How do you tell a store owner the issue?

[MrPike]

I have no loyalty to anybody except for the best price. It’s so weird to me for people support and/or defended LFS or whatever even if they have high prices, bad tanks, and etc because we should just support them.

The local fish store, which has to pay its staff an hourly rate to give personalized advice, for free, deserves no loyalty unless they price match the lowest price available online. Got it.

 

[Kzang]

The local fish store, which has to pay its staff an hourly rate to give personalized advice, for free, deserves no loyalty unless they price match the lowest price available online. Got it.

Personalized advice? That’s rich lol. You mean the ones they tied to sell me 3 clownfish for a 32 bio cube, $16 premade commercial saltwater 5g instead of their $5 mixed 5g, Red Sea alk/cal/mag when I only had one zoa, sell sand sifting starfish for a 32g bio cube?

When I call and ask if they have alkalinity and they have to talk to two different people because they don’t know what that is? Tank with red bugs and AEFW because they just take peoples trades and don’t even dip them?

Or call if they have phosphate and get they don’t have it and then say you should never dose phosphate to your tank. Lol

Take advice from them when you go in and see multiple dead and dying fish in their selling tanks they didn’t know about?

Lol don’t kid yourself man. LFS aren’t some holy site that requires such devotion.

Try to sell you fresh cut acros?

Make you ask what 5-10 coral prices are because they refuse to actually list what they are selling for? Or get different prices for the same coral by asking two different people?

Lol. Just LOL.

 

[Readywriter]

Which category do you think a local fish store fits into?

Depends on how much they know about running a business

 

[MrPike]

Depends on how much they know about running a business

Yes I’m sure there are some local fish stores out there moving so much volume they can act like Walmart and set the price and earn $650 dollars on a $1,000 EcoTech. Ridiculous.

The reality is much worse, but it doesn’t matter. It seems that the greed of the LFS owners are so obvious, the solutions to their problems are so elementary, that all they need to do is consult a few forum experts to remedy their dying business model.

Yes, dipping coral purchased from a hobbyist removes all pests, a fox face eats bubble algae always(never eats coral either), fish holding systems are easy to setup and provide healthy fish, and margins are nice and fat if you’re not a total idiot and know business. Employees are easy to find that know how to dose phosphate and understand Kh, and can condense that information and distribute it to some rando that calls you demanding solutions. (The customer of course compensate you for this time they took from you.)

Stores will continue to go out of business, which some deserve to do. Others though are victims of an entitled mob.

 

[Readywriter]

Yes I’m sure there are some local fish stores out there moving so much volume they can act like Walmart and set the price and earn $650 dollars on a $1,000 EcoTech. Ridiculous.

The reality is much worse, but it doesn’t matter. It seems that the greed of the LFS owners are so obvious, the solutions to their problems are so elementary, that all they need to do is consult a few forum experts to remedy their dying business model.

Yes, dipping coral purchased from a hobbyist removes all pests, a fox face eats bubble algae always(never eats coral either), fish holding systems are easy to setup and provide healthy fish, and margins are nice and fat if you’re not a total idiot and know business. Employees are easy to find that know how to dose phosphate and understand Kh, and can condense that information and distribute it to some rando that calls you demanding solutions. (The customer of course compensate you for this time they took from you.)

Stores will continue to go out of business, which some deserve to do. Others though are victims of an entitled mob.

And how does a place like walmart start? Selling volume at cost or even loss to get the numbers up and secure better supplier discounts, if they understood this they would do the same instead of only selling their goods at outrageous prices, surely the shrewd shopper is to blame. And, yes, the store that puts near zero effort in because there isnt a perfect solution, resulting in the entire store looking like junk, is the victim when people spend their money elsewhere.

 

[dochoot]

I donated some corals to a struggling LFS to sell. Dude complained b/c they were too big.

 

[Kzang]

And how does a place like walmart start? Selling volume at cost or even loss to get the numbers up and secure better supplier discounts, if they understood this they would do the same instead of only selling their goods at outrageous prices, surely the shrewd shopper is to blame. And, yes, the store that puts near zero effort in because there isnt a perfect solution, resulting in the entire store looking like junk, is the victim when people spend their money elsewhere.

