Starting my own store.

[funwiththefish]

Hi, my name is Martha. I'm twenty-two and my life goal is to own my own fish store. This has been my passion for quite some time, but it wasn't until very recently I was able to purchase my first aquarium.

I'm so very far from actually starting my own store, but this is the perfect time for me to do all my research and testing. Since I'm planning on saving money for the next ten to fifteen years in order to finance my store, I've got a lot of time to learn all about this industry I am so passionate about. I figured joining a forum was the best way to get some of my questions answered.

I have a million of them, that's for certain. Here's one:

Where to fish stores get their aquariums? The only LFS in my store has all these acrylic aquariums and I know that each one is separately filtered, treated, etc. (some places like Wal-Mart have these community tanks, where the same water is cycled through all the tanks). Obviously this is a ridiculous setup - think of the spread of illness! But my LFS has tanks that share sides, yet are completely contained individually. I'm wondering where my LFS might have gotten the setup?

I only ask because I wonder what kind of cost accompanies this setup?

Thanks for any information you guys might have.

 

[Serge]

Hi Martha. Indeed, I think you have plenty of time to learn all that can be learned about taking care of fishes. It takes special people and LOTS and LOTS of patience when dealing with pets. My best whishes in your endeavour and never loose sight of your goals! Oh, and by the way:

Welcome to AA!




8)

 

[austinsdad]

Welcome to AA Martha.

Good luck with your venture. You know they say it really isn't a job if you really love what you do.

On the multiple tank set up. IMO, it is not uncommon to have multiple tanks sharing water at an LFS. Disease spread is kept in check by the copper levels maintained in the fish only tanks. I've seen anywhere from 4 to 30 tanks sharing water and huge filters.

Can't give you much on the costs since it'd depend a lot on the amount of tanks and filters and pump configurations.

Anyway, you got a lot of time to think about it.

 

[Fluff]

Welcome

 

[SerLunchbox]

best of luck to ya martha, Welcome to AA and hope you learn lots!!

 

[Toirtis]

Since I'm planning on saving money for the next ten to fifteen years in order to finance my store,

Save lots...it costs an ugly amount of cash to outfit and decently stock an LFS, and you do not often see much in the way of sales for 4-8 months. Take it from a former LFS manager and co-owner.

Where to fish stores get their aquariums?

Typically from local custom manufacturers, although some stores buy from large companies like Hagen, which give special pricing on tanks to be used as store stock tanks.

But my LFS has tanks that share sides, yet are completely contained individually. I'm wondering where my LFS might have gotten the setup?

I only ask because I wonder what kind of cost accompanies this setup?

You don't want to know and too much. The problem with this sort of set-up is that it is not modular...if one tank breaks or has to be pulled (which happens more often than you might suspect), it is attached to the entire row, which then also needs to be shut-down and taken out. Best to go with individual tanks.

 

[coralline]

Hi Martha ,
It is a lot of work and a lot of money ,but it can be done if you are knowledgeable in business as well as fish keeping. I love fish...I have been in the hobby for over 30 years and never get tired of them . After a long day at work , owning a reef store, I go home and enjoy numerous tanks !! It takes perserverance , knowledge, business savvy, hard work, capitol, a love of the hobby and a love of people who you will deal with every day to make you successful. Every time I look at a reef tank it is like the first time I have viewed it , never tiring , always inspiring !

 

[funwiththefish]

You don't want to know and too much. The problem with this sort of set-up is that it is not modular...if one tank breaks or has to be pulled (which happens more often than you might suspect), it is attached to the entire row, which then also needs to be shut-down and taken out. Best to go with individual tanks.

I'd definitely hate to have to replace an entire aisle of tanks. Hadn't really thought of that possibility before. So if I go with the individual tanks, each one need it's own separate water/filter, air pump, etc. right? Are there systems out there designed to cater to multiple aquariums?

I've tried looking online for much of this information, but I have a terrible time finding it. I don't expect anyone else to spill the beans on who their supplier is, but how can I find out what companies out there are in the business of suppling to lfs owners? I am in no position to consider myself competition to other lfs owners (mostly because I don't have a store), but I will need to know about pricing and what systems are available eventually.

Thanks for all the replies to my initial post, guys! The help is very much appreciated!

- Martha[/quote]

 

[oscarbreeder]

Welcome to Aquarium Adviec and good luck.

 

[Toirtis]

So if I go with the individual tanks, each one need it's own separate water/filter, air pump, etc. right? Are there systems out there designed to cater to multiple aquariums?

There are shops that run a HOB powerfilter on th back of each aquarium (my store was one of those), but you can build (not sure if anyone offers such a product commercially) fairly simply a sytem that runs all the aquariums, but filters each seperately, so they are not sharing water....but it is an air-driven sponge-filter/overflow sort of system (a couple of LFSes here do this sort of system).

I've tried looking online for much of this information, but I have a terrible time finding it. I don't expect anyone else to spill the beans on who their supplier is, but how can I find out what companies out there are in the business of suppling to lfs owners? I am in no position to consider myself competition to other lfs owners (mostly because I don't have a store), but I will need to know about pricing and what systems are available eventually.

Yellow pages under 'aquarium wholesale' usually.

 

[funwiththefish]

What exactly is an " air-driven sponge-filter/overflow sort of system"? I don't quite understand the whole "overflow" issue, though I've heard mention of it quite a bit (lots of people mentioning their sumps and pumps and overflow tanks).

 

[Toirtis]

What exactly is an " air-driven sponge-filter/overflow sort of system"? I don't quite understand the whole "overflow" issue, though I've heard mention of it quite a bit (lots of people mentioning their sumps and pumps and overflow tanks).

I could probably illustrate it far more effectively than describe it....I will draw you a diagram...but not tonight...I am so tired I can barely type.

 

[Billsgate]

Welcome to AA and gooood luck!!!! µ

 

[nervousdog]

Welcome to AA.

Here's one retail setup.

Marineland Retail Systems

I'm sure there are plenty more but it's a start. Good Luck.

 

[Toirtis]

Welcome to AA.

Here's one retail setup.

Marineland Retail Systems

I'm sure there are plenty more but it's a start. Good Luck.

Unfortunately, those MARS systems typically share water between the tanks, and are also staggeringly pricey. The Wal-Marts here all have them.

 

[jeff8183]

Welcome ! you joing the best forum on the web by the way