Wholesalers list in LAX area (looking for)

I

iSeeMax101

New member
So I have decided to start a business with helping to obtain special order items for my customers (fish and coral). I’ve just secured my sellers permit. Could anyone help point me in the direction of some of the more trusted wholesalers in the Los Angeles area? Also any that I should avoid would be great as well, along with reasons to avoid would be helpful.

I understand that or why someone might want to keep some of these locations secure. I wouldn’t mind discussing through PM if anyone is willing to share places they either attend or have visited once or twice. I’m also not opposed to compensating you for your Information!

Thanks again!
 
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congrads on the new biz for you.

lots of people are very protective on their sources for fish and corals and do not like to give it away as you could be trying to get their products they normally buy. Many of the wholesalers will require you to have a brick and mortar location. Some of the LA wholesalers also are not opening any walk in customers any more as it is an interruption of their business and they do not like jobbers or cherry pickers. Many of the wholesalers have large min orders as well as you have to buy a lot to get a few things unless they hit you with a surcharge. Other wholesalers will tell you if you want X you will have to buy bread and butter to get it or it is not for sale. Don't be discourage as you will be able to get some accounts open but it is not as easy as it sounds. Many will just say no and ask you to leave while others are hoars and will sell to anyone but not give you the best of he best you are looking for. good luck with the new business I hope you do well with it.
 
Hey Thanks Keith and Richard!

I’m expecting minimums. This is pretty much where the special orders will come in for all other local and not so local hobiests. Planning to offer QT services on corals and be able to ship out healthy, pest free specimens with 30 day waits. Also same day ship or pickup fish and inverts. Not sure if we will be offering QT options for fish at this time but it’s optional if it makes cents ��
 
I forgot to mention. I’m not looking to setup a brick and mortar nor looking to do this on an extremely large scale. I’ve just seen a lot of complaining through the different forums about coral pests and different issues and figured that it wouldn’t hurt to become a small time supplier that could take orders and do the QT dirty work and ship a product that people could trust if they are willing to pay for the hassle they either don’t have room or time to do themselves.

I know that by not setting up a B&M I will be excluded from certain wholesalers. This is to be expected. But in the meantime, I can setup business relationships and contacts and if I’m making enough to feed my personal addiction, offer a quality service and product to you all that is of value and possibly make just enough to keep the lights on... that might just be enough.

I have 3 other small businesses that take care of my other hobbies so might as well have one to take care of this one lol
 
I'll take 1 of each fairy wrasse.. fully QT'd. eating. healthy. and I expect to pay minimum.

delivery please! kthanksbye
 
Valencia Pet owners supposedly used to run a large wholesale operation that they sold (or have someone else [family?] running for them now). Not sure of the specifics, but they'd be a good place to start an inquiry~~
 
It would be awesome if you can also quarantine fish.

Whatever you quarantine, make sure you tell customers your quarantine procedures. Length of time, medication used if any, number of quarantine tanks, etc. I think it will show you are doing more than simply sticking everything in a tank for X weeks.
 
Fringe09 said:
It would be awesome if you can also quarantine fish.

Whatever you quarantine, make sure you tell customers your quarantine procedures. Length of time, medication used if any, number of quarantine tanks, etc. I think it will show you are doing more than simply sticking everything in a tank for X weeks.
Click to expand...

We are considering QT for fish but that's always a bit more complex. The risk vs reward is a complicated thing with fish. Will have a bit more of an idea after considering all relevant equipment and costs associated with being able to properly care for the animals.
 
Good luck on your side gig. I think providing QT'd fish would be a service. Are you planning on charging retail with no up charge for the meds and time it took? :) Sorry I had to.

I would be careful though what you post here. People get the boot quick for not being sponsors on the site.
 
BeanMachine said:
Good luck on your side gig. I think providing QT'd fish would be a service. Are you planning on charging retail with no up charge for the meds and time it took? :) Sorry I had to.

I would be careful though what you post here. People get the boot quick for not being sponsors on the site.
Click to expand...



I personally would pay retail plus X knowing a fish was properly QT'd. I think that's the case with others specially in the LA area.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
BeanMachine said:
Good luck on your side gig. I think providing QT'd fish would be a service. Are you planning on charging retail with no up charge for the meds and time it took? :) Sorry I had to.
.
Click to expand...

hahaha this is exactly one of the things that kept running through my head. I have no idea how to upcharge for these things and what it would actually be worth to people. Time and meds all a huge concern. I just feel like anything much over 20% retail is steep. But then again the time it takes, housing, electricity, food, The amount of meds to treat any specific disease, infection, parasite would have to play a part in the overall costs associated and I would think that any customer would not want to incur those additional costs on a specific fish. They might almost blame the company for not selecting a “healthy” fish in the first place.

Need to weigh it all out.

As far as being a sponsor. I’m not selling, taking orders or pricing things out. If mods feel this post is done in poor taste please remove. Just trying to make some new contacts and try and determine if this is a service that can be valued in our community. Thanks for the heads up in advance
 
Fringe09 said:
I personally would pay retail plus X knowing a fish was properly QT’d. I think that’s the case with others specially in the LA area.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I think most people will pay the extra $$$ for a QT'd fish.

however, how much do you trust the QTing? that's the big issue. Some daily documentation would be good. If you buy a QT'd tang and somehow your tank got wiped after.. could it be this tang? or you just added 1 too many tangs? or there's ich in the system all along? so much to consider...

I think QTing for everything beside ich is a good idea. Specially if you don't want to use Copper for medication. 2 weeks of General Cure and Fuhran2, getting fish to eat. MAYBE a quick TTM. then the owner has to decide to further QT or take it as is..
 
m0nkie said:
I think most people will pay the extra $$$ for a QT'd fish.

however, how much do you trust the QTing? that's the big issue. Some daily documentation would be good. If you buy a QT'd tang and somehow your tank got wiped after.. could it be this tang? or you just added 1 too many tangs? or there's ich in the system all along? so much to consider...

I think QTing for everything beside ich is a good idea. Specially if you don't want to use Copper for medication. 2 weeks of General Cure and Fuhran2, getting fish to eat. MAYBE a quick TTM. then the owner has to decide to further QT or take it as is..
Click to expand...



I totally agree with you. I think knowing that a fish didn't go in your tank a day or two after it was kept at the LFS, does bring some comfort.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Monkie is ultra correct. Treating for everything besides ich would be the best possible way. Many (MANY) hobbiests already have ich in their displays so that couldn’t possibly be an issue that we would be addressing. I would prefer to not treat any fish with copper as that has been said to be harmful to some species in ways that haven’t been truely determined.

General Cure, Fuhran2 and PraziPro would be the treatments performed along with TTM
 
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