Are there no good stores left?

[Jaydubb77]

So after a few years off I'm jumping back into this hobby again. What happened to retail stores (fish stores)? I live in Houston and have visited quite a few...Ummmm, what in world is going on!?!? The stores are run down, dirty, carry almost no chemicals and then there is the fish selection. Holy canoli! What's happening? So then I went online, everything is either sold out or they want you buy fish from some stock photo..Is this the way things are now?

 

[TX_REEF]

I'm sorry to hear that! We have a handful of excellent LFS here in the DFW area..

 

[Gribbles]

Nemo & Friends in the Copperwood area is...decent. But you're right, I'm in NW Houston and it's pretty lame over here for LFS's

Edit: actually, I recall them suggesting I keep a flame angel in a 20g cube. Now I remember why I don't go there anymore

 

[Jaydubb77]

Nemo & Friends in the Copperwood area is...decent. But you're right, I'm in NW Houston and it's pretty lame over here for LFS's

Edit: actually, I recall them suggesting I keep a flame angel in a 20g cube. Now I remember why I don't go there anymore

With the exception of Nemo and Friends, every other store is like some back alley bs..
I came from a state that had dope fish places. Out here it's sad! I had one store tell me to fill my brand new 185 gallon tank up with hose water! They will remain nameless..

 

[Jaydubb77]

I'm sorry to hear that! We have a handful of excellent LFS here in the DFW area..

I wish we had that down here..I ain't driving 4 hours to get a good store..no offense

 

[Malum Argenteum]

So then I went online

That's the reason that LFSs are declining. Folks are buying everything online, and the more they do so the less brick and mortar stores there are. This is the pattern in a wide range of hobbies, and has been for a couple decades, at least. One contributing reason the 1980s was the golden age of fish keeping is that the internet wasn't a thing yet.

everything is either sold out

I think online vendors will list everything that they tend to carry, and then toggle the listing between in stock and sold out. Some vendors have a 'email me when back in stock' option so that you can get notified when that species is available again. This is arguably a better situation than if they would delete the out of stock listings entirely.

they want you buy fish from some stock photo

There are WYSIWYG listings for fish, occasionally (SFW.com has a few; LA Diver's Den has 100 listings right now). But in general, having a full time photo taker of fish that all look identical to all others of the species isn't typically a good use of resources.

If you're concerned that the fish you'll get will be thin and beat up, that's where careful vetting of the vendor comes in. If you have a serious concern that some vendor won't send you a decent fish, then that's not the vendor to buy from, individual photo or not.

I ain't driving 4 hours to get a good store..no offense

I drive 2 hours one way to get to good shops. The LFS I used to work at had buyers that were out of state and spent the day driving to and from the shop, and I recall at least one customer flew in to buy fish (we were pretty near the airport).

 

[Uncle99]

Many of our saltwater stores have gone fresh only, or largely fresh with saltwater fish only, as they state, this is where the profit is.

Saltwater stuff is more risky and requires greater expertise to its care, not something easy to find.

 

[Malum Argenteum]

I wonder if they mean 'we make more profit off each FW customer served', or 'we can still sell a bunch of FW stuff since most FW keepers don't buy online to the degree that SW people do'.

Also, high end reef keeping customers can be insufferable know it alls. Might be the profit just isn't worth the headache. Many FW keepers are relative amateurs, and don't try to tell the LFS employees how to do things nor try to chew them down on the price of a gourami.

 

[KrisReef]

With the exception of Nemo and Friends, every other store is like some back alley bs..
I came from a state that had dope fish places. Out here it's sad! I had one store tell me to fill my brand new 185 gallon tank up with hose water! They will remain nameless..

Wow. I recommend that for the test fill and you should do it outside.

The internet and Amazon marketing schemes have ruined the LFS who cannot compete and pay rent on equipment and supplies waiting for someone to wander in and purchase them. Many stores are going out, many are almost totally livestock sales, and more and more of the ones that are still around are selling livestock on line to survive and have a customer base large enough to keep them open.

Supermarkets and Department stores are also struggling in many places with lots of closures. Once the local stores are gone people will miss them if they remember them, but the TikToc is keeping them occupied while civilization craters around us.

Notice, there is no LFS in this cartoon. Not many cars either, just folks hanging out in the public square.

 

[Jaydubb77]

That's the reason that LFSs are declining. Folks are buying everything online, and the more they do so the less brick and mortar stores there are. This is the pattern in a wide range of hobbies, and has been for a couple decades, at least. One contributing reason the 1980s was the golden age of fish keeping is that the internet wasn't a thing yet.

