Pacific Aquarium

[Innesfan]

Had lunch with friends in Chinatown (NYC) today and since I'm seldom that far downtown I seized the opportunity to visit one of the few privately owned aquarium shops still in business in Manhattan, Pacific Aquarium, so named since it originally was one of NY's premier importers of fancy goldfish from across the Pacific. Over the years it generalized and developed a very strong tropicals department often featuring much more than the usual bread-and-butter species. Today was no exception and it made me nostalgic for the days when shops such as these were not rare. Any place that has Clown Killies, Nannostomus eques and N. unifasciatus, Dwarf Pea Puffers, numerous Apistogramma sp, Scarlet Badis, Silver Hatchets, Dwarf Gold Barbs (Pethia gelius), to name a few, all under one roof, is okay by me.

 

[Mr Limpet]

I plan to stop in there next week. I know it’s a long shot, but did you happen to notice any female Dario?

 

[Innesfan]

I'm not up on Dario and Badis since the 2002 revision. I kept Badis badis over 30 years ago before there was a Dario. I don't recall what I saw in that tank beyond the one fish. But I'm sure a trip there will be interesting regardless.

 

[otterblue]

I plan to stop in there next week. I know it’s a long shot, but did you happen to notice any female Dario?

I have a bunch of female Scarlet Badis if you're ever out to Ohio.

 

[GaryE]

In the aquarium magazine era, all the New York writers used to mention where they got their fish. It seemed like no one else from anywhere else did that, but the New York stores are familiar names to me - legendary places. I couldn't name them, but when I see the names of the long established stores, there's recognition. I used to read old magazines when I could find them, from before my time, and New York was the centre of the US aquarium universe.
New Jersey, Brooklyn, Manhattan - these were where the rare fish were.

Now, people will recognize the Wet Spot or Aquatic Clarity for their online sales, but it isn't the same. Someday I'm going to put on a suit and a fedora hat and go looking at what remains of those stores.

 

[gwand]

I found a tropical fish store 20 minutes from my house that I never knew existed. It opened in 1967. It has 750 tanks and about 1000 species. I have now visited the store three times. I posted about the store after my first visit. The first two visits were solely to assess store ethics and livestock quality. My third visit was a week ago and I purchased 2 female Apistogramma cacatuoides. They are now in quarantine. The selection of east African cichlids as well as South American cichlids is astounding. I’m hoping this store can become my “go to” fish shop.

 

[Innesfan]

In the aquarium magazine era, all the New York writers used to mention where they got their fish. It seemed like no one else from anywhere else did that, but the New York stores are familiar names to me - legendary places. I couldn't name them, but when I see the names of the long established stores, there's recognition.

Do these ring a bell?

Aquarium Stock Co. on Warren St downtown near City Hall. The oldest of them. Opened a branch in LA on Beverly Blvd that actually outlasted the NYC store. Mecca from the Innes days through the 1970s.

Crystal Aquarium, upper East side, 93rd St if memory serves. My favorite. I built entire colonies of the rarer Nannostomus--N. digrammus, N. minimus, N. limatus etc-- by scouring their characin tanks for bycatch. Not knowing what to charge, he gave them to me for a buck a piece.

New World Aquarium, E. 38th St, formerly on W. 8th St. Always something interesting there.

FishTown USA, Third Ave and 35th St. Huge, less interesting, more bread-and-butter. But offered the occasional find.

New York Aquarium, aka "Dave's", on E. 23rd St. A perpetual hangout for local breeders. Dave would special order for his best customers. I got my my first batch of Nannostomus espei from him. The box containing the bag of fish was stuffed with Guyanese newspaper.

Beyond Manhattan:

Aquarium Treasures. Queens, mammoth and full of great not-often-seen fish.

Ed's Aquarium, just over the city line in Lynbrook, Long Island. Was glorious in the 50's through 70s and slowly went down hill.

There are more--mom and pop shops in Chinatown, Brooklyn, NJ-- but these are the current retrievals from my memory.