I have to put in my $0.02 here
First since this is an active ORCA board I want to address a quick ORCA topic about the idea of putting together a "shopping day" - I would love to try to organize something like this and think it'd be a nice thing to do maybe early November or December with some nice weather (and with enough time to coordinate).
When I was younger we would do a "Progressive Dinner" where we would carpool\caravan ourselves from house to house- each host would have 1 course to serve. It would go like, before dinner drinks, salad house, appetizer house, main meal house(s), after dinner drinks and finally dessert.
If possible I would love to mix this up with the holiday cheer around those months and see if I could convince some of the stores (with help and super shopping skills) to perhaps each host a part of a meal and we could spend the day going door-to-door enjoying a bit of food and some shopping. I'll get with the board on something like that - I know our biggest thing coming up now is the Dinner Cruise so go check out Matt's post about it!
I really don't want to comment on what stores should have, as I respect each store and its owners\operators for their choices and business decisions.
What I would like to offer are a few comments from my experience working at an LFS:
I cannot stress enough how important it is to QT! To have a healthy tank even if you trust a store, it is a very very good idea and the number one thing you can do to be a responsible reef keeper! You can only help yourself by doing this.
That said, whenever you walk into any LFS, don't be disheartened by what you don't see. While the impulse buy and window browsing can take over one's budget in this hobby, you can always ask if a store can order something special for you!
A little bit of patience can go a long way in this hobby and that is so true on this topic as well.
Many of our local stores are reef stores and try to cater to that genre. When someone earlier mentioned they'd like to see more predator fish or eels or more fish in general you have to consider a few things.
Many predator fish and eels are very difficult to get to eat. They also aren't always sought after as much as say generic goby #1 or cute blenny #5. They typically have more specialized tanks and the stores that don't carry them probably only order them when needed. Even then the trick is to get them to eat prepared foods and to be in overall good shape. Shipping IS very stressful so waiting for a fish to settle in is never a bad thing. Never be afraid to ask a store to put a hold on a fish either. Most of our stores here that I know of are all very kind and wont mind at all, depending on the livestock may ask for a deposit. No biggie, they get a little money and you get a little insurance knowing your fish is being looked after to be healthy and ready to go home soon.
The other thing is if you go to a store on a weekend, depending on when they get shipments they may have had tons of fish but you just happened to show up on a day when they were sold out of a lot of stuff. Again, don't be afraid to special order or ask to see books or get information on the fish you are looking for. If you prefer a certain store to another for livestock for any reason, it may be worth the wait to get it shipped to your preference.
You could also buy online but waiting a week or two to me sure beats a minimum of around $35 in shipping.
Also as far as having a lot of fish there are stores I've been to I would consider overstocked. Doing this makes your store look great and in small holding tanks many fish get along that wouldn't otherwise in your tank.
If you see 5 tangs altogether in a tank it may look pretty but they may have different behaviors when you take and put them in your super big tank. It all really depends on the fish. My hat goes off to any store that stocks responsibly. Having a just a few less fish really goes in favor for healthier stock and less stress on a fish.
I think this thread has been wonderful and civil and respectful to the LFS and if anything has stuck to simply constructive criticism. That's also the hobbyists job- to provide feedback and hopefully suggestions on where improvement can be. Complaining is easy, doing something beyond it to make something better is the hard part
