What tis the problem with LFS?
- Thread starter OnoIgotICH
- Start date
dwd5813
New member
I think the important thing to understand is that in a hobby where there are many "right" ways to do things, such as this one, it is wise not to blindly trust any single source of information. If you post a question on this or any other forum, and you only get one response, are you satisfied? You shouldn't be. The same goes for advice received at a LFS. Yes, there are knowledgeable folks working in stores all over the place, and there are also folks who may not be. I can't remember who it is, but someone on here has in their sig line "read a lot, think for yourself." That's good advice, in my opinion. It can get confusing when you hear conflicting advice, and it can be hard to know which advice to take. In that event, I think the best thing to do is to look for additional sources of information, and arm yourself with enough knowledge to make an informed decision. That information can come from the internet, your LFS, books, fellow reefers whose tanks you have seen, or ideally some combination of all of those.
mr pink floyd
New member
i work at a very reputable LFS(very popular across the state), and basically its this. if we dont sell someone a tang, or a fish because it work work in their tank, they will go down the street to Petco and buy it. We tell them the truth, it will outgrow your tank, and sell them the fish. 90% of the time it wont live long enough in these peoples tanks to get to the point where its outgrown.
they sell alcohol in stores, and people drink themselves to death, are you saying all liquor stores are bad? Greasy, fatty foods are sold in grocery stores, are you saying grocery stores are bad?
anything can be bashed.
I have had people argue to me about things that they obviously have no clue about, such are levels i n a salt/ reef tank. People think because im a kid, and work in a LFS, they instantly know more than i do.
ive had a person argue with me that alkalinity and calcium dont matter at all, and are in no way shape or form related. I gave them the scientific explanation, they told me to stuff it and walked out.
people are ignorant.
they sell alcohol in stores, and people drink themselves to death, are you saying all liquor stores are bad? Greasy, fatty foods are sold in grocery stores, are you saying grocery stores are bad?
anything can be bashed.
I have had people argue to me about things that they obviously have no clue about, such are levels i n a salt/ reef tank. People think because im a kid, and work in a LFS, they instantly know more than i do.
ive had a person argue with me that alkalinity and calcium dont matter at all, and are in no way shape or form related. I gave them the scientific explanation, they told me to stuff it and walked out.
people are ignorant.
jonnydalejunior
New member
my buddy owns a LFS, so i hang out and pretend to work there. i tell people that that gecko over ther is reef safe (they clearly are not) i am always right as well.
down and outman
New member
We're lucky in Atlanta to have several great LFS. My closest one is run by a marine biologist. Yes the prices are high, but it takes a lot to run one. Did have a local store, more of a pet shop than a LFS. He steered me wrong when I was first setting up my tank. Luckily I found some good forums like RC to help me out. Read, read, read! I'll research a bunch before I go and do anything. I don't take just one person's advice. If I see the same advice several times then I weigh it and make my decision.
hootie51
Premium Member
I try to find a balance between my LFS and this site (or the internet in general). If I have a question about my tank or am interested in adding something new I always research it first on the internet and then go to my LFS and talk to them about it. Usually the answer my LFS provides is the same or similar to what I find when doing my research. I think I am one of the few who have a LFS that I can trust. I have established a personal relationship with everyone who works there and I know that they are more concerned with my tank than with just selling me something every time I walk in there. It's also nice that many of them maintain personal reefs at the shop (in which the things inside belong to them and are not for sale). I think thats a testament to how well they know the hobby. Wow...sorry for the long post!!
JimKelly12203
New member
Well, any of the big chain pet stores are going to know nothing and they're going to give you crap advice.
It's easy to tell a specialty store though. If they sell coral and have as many (or more) salt water secimens as fresh, then you're in a good place. That can be decieiving though. Take a look at the quailty of the livestock. Is it run down and shabby looking? or do they seem to have healthy stock.
Observe them over a month's long period to see if the healthy environment in the store's aquariums is, indeed, stable.
Do they carry exotic fish? Or just clowns, damsels and erroding anemonae's? Is the SeaClone the only protein skimmer they sell at the store and if so, when you ask them how it performs do they recommend it?
Even if they pass all of these tests, know that you'll get better advice here. There happens to be an excellent store in my area, but when i got down and dirty with them on special ordering a reef ready/ closed loop drilled tank, they looked at me like i was nuts. The chick in charge was only a manager. She told me SPS corals account for like 1% of their business.
I just went back today and the whole store is different. They have sump builds and all in one lighting set ups for sale. Their special order tank capabilities have been greatly expanded.
The SPS display tank is cleaner and better organized. They have some new nano tanks on display. Instead of the manager i talked to earlier, a guy with a business card titled "president" of Eddie's aquarium was on hand and he was very helpful.
