How often do you visit your LFS?
- Thread starter govolsguy31
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I'm there daily because I work there. Don't judge, but it's a petco. I'm the senior aquatics guy there. I know that it's not the best place to go for livestock, but I try to keep nice pieces and take good care of them. I also try to share good information with the customers. I know we have a bad reputation and I'm trying to improve that at least in my store. Mine is a magnet store, so I have 4 180 gallon bays that have up to 12 tanks in each as well as a 120 gallon reef tank and a frag tank. I just took over there about 4 months ago and have received a lot of comments from customers about how much it has improved. I'm not the most knowledgeable person in some areas, but I try my best to do right by the customers and the fish and corals. I've been Redding for almost 10 years.
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You're working at it, seeking understanding and doing the best you can within the structures you're working in. That means everything - to me, to your customers and to the creatures in your care. I hope your GM appreciates effort like that!
~Bruce
~Bruce
Thanks for that. I've been really hesitant to mention the fact that I work at petco because I never hear anything but bad comments about us. My GM does appreciate the work I do and has complimented me on several occasions. He's a salty also and so is my new district manager. They told me that I have carte blanche and a fat wallet to work with and they want me to do whatever I can to make my department amazing. Hopefully it will move up the ladder and improve marine care throughout the company. Our motto is 'animals always come first'. Maybe they will start living up to it....
Being new to the hobby I have to say if I had a LFS I would be in serious trouble, don't know how you guys do it..
To be 100% honest we have a small one in my hometown but he has algae growing in his tanks and trash piled on the counter.. totally serious. Went in one time to get a Betta for my sons tank and out of the ten or so Betta cups 4 were floating dead in their yellow poop filled water.. just won't go back.. I do have to say the guy is nice and very willing to help, seems to know what needs to be done, just doesn't do it for his own store..
We do have a PetCo about a hour away but I have been told repeatedly not to buy fish there.. no personal bad experience there just going off advise from locals with more experience than me..
Amarillo Tx has Fish Pros.. awesome mom and pop style store. Clean great selection and knowledgeable staff that is more than willing to spend all the time it takes with you to answer any and all questions. Owner even gave me his cell number so I can text him if I have problems. Hard to beat that.. except it's 165 miles one way...
My sister lives in Norman Ok.. 260 miles away.... Wet Pets by Steve is AWESOME. Clean, large friendly knowledgeable staff, always someone that know what they are talking about there to help..
I guess the biggest thing I look for is
Cleanliness
Friendly staff
Willing to help
Selection
Price is last
Also would add (if you are looking into getting into the business) use top down selling.. more than once I have been into LFS, explained where I am at with my tank and what I think I need. These particular shops just try and sell me the cheapest point of sale that is on the shelf.. Now being a avid researcher I usually know if there is more than one option and like to hear their opinion on the merits vs price of each. I don't wanna just be sold whatever they happen to stock on the shelf because that's what most people get.. spend the time and give me all the options then let me (the customer) decide.. I will walk out empty handed 99 times out of 100 if that's how they operate....
To be 100% honest we have a small one in my hometown but he has algae growing in his tanks and trash piled on the counter.. totally serious. Went in one time to get a Betta for my sons tank and out of the ten or so Betta cups 4 were floating dead in their yellow poop filled water.. just won't go back.. I do have to say the guy is nice and very willing to help, seems to know what needs to be done, just doesn't do it for his own store..
We do have a PetCo about a hour away but I have been told repeatedly not to buy fish there.. no personal bad experience there just going off advise from locals with more experience than me..
Amarillo Tx has Fish Pros.. awesome mom and pop style store. Clean great selection and knowledgeable staff that is more than willing to spend all the time it takes with you to answer any and all questions. Owner even gave me his cell number so I can text him if I have problems. Hard to beat that.. except it's 165 miles one way...
My sister lives in Norman Ok.. 260 miles away.... Wet Pets by Steve is AWESOME. Clean, large friendly knowledgeable staff, always someone that know what they are talking about there to help..
I guess the biggest thing I look for is
Cleanliness
Friendly staff
Willing to help
Selection
Price is last
Also would add (if you are looking into getting into the business) use top down selling.. more than once I have been into LFS, explained where I am at with my tank and what I think I need. These particular shops just try and sell me the cheapest point of sale that is on the shelf.. Now being a avid researcher I usually know if there is more than one option and like to hear their opinion on the merits vs price of each. I don't wanna just be sold whatever they happen to stock on the shelf because that's what most people get.. spend the time and give me all the options then let me (the customer) decide.. I will walk out empty handed 99 times out of 100 if that's how they operate....
Wish we had you at our local PetCo..
