how to have that difficult conversation with your LFS...

[leezer]

I'm trying to figure out just how to have that difficult conversation with my LFS regarding their nearly dead corals that they refuse to sell to me and would rather just let die in their tanks.

The other day I was in and saw an open brain that was nearly dead (2, maybe 3 more days and it'd be gone completely). So I asked if they'd take $5 or $10 for it, considering how bad of shape it was in. They replied that it was something they had special ordered and wouldn't be able to let it go for under $25 (it was in the $50 tank). For them to want to make money (or at least break even) on a piece of coral they have totally neglected is absurd, not to mention just poor business sense. The odds of someone coming in and agreeing to pay $25 for it is extremely low. So, they basically were telling me they'd rather take a slim shot at breaking even or make nothing, than make a guaranteed 5-10 dollars.

Anyway, I'm just trying to figure out how to better approach them in the future to try to save the poor coral without breaking my budget. Any thoughts or experiences?

 

[drawman]

The reality is you may want to stop shopping there altogether. If they are running a bad business and treating corals like crap then it's better for them to go under. That way corals won't get treated like crap in the future.

 

[NCSUsalt]

you're assuming you can even nurse these corals back to health. and to be honest, working at a store, I only send sick corals home with people I know and that I'm confident know they can nurse something back to health and/or know they won't be possibly endangering their tank. I don't want to send something home with someone that is probably going to die, could cause other problems in there tank and sometimes even though they knew they were taking a risk they still come back and complain that the coral they bought died. It's just not worth the hassle.

 

[chrissreef]

I say this depends on the store...
- Small store and they know you well... or you're speaking directly to the owner, probably no problem.
- If you're talking to someone making $8/hr or is a large store... they basically have to stick to rules. I know i know, it doesn't make "sense" in some ways, but if they don't, then the next customer will want to haggle anything and everything.

I'm sure there are more reasons

 

[dragonette]

there is this little crappy lfs near me and they cant keep coral alive to save their lives, and all thier tanks are overrun with algae... but they are a sweet older couple, and they treat me well. I just wait until they are getting a new shipment and go there the next day so the critters dont get a chance to decline before I bring them home.

Take a little, give a little.. sometimes thats just the way it works.
Jess

 

[amithi]

IMO knowing that the coral is goin to die they shouln't fight back for the price Leezer was offering.

but who knows what the reson was

 

[cas]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13729185#post13729185 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by amithi
IMO knowing that the coral is goin to die they shouln't fight back for the price Leezer was offering.

but who knows what the reson was

Because soon they will be able to get $10/lb for it as premium Fiji live rock. That is what one LFS north of Chicago does.

 

[GoingPostal]

I've seen this also. A pet store near me kills corals regularly and tosses them in the live rock $13.99 a pound tank ($14.99 for "purple algea rock"). I've asked on a few corals that didn't look too bad but not too great either and most everything was $70 or more.

 

[Lowman]

we need to stop buying anything from close minded LFS. By not supporting them we send the message to them that they need to be more responsible. Our local reef club pulled the sponsorship of one LFS until they cleaned up their act.

 

[Fin Mike]

If you have a rapport with the lfs, you could possibly agree to take the coral, nurse it back to health and if is survives, pay for it. Agree that if it dies, you will bring back the skeleton (assuming it is a hard coral). I realize there has to be some kind of "trust" in place, but what do they have to lose? They may agree if they truly have the animals best interest in mind.

 

[MCary]

A business gets to charge whatever it wants for its products. If they do not accept your offer, then you're done basically. If you are concerned from a ethical standpoint, then the best you can do is not to buy the coral for any price. If you were to buy the coral then they have justification to buy another one to replace it. If the coral sits in the tank and dies then the owner know that this item is difficult to keep alive and does not sell well. He may learn not to order them again.

Mike

 

[MCary]

Double post

 

[havingfunin08]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13811989#post13811989 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Fin Mike
If you have a rapport with the lfs, you could possibly agree to take the coral, nurse it back to health and if is survives, pay for it. Agree that if it dies, you will bring back the skeleton (assuming it is a hard coral). I realize there has to be some kind of "trust" in place, but what do they have to lose? They may agree if they truly have the animals best interest in mind.

you can be really good friends with the lfs BUT
what they have to lose is
they dont care what dies its a tax right off as a "LOSS"
Almost all fish stores dont care about you, they are there to make money.If they act like they do then they just are good business people, they like making more money than the store down the street. they like to get your repeat business and they all know thats where there money is made.

 

[terimar]

One common thread I see in several of posts here is that selling livestock to make money is somehow inherently evil. If there was no profit in it nobody would do it. Think about where you'd be living if the same criteria was applied to the building industry. Or how you'd be feeding yourself if it was applied to the agriculture industry.

 

[havingfunin08]

They do and should make money
Its when they get greedy thats its unfortunate
JUST dont take ADVANTAGE of people.. thats all I'm saying

 

[cerobbins]

Many corals arrive at LFS damaged from shipping, and the LFS does what it can to bring it back to a sellable/healthier state. Before you jump to conclusions you should see if the coral is better looking than when the recieved it.

 

[Elan L.]

I have an LFS that is so nice, she would probobly just give it to me for free

 

[PBFinest]

as some one else said, any dead corals/fish are written off.

 

[MeVsTheWorld]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13896357#post13896357 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cerobbins
Many corals arrive at LFS damaged from shipping, and the LFS does what it can to bring it back to a sellable/healthier state. Before you jump to conclusions you should see if the coral is better looking than when the recieved it.

I agree to the point of new inventory, but when you go back over the next several weeks and there is no evidence of care. What else are people to think.

 

[yongwooi]

The LFS that i go will just give it to me free. I always pass on those just to fear it might cause problems to my tank.