LFS no good
- Thread starter Garcia64
- Start date
bundybear1981
New member
Here in Australia a LFS is really needed. Getting livestock shipped usually costs as much as the livestock itself with very rigid shipping schedules and limited airports that ship livestock. There are always good and bad stores in any business Its a matter of finding the better (best) store and supporting them.
Remember in an emergency a LFS is likely to save your butt while online will leave you waiting for that supply/part to arrive.
Remember in an emergency a LFS is likely to save your butt while online will leave you waiting for that supply/part to arrive.
runninlow
New member
funny comments, what would everyone do without LFS? of course you can order what you need, but like bundy said they can likely save your butt once in a while.
ive gone to quite a few LFS where i live and gotten good and bad advises. when you enter this hobby please do your own research. please do your research before you ask questions unless you dont understand the answer you researched.
ive gone to quite a few LFS where i live and gotten good and bad advises. when you enter this hobby please do your own research. please do your research before you ask questions unless you dont understand the answer you researched.
JammyBirch
Aquaria Engineering
BINGO! That's my point, don't rely on anyone to hold your hand with anything. Think of it as the LFS is a business, it's business is making money. You're responsible for your stuff not them.
heathlindner25
New member
A lot of people don't like buying animals online....
anthonys51
New member
i dont like buying animals online. i like to see the fish or coral i am getting. yes i know you can see the animal online, but for some reason its never as big or as nice when you get it. maybe i am just old fashion, like to buy and get same time
nuxx
.Registered Member
It is nice to see in person, I totally agree.
I had stopped buying fish at LFS years before starting Coral Imports. Mainly do to lack of selection and unhealthy conditions.
Who knows, if Austin LFS were amazing, I probably would have never started Coral Imports lol
anthonys51
New member
yes i am lucky i live on long island witch has about 10 pet stores to choose from that are good. although i normally just use the same 2 because i like the owners better. each store has to have over 15000 in livestock to choose from
FishN00b83
New member
That's funny I too live on Long Island...Suffolk county and I can only tolerate one store, tropical island..they're awesome there. Aqua hut is great for hardware but kind of lack in the fish department, and I really like Dom, he's a great guy. I actually got my 180 from them not too long ago. Everything in this area is terrible...the more people I talk to the more I hate going to LFS.
anthonys51
New member
you dont like carb blue aquatics in bayshore or aquarium village in westbury. yes dom is nice, prices are really low there too, but fish selection isnt the greatest. btj jungle has a nice selection, but the owners are jerks
anthonys51
New member
tropical island is the place in deer park right,
FishN00b83
New member
Yeah I just picked up 3 lyrtails and an oc clown from them this weekend. They always have really healthy fish and great frags. And the older kid that works there really knows his ****
anthonys51
New member
i hear good things about them, if you ever in bayshore go to Caribbean blue aquatics. ask for tony, tell him Anthony the pizza man sent you. he will hook you up
FishN00b83
New member
I've been in there so many times and I always leave with nothing. I was actually there this past weekend and almost bought a blue torch but they wanted 150 bucks for it so I left lol
anthonys51
New member
They always take money off of list for me
CoralBeauty13
New member
Yes, be careful. My Husbands always wanted a clam, and so I read and read all I could. New employee that constantly talks about her three tanks and how great everything is going...tried this...tried that with great success sold me a 2 1/2 clam and said
" You don't have to do nothing...just acclimate and put it in".... yeah, It's not looking to good right now.
" You don't have to do nothing...just acclimate and put it in".... yeah, It's not looking to good right now.
Bent
I got nothin'
How is this incorrect information?
What are you thinking you were supposed to do?
you take the good with the bad.
We have 4 in our area that does salt and reef.
shop #1, the owner knows very little about keeping salt and reef (but is honest enough to tell you that, keeps cichlids). Good range and ok pricing.
shop #2, a bit more expensive, but nothing beats the reefer who has been in the hobby for 25 years that owns it. Range can be hit and miss sometimes, but at least we get a discount there (wife breeds guppies, and we supply them for store credit). Has a worker that likes to boast that he spent over $100,000 setting up his saltwater in 12 months (nice guy to talk to, but I prefer to ask the owner questions). Recently had an issue with their RO machine and increased phosphates, straight up with it and called around to find another supply for me. I actually intend to keep buying my RO and NSW from this particular shop because of their honesty and help. They are also happy to hold on to coral that I show an interest in because I invariably buy it lol.
