Do You Have Confidence In Your Local Fish Store?
- Thread starter AlyciaMarie
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LOL....Just got some new stuff last week, I'm still giddy. I only purchase once every 3mo.
The only faith I have in my local fish stores is that I can't trust them. When I was setting up my nano I bought "premixed reef water" it was supposed to be the higher alk version. Instead it was straight rodi. Didn't check it (yes I know I should have) and used it. Nuked everything I had going up to that point (a Xenia frag and copepods). When they "made it right" they gave me a Xenia frag with aptasia on it and bring shrimp claiming they were copepods. Another local fish store took one of their fish from their display tank that they said "we think it has velvet" and put it in their sale system. It was tied to their invert system so I know they weren't treating with copper
It’s all nice stuff!
Thanks I was pretty stoked on the finds this go around. That banana torch you put up was so sick. I gotta wait till some of my other stuff grows out so I can trade up later.
I just got back into it 2 years ago after a long (15 years) break. My favorite shop (Octopus's Garden)is gone and everthing has changed but, I still love it, maybe even more now than I did then.
I just got back into it 2 years ago after a long (15 years) break. My favorite shop (Octopus's Garden)is gone and everthing has changed but, I still love it, maybe even more now than I did then.
We do have nice stuff available these days and some of the stuff that was super expensive or impossible to find 10-15 years ago now is only a little expensive but much easier to find lol
The torch market is flooded
Nice pieces dude. You got me drooling over here. I wasn't as into euphylia and LPS on my last go around mostly just Zoas, SPS and Clams. This time around I have been very drawn to the LPS. So many different colors, shapes, and species. Tank arangment is definitely more challenging when taking warfare into account....Who knew chalices and favia could be so mean?...LOLWe do have nice stuff available these days and some of the stuff that was super expensive or impossible to find 10-15 years ago now is only a little expensive but much easier to find lol
The torch market is flooded
Oh their night sweepers are no joke !
DanyL
Valuable Member
Very much this lol
Thing is, that I always end up being the one to correct them, and explain how things actually work, but I also try to do this in the most respectful way I can.
The owners all know me personally, and they are aware of my knowledge and success from our local groups, even those that I visit rarely - so I’m always being treated somewhat differently, which is nice - however, I do hear stories about bad experiences from others, where some places have pushed them to purchase either wrong or unnecessary products/live stock.
As for corals - it’s not consistent, but most of the time the variety isn’t impressive at all, and so is the quality (stressed corals, parasites, etc etc), and they are all sold at a premium price, sometimes with ridiculously high price tags. Not only that, but some places will also change the price depending on who you are and how deep your pockets..
There is only one LFS that makes frags and bring some good stuff from time to time with prices that for the most part are within reason, but it has been struggling in the past couple of years or so.
Most if not all of my recent coral purchases were either from other reefers or directly from local farms, one of which is also a good friend - he has probably a comparable variety of Acros to what I’ve seen in the US, and it’s always fun to visit him.
So my answer is… It’s complicated.
Fish Fin Atics in Council Bluffs Iowa and Fish Freaks in Omaha Nebraska. I'd have no problem sending anyone I know to either stores. I know the owners of both very well, stand up guys that are focused on bringing the hobby to others.
UtahReefer
Active Member
I really only have one store in my area. I live rural on a ranch in Southern Utah. As far as live stock the store is hit and miss. They will order for you but there is no noticeable quarantine. My best luck has been online ordering. Always have received healthy fish from Reef Beauties so they are my #1 choice for fish.
My lfs will literally take a frag or colony in on trade, throw it into their coral displays as if pests and hitchhikers don’t exist, then sell it to a customer an hour later if someone wants it. Will not mention any of this to the potential buyer. Doesn’t seem to care if they infect/infest their own tank or others tanks.
DanyL
Valuable Member
That’s a common practice among all LFS around here too.
They receive a new shipment of either fish or coral and advertise it pretty much live, so people would come and snag them right away.
