We just moved to a new city, and there's only one LFS here - there are a few pet stores and Wal-Mart has some FW fish, but marines are only available in one location AFAIK. The first time I visited, I was very impressed with the health of their fish (all the corals are bleached and sickly though), and hardly noticed the prices as I was only window shopping - I knew they were high, but just how high didn't register. Last time I went in, I took a more serious look around and nearly gagged on the prices. A few examples:
scolyoma (severely bleached & receding) - $149.00
condy anemones (severely bleached) - ~$40.00 IIRC
clown goby - $36.00
small flame angel - $149.00 (yes, you read that right)
These were not exceptions, they're just the prices I can remember accurately. Everything was priced at least 100% higher than in Toronto; I said to my hubby it's like they're going to the city and buying from Big Al's, then marking up as though BA's prices were wholesale. Not one coral looked healthy, some were nearly dead, and none had been reduced in price. I will say though, these folks have the healthiest-looking marine fish I've ever seen in a LFS. After I had time to think about it though, I realized it may be because they sell very little, and the fish have lots of time to rest and relax at the store, in contrast to high-turnover stores in the city.
I would still attempt to shop there, if it weren't for my latest experience - this sealed the deal, I won't walk through their doors again. Here's the story:
This past week I went to pick up 4 mollies with a friend. Asked for 1 male & 3 females, and received four males. I didn't notice until we got home; I wasn't paying close attention, but then again the employee assured me she knew the difference and I didn't want to hover.
Went back with my hubby the next day (20 minute drive) and explained what happened, and that I needed some females (the males were all trying to mate with one another, and the goal of having mollies is for them to breed and make food for the reefs). The manager grunted, assigned an employee who admitted right off she didn't know how to sex livebearers. I offered to help her select the fish, and he grunted at me, walking off with the employee. I followed them to the FW section, where he proceeded to tell her how to sex balloon mollies by their dorsal fins, lyretails by their tails, and sailfins by something else (not their dorsal or anal fins). I politely explained that this may have been what caused the previous day's issue, as many female lyretails in the tank had lyretails, not just males. I explained that all livebearers have a gonopodium and that's how I tell male from female, and received a grunt in reply. Then he insulted the employee by saying 'she'll never remember that'. Right, because it's easier to memorize a different method for guppies, three kinds of mollies, and swordtails than it is to learn to recognize one feature shared by all livebearers
I asked for a deal, to make up for the inconvenience of returning to the store, and he grunted, then asked why (I had just explained my reasoning in detail). The employee understood, and gave me 3 females for the price of 5, but the manager whined (literally) that this was losing him money and demanded two of the males back. I'm going to drive 20 minutes home, 20 minutes back, to return two $3 fish? Give me a break.
So I took my mollies, walked to the cash extremely dissatisfied with the manager's attitude, thanked the girls for their lovely service (the staff is great there) and vowed never to return, until the place is under new management. From this point forward, I'll be traveling two hours into the city to buy fish and corals - even if I include the price of gas, it ends up being less expensive, and I won't have to deal with a whiny grunter.
Well, we also have premium aquatics in the loop but it's a bit of a drive for me -- and I think they have odd store hours if I recall correctly.
Not stereotyping, just venting!
