any luck with a coralife ss 125 or 220?
- Thread starter floridareefs
- Start date
floridareefs
New member
Its o.k. I oredeered from Bigals as the price is just too good to pass up. I tried LFS and they are about $30-35 more than bigals. I Anyways, I just oredered it like 5 minutes ago. I will let you guys know how it works out. BTW its $161.90 shipped to my door.
floridareefs
New member
Yeah is good to get a few good deals here and there. I mean I saved about $39 bucks just from buying online and that is just too much to pass up to drive locally and buy it. Just my thing. Call me frugal, but hey its a darn expensive hobby.
PelagicMagic
New member
If a product broke your LFS is the liaison between you and the manufacturer. Your LFS might get the problem solved faster because they are a bigger client to the manufacturer. Also the manufacturer relies more on businesses rather than individual sales to distribute the product and turn a profit, therefore they are less likely to ask questions about the defect and will just replace it, usually with a credit to the business owners account allowing the LFS to just give the customer the replacement from their inventory right away.
If I am wrong please correct me
PelagicMagic
New member
you are right a tank can go sometime with out a skimmer, I just would cut down on feedings but that would stress out my fish if it exceeded 3 or more days. But I just bought a new item for my tank and I want it to work, not next week but now
Before I go on I just want to remind you all that I am not arguing, just explaining my point of view. This thread seems very familiar. I would put a smiley face here but thats not my style
If the pump broke you would either get the pump replaced or the entire skimmer, depends on how the LFS and manufacturer handle refunds, either way you get it right away in most cases.
If I got something from a LFS and it broke I will be in the store the very next day looking for a refund or replacement. If I bought over the Internet I would have to call. Someone in person is alot harder to ignore than somebody over the phone. Alot of these small wharehouse type internet stores come and go very quickly and change names. They are only in it to make some money not because they want to build a name for their company or for the love of the hobby. All these LFS ownersââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t go into the business because they expect to turn a huge profit
.
Bennihanna
New member
Well said. I think the main issue is do not expect to use all of the resources of a LFS ie: emergency service, getting q's answered without giving something back. I remember a time not to long ago when our selection of fish and coral were limited in this city. If we do not support LFS's we will see those times again.
ReefNeck
New member
I see your point Ben & I agree with you. I also see the point of saving a few bucks which is important to almost all of us.
If I can save $40 on a piece of equipment by buying it online, That's $40 I can put toward that really nice & expensive fish I want from the LFS.
I don't know how others fell but my personal feelings about buying fish online are "No". Reason being is that I prefer to see the fish before buying. I can see how the individual fish acts, etc before I put out my cash and I know the chances of it making it home with me are 100X better making a 45 minute drive than if it takes an overnight flight.
Some may argue that online venders offer a live arrival guarantee and they do.....But most times that is either a credit back to your credit card (And you don't get the fish you wanted) or a credit toward your next order. Problem with that is I can't afford to order often. These are the reasons I will only buy livestock locally.
Drygoods I will buy locally if I need it right now. Example: return pump goes out. Can't wait to get one shipped.
When I do need something now I shop those stores that have helped me out with advice or whatever in the past. Rob's, Atlantis & DanCo are the top 3 on my list for this reason.
But if I save $40 on a skimmer by buying it online, The LFS will benefit because I will most likely spend that $40 on livestock.
If I can save $40 on a piece of equipment by buying it online, That's $40 I can put toward that really nice & expensive fish I want from the LFS.
I don't know how others fell but my personal feelings about buying fish online are "No". Reason being is that I prefer to see the fish before buying. I can see how the individual fish acts, etc before I put out my cash and I know the chances of it making it home with me are 100X better making a 45 minute drive than if it takes an overnight flight.
Some may argue that online venders offer a live arrival guarantee and they do.....But most times that is either a credit back to your credit card (And you don't get the fish you wanted) or a credit toward your next order. Problem with that is I can't afford to order often. These are the reasons I will only buy livestock locally.
Drygoods I will buy locally if I need it right now. Example: return pump goes out. Can't wait to get one shipped.
When I do need something now I shop those stores that have helped me out with advice or whatever in the past. Rob's, Atlantis & DanCo are the top 3 on my list for this reason.
