Island Corals... and it begins!

[islandcorals]

Hello Reefers!

We of the Island Corals team would like to now make a more detailed announcement / introduction of what has been done and what can be expected in the coming future.
Island Corals idea is to bring hobbyist and reefers a more premium selection of corals to GVRD. Ever since the change in ownership, we have heard the request of more variety and better color. We’ve also heard the concerns of our loyal customers about the problems with the old coral system where there were dead spots in the flow and cyano. We’ve since partnered up with 2 other people and begun the change to the Island corals in which you now see today in Richmond Island Pets. (The Burnaby coral tank has corals but has not undergone the revamp but is maintained and kept in tip top condition by one of our knowledgeable staff).

What Reno?
First, we gutted the entire system right back to just the tank and stand. The previous sump was too small and would over flow in a power failure. Then we planned how we wanted the tank to flow and basically the plumbing had to be as simple and direct as possible. We ended up using a 1 HP inline water pump which pushed water out through 4 water accelerator nozzles in a circular direction and we added 4 wave pumps on each tank wall everything pushing in the same direction. That way all debris can be funneled down the overflow located in the middle of the massive tank. Everything was redone, checked and re-checked just in case of failures.


above is a full tank shot of what was upgraded


above you can see the flow in the tank has improved greatly!

What are we doing different?
All the bulbs we are using for the entire system are ATI bulbs to give the best par value. The lighting is on a timer to control the amount of light the corals are exposed to and prevent bleaching. The water in the systems params are checked and regulated twice a week and maintenance in regards to cleaning the tank is done once a week. All corals that we get in go through a tedious inspection where we have 2-3 people checking each coral and then having them dip in revive before it enters in the tank. (HOWEVER, that being said it is a reefers responsibility to also inspect / quarantine their fish and corals before putting in their tanks)


above is a picture of the tubes of lights we had to use

FINALLY!
We have joined up with a wholesaler who has graciously offered a raceway for us. Some items like SPS and premium LPS and others will not be stocked in the store. However, you will be able to view pictures of WYSIWYG and prices in the store and place an order. A deposit will be required and our wholesaler will deliver the corals every Wednesday morning or Saturday morning. Therefore, cut-off times are Tuesday when store closes and Friday when store closes. The deposit is refundable only if you come and at least see your coral the day it is delivered. Otherwise, your deposit will be forfeited unless other arrangements have been made and will be noted on a slip the day the deposit is paid. Later, we will setup a membership specifically to the island corals group which will allow updates on shipment and pre-order shipments so reefers may enjoy exclusive pricing on select items. We will setup a line where questions or concerns can be answered and will be exclusively looked after by one of the island coral team members.


above is a photo of part of the raceway our wholesaler has set aside for us!

[islandcorals]

Here is a sneak peak of some of our WYSIWYG corals, now available.
There will be a new thread tomorrow with some of the corals we have available for pickup at our Burnaby and Richmond stores.

oh and we will be having a welcome sale as we are a new sponsor on Canreef, anyone that spends over $100 will receive 10% off .

Enjoy!

[Myka]

Welcome!

[Scythanith]

Congrats on the upgrade!

[islandcorals]

Thankyou =)

Please do note that none of these will be available in store but only from our wholesaler so it will be posted as WYSIWYG a deposit is required and pickup will be wednesday and Saturday mornings.

Island Coral Team

[Coral Hoarder]

Let's see more pics!