LFS variety issues

[Scott S]

this is probably more of a rant than anything else, but I'm sitting here shaking my head.
I go into my local store and look around, and they have a small section where they have stuff like plattys tetras and those glowfish things, then they have a pretty good marine section, then there's the rest. now, by rest, I mean anything not a small tetra or danio.
the problem comes when you look at the Cichlid assortment. there's usually a tank or two with assorted Africans, and several tanks dedicated to new world cichlids. the issue is, almost all they carry are the murderous giants. nothing against Dovi and Butterkoferi and the Festae, but really? the owner claims that's what people want. it seems, just like owning a Pit Bull, there is a certain aquarist group that only wants the hardened killers in their tanks. so, you can get a juvenile red terror for $9.99, but a green severum is $29.99, and they almost never have them. don't even ask about something like rams, or Kribensis, the don't have anywhere to put them. they have one tank with a few convicts, and firemouths, but that's about it.
a world full of beautiful fish, and they carry only the most violent ones.
even ask about other cichlid and you get blank stares, they've never even heard of most of them.

 

[mambee]

You are lucky to even have a local fish store. I live in the suburbs of NYC, and all that I have are chain stores with little selection. Bolivian rams, kuhli loaches, rummynose tetras, emperor tetras? Seldom seen. I've taken to ordering from aquabid.com when I want something.

 

[jimi242]

Have you inquired as to if they will special order fish for you?
My LFS doesn't have much of a selection, but they will order any fish I want.
They come with the regular order, so i don't have to pay any shipping costs.

 

[mambee]

I had Petco special order some rummynoses for me. I ordered 15 and they called me when they came in. I went that night and there were only about 8 left, and they didn't look that great. Petco claimed that the others must have been sold during the day, but I think that they must have died. I purchased the remaining 8, and half of them died over the next several days in my quarantine tank. Luckily, the remaining 4 survived and joined the school in my 90 gallon tank.

I think that next time I'll just order from aquabid.

 

[Scott S]

the owner says there is no list, she drives down to 3 different places and picks up the fish she gets. she is very resistant to me asking for anything specific, like it would be a hassle she's not interested in dealing with.

 

[mambee]

I'm not sure why she is so resistant, especially if you offer to pay in advance. I believe that all shops purchase from a local wholesaler who supplies them with a current stock list.