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- Exchange or store credit must be within 30 days of original purchase

- Receipt & original condition and packaging is mandatory

- Discounted or clearance sale items are always final

- Livestock purchased from us may be credited at 50% value after a 2-day hold to assess the health of the livestock item

- We do not offer credit for livestock not purchased from us

- We do not guarantee the health or behavior of any livestock after purchase

- We will only hold items if they have been purchased and only for up to a 48 hour period

- We are not responsible for any health changes of livestock after purchase

- If the items are not picked up within the 48 hour holding period, 50% livestock credit and full credit for dry goods may be issued

- We will special order livestock and dry goods if they are available to us if we receive prior payment for the item

- Submit your request through email or in the store with an associate

- Promotions and credits may not be combined unless otherwise specified

- Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for up to date announcements of sales or promotions

- We can do drop-shipping of coral & fish for large prepaid orders, but at this time we do not ship individual items

- We reserve the right to refuse service or admittance to anyone

It is important to remember that saltwater tanks usually require substantial start up costs to create an effective system. Here is an example of start up costs for a 65 gallon reef tank.

DSA Rimless 65 Gallon Tank - $499.99

DSA Black 65G Stand - $399.99

Overflow Plumbing Kit - $79.99

Eshopps ADV-100 Sump - $279.99

ASM Mini G Protein Skimmer - $199.99

Aqua Excel DC6500 Pump - $204.99

2 x Kessil A160we - $239.99/each  - note this lighting will support any coral growth

2 x Kessil Gooseneck - $35.99/each - mounts for light

Kessil Controller - $104.99

Portable Refractometer - $49.99

2 x Caribsea Oolite 40 lbs - $39.99/each

Live Rock - $3.99/lb - recommend at least 1 lb per gallon

API Master Test Kit - $24.99

Premixed Saltwater - $1/gallon

This is a list of the most basic necessities to start a nice reef tank. There are many add ons such as an auto top off, powerheads, dosers, reactors, and other equipment. This is simply an example - there are ways to cut costs if necessary - but it usually good to have several grand set aside for a reef tank. The good news is most of the equipment lasts 3-5 years and many quality items will hold some resale value if you ever choose to upgrade.

Small tanks are cheaper to start up, but they are more difficult for those looking to try out saltwater for the first time.

Here is an example of starting a 3 Gallon Picotope Reef Tank:

Picotope 3 Gallon Aquarium - $64.99

Live Rock - $3.99/lb - we recommend 1 lb per gallon

Caribsea Hawaiian Black Live Sand 10 lbs - $19.99

API Master Test Kit - $24.99

Premixed Saltwater - $1/gallon

Portable Refractometer - $49.99

Upgraded Wavepoint 6" light with blue & white - $57.99

Additional Items you may want to get when purchasing a new tank:

Heater - $25 - $40 depending on size of tank

Fish Net - $4 - $8

Cycling Bacteria - $11 - $20

Reef Mature Pro Starter Kit - $ 35

Auto Top Off - $149.99

UV Sterilizer - $130 - $200

Chiller - $200 - $600

Doser - $100 - $400

Powerheads - $40 - $600

Automated Control System - $250 - $800

Filter Medium - $10 - $50

Refugium - $40 - $150

When starting a new saltwater tank, you system will go through the a very important "cycling" process during which your system will build up the bacteria populations which break down toxic waste from fish & coral. Slow & steady absolutely win this race, so it is important to never overstock your tank when it is new. There is no exact science to cycling, but the best way you can get through it is with frequent testing and monitoring until the system seems to have stabilized. Some people cycle tanks with small hardy fish, such as a damsel, while others prefer to cycle them without fish instead putting in some food to rot. It is important to note that your tank will not cycle if it is empty from anything producing ammonia or nitrates (such as a live fish or coral or a rotting food item). You can speed up the cycling process by dosing live bacteria, but most cycles take anywhere from 3 - 8 weeks. During the cycle you should be regularly testing Ammonia, Nitrates, & Nitrites. Your Ammonia & Nitrites should always be at 0 and if they are anything higher then immediate attention is necessary. Nitrates will fluctuate as your tank cycles, but you want them to remain steadily low. Anything below 30 is typically acceptable for fish, while you want to keep them lower if you want to keep coral.

If you run into fluctuations when cycling, it is important not to over-react by doing a massive water change or dosing with too many chemicals. This can cause the cycling process to completely re-start. It can also cause a "teeter-totter" effect where you are constantly fluctuating back and forth between extreme levels. Slow, steady consistency is the best way to approach cycling a tank. You will have algae blooms, but with consistent removal and small water changes the algae will eventually stop blooming.

Remember to always top off your tank with Freshwater & test your salinity from time to time, as many new aquarists get caught up in the chemical cycle & forget about the basic salinity test.