TFP (rant)

[Just Jim]

I was just at That Fish Place for some salt. I have never been to impressed with their prices on livestock, but I though $59.99 for a Bartlett Anthias was crazy! How can such a big store get outpriced by SF by over $20? I try and get salt at SF when it's on sale, I've got to stop going to TFP....

 

[coralnut99]

I'm not gonna defend TFP. But Bartletts aren't the cheapest of Anthias species, and I've seen internet pricing in that range. Are you sure it was a Bartletts at SF? Todd seems to charge the same price for almost all Anthias sometimes. Obviously suppliers have a lot to do with it. I go to a LFS that will base his markup on his cost. Not necessarily what everybody else charges. I just bought a piece of Monti Peltiformis (hard to tell until I get it under better lights) for $30. They got the last batch direct from a supplier in the Solomons, and priced stuff accordingly. When they get stuff from a local wholesaler, the price stucture is drastically different.

 

[psusocr]

i agree.. TFP is a hit or miss store.. im only there once and awhile since its far from me but ivebeen there when there was great deals on some fish and corals,,, then ive been there when they have wanted 65.00 for a one inch high 3 stalk piece of blue xenia... some of there stuff is crazy in price. Not to mention the staff in the fishroom sometimes talk to you like you know nothging about corals and saltwaterfish..that frustrates me the most

 

[Fizz71]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9013285#post9013285 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by psusocr
Not to mention the staff in the fishroom sometimes talk to you like you know nothging about corals and saltwaterfish..that frustrates me the most

..that's because the odds are in their favor that you don't know anything! ..not you personally of course...you..as in..the typical customer. I once watched a woman try to buy a clown fish to put in large beta bowl..it took the TFP guy 20 minutes to talk her out of it...and I commended him on doing the right thing! I don't bother talking to any of the regular staff about a purchase...If I have a question I look for someone in a black shirt..one of the people with more knowledge than the typical bagger..especially since I've already gotten people who know NOTHING about salt water becase "fresh water is their thing"...doesn't bother me any..I just tell them what to bag and move on.

And TFP is definitely hit or miss...when I go there for corals, I tend to do my shopping in the broken frag bin...where things are under $10. It's the stuff that gets accidentally broken or detached. And they don't really have a whole lot of control on what they get or what they get charged...I remember asking somebody why they had so many goniopora in the shipment...and he gave me a look like...I wonder why too...He said they don't completely control what they get.

I'm also very picky about their fish...and the price you saw on a bartlets was similar to what I saw about 4 months ago right after I bought some from Mal at around half that price (if I recall correctly). But I don't tend to go to TFP unless I know what I want..and even if they have it I might not buy it that time...It took me MONTHS to find the PBT I wanted.

Anyway...I still wouldn't trade TFP for anything else..you can't beat the dry good prices and I can be there in under an hour. ...Livestock...some days good...some days bad...We still have it made compared to many folks.

--Fizz

 

[rickyfins]

Yes TFP is definitely an asset when it comes to drygoods but it does hurt alot of MOM and POP stores around the area.

I will also be another ranter, but then again I still go there. I have to order most times, but its because I am a low income reefer!

HIT OR MISS for sure on live goods and prices on those are not always the best.

Kevin I tried the Black shirt thing in the past, and most of the time I get a young punk(younger than me) just out of college Marine Biologist who has never seen the ocean who thinks they know compatability and husbandry when they have never walked the walk or talked the talk.

I just go in, play stupid like everyone else, and buy what I want and tell them I really don't care when they tell me a copperbanded butterfly will eat my corals!

 

[yellowtruck75]

hahaha they told me my copperband would eat my corals also. Well its been 14 months and all the corals are still there (know on wood)

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

I wish they would do more in the way of reefs, such as nice skimmers, quality lighting sysytems, nice sps colonies and frags, etc.

But dry goods are great.

 

[Just Jim]

Well I've calmed down a little since my visit. To be fair I did buy my pumps, sump, and skimmer there a few years ago. It's just hard to fathom that they seem to be outpriced by ever small lfs in the area on livestock and they're supposed to be the big "Walmart" of fish stores.

 

[bwest]

I don't understand why their pricing should make anyone upset. As a business, they can set the prices to what they want to make a profit. They know that eventually someone will buy it for that price.

I have found it to be an excellent place for dry goods, as well as livestock on occasions. Being in State College, I'm willing to take a 2 hour drive each way to get stuff like livestock since in the end it works out to be less than paying for overnight shipping online.