LFS stories

[DSB]

I went to a couple of my LFS's today. First time in months. They had some REALLY good deals. The first one and mabey the best one in this area, had a real nice one eyed fish, with some other problem too. I went for salt ($40. @200G) and a couple other things, knowing I would buy something else (and I did buy an arco), he said come back tuesday (salt water fish store,no salt!) AND 20mi away, I won't be going back! He did have a nice new 400g display though, In my opinion it should be in his house, sence his store has nothing! The second store I went to (witch is the one that got me into this sickness in the first place) did have salt, $79.99 for 160g of IO salt!! Neither one, had a ca test kit, limewood difussers or anything else I wanted. In Ma. this is an internet spot for sure! I will say the first store had some NICE corals, and some nice fish (if you have a 300g tank). The only reason people go to that store is for cheap salt, and when you go there, you ALLWAYS buy something else, but when you don't have the cheap salt (2nd time) people won't waste there time going back.
Anyway it seems to me, the internt is the way to go around here, I have bought many things online and have only had a few MINOR problems that have allways been taken care of. LFS suck!

[keqwow]

I went to the ONLY LFS around here yesterday to waste some time and try to "learn" a bit more before I put my tank together. Prices on things were twice what you can buy them for online. They have a really interesting selection of fish, and to the person who doesn't know anything about salt water fish, they had all of the "pretty" fish you could want. I of course have been learning more and more about what are easy to keep...what SHOULD be kept and what should not be kept. They had a half dozen different Angelfish....only one of which was of the variety that is referred to as "easier" to keep...while all of the others were varieties I've read don't usually do well or even survive. They had a Moray eel...which was really cool looking...but again...not necessarily something you would want to sell to just anyone. Everything I read and know about corals basically says how delicate they are. I watched one of the employees trying to catch a shrimp for someone that was buying it and they upturned the entire tank to try to catch the thing....tossing all of the corals in the tank around and piling rock on top of them just to catch the shrimp. After watching that, it just made me realize what kind of stress any of the livestock I would get from that store might have been through. Lets just say...it was an educational visit.

[reef_noob]

Hey DSB, if you feel like a drive, try coral reef aquarium in Seekonk, MA and sea creatures in North Providence, RI. I've been very happy with both of them (although coral reef's sps are a bit pricey.) If you come down to sea creatures on a thursday night around 7pm, that's when they get their weekly shipments, and they get some really cool corals that usually sell out by the end of the night.

I can give you directions to either of them if you want.

[VWD]

WOW, That is something, I really think that if not for LFS none of us would be in the Hobbie. I find that we pick on them and expect them to sell for the same price as online dealers. The online store are sometime like big walmarts and You can save money but don't have the chance to see what You are buying and not able to get the help from them like You will at the LFS. That being said , I will say You have overhead at a LFS and may have to pay alittle more to be able to see what You are buying. Not really fair to say that the LFS don't have good people and owner running the place. I started working at one and have learned that it is not cheap or easy to operate. they have to pay for all the shipping and lost of livestock. Not everything will survive shipping. I also buy online and at the stores here in town. But many store owners and the employee's have many years in the hobbies themself's. I think that most are doing a good job.

[coralfreak]

Originally Posted by VWD

WOW, That is something, I really think that if not for LFS none of us would be in the Hobbie. I find that we pick on them and expect them to sell for the same price as online dealers. The online store are sometime like big walmarts and You can save money but don't have the chance to see what You are buying and not able to get the help from them like You will at the LFS. That being said , I will say You have overhead at a LFS and may have to pay alittle more to be able to see what You are buying. Not really fair to say that the LFS don't have good people and owner running the place. I started working at one and have learned that it is not cheap or easy to operate. they have to pay for all the shipping and lost of livestock. Not everything will survive shipping. I also buy online and at the stores here in town. But many store owners and the employee's have many years in the hobbies themself's. I think that most are doing a good job.

You forgot to mention that at the LFS you dont have to pay for the high shipping cost required by livestock.

Living in Puerto Rico I totally depens on LFS for livestock and thanks God I found very good deals on that part here. But when it comes to drygoods I buy ALL online, even with the high shipping cost I ended up paying less than at the LFS!

[flashardy]

Not all are bad...Here in Oregon there are alot of LFS that are GOOD! Prices can't beat and They are Knowledgeable! Livestock is always good and healthy!