Yep. It’s funny how people don’t know how capitalism works. You either adapt, or you fail. And if they fail, it’s the businesses fault, no one else is to blame. They can’t figure out how to be profitable, that’s on them, not the consumer. Lol

Just the prices. If they had normal prices and/or competitive prices, they would sell more and drive more revenue. They would have to sell more, but is that such a terrible thing? Maybe people don’t want to overpay for things…weird concept for a lot of people apparently. Lol

 

[420reefing]

Morning R2R, so I still prefer to see and "feel" stuff when I buy it and this includes stuff for my hobbies. This means I am usually hoping to find something in a brick and mortar before ordering online. In addition, it is always nice knowing that in a pinch, i could run to a store to get dry-goods vs waiting for something to ship (even if it is a dollar or two more). There is not much for fish stores in the surrounding 50+ miles or so, but we have been looking and come across a couple of hole in the wall places that could be awesome, but they all seem to be a let down.

How do you tell these places that the reason people stopped buying your stuff is cause the tanks are filled with bubble algae, etc and not because "there is no one doing saltwater in this city anymore"? How do you tell them that I cant see in through the salt crust to even know whats in the tank? The soggy boxes from humidity on the dry goods, means I don't trust the item works anymore? They even offer to custom order along with there next shipment, but I have no faith in what I am about to get.

I know its a bit of a rant, but having a store in the area and it being successful benefits me as much as the store owner. But how do you tell them to stop watching youtube or netflix, and go take care of the store?

You most live in Kalamazoo MI. Same issue here

 

[homer1475]

I'm pretty sure I know what store you are talkinga about, if it's the one I think it is my family calls it "The dirty fish store" Last time I was there he had almost completely gotten out of saltwater ( 4 -10 gallons still set up only 3 fish between them, and all the reef tanks gone). Their are 3 petcos that get nice stuff in the area the one in oneonta, and in syracusethe one near Costco and the one on Erie blvd. For private stores in Binghamton their is creature comforts and Livingstons animal kingdom and in syrace there in ABC reefs, Low tide corals, and petland. Empire aquatics is currently not doing saltwater, but the owner said they are planning on bringing it back when they have more time ( the owners child has taken over the store after the owner had health issues).

Thought I knew of all the LFS's in the area. Never heard of Low tide corals. Where is that located?

There is also Amazing Aquariums/ABC Reefs 2/Acks aquatics(it's had a few names over the years) out in Liverpool. More of a FW place, and I haven't been there since COVID, but they did have a decent SW section.

 

[homer1475]

I stand corrected!

Apparently Acks no longer exists as of 2022. I knew I hadn't been there in a few years, but it was a decent store.

 

[SpyC]

Personalized advice? That’s rich lol. You mean the ones they tied to sell me 3 clownfish for a 32 bio cube, $16 premade commercial saltwater 5g instead of their $5 mixed 5g, Red Sea alk/cal/mag when I only had one zoa, sell sand sifting starfish for a 32g bio cube?

When I call and ask if they have alkalinity and they have to talk to two different people because they don’t know what that is? Tank with red bugs and AEFW because they just take peoples trades and don’t even dip them?

Or call if they have phosphate and get they don’t have it and then say you should never dose phosphate to your tank. Lol

Take advice from them when you go in and see multiple dead and dying fish in their selling tanks they didn’t know about?

Lol don’t kid yourself man. LFS aren’t some holy site that requires such devotion.

Try to sell you fresh cut acros?

Make you ask what 5-10 coral prices are because they refuse to actually list what they are selling for? Or get different prices for the same coral by asking two different people?

Lol. Just LOL.

Not all LFSs are garbage.

 

[Katrina71]

Maybe offer to clean some tanks in trade for livestock?

 

[upstatefamily]

Thought I knew of all the LFS's in the area. Never heard of Low tide corals. Where is that located?

There is also Amazing Aquariums/ABC Reefs 2/Acks aquatics(it's had a few names over the years) out in Liverpool. More of a FW place, and I haven't been there since COVID, but they did have a decent SW section.

Last I knew Ack's aquatics went out of business, they still have there main store though. Low tide corals is in North Syracuse. They've been around a little over a year, I just discovered them a few months ago. They were an online only outlet apparently for several years?

 

[homer1475]

Last I knew Ack's aquatics went out of business, they still have there main store though. Low tide corals is in North Syracuse. They've been around a little over a year, I just discovered them a few months ago. They were an online only outlet apparently for several years?

