Fish Store Woes! (vent)

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Are You Satisfied With Your Local Fish Store?

  • Yes

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • No

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

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revhtree

revhtree

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Apr 13, 2004
Messages
4,500
Location
Rossville. Ga
I went to 3 lfs today, just to get some salt and look around. I have learned alot since starting, and I know a little bit, of what to look for, and what is a good deal.

1st lfs:
A. Dead fish stuck to the pump intakes.
B. Heni's and other fish with ICH all over them.
C. Purple tangs that were not purple.
D. Very, very nasty.

2nd lfs:
A. Turbo Snails 3.95 each!!! (small ones)
B. $35.00 small yellow tangs
C. Manderin Goby $35.00 (small)

3rd lfs:
A. Never heard of a Moorish Idol (yes this is true)
B. Then said the Idol was an Angelfish in the Butterfly family.
(I promise she said this, and she was the OWNER!)

JEESH! 8O We need some good fish stores here! :wink:
 
Hey rev,, lets open one up. 8O 8)

I guess i'm lucky. There are 3 in this area and one of them is excellent.
 
i have a good one in my area, the lowest prices around. at one place live rock costs 9.99 a pound(canadian) and at the i go to they charge 4.99 for cured or uncured. they charge much less on the fish than the other place and they have a knowlegable staff.
 
I have an excellent LFS.. The only problems I've ever had is with online vendors :roll:
 
I guess I have a yes and a no. I've got quite a few in my area to choose from. A couple of them I frequent, one I go to regularly. Most I only stop by once in a while to see if they've changed anything. Some I will never visit again- some for prices, some for availability and some for lack of knowledge or misinformation.

Make do with what you have, supplement with online vendors if you have to. Be sure to know your stuff about those things that will have consequences- adding the right fish, sufficient equipment and price ranges.

When I first started, I went in and bought. I also listened to exactly what the lfs said. That resulted in fish that I shouldn't have gotten, equipment that wasn't sufficient and overpaying. I now go in knowing what I'm looking for. If I see something that catches my eye, I'll go home and research (which is dificult for me to do). You can always put something on hold and return later.

The one lfs that I frequent is very good with information. That's what I use them for. HTH - and I'll be happy to answer as many questions as I can.
 
my lfs is great the staff runs mager aquariums for peolpe so they know what they are talking about, they also have great fish that are feed well
 
I love my LFS. The worst (not really bad, just annoying sometimes) thing about my LFS, Capital Pets in Country Club Hills IL., is when they main guy won't sell me any fish. He always makes me wait a few days before I can buy new arrivals so that he can make sure that they are healthy.
 
i was taught if you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all so......
Click to expand...

Wow! The insight that statment carries just amazes me. :wink:

I wasnt bashing any store, or I would have said the name of the store. I just thought some of you might like to know. Plus, I thought we could come to each other for support. Anyway I know Ican, this place is great. It's good to know that their are more good stores than bad. :wink:
 
I live near Houston so fortunately I have quite a few to choose from. There are three of the big chain stores very near my house but very few of the staff at these stores are very knowledgable and the only one of them that actually sells SW fish, has a foul odor when you walk through the door. On my last visit, there were dead fish in about 80% of the tanks - did I mention it was my LAST visit. :roll:

Luckily some of the smaller shops are much better. My favorite is about a 40 minute drive - but well worth the time. The owner, and his staff are all very knowledgeable and helpful.

What I find funny is that it seems that these small local shops (usually) have the best service, best selection of HEALTHY fish, and also have the best pricing. It kind of makes you wonder how these big chains are able to sell anything but dog food.
 
Quote:

i was taught if you have nothing nice to say don't say anything at all so......



Wow! The insight that statment carries just amazes me.

I wasnt bashing any store, or I would have said the name of the store. I just thought some of you might like to know. Plus, I thought we could come to each other for support. Anyway I know Ican, this place is great. It's good to know that their are more good stores than bad.
Click to expand...

