New to Boston

[ChrisV]

Hello Everyone,

I am a long time reef tank and scuba enthusiast moving to Cambridge within the next month or so from the Washington DC area. I was a little concerned about the cold weather in Boston, so to sweeten the deal I decided that it was time ot upgrade to a larger reeftank with the move(finally, a controller AND a calcium reactor!!).

So far as my tank, I am an SPS junkie. My current system is documented here: http://cmas-md.org/forums/showthread.php?t=60064

I have >50 corals (80% sps) in a 22 gallon tank lit by a 250W halide and its time for something much bigger.


I have spent the last month on a reef tank shopping spree preparing for the move and I am finally excited about the transition.

So far as all of that non-tank related stuff, I am a 25 year old molecular biologist who is finally starting his PhD (which is why I am moving to cambridge).

Does anyone here live in Cambridge?

Where are the good reef tank stores in Boston? (sadly, i will not have a car)

Nice to meet you all,

Chris

 

[triggerhappy]

I work in Cambridge at a Biotech company. The only store that I hear people talk about is Skiptons on Southhampton st. There are probably a couple others. I'm sure someone else will chime in if there are more.

 

[S Hunter]

Welcome Aboard

 

[afboundguy]

Skiptons is the only one in the boston area... There are awesome ones in Salem NH (Jay's, Aqua Addicts) which is prob 40ish mins away, a new store in N Bilericia (Unique Aquaria)

And welcome to New England...

 

[Matt L.]

I live in Somerville, MA, not to far of a walk from the Davis Sq. T stop on the Red Line. I have a 125gal display (SPS growing in) and a 40gal quarantine system. If you need any help, let me know,

Matt

 

[Moe_K]

:w to the Boston Reefers!


Skiptons is probably the best bet in the immediate area, and accessible by subway / bus.

Click here for a link to Skiptons.

Make friends with BRS members in the area. You may be able to catch a ride with them to the more distant stores for variety.

 

[Gina McReeferson]

Hello Chris, and welcome to the BRS!

-Gina and David

 

[Behrmon]

 

[Aquaman_68]

Hello Everyone,

I am a long time reef tank and scuba enthusiast moving to Cambridge within the next month or so from the Washington DC area. I was a little concerned about the cold weather in Boston, so to sweeten the deal I decided that it was time ot upgrade to a larger reeftank with the move(finally, a controller AND a calcium reactor!!).

So far as my tank, I am an SPS junkie. My current system is documented here: http://cmas-md.org/forums/showthread.php?t=60064

I have >50 corals (80% sps) in a 22 gallon tank lit by a 250W halide and its time for something much bigger.


I have spent the last month on a reef tank shopping spree preparing for the move and I am finally excited about the transition.

So far as all of that non-tank related stuff, I am a 25 year old molecular biologist who is finally starting his PhD (which is why I am moving to cambridge).

Does anyone here live in Cambridge?

Where are the good reef tank stores in Boston? (sadly, i will not have a car)

Nice to meet you all,

Chris

Chris, Hello & welcome to the forum...Good luck with the move...

My sister relocated to the DC area after she got her PHD in molecular biology..Lots of dedication to that field....(& not much glory....Private sector is the only place to make big money) Most people that go into that field do it for the love!!!. She's at John Hopkins.... Where will you be studying?


B (another fellow SPS lover)

 

[afboundguy]

Took a look at your pics on your other forums... Great looking tank!

 

[jbishop]

Great looking tank. Welcome to the club.

 

[DawnOctopus]

Welcome! I was born in DC and lived there til I was 11... Ahhhh fond memories.

 

[ChrisV]

She's at John Hopkins.... Where will you be studying?


B (another fellow SPS lover)

Small world!, I was working at the National Institutes of Health and doing a masters at JHU. It's a neat school. Although to even say so creeps me out to no end, Harvard is the plan. <yikes!>

 

[ChrisV]

Thanks for the warm welcome and the tank complements! I look forward to meeting you at meetings (if i can find a way to get there!).

The current system is WAY too small to sustain what i have in it so i'm really looking forward to the upgrade. (to sustain all of that in a 22 gallon tank i use ~30ml of each component of 2 part buffer every day...talk about a ph swing...)

Its great to hear that some of you are from near where I will be. If any of you ever need any help with your tanks, let me know i would be happy to feed while you are away or be a local emergency contact person if something goes wrong.

Does anyone happen to know of rooms for rent in close proximity to harvard square? (or a nearby t station?) Craigs list room shopping is burning me out....and to try and explain to someone that this isn't a goldfish that you got at the county fair and that you promise you will maintain it etc is getting old...and i don't even know how a non reef tank person will react to a 400w halide...AHHH so many logistics involved with moving, let alone moving an established reef tank!

 

[ChrisV]

Matt, is that what I think it is in your pic (and is it in your care?)?!?

 

[Matt L.]

Good eye, Chris. No, it's just for a joke. As for renting an apartment, from someone who has a 125gal in a rental unit and has had large systems all throughout my time here in Boston, I just mention that I have fish, and that the tank is pretty big. I gesture with my hands. I don't give the exact volume or weight. As long as you go perpendicular to the floor joists in these buildings, you're okay.

Matt

 

[ChrisV]

yeah i was/am a bit worried about the large hole my tank may leave in the floor of the no doubt ancient apartment...

 

[Matt L.]

Don't worry. A 22's nothing. I've done a 55, 90, and now a 125.

Think about it this way. A 22 weights, what, 200 lbs. when full. That's a typical weight for a person, and a person doesn't fall through the floor. Heck, in a party, you may have 4000 pounds or more in a small room, and the floor doesn't collapse.

Check your floor joists, of course, but as long as you keep it near a wall and perpendicular to the joists and preferably spread over two or more joists, you should be more than fine.

Matt

 

[leemik]

Skiptons is really the only decent "reef tank store" in Boston.. Someone needs to open a new store lol.. There are plenty of stores in the suburbs but you'll need a car.. even Skiptons is not right off the subway either.. you'd have to either walk a few miles in a bad neighborhood or take the bus from the nearest Subway stop.

I work in Cambridge but live in Quincy (a suburb).. Housing is mad expensive in Harvard sq.. A lot of folks that go to school in the Harvard sq area live in Somerville or Central sq where it's more affordable.

good luck!

 

[ChrisV]

the 22 and i are parting ways with the move (thank god, nanos are so much work!) total water volume of the new system will be around 100g. im doign a 65 gallon display and a sump with about 30 gallons of water in it + random skimmer/ carbon filter/ top off reservoir/ calcium reactor/kalk stirrer/ phosban...you get the picture...