Same for trade ins.
We also have one store here with what I and many others consider as literally unethical practices:
They advertise they will receive a shipment of fish the next day, with prices that are sometimes go as low as 10% of their retail value so that people would line up the next morning at 5:30AM waiting for the opening at 6:00 to storm into the store with their own fish nets and buckets, quite literally fighting each other and stealing fish from each other buckets. People really get physically hurt over there.
It’s disgusting, and most do ban this store because of their practices, but as long as they still have customers that want to participate in this barbaric behavior I doubt it’ll stop.
Like others have mentioned, I trust different LFSs for specific criteria.
I’m lucky enough to have 3 quality LFS each 30min away (or a 72mile loop with 2hr of travel time), and built/building solid rapport with the owners of each which. Each have nuances based on their SOPs.
My favorite incredibly knowledgeable and is not afraid to put me in my place if I’m about to go astray. Owners also ensure their employees refrain from advising customers if they’re not confident about the knowledge based. Also they’ve had outstanding quality with every custom ordered fish (leopard wrasses, tamarins, etc) and give my toddler the royal treatment every time we go.
Another is more coral focused though have a high quality (if not small) selection of fish. For the most part they are knowledgeable but I’ve caught a few employees’ knowledge lacking or flat out incorrect.
The last just opened but has outstanding corals that they propagate in house and provide comprehensive knowledge about.
Other stores are cheaper, but will sell you livestock just to move them.
I’m lucky enough to have 3 quality LFS each 30min away (or a 72mile loop with 2hr of travel time), and built/building solid rapport with the owners of each which. Each have nuances based on their SOPs.
My favorite incredibly knowledgeable and is not afraid to put me in my place if I’m about to go astray. Owners also ensure their employees refrain from advising customers if they’re not confident about the knowledge based. Also they’ve had outstanding quality with every custom ordered fish (leopard wrasses, tamarins, etc) and give my toddler the royal treatment every time we go.
Another is more coral focused though have a high quality (if not small) selection of fish. For the most part they are knowledgeable but I’ve caught a few employees’ knowledge lacking or flat out incorrect.
The last just opened but has outstanding corals that they propagate in house and provide comprehensive knowledge about.
Other stores are cheaper, but will sell you livestock just to move them.
OscarHaglund
Active Member
We have one LFS in a city with 1.5 million people so i don’t really have a choice.
I like my LFS but i don’t really trust it. I heard the owner tell another customer that blueberry gorgonians were “pretty easy” so…
I like my LFS but i don’t really trust it. I heard the owner tell another customer that blueberry gorgonians were “pretty easy” so…
Randy Holmes-Farley
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Simple answer:no.
ejsanchez92399
Community Member
I am in SoCal in the Inland Empire, and I have talked and visited most, if not all my LFS in the area. Some know what theyre talking about and you also realize some tell you stuff they must have read on blogs here, haha! But judge them from how their shops look and of course their livestock. Although, my LFS in Redlands is highly suspect even though it looks clean and nice, I have had bad experiences with them and their so so advice.
Badblackdog
Community Member
I had a reef tank 25+years ago. I bought everything from an amazing LFS. I got married had kids and the reef tank was too much to keep up with. Well I just started my first reef tank in 25 years back in March. I returned to the same LFS. The owner was much older and greyer just like me. The owner’s son has taken the lead and done a phenomenal job with modernizing everything. I discuss every purchase with the owner’s son. He knows me and my tank. I appreciate the personal service they provide. The prices are very reasonable for fish and coral. They make their own live rock and live sand. It is the only shop I go to and there are a few in my area.
****LUNACY8****
****LUNACY8****
Julie from Aquaradise is knowledgeable. I don’t really have a lfs where I live. TSM is an hour away and although they have beautiful fish and corals, they are open twice a week?! Plus their corals are very pricey. I guess since it is aquaculture, it is worth it.
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