Now that I have covered the Denver Metro area, let’s review. In keeping with the categories I previously set up I will share my favorites around the Metro. My favorite type of fish are peaceful nano fish because they go well with planted tanks and aquascapes. My go to store in the category of Nano fish is Aquatic Dog. There are many other LFS who carry these fish, but I feel like Aquatic Dog does them best. They are also fairly close to me.
There is a principle I live my life by and put simply, Life is here to support me! (you). Whatever it is you need will be right close by. If you have to travel long distances for something, then you probably don’t need it. Of course, there are always exceptions, and in those cases, discernment must be exercised.
The next category is for the complete LFS or the store that serves every aspect of the aquarium hobby. For me this title goes to Neptune’s. Runners up go to About Fish and Fish Den. I am sure many aquarists would include Aqua Imports, however I have not had good experience with that store, so I don’t recommend them. Let me just say they are known for getting rare and exotic fish which other stores cannot, so they remain high on the LFS list.
The category for best Aquascaping LFS goes hands down to Aqua Rocks Colorado. While many LFS will carry some aquascaping supplies and plants, no one in Colorado does this better than Aqua Rocks. Even if you are just setting up a basic aquarium, Aqua Rocks has the best selection of rock, driftwood, and plants than any other LFS in the state. They also have low prices on rimless aquariums, top quality lighting and filtration. If you want high end supplies, check out this LFS.
Monster fish is the next category and Ray’s Tank takes this title with no hesitation at all. I am sure most hobbyists would agree, they have beautiful healthy fish for the large aquarium. There really is no runner up, perhaps About Fish.
Saltwater store goes to Elite Reef because I am just so impressed by this store. I had not even been to this store till recently, so this is a pleasant surprise to me. This category is tough to rate because so many stores offer saltwater livestock and supplies. Here I am just rating stores that serve the saltwater community only. Other stores which serve both and have wonderful saltwater service are Aquamart and Neptune’s. I also have to give a runner up to Aquatic Art for the best coral.
The category of custom aquarium maker goes to King of Aquariums because he makes whatever you need right here in town and both this quality and service are excellent. The other stores I know of order the tanks made out of town and have them shipped in which is both expensive and impersonal. Honorable mention goes to Keepin it Reef for the beautiful stands he makes.
The best Betta fish is not really a category, though I just want to say most of the LFS will have nice betta fish. Ben Moua was the importer/breeder for much of Colorado LFS and beyond for a long time, although I hear he is moving away. So, I don’t know how this will affect the supply around here. As always, I suggest asking the store where they get their fish, and if it is captive breed or wild caught. Some fish are best wild caught and some are best captive breed for various reasons too expansive to expound on here.
Certain fish are hard to find in any store, such as Killifish. For these fish I recommend joining the American Killifish Association as well as the Colorado Killi Club. The other fish type that is wildly popular are cichlids, for these I recommend About Fish or Golden Fish. We do have some good private breeders in the state, so join the clubs and go to the auctions! Facebook is a great place to get questions answered and meet new fishy friends. I also recommend joining the Colorado Aquarium Society. If you have specific questions, use the form on this website. I post all my blogs to Facebook, so please make comments there. Thanks to all my readers! Please share this blog with your friends and on social media.
Sequoia Elisabeth
ps. It will be about a week before the next blog, since I will need to travel up north.
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