CLH

[DSB]

Originally Posted by VWD

WOW, That is something, I really think that if not for LFS none of us would be in the Hobbie. I find that we pick on them and expect them to sell for the same price as online dealers. The online store are sometime like big walmarts and You can save money but don't have the chance to see what You are buying and not able to get the help from them like You will at the LFS. That being said , I will say You have overhead at a LFS and may have to pay alittle more to be able to see what You are buying. Not really fair to say that the LFS don't have good people and owner running the place. I started working at one and have learned that it is not cheap or easy to operate. they have to pay for all the shipping and lost of livestock. Not everything will survive shipping. I also buy online and at the stores here in town. But many store owners and the employee's have many years in the hobbies themself's. I think that most are doing a good job.

You missed the fact that they had NOTHING. I can buy the same salt online for 33.95 and 8.00 shipping. not drive 20mi only to find out they don't have any. I don't mind paying a little more at a LFS but $80.00 for 160g of salt is NUTS.

[DSB]

Originally Posted by reef_noob

Hey DSB, if you feel like a drive, try coral reef aquarium in Seekonk, MA and sea creatures in North Providence, RI. I've been very happy with both of them (although coral reef's sps are a bit pricey.) If you come down to sea creatures on a thursday night around 7pm, that's when they get their weekly shipments, and they get some really cool corals that usually sell out by the end of the night.

I can give you directions to either of them if you want.

I heard that place in Providence is good, there's a LFS in portsmouth NH, I'm going to take a look at too.
Thanx.

[Doug1]

Originally Posted by flashardy

Not all are bad...Here in Oregon there are alot of LFS that are GOOD! Prices can't beat and They are Knowledgeable! Livestock is always good and healthy!

CLH

Then again you are in an area where theres about a dozen choices within a half hours drive, thats not true for a lot of us

[Doug1]

Originally Posted by coralfreak

You forgot to mention that at the LFS you dont have to pay for the high shipping cost required by livestock.

Living in Puerto Rico I totally depens on LFS for livestock and thanks God I found very good deals on that part here. But when it comes to drygoods I buy ALL online, even with the high shipping cost I ended up paying less than at the LFS!

Actually the LFS has to absorb shipping charges, as well as deaths after delivery, it is a high overhead business, I know the shop- I worked at had about 5 different drygoods,livestock wholesalers they worked with, and trying to keep the stuff you wanted in stock at the price you wanted to pay could be a struggle. Wholesaler/vedors offer specials and you have to jump on them when they are available, usually cash on delivery, balancing cash flow against stocking the millions of slow moving stuff you have to stock to draw a crowd, is always a big issue.
We had a puter in the store and monitored BBs(TRT homepage of course) but checked all the online vendor sites, most of the time they were about the same price it would cost us to bring it into the shop

[Viv]

You know if you're willing to buy, they're willing to sell...lots forget to talk to their LFS person so they know what you have at home and what you're looking to bring home. My LFS person saved me the last time I went...was there for brittle stars and saw a beautiful chocolate chip star...the new young guy bagged it for me; my long time friend there who knows I have a reef grabbed it and said, "you don't want him he'll eat your corals, you got a reef, right?" Saved me because he knew me, the young guy did what I asked, he didn't know me or my system. He didn't ask, I should have offered!

[VWD]

You have good and bad in everything, LFS are the same. The store I work at we all have many years in the hobbie and all have tanks of our own, I have been dealing with them since I moved to Wichita and have only worked for a short time, I am learning how the cost of things are high, Like Doug said, You pay for the livestock dead or alive, Shipping , Then just having to stock things is money out and may be some time before You see a return on it.

[DSB]

Originally Posted by Viv

You know if you're willing to buy, they're willing to sell...lots forget to talk to their LFS person so they know what you have at home and what you're looking to bring home. My LFS person saved me the last time I went...was there for brittle stars and saw a beautiful chocolate chip star...the new young guy bagged it for me; my long time friend there who knows I have a reef grabbed it and said, "you don't want him he'll eat your corals, you got a reef, right?" Saved me because he knew me, the young guy did what I asked, he didn't know me or my system. He didn't ask, I should have offered!

That's why YOU should do research before buying. They will sell you anything you ask for that's why there there.

[DSB]

Originally Posted by VWD

I am learning how the cost of things are high, Like Doug said, You pay for the livestock dead or alive, Shipping , Then just having to stock things is money out and may be some time before You see a return on it.

That's called business 101!

[VWD]

LOL!!!

Originally Posted by DSB

That's called business 101!