Shop #3, only just discovered it. Limited salt/coral range, but pricing is good. Have been warned not to trust advice people from there, but I don't know them well enough to form my own opinion.
Shop #4, the most expensive, but very knowledgeable people there. Has a 15 year old reef tank on display that always looks impressive, and the owner has about 25 years in the hobby (asked him how to knock nitrates to zero, his response was that the tank in the shop when first setup had to be over 100 ppm for him to worry about it, and over the years it has changed, theirs actually runs at 5 - 10 ppm and it is looking brilliant). Has put up with many of my questions as I entered the hobby, including suggesting strongly against buying fish that will not go well in my tank (noob mistakes lol) and was happy to lose a sale. Not that they have though, I still poke around in there and usually get something
One thing I have learned though is to keep google handy and look things up before money changes hands. I found a nice, sexy looking nudibranch the other day, the price was right, asked if it was ok for reef and got the response "yeah, should be", so I googled it. It may have been reef safe, but there was some questions as to whether or not it would munch on coral. So based on $35 for a nudibranch or several hundred dollars of coral, the nudibranch stayed there.
When looking for advice, remember this with many people (from the sunscreen song):
"Whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
Than my own meandering experience, I will dispense this advice now"
And besides, LFS #2 as described above becomes a meeting place for salties and reefers. It annoys my wife no end when we spend a couple of hours in there chatting away with random people, comparing notes, showing off pics and sharing ideas
We have 4 in our area that does salt and reef.
shop #1, the owner knows very little about keeping salt and reef (but is honest enough to tell you that, keeps cichlids). Good range and ok pricing.
shop #2, a bit more expensive, but nothing beats the reefer who has been in the hobby for 25 years that owns it. Range can be hit and miss sometimes, but at least we get a discount there (wife breeds guppies, and we supply them for store credit). Has a worker that likes to boast that he spent over $100,000 setting up his saltwater in 12 months (nice guy to talk to, but I prefer to ask the owner questions). Recently had an issue with their RO machine and increased phosphates, straight up with it and called around to find another supply for me. I actually intend to keep buying my RO and NSW from this particular shop because of their honesty and help. They are also happy to hold on to coral that I show an interest in because I invariably buy it lol.
Shop #3, only just discovered it. Limited salt/coral range, but pricing is good. Have been warned not to trust advice people from there, but I don't know them well enough to form my own opinion.
Shop #4, the most expensive, but very knowledgeable people there. Has a 15 year old reef tank on display that always looks impressive, and the owner has about 25 years in the hobby (asked him how to knock nitrates to zero, his response was that the tank in the shop when first setup had to be over 100 ppm for him to worry about it, and over the years it has changed, theirs actually runs at 5 - 10 ppm and it is looking brilliant). Has put up with many of my questions as I entered the hobby, including suggesting strongly against buying fish that will not go well in my tank (noob mistakes lol) and was happy to lose a sale. Not that they have though, I still poke around in there and usually get something
One thing I have learned though is to keep google handy and look things up before money changes hands. I found a nice, sexy looking nudibranch the other day, the price was right, asked if it was ok for reef and got the response "yeah, should be", so I googled it. It may have been reef safe, but there was some questions as to whether or not it would munch on coral. So based on $35 for a nudibranch or several hundred dollars of coral, the nudibranch stayed there.
When looking for advice, remember this with many people (from the sunscreen song):
"Whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
Than my own meandering experience, I will dispense this advice now"
And besides, LFS #2 as described above becomes a meeting place for salties and reefers. It annoys my wife no end when we spend a couple of hours in there chatting away with random people, comparing notes, showing off pics and sharing ideas
JammyBirch
Aquaria Engineering
+1
The LFS i go to for coral and livestock is 2 hrs away, maybe not that local, but the shop is well maintained everything is very clean. When i ask "what do i have to do" he gives me the same answer..."the coral knows what its doing all you have to do is manage the water and keep it right"...
I love that response, it puts the ownes on me, to do my research, practice good maintainence and collect data.
I ask him the same question everytime just for a laugh at this point.
Don't get me wrong the closer LFS's i also buy from and trade to, i am trying to help them grow there business, good for thembut also more convenient for me too.
