Operation: Pet store stocking

[jetajockey]

As the title says, I'm working out a stocking plan for this store. Anyone have any opinions or comments on what they'd like to see in a store? A few things that are not going to happen:
-No tattooed, dyed, or even balloon fish. Hybrids aren't my fav, but I'll likely stock some.

-There will be bettas. There is actually a large wall mounted shelving thingamajig that could fit about 3 or 4 dozen bettas in glass bowls, but I'm planning on using it to hold some display stuff and small items. The bettas are going into a bigger tank, probably a 20L, one that has multiple dividers all the way along its perimeter.

Right now I'm working with around 36 15g tanks, an undetermined number of 10g's, probably 6 or so 20L's, and a few really large tanks, like 150s, which might end up as more displays instead. One is definitely going to be a plant sale tank since it's shallow.

There will be a feeder tank, but I'm going to figure out a way to keep it out of , or hidden from the display area, since it's not something I want people to see, but it is something that a LFS gets a lot of business with.



Any suggestions? Particular species? I'm planning the run of the mill stuff, but definitely working some less common things in there. I think the basic idea is to start with just a couple dozen species, mostly community type stuff, getting everything operating and see how it goes, and adjust accordingly.

I may even work in a spot for native fish if we can make sure everything is kosher on the legal end.

 

[jetajockey]

Hard at work.

 

[HN1]

I'm definitely following.

Is this a totally new shop? Yours? FW only?

 

[jetajockey]

It's a pet store, primarily birds and reptiles. Not mine, just happened to be a few towns over, googled pet stores and found it, walked in, girlfriend fell in love with a baby african grey parrot. Ended up talking to the owner and found out that he just bought the inventory out of a small mom n pop LFS (which happened to be a store I used to frequent in the past).

He asked me to get everything setup so I've been getting everything in motion. I get to do everything from stocking, equipment, setups, employee training, etc. They already have a good amount of stuff, but will likely need more things, like heaters, etc. They have several shelves of product, random meds, filters, accessories, etc. Also nearly a full line of omega one product, but I may end up putting in a store brand since I have experience with the back end of that.

 

[Manix]

How about Croaking Gourami, True SAE, and Blue Rasboras?

I got some Blue Rasboras and they are pretty cool looking. And they are not dyed but purposely bred for that color.

 

[siva]

Nano fish! I have such a hard time finding them in shops. Boraras brigittae, microdevario kubotai, CPD's, danio erythromicron, hara jerdoni, corydoras habrosus and pygmaeus, dario dario, clown killifish, normans lampeye, and yunnanilus cruciatus. I think it would be really awesome to have a nice variety of small fish available in a shop. Thai micro crabs would be cool as well. Those can be really hard to find.

 

[KatieJ]

If you had some of the more exotic-type freshwater fish (I assume these are FW only, not SW, right?) like microrasboras and other such nano fish, shrimps, and a wide variety of the not-so-common tetras, I'm sure it'd be a big hit to any hobbyist within 100 miles of the place.

 

[Morgie]

+1 to uncommon nanos
And natives would be an amazing addition if the law would allow it! I'd definitely be willing to pay for natives as opposed to hunting them down myself, even though that's pretty fun.
It'd also be nice to see some oddballs as well as general community fish.

And that's great in regards to the "no tattooed fish" thing. I saw tattooed fish for the first time at a local LFS recently and I was horrified. It was enough to make me not want to buy anything from them, although they did have some interesting stock.

Definitely following ! Stocking a pet store is probably a dream to everyone in the hobby.

 

[Sssea]

Really out of the ordinary goldfish. I can't find blue orandas anywhere and I'm tired of seeing plain orange ryukins.

 

[mfdrookie516]

A low, medium, and high light plant tank with some variety. Dry ferts. co2 equipment. These are things I have never seen in a store locally, though I'm sure some carry them. That would bring in a lot of serious hobbyists

 

[ashleynicole]

Bristlenose plecos! I can't find them in any of the pet stores around here. And if they are available, people are less likely to buy commons for smaller tanks.

 

[ashleynicole]

Oh and a few others that are my favorites: a variety of corys, bolivian rams, otos, and a variety of loaches, and small rainbowfish are always hard to find.

It would also be nice to have info on the adult size, temperment, and reccomended tank size of the fish kind of like petsmart has.

Oh and well labled African cichlids. I hate seeing "assorted african cichlids" and trying to figure out what is what.

 

[BakerBoy17]

And paradise fish. Everyone loves them, and not to common around here. I have never seen then at any lfs

 

[jetajockey]

Definitely.

Jon, I don't know if I can go that far with the planted tank stuff. I'm definitely setting up a planted display along with a shallow plant sale tanks, but I'm not sure how deeply I'll go into the planted stuff.

I guess it just depends on how far they want to go, I'm sure that I could stock some dry ferts since they are next to nothing investment-wise, but I probably won't if I can't do some sort of co2 options, lighting, substrate, etc alongside them.

The nano fish are a great idea. I think I'll plan a nano section, perhaps 6 or 9 tanks dedicated to fish that top out around an inch or so. I'm planning to color code everything and sort it left to right based on size and temperment etc.

We are working on some 4"x6" info cards that will stick near each species that include a picture, basic info, and stocking, pretty much a shortened version of the writeups I've done in the fish profile section here, if you've seen them.

 

[Deckape]

You should get some flag fins in there along with the RCS. That store is lucky to have you as their consultant. Good luck!

 

[librarygirl]

Nano fish! I have such a hard time finding them in shops. Boraras brigittae, microdevario kubotai, CPD's, danio erythromicron, hara jerdoni, corydoras habrosus and pygmaeus, dario dario, clown killifish, normans lampeye, and yunnanilus cruciatus. I think it would be really awesome to have a nice variety of small fish available in a shop. Thai micro crabs would be cool as well. Those can be really hard to find.

+! Just what I was going to day! Plus the employees can show the nano fish to customers who want to buy a very small tank for a goldfish. :/

 

[librarygirl]

....
It would also be nice to have info on the adult size, temperment, and reccomended tank size of the fish kind of like petsmart has.

Yeah except for the correct recommended tank size, unlike what PetSmart has.

 

[ashleynicole]

I would love to be able to open a good fish store and run it myself. But there are two mom and pop stores in my town. Plus a two petsmarts and a petco. I also have a dream of running a no kill shelter for cats one day. *sigh*. Self owned stores are a thing of the past.

 

[maxwellag]

I think you should carry guppies too. Just use the ten gallons to put (example male yellow cobras in one ten gallon, females in another.... then you could breed different strains

 

[KatieJ]

I just wanted to say I'm so glad you're setting this up and am very excited to see how it turns out! It's a huge relief knowing there'll be one more LFS out there that gives customers the correct information on fishkeeping, not just another Petco or something.