They still don't have ASM or Octopuss skimmers (much less the really elite equipment), but they've stepped their game up. I wouldn't order EVERYTHING from this place, but i trust it now a lot more than i did before.
It's a crapshoot. But if you observe any given store over a period of time (along with a lot of on-line reading) you'll be able to spot a fraud from a mile away.
It's easy to tell a specialty store though. If they sell coral and have as many (or more) salt water secimens as fresh, then you're in a good place. That can be decieiving though. Take a look at the quailty of the livestock. Is it run down and shabby looking? or do they seem to have healthy stock.
Observe them over a month's long period to see if the healthy environment in the store's aquariums is, indeed, stable.
Do they carry exotic fish? Or just clowns, damsels and erroding anemonae's? Is the SeaClone the only protein skimmer they sell at the store and if so, when you ask them how it performs do they recommend it?
Even if they pass all of these tests, know that you'll get better advice here. There happens to be an excellent store in my area, but when i got down and dirty with them on special ordering a reef ready/ closed loop drilled tank, they looked at me like i was nuts. The chick in charge was only a manager. She told me SPS corals account for like 1% of their business.
I just went back today and the whole store is different. They have sump builds and all in one lighting set ups for sale. Their special order tank capabilities have been greatly expanded.
The SPS display tank is cleaner and better organized. They have some new nano tanks on display. Instead of the manager i talked to earlier, a guy with a business card titled "president" of Eddie's aquarium was on hand and he was very helpful.
They still don't have ASM or Octopuss skimmers (much less the really elite equipment), but they've stepped their game up. I wouldn't order EVERYTHING from this place, but i trust it now a lot more than i did before.
It's a crapshoot. But if you observe any given store over a period of time (along with a lot of on-line reading) you'll be able to spot a fraud from a mile away.
auntynatal
New member
My LFS is pretty great.
I live in the UK so these types of stores are few and far between up North, so imagine how happy I am living a 3 minute walk from mine.
He has a lot more FW than reef tanks, but he has 5, 4 foot tanks that look great. There's never any algae on the glass and the fish always feed well and look healthy and happy. He has some fish in stock for a few weeks which shows me his perams must be decent and their advice is good too. When I buy a new coral he tells me its name, writes it down so I can research in my own time, tells me where in the tank it likes to be (and he's not been wrong yet) and if he has something that isn't doing so great (either because of the time he's had it or its stressed from transportation) he gives it to me for nothing. He says he would rather it thrived in my tank than sat there any longer. He has no constant running reef which is a shame, but two members of his staff (of 3, him being the other) have reef tanks at home with great success and you get the wisdom of 2 minds not just one.
I once went in asking about RO machines and both of them said don't bother, our water is fine without and I have to say they are right. My tank is fine without and everything is growing and thriving. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones!
Oh and when I went to buy a tang off the guy without a reef tank at home and he sold it to me (which then subsequently got eaten for breakfast by my banded boxing shrimp) and when I went to replace it the reef owner said 'your tanks not big enough, try this instead...' without me even reminding him of my tank size.
On the whole I would give my LFS a 9/10 (losing a point for having no display tank) but I am starting to want to wander further afield and look at some other shops. Poor hubby...
I live in the UK so these types of stores are few and far between up North, so imagine how happy I am living a 3 minute walk from mine.
He has a lot more FW than reef tanks, but he has 5, 4 foot tanks that look great. There's never any algae on the glass and the fish always feed well and look healthy and happy. He has some fish in stock for a few weeks which shows me his perams must be decent and their advice is good too. When I buy a new coral he tells me its name, writes it down so I can research in my own time, tells me where in the tank it likes to be (and he's not been wrong yet) and if he has something that isn't doing so great (either because of the time he's had it or its stressed from transportation) he gives it to me for nothing. He says he would rather it thrived in my tank than sat there any longer. He has no constant running reef which is a shame, but two members of his staff (of 3, him being the other) have reef tanks at home with great success and you get the wisdom of 2 minds not just one.
I once went in asking about RO machines and both of them said don't bother, our water is fine without and I have to say they are right. My tank is fine without and everything is growing and thriving. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones!
Oh and when I went to buy a tang off the guy without a reef tank at home and he sold it to me (which then subsequently got eaten for breakfast by my banded boxing shrimp) and when I went to replace it the reef owner said 'your tanks not big enough, try this instead...' without me even reminding him of my tank size.
On the whole I would give my LFS a 9/10 (losing a point for having no display tank) but I am starting to want to wander further afield and look at some other shops. Poor hubby...
I got lucky because one of the guys i work with owns a great sw store, although it's about an hour away. The guy's a fish genius, used to work at Sea World as a trainer and now works for the navy training dolphins. Having said that, I always double check his opinions with others/internet prior to purchasing because everything is relative and everyone has different experiences...The saying is Buyer Beware for a reason!
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