But if I save $40 on a skimmer by buying it online, The LFS will benefit because I will most likely spend that $40 on livestock.
floridareefs
New member
well said keri- In this hobby, you have to pick your battles. buying livestock online is suspect, although looking at the vendor feedback, most is not all people are treated fairly. I prefer to deal locally for fish and corals. A skimmer is diffrent. For one, I have a decent one already, I was just upgrading. If the new one goes out, I can pop the old one back in, until the new situation is rectified. I have learned just a few things i n this hobby, have extra or backup equipment ready so you dont get dinged on an emergency purchase. For instance, I have an extra skimmer, 2 extra mag drives for returns or other issues, several mj for tank flow if needed, extra pvc connections and fitting, in case of a leak. heck I even have an extra tank I could easily transfer over to if this one leaks or break or whatever.
Just my.02
ANYHOW- back to the thread topic. I ordered the ole css 220 and I will do the mod rob talked about and I will take pictures and report back to its performance.
Happy easter
Just my.02
ANYHOW- back to the thread topic. I ordered the ole css 220 and I will do the mod rob talked about and I will take pictures and report back to its performance.
Happy easter
I hope I can explain our stand on this with out getting into trouble. Our replacement policy is simple. If you buy it here, it breaks, we replace it. If you bought it somewhere else & they won't replace it or purchased on-line & you can't wait, we will, if we carry that brand. We (LFS) are constantly asked, "How come you don't carry this or that ?" Or " How come you don't have a large invintory of dry goods ?" It's simple, we can't carry everything. And even if we did, most times you can get it on-line cheaper that we can get it from our suppliers. Case in point, this thread on skimmers. Ben, has brought up a very good point. It wasn't all that long ago when you could go to a LFS and find just about anything you wanted at a price that was fair. Then along came internet sales, LFS started stocking less & less. Do you remember "Mom & Pop" hardware stores?.... We (LFS) don't like it, but we have to live with it. But we're still here for you, the customer, because that's who "WE" are. And we say THANK YOU!
I think most LFS we agree with me on that. Again THANK YOU.
I think most LFS we agree with me on that. Again THANK YOU.
floridareefs
New member
Sea Devil-- Beleive you me, as my DAd says, we thank you and the LFS for all you do in this fun hobby we have. This forum has its uses and only several LFS sound out that I notice. As you know, I am on both sides here, I see that this forum is not only in support of LFs, but for buying power and good deals, we as reefers, can get. I've searched ORCA, Tampa BAy, you name all up and down, and the forums are all the same. Great information and people buying from LFS and online sources. Its simple business. In my line of work, I am sure cerain customers go to others for better deals, such is life. We are here when they come back to support us.
Again,
Happy easter to everyone and their families and lets keep our troops in our thoughts as they are away from their families.
Again,
Happy easter to everyone and their families and lets keep our troops in our thoughts as they are away from their families.
nikonosis
New member
honestly I could care less about this lfs vs online crap. I was just trying to help out floridareefs, then I asked a few questions, made a statement about online CS, and then I get the LFS fans/owners saying im misinformed and try to make a joke of what I said. Whatever, I don't care, im just glad to see floridareefs was able to save $39 and can probably go to a LFS and get a nice fish or coral for his tank. I see it can work 1 of 2 ways. People that don't have alot of money can order equipment online, save some money and buy livestock at the LFS with the money saved, or they can buy the equipment at the LFS and stock their tank later down the road when they can afford to, after all of their equipment is bought.
PelagicMagic
New member
Nothing towards you personally cody, I was just enjoying a good debate. Either way I dont care where others buy stuff from because the only person I need to look out for is myself.
Believe me, we're hobbyist first. That's why we (I) got in to the retail end. We also are constantly looking for better prices, so we can pass them on, dollar is a dollar. I as an LFS owner DO UNDERSTAND where you are coming from and don't have a problem with that. But there are certian individuals that are always wanting something for nothing and complain about everything. Or the one that goes on line for everything, complains about how broke he is, you see once in 6 months & wants a deal from you, you give him a break & he still complains. But I guess that's part of the game. HAVE A HAPPY EASTER. DON'T EAT TOO MANY OYSTER EGGS lol