I think online vendors will list everything that they tend to carry, and then toggle the listing between in stock and sold out. Some vendors have a 'email me when back in stock' option so that you can get notified when that species is available again. This is arguably a better situation than if they would delete the out of stock listings entirely.


There are WYSIWYG listings for fish, occasionally (SFW.com has a few; LA Diver's Den has 100 listings right now). But in general, having a full time photo taker of fish that all look identical to all others of the species isn't typically a good use of resources.

If you're concerned that the fish you'll get will be thin and beat up, that's where careful vetting of the vendor comes in. If you have a serious concern that some vendor won't send you a decent fish, then that's not the vendor to buy from, individual photo or not.



I drive 2 hours one way to get to good shops. The LFS I used to work at had buyers that were out of state and spent the day driving to and from the shop, and I recall at least one customer flew in to buy fish (we were pretty near the airport).

You can make excuses for poor ownership, but that's the reason for their poor sales. Think of it as a restaurant, would you go eat at a place that smlled like poop, everything was dirty and they had just burgers? Aquarium ownership is at an all time high!
Again, online retailers are just as lazy! Either you have it to view or you don't.
You can't vet an online retailer that isn't even in your state, they can have the nicest website and their fish keeping is tick poor.
I think your missing the point (or own a lack luster shop), if a shop wants to get business in a sea of online retailers, they need to do something more than just the bare minimum. It's not up to the consumer to find a reason to shop there. Stores need to focus on being better than everyone else, to draw customers in.

 

[Reefer Matt]

So after a few years off I'm jumping back into this hobby again. What happened to retail stores (fish stores)? I live in Houston and have visited quite a few...Ummmm, what in world is going on!?!? The stores are run down, dirty, carry almost no chemicals and then there is the fish selection. Holy canoli! What's happening? So then I went online, everything is either sold out or they want you buy fish from some stock photo..Is this the way things are now?

Yes, that is the gist of it. I bet Amazon will soon offer them as well the way it is going. But there are a few nice places online to get coral and fish shipped overnight. Sometimes they have WYSIWYG, or “what you see is what you get” livestock.

 

[rc8t6353]

I'm up in Northwest Indiana. I'm lucky to have a great LFS named The Ark only a few minutes away from my house, and maybe an hour drive away from some pretty good ones in Illinois.

 

[Jaydubb77]

Yes, that is the gist of it. I bet Amazon will soon offer them as well the way it is going. But there are a few nice places online to get coral and fish shipped overnight. Sometimes they have WYSIWYG, or “what you see is what you get” livestock.

It's so sad, where I came from I had multiple stores that had amazing displays. Clean healthy fish, tons of food, supplies etc as they also did installs and maintenance. They didn't sell a thing online! So their only profit was from in store sales. Yes their fish were pricey, but hell Im a cheap skate and paid it over and over again. Not one fish was sick. I'm just amazed it's like i went back in time out here.

 

[Reefer Matt]

It's so sad, where I came from I had multiple stores that had amazing displays. Clean healthy fish, tons of food, supplies etc as they also did installs and maintenance. They didn't sell a thing online! So their only profit was from in store sales. Yes their fish were pricey, but hell Im a cheap skate and paid it over and over again. Not one fish was sick. I'm just amazed it's like i went back in time out here.

How long were you out of reefing for?

 

[Jaydubb77]

How long were you out of reefing for?

a little over 3 years. I remember they had issues with getting coral but never fish.

 

[JayM]

I’ve got a half-dozen stores that carry saltwater livestock from anywhere between a 5 to 15 minute drive. I’d rank them anywhere between a 6 and an 8 out of 10 for overall knowledge, cleanliness, price and selection. My go to shop is 30 minutes away and is a 10 out of 10.

 

[Reefer Matt]

a little over 3 years. I remember they had issues with getting coral but never fish.

There should be some Reefers on here from your area to help point you in the right direction. You might have better luck in new member forum, by reintroducing yourself and asking for suggestions. Good luck!

 

[Jaydubb77]

There should be some Reefers on here from your area to help point you in the right direction. You might have better luck in new member forum, by reintroducing yourself and asking for suggestions. Good luck!

What's wrong with my current post?

 

[Reefering1]

What's wrong with my current post?

Nothing. his suggestion might get you more attention/ help

 

[jabberwock]

Nothing. his suggestion might get you more attention/ help

It will get you a lot of welcome to the forum memes. Your post is fine...