I only have one LFS in my town that i know of that carries SW stuff and the prices are bad, the staff needs to come on AA and learn something, and the fish look like crap...they are dead, dying, have ich, you name it. I envy anyone with a good LFS
 
I live in Manhattan, and there are only two LFS that specialize in SW that I know of. The rest are chains like Petco or Petland. Guess people don't like sharing their tiny apartments with garbage bins full of saltwater and RO filter tubes under their sinks like me.

Of the two SW stores, one seems great in terms of supplies and even has many animals, but they are very pricey. I don't like the look of the other store's tanks, though they do carry some supplies for emergencies.

Mostly, I've been sticking to online vendors and haven't had much to complain about (except shipping charges :| )
 
divemasterjim said:
my LFS is expensive! with shipping I can order anything online and pay half as much or less as they charge.
http://www.oldtownaquarium.com/
If you guys read this Lower your prices I would love to shop there, but why pay twice as much?
Click to expand...

I think we are talking apples and oranges here. I was not trying to compare lfs pricing with online pricing. I was pointing out the irony that the good lfs's are usually cheaper than the big chain stores. Usually large warehouse type stores sacrifice customer service and specialized selection in order to bring the customer lower prices - kind of a trade-off for the consumer. In the case of the big chain pet stores, you get the poor service but not the lower prices.

IMHO, I don't think comparing online and lfs is necessarily fair. Don't get me wrong, I buy plenty of stuff online but I also think that anyone who has gotten quality face to face help from the shop owner understands that is worth a few extra dollars.
 
I know that it is often wise to keep silent, but there are some things that really need to be said and talked about. This can be a very frustrating hobby, in a lot of ways... We all love what we are doing and we love the animals... Venting a little steam about such things helps in a few ways... I agree that it wouldn't be good for anyone to go bad-mouthing a bunch of stores in particular.. that's a bit of a sensitive issue, sometimes it is only opinions spoked, not facts and it could hurt a good business... but back to the "venting"... When we share our concerns with each other it helps relieve stress and allows us to share with each other, to bond, to face the issues as a whole group instead of one mere individual... None of these problems that we are facing are ever going to go away in our lifetimes... but we can't give up hope, we can't stop fighting for what's right. I think the best solution would be to start a chain of Aquarium Advice Pet Stores and each store owner/manager would have to be an Aquarium Advice veteran and hand selected by a panel of respected members... Also it would be wise to have training courses and stuff like that for ALL employees, even janitors... We would revolutionize the entire fish industry as we know it... Sure those are some high hopes, but like I said, we can't give up... If we do, all is lost...
Because of this site and the passion of so many members, I know so much more and I know what to look for in a Pet store... I don't really have any great ones around here, but I know what to stay away from... I'm also better prepared to avoid getting ripped off or buying sick fish. There might not be many store owners that are willing to listen, but this knowledge will help me to do what I can to have some influence on them. All in all I think a little ranting is good... but I think all of us, myself included, need to speak up a little more... If we do nothing to stand against something that is wrong, then we are part of the problem. If you see sick or dead fish, say something about it... They might ignore you, they might yell at you or kick you out of the store, but at least you tried. Those fish can't do anything to save themselves and as we all know- we can't "rescue" all of them either... It isn't an easy war, and we will lose many battles... but even one single victory would make any effort worth it. We can't give up...
 
The first one I went to when I first started the hobby was great. very informative and reliable, but the guys who worked there were sexually harassing me, so of course, I went somewhere else... 8O
 
I went into one of the "chain" pet stores recently. I needed salt, would never buy an animal from them.
For the heck of it I looked at their stock. I was amazed at the number of fish with illnesses. Someone was actually buying a yellow tang that had a nasty case of ich. Got to talking to one of the employees and sometimes I have a big mouth. 8O
I asked him what their plan was for treating the diseased fish in their system. His attitude immediately changed to a defensive mode and I was promptly abandoned where I stood. I guess these chain stores survive due to new ignorant customers and their sales of dog food. Thank goodness for my "good" lfs
http://www.aquatictech.com . All employees are very knowledgable and they will not send a fish out with obvious disease.
BTW, I didn't buy the salt. :wink:
 
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