lando said:
I just noticed you are from northfield. Any good LFS there? It might not be a bad location for a store with the two colleges there. College kids never seem to have a pot to pee in but are not short on beer or interesting animals. As you know...the twin cities area has a good number of small, "mom and pop" fish stores. As mentioned, it is the service and knowledge that sets them apart. If you are in the area, check out Ocean Devotion in Savage, it is a great shop.
the northfield fish store is ok, she has a decent shop and all that, she has always be helpful and willing to order me what i need.
that said her store is very limited both is fish selection and equipment. she only has a few tanks in stock at most time mostly 10s, 20s, and 1 55 (though i know she can order bigger. no canister filters, only HOBs, the "basic foods" like wadley and tetramine. nothing for planted tanks. as far as fish she has the "common" fish like convict cichlids, angels and of course goldfish. very little in the way of africans except labs and some "assorteds". in the SW section she has like 5 ten gallons with some LR pieces and clowns, with some basic snails and shrimp. her ability to order fish that i want i have found to be lacking. all in all i like the owner of the northfield fish store, and i shop there for the "basics" but i usually make the drive up to A Wet Pet in Apple Valley or even WOF to get 90% of the LFS shopping done.
i think were i to start a LFS i might open it in farmington to get a little more traffic from the southern burbs, i would of course carry the basics, but i would also try buy as much of my stock from local breeders, and of course do some breeding myself. i would also try to do more with planted tanks, something laking in most LFS i have found. i was also thinking (since i am still first and foremost a science teacher) i would from time to time offer classes on setting up aquariums, setting up planted tanks and so forth....
just some thoughts
in all reality am i going to go out and start a LFS tomorrow, probably not. ever since i got cut from my teaching job for next year (damn budget cut
) i have been kind of panicky about a job. a group of students that i call my "aquarium club" (students that like to talk about the hobby with me before and after school) have been trying to get me to open up a store of a while, and since it have been something i have though about i would i would look into it. i have of course been looking for a new teaching job
