

[Keith Sheridan]

Don't be stupid, they should pay you to take some photos. Tell them you will send them copies via jpg fomat and allow them to use them if they are willing to front a small amount for them. They could use them in setting up a website if they haven't already.
Of course I am not trying to reap money from the store, but it would be advantageous to them to have high quality shots for promotions.

[Tobyt]

I'm sure they will allow it. :)

Purely a formality. Always courteous (as well as prudent) to get permission in these sort of situations.

People can sue you for posting their photos or their property on the web otherwise.

[tstone]

Toby
You should go to Mikes this Sat for the grand opening to take some shots. He will most likely have some great stuff for the opening.

[Tobyt]

Already in my plans. ;)

[JD46]

I stopped by there last week. I did think the store looked nice.

I was, however, disappointed to see them carrying flame scallops, shark eggs, a clown tang, and an orange spotted filefish.

[Keith Sheridan]

Originally posted by JD46
I stopped by there last week. I did think the store looked nice.

I was, however, disappointed to see them carrying flame scallops, shark eggs, a clown tang, and an orange spotted filefish.
True they had all those things, except for the filefish. I understand the problem with the shark egg and the scallop, but the other two, why not carry them. I mean the clown surgeon is not too big to sell, and selling the filefish is much like selling dragonets.

[JD46]

My understanding on both fish is as follows:

Clown tangs have a very poor survival rate in aquariums. As far as I know, they are one of the worst rates of the tangs. But, in the right aquarium (200+ gallons) they can be kept.

The orange spotted file, which was there as of last Thursday, has a diet that consists strictly of Acropora.

Per Bob Fenner

"The most commonly offered member of the family... and rarely alive for more than a week in captivity. In the wild almost only eats Acropora polyps."

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/filefish.htm

[karl wagner]

I need something to eat all this acropora!


I'm surprised nobody commented on the NO fluorescent lighting.


or the wet/dry filters.


I went Sunday and got some snails and peppermints. I passed on the shark egg, but I could see why they sell them.

Brimarbrio brian and I discussed this and I was telling him of the market (in NY at least) for 2 foot length sharks. I grew one out to that length and got 250 dollars for it. I had it in a 125 growout tank for a year, and parted with it. The guy that bought it had like a 2000 or something. (DR NO?)

It wasn't like I was attaching Freakin laser beams to its head or anything.

[Pyrojon]

Normal Output lighting and WetDry filters are totally up to par for fish only systems, what would YOU use on a system with no live rock? Fish don't require any special type of lighting and WetDry filters are as good as any other man made filter in the world.

I can't comment on the coral tank lighting as I don't recall what they were lit with, but I don't recall seeing any WetDry for those, only a large tub of live rock below.


On a personal note, Karl you really need to stop bad mouthing stores as you only seem to make your self and the Boston Reefers Society look foolish.

[Keith Sheridan]

Originally posted by Pyrojon

On a personal note, Karl you really need to stop bad mouthing stores as you only seem to make your self and the Boston Reefers Society look foolish.
Maybe I missed something, but Karl's comments were not really bad mouthing the store. Maybe you're talking about another thread.

I actually didn't notice the lighting on the corals, but the fish only systems were lit fine and had adequete filtration in my opinion.

As for the two fish in question. I have read that the filefish may accept other foods, but it's diet is largely acropora. And the clown surgeon, I don't see anything wrong with selling him provided they are honest about the size and hardiness.

[karl wagner]

Pyro: no bad mouthing here...never.... maybe you read into it wrong ?

I just reread my post even,
and don't know where you're coming from.


I posted that I went there AND bought stuff...
if that's bad, I don't know anything.


If I thought the place was bad I wouldn't have bought anything.

Additionally, I was defending their selling shark eggs, as I found it to be pretty "lucrative?" in the past.

hugs and kisses, kdw

[Pyrojon]

I'm surprised nobody commented on the NO fluorescent lighting.
or the wet/dry filters.


I appologize if I was out of line.

I read this as sarcasm and as a dig on the lighting and filtration used in the stores. These two things are well known as Taboo in the reef community and a comment like this could easily be missunderstood. I may have been a bit on edge as comments like this (specificly from Karl) have hurt others in the past.

Hugs and Kisses right back at ya big guy!
:)

Jon

[Tobyt]

I'd buy a shark if it came with a frickin' laser on its head.

[denvig]

The lighting on the corals are Corallife PC strips