Not really, at leat where i live only 3 places where i live that have fish and 2 of them are petco and theyre all 30+ minutes away. And both the petcos have excelent fish departments. a sick a** snowflake there a few days ago from its markings i could probably get nebulas out if it. The other store is pretty much order only except for corals and very limited dry goods. Try to support the small store when i can but when you cant you cant.
I try to spend enough time with each customer to find out what they actually need and guide them towards the correct product. There are many times that I advise them that they don't need to buy something to fix an issue and inform them of ways to improve their situation naturally. When I first started there everything was covered with cyano and green hair. Everything was filthy and they didn't keep up with husbandry. My GM asked me last week what happened to the cyano and how I got rid of it. He said that he's been fighting it for 9 years lol
Sometimes the most good we can do is stay in where it's difficult and make a change. You have an opportunity to protect those animals! Great job!!!
Thanks. I'm doing my best
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I usually only visit the LFS when there is an event going on, which is only a handful of times a year. We have several in my area but it's usually just one, Shoreline Pet and Aquarium, that I actually step foot into. Otherwise, I have a few online vendors that I stalk sometimes hourly, because you never know when new inventory will be listed. 
What I look for in my lfs:
-Friendly and helpful but not pushy staff.
If I'm asked what size tank I have, I fully expect to not be offered a lionfish for my 20 gallon.
-Stock that moves through the store fairly quickly. To me, this means the store knows it's market and no fish or coral is left to languish in sub-par conditions or care.
-Adequate lighting over the coral holding tanks.
-Reasonably clean. I don't mind dust, but leaks that are always there worry me. Piles of dusty maintenance equipment pushed off in corners are also worrying.
-Algae free frag tanks! Bits here and there that I can remove by nuking the plug in peroxide are ok, but furry plugs are a no-go.
Even though I have these requirements, I usually take what I can get. LFS near me are very few and 1.5-2 hours away. Luckily the ones in my range are quite nice! There's a very nice one 4 hours away... I visit the 1.5 hour away one once a month, usually at the same time as my Reef Club meeting.
My local petco has a very involved aquatics manager that's been working hard to improve her store. She'll happily arrange for livestock to be in for you to pick up from the bag, and special order particular things for you. She told me recently that she's been given the ok for a larger number of things to order from, so I can expect to see better variety soon! She jokingly suggests tangs and angelfish for me everytime I see her though, and shows me a bumblebee shrimp almost every visit.
-Friendly and helpful but not pushy staff.
If I'm asked what size tank I have, I fully expect to not be offered a lionfish for my 20 gallon.
-Stock that moves through the store fairly quickly. To me, this means the store knows it's market and no fish or coral is left to languish in sub-par conditions or care.
-Adequate lighting over the coral holding tanks.
-Reasonably clean. I don't mind dust, but leaks that are always there worry me. Piles of dusty maintenance equipment pushed off in corners are also worrying.
-Algae free frag tanks! Bits here and there that I can remove by nuking the plug in peroxide are ok, but furry plugs are a no-go.
Even though I have these requirements, I usually take what I can get. LFS near me are very few and 1.5-2 hours away. Luckily the ones in my range are quite nice! There's a very nice one 4 hours away... I visit the 1.5 hour away one once a month, usually at the same time as my Reef Club meeting.
My local petco has a very involved aquatics manager that's been working hard to improve her store. She'll happily arrange for livestock to be in for you to pick up from the bag, and special order particular things for you. She told me recently that she's been given the ok for a larger number of things to order from, so I can expect to see better variety soon! She jokingly suggests tangs and angelfish for me everytime I see her though, and shows me a bumblebee shrimp almost every visit.
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I'm jealous of those who have a lfs close by, even a bad one. If I lived near one I'd be there a couple times a week. This part of CA is oddly devoid of anything resembling the LFS others on REEF2REEF are used to. Not even the local petsmart has anything saltwater related.
I'm assembling my first tank entirety from the BRS and Marine Depot orders. When the time comes I'll be making the drive to LA for livestock.
I'm assembling my first tank entirety from the BRS and Marine Depot orders. When the time comes I'll be making the drive to LA for livestock.
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I live right down the street from my LFS so I go in about 3-4 times a week after work. I don't have an RODI unit since I live so close I just buy all my RO and Salt Water from the LFS, which consists of most of my visits.
I'm very lucky, were I live, there is an aquarium shop with lots of stock everywhere. (Miami, Florida)
When I started 15 yeas ago, there were only like two arround. This hobby is very popular here. I don't check my water myself, so it gives me an excuse to go. Also I buy their RO
When I started 15 yeas ago, there were only like two arround. This hobby is very popular here. I don't check my water myself, so it gives me an excuse to go. Also I buy their RO
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