VA Beach fish stores

[Hoyden]

I will be down in VA Beach this weekend and have a few hours to kill tomorrow during the day. Is anyone faniliar with the LFSs in that area? Which ones should I visit/skip?

[Brian Ward]

I know them well. I would say that none of them really compare to what we have available up here. The 3 that I'm aware of are relatively close to each other.

Animal Jungle is by far the largest. You'll usually see some moderately interesting fish and average to high prices. Their coral selection is abysmal. But the place is worth the visit for the Hyacinth Macaw and the little leopard (it's not a leopard, but it's some sort of exotic cat) they have. (www.animaljungle.com)

 

Fish Safari is so-so. I love the people there, coral selection is better than Animal Jungle but coral prices are completely out of control. Fish selection is relatively limited. (www.fishsafari.com)

 

Reef Chief is by far the best for coral. This one opened up after I moved away, so I'm less familiar with it. (www.reefchief.us)

 

They're all within 10 minutes of each other in the western part of the city.

[darkcirca]

If you like other animals, definitely checkout Animal Jungle. I love going to this place just to play in the bird rooms...

[gioNVA]

Definitely check out Reef Chief. They are moving to a bigger facility and I think this weekend is their last at the old shop. There is a clearance sale going on this weekend to clear out a lot of stuff for their move but I'm not sure if there's a lot left.

[sportzfish]

I was just at Animal Jungle last week and they are starting to try their hand at selling higher end corals (chalices, orange-green scolys, acans). Nothing earth shattering there but some decent stuff. When they have sales on certain livestock I have found them to be pretty good deals with the prices at about 50% off of what I can get around here normally. My fish survived the 4 hour ride home.

There is also another small chain of stores called Care-a-lot Pet Supply that I was told about by a local reefer down there, one in Va. Beach on Diamond Springs Rd. and another in Newport News off of Oyster Point Rd. I was impressed with their fish selection but not with their coral selection. For instance, they had a couple of Tono's fairy wrasses (Cirrhilabrus tonozukai) for sale that I have not seen in any stores around here.

[SkiCurtis]

Definitely check out Reef Chief. They are moving to a bigger facility and I think this weekend is their last at the old shop. There is a clearance sale going on this weekend to clear out a lot of stuff for their move but I'm not sure if there's a lot left.

+1 on reef chief he a good guy.also on the way back in richmond there is atlantis.I was on the way back from great wolf lodge during spring break last week and took the family and came home with 3 new tangs! Really nice healthy corals and fish. also he is the distribtor for Deltc.

Curtis

[Hoyden]

Definitely check out Reef Chief. They are moving to a bigger facility and I think this weekend is their last at the old shop. There is a clearance sale going on this weekend to clear out a lot of stuff for their move but I'm not sure if there's a lot left.

 

 

I saw that they were having a big sale on their website - I'll defintely check it out.

 

Jackie