The Basement Reef

03/23/2025

Once again, we will be closing our retail store front and moving to an online-based business at the end of this month. I know we advertised this weekend and next as closeout sale dates but getting out of here is a fluid situation. We have about sold through all of our remaining regular stock and as such are moving on to packing up the store and will have ONE MORE day of closeout next Saturday, March 29th.

On that date we will have most of the tanks in the store drained and will be running $1 per gallon on all used tanks. Plenty of ten gallons, 30 gallon long and tall, 29s, divided 55s and more.

Many of you have been asking about equipment. This is also the day we are likely to have equipment for sale, as until now, we've needed it to keep the livestock all going.

There are a few large items we would like to sell but haven't been able to yet. I am available by appointment to view these and am likely to accept any reasonable offers. Those items are:

150 gallon reef tank: I will only move this as one piece.
Buy it with the livestock or I will take it home, but I don't really want to take it home. Message us for details.

55 gallon tank and stand

Various retail display items: front counters, three tiered retail displays, glass jewellery cases, merchandising supplies and more.

We will be open 12-6 on the 29th and then we will have details about what our online operation will look like very soon after. Thank you all and feel free to reach out via DM or call me at 314-600-8133 with any questions.

Thanks and I apologize to anyone who was planning on visiting today, there just isn't much left to sell and I need to tear quite a bit down before there is now.

03/03/2025

Unfortunately, we will be closing the doors of our physical retail location at the end of this month. It's been a really fun four years but unfortunately this version of the store is not working out as well as we had hoped. Don't worry, though, we are not going out of business entirely and plan on still bringing the services we offer to Mid Missouri and more, just in a different package. After the physical storefront is closed, we will be transitioning to an online based business offering shipping and delivery within the mid-MO area, as well as all of the maintenance services we offer now. More on that later.

For now, though: We will be open each of the next few weekends for our CLOSEOUT sale. We are not selling every fixture in the store, as some will be moving to our web-based location, but many of our display and retail tanks will be available for purchase. There will also obviously be plenty of deals to be found.

So, come out and see us for the last time any of these next three weekends and we look forward to the next chapter of our business.

02/01/2025

Update: getting back too late to open today. PLEASE come see us tomorrow!!!

Original post: We will be opening late today. Finishing up an out of town errand. We will post when we are open.

01/25/2025

We unpacked a ton of new frags this week, as well as saltwater fish and feeder crickets. Remember, our feeder crickets are always at the low price of 20 for $1!

We've had a bit of a slow month with all of the weather so to end on a good note, we'll run a deal on coral this weekend. All regularly $25 corals are five for $100!

Stop by and see us!

01/04/2025

Apologies but we will remain closed today and tomorrow. Come see us next week please!

01/03/2025

We are closed today due to illness. We will be open tomorrow but likely closed Sunday pending weather. Thanks!

12/21/2024

Holiday Hours, announcements and specials:

First, today we will be closing at 3pm for a holiday gathering.

Next, effective immediately our hours will be back to weekends only as follows:
Fridays 12-6
Saturday 12-5
Sunday 12-4
This is because I recently took a part time job to help underpin mine and the store's finances a bit. Short term, we hate to be open fewer hours but long-term this is going to allow the store to grow in the way that I, and most importantly you - the customers, need it to.

Finally, now through the end of the year we will be running some holiday specials:
All reptiles 15% off
All plants buy one get one half off
All freshwater fish 15% off
All coral buy one get one half off

Thanks for reading and thanks for sticking with us as we've found the best ways to grow the store for us and for you. We're excited to see you all over the holiday season for these deals and for everything the new year holds!

11/23/2024

Continuing to add to our reptile section, we finally got our chameleon enclosure all worked out. Stop by and check out these awesome captive bred baby veiled chameleons!

11/21/2024

Black Friday Starts NOW!
We have a wide assortment of frags priced at six for $100, come check it out!

11/20/2024

It's Black Friday for the rest of the month here at The Basement Reef!

These specials start now (or tomorrow in the case of the frags) and last the day of the month or until we run out!

Doorbuster Frag Packs: Wide variety of soft and Stony coral frags SIX for $100!! These frags include acropora, montipora (several varieties!), anacropora, anthelia, Xenia, astreopora, blastomussa, Duncans, favites, galaxea, gorgonians, leptoseris, mushrooms, zoa's, pocillapora, pavona and more! These are the cheapest frags we've ever offered!

Rainbow Bubbletip Anemones $45 - lowest ever price!

All Tropical and Aquatic Plants Buy One Get One 50% off!

Stay tuned because there may be more deals to come, we hope to see you soon!

11/17/2024

We will be closed today, Sunday November 17, I am not feeling well today, sorry! Be on the lookout for extended Black Friday specials soon.

11/15/2024

Our reptile section is off to a hot start! While we may not have the most robust selection of reptiles and amphibians yet, we are making it our focus to offer the BEST cared for pet reptiles available at retail in Columbia. We also know that things like these leopard geckos are often destined to be pets for children so we have gone out of our way to habituate them to handling. Stop by and check out what we have!

11/10/2024

Lots of goodies in right now, open 12-4 today. Stop by and check it out!

11/08/2024

New arrivals:
Hypo tangerine leopard gecko
Key lime pacman frog
Babies crested geckos
Mealworms
Super worms
Drosera paradoxa (sundew)

We're here 2-6 today, 12-5 Saturday and 12-4 Sunday. Don't forget, feeder crickets at The Basement Reef are 20 for $1!

11/06/2024

TONS of nice frags in right now and of course, feeder crickets for the LOW price of twenty for $1!

We're here 2-6 today, stop by!

11/01/2024

Reptiles and feeder crickets now available at The Basement Reef! We will have more, soon, so stay tuned!

11/01/2024

Starting TODAY, reptiles at The Basement Reef!
20 crickets for $1
Bulk discounts on 1000 count
Make us your new cricket stop, tell your friends!

Locally-Owned Aquatic Pet Store and Houseplant shop now open in Columbia, MO
Vendors, please contact

10/31/2024

Today's Super Spooky Special is all of our previous super spooky specials! That's 10% off almost everything in the store as well as five piece coral packs for $100.

That's not all, though! We're excited to announce that we are expanding into reptiles! This will be a slow process so don't expect a crazy variety of animals all at once, but you can absolutely expect us to be your new favorite place to stop for crickets and soon enough all feeder items!

Make us your new cricket stop!