Yes Ack's went out of business. Like I said earlier, I hadn't been in there since COVID, so I wasn't aware they closed.

I looked at their website(low tide corals), but it didn't list a location. Do have a physical location?

 

[upstatefamily]

From Google:
Address: 7243 State Fair Blvd, Syracuse, NY 13209
Hours:

Monday	Closed
Tuesday	Closed
Wednesday	Closed
Thursday	1–6 PM
Friday	1–7 PM
Saturday	1–7 PM
Sunday	11 AM–5 PM

Phone: (315) 417-3335

 

[homer1475]

From Google:
Address: 7243 State Fair Blvd, Syracuse, NY 13209
Hours:

Monday	Closed
Tuesday	Closed
Wednesday	Closed
Thursday	1–6 PM
Friday	1–7 PM
Saturday	1–7 PM
Sunday	11 AM–5 PM

Phone: (315) 417-3335

Totally didn't think to google them. LOL

I just went to their site and they had no physical location listed.

 

[Ksturg]

As far as I know people in this hobby take great ride in their tanks. Well I do anyway and by the looks of the members tanks they do to! A lot of money is spent in this hobby to just let your tank go and have it looking like a train wreck. As far as your LFS goes they have invested a lot of money into their business. If you walk in and it looks like as you described they have no ambition or pride in what they are doing. They also will be willing to sell you anything they can to keep the lights on no matter if it will be detrimental to your tank or not. My suggestion is don’t go back and make others in the hobby aware of that place. My dream has always been to open a saltwater store but the cost is huge getting started and I don’t know if I’m willing to take the risk to find out if the surrounding areas can support it.

 

[Reign1]

Right so you order from places that their whole business model is corals. Cherry, battlecorals , fraghouse because if they dont qt or arent super strict about what comes in they lose thousands and thousands .if you saw the markups at a lfs you would gladly pay 10% . Im not saying they shouldnt be marked up but ...get good. Lol like the op said when the employees are on their phones and the frag tank looks like a scene out of swamp thing with dying corals in it, what other thought should you have.

100% .. Here locally we are lucky have 2 SW stores one does more fish and hit or miss with the corals and they cannot keep any acro long term w/o brownout.
The other store is super duper clean and no pests or algae in the whole place. They are 10-15% more but now i am willing to pay that extra as they treat all their stuff like a TSA,WWC, etc.
I dont want a deal at this point in time I want clean healthy livestock for sure.

 

[BeanAnimal]

The local fish store, which has to pay its staff an hourly rate to give personalized advice, for free, deserves no loyalty unless they price match the lowest price available online. Got it.

That makes absolutely no sense.

Supporting a locally owned business means paying more an not operating on price only. They can't "price match" or they won't exist.

If the store itself is not clean or the animals are poorly kept, then you can either choose to not patronize the store or choose to kindly offer suggestions to the owner to help make the store better.

Realize that most LFS employees are NOT experts and never will be. It is a lower paying job and it is a job, not a hobby for most. They only know what their vendors and co-workers tell them and it is often not great information or advice.

So either support the LFS so that it is there when you need it, or ignore it and shop online but don't complain when you need emergency salt on a Saturday or someplace to store your fish when your tank breaks, etc.

 

[Dom]

Morning R2R, so I still prefer to see and "feel" stuff when I buy it and this includes stuff for my hobbies. This means I am usually hoping to find something in a brick and mortar before ordering online. In addition, it is always nice knowing that in a pinch, i could run to a store to get dry-goods vs waiting for something to ship (even if it is a dollar or two more). There is not much for fish stores in the surrounding 50+ miles or so, but we have been looking and come across a couple of hole in the wall places that could be awesome, but they all seem to be a let down.

How do you tell these places that the reason people stopped buying your stuff is cause the tanks are filled with bubble algae, etc and not because "there is no one doing saltwater in this city anymore"? How do you tell them that I cant see in through the salt crust to even know whats in the tank? The soggy boxes from humidity on the dry goods, means I don't trust the item works anymore? They even offer to custom order along with there next shipment, but I have no faith in what I am about to get.

I know its a bit of a rant, but having a store in the area and it being successful benefits me as much as the store owner. But how do you tell them to stop watching youtube or netflix, and go take care of the store?

In their mind, there may be nothing wrong with their store. And egos being what they are in this hobby, tread lightly if you choose to approach the owner.