Normally when I do video tours of aquariums and stores it’s the result of lots of planning and forewarning for all parties. But this latest video walkthrough of Manhattan Aquariums was the result of a cancelled flight courtesy of United Airlines and Newark liberty international airport.
Rather than kill time sitting around waiting for the next available flight back to Denver, I decided to Uber into Manhattan to visit the retail aquarium store of our good friend Joe Caparatta. Joe’s got his hands in all kinds of projects but Manhattan Aquariums is one of his oldest enterprises and it’s one helluva aquarium store.
Catering to both freshwater and saltwater hobbyists, Manhattan Aquariums is a full line LFS with all the livestock, tanks and gear necessary to set up a modern style aquarium. Although the shop is currently under intense renovation, they still have somehow managed to keep the place organized and presentable on a Sunday afternoon.
The use of 80/20 midular extruded aluminum for both the aquarium stands and the light hangers is particularly attractive, albeit an expensive option which is well worth the cost. Despite being the middle of summer, with a ‘shortage’ of corals from Indonesia, I still found plenty of things to feature on this impromptu visit to Manhattan Aquariums.
If you want to see more of our videos of Joe’s various works be sure and check out our tour of Unique Corals in Van Nuys California, and the Beverly Hills Reef Tank that he maintains.
