norfolk va

i recently bought a 72 gallon bow front salt water tank that i would like to and live rocks and coral to any tips?

Check Cichlid soultions, all your people in VA and your local craigslist.

Hiya! I'm in Norfolk, VA too. Trust your gut when you go to an lfs. If you don't like the vibe don't buy. Lately, several of the stores around here have had worse outbreaks of ich and dropsy than friggin Walmart @ Janaf and that's bad. Don't just look at the fish/coral you're interested in, look at every tank. You'll get a better overall idea of the conditions they're keeping the fish in. Also, if you notice a problem in a tank tell an employee. You'll get a good sense of the store itself based on the reaction to the news one of their tanks isn't perfect. My favorite store is Fish Safari in Virginia Beach. It's at Salem Crossing. I loved it so much when I first started going there that I worked my butt off to get hired there. I loved every day but had to give up the job when I got pregnant or I'd still work there. Anywho, it's a family run store that depends on word of mouth to build their reputation and business. Therefore, they put forth the extra effort that larger stores don't. If they have a tank with ich, they shut it down for sales until the fish are healthy. If you ask how long they've had a certain fish or set of fish they'll tell you the truth. Either when it came in or that they don't know(at which point they'll generally find someone who does for you). They're a little more expensive but that's because they don't sell junk or sick livestock and they don't buy their stock from bad sources.

cool thanks ill check them out i been to the animal jungle they seem alright i got this tank of a guy on craigslist so im waiting a mo for the fish to settle in before i start adding to it

welcome:) great to have you!

If you go to a LFS with a fish system like Wal-Mart or Petco , check all the tanks before you buy fish. These are central systems and all the water is the same on the rack of tanks. If you want to buy a fish in the upper right hand tank, there could be sick fish in the lower left hand tank.