Help Stock A Marine Fish Shop - Page 3

sean48183 · 05/12/2007, 09:27 PM

What mad matt said is a good idea. Bulkheads and loc-line parts and things of that nature that you really can't buy at hd or lowes.

Also learning to drill tanks might not be a bad idea either.

Also I am a big fan of the seachem additives. Their buffers and reef calcium have given me excellent results and I buy all that stuff at my lfs.

Seaweed selects the 24hour stuff. This stuff is golden. Hard for the tangs to rip off huge peices and let it fly around the tank.

Also one of my pet peeves is lfs's around here jack their prices to ridiculous proportions on livestock. Tomato's for $22, hippos $75 stuff like that. I will pay $5 more for a fish at a lfs because I prefer it to online and also to help support them but when they double the price it seems like they are taking advantage of an already expensive hobby.

Also play some cool music in the store like reggae or jimmy buffet or latin music. Kind of like a tropical feel when your in the store. Make it fun to be there.

Myka · 05/13/2007, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sean48183
Also play some cool music in the store like reggae or jimmy buffet or latin music. Kind of like a tropical feel when your in the store. Make it fun to be there.

Oh, I love that idea!!!

sltloser · 05/13/2007, 02:16 PM

if you like jimmy you would love our LFS in fargo, the owner plays nothing but jimmy, and his assorted CD's of sailor tunes haha. for a list of fish and dry goods youre going to need a large diversity.....Chemicals=Marine snow, Esential Elements, Strontium, Kalkwasser, Molybdeum and strontium, Liquid calcium,zoe marine or selcon for foods,coral builder and i think a great seller would be purpleup
filters=pretty much everything emperor's, fluval,fuge kits, skimmers of all kinds,live sand and mud for the fuges plus all of the replacement filter media for the filters.
bulbs=MH, CF, Flourecent
obviously live rock and a frag tank
diversity in fish, from reef safe to agressive. What kind of tank setup does he have? is it on a mars system? or different tanks?
Other dry goods-nets, food (frozen and flake), crushed coral, syphons, replacement parts for skimmers/powerheads/filters etc. if he can keep misc. parts for making mods to different things that will be a huge plus
and just overall good health of the fish, have him spend the extra $$ on feeding all the fish and assortment of frozen,flake, and nori and try and have the frozen and flake soak in some sort of supplement like zoe marine or selcon
overall make sure the tanks are clean and all scurbed of algae and all fish that die are taken out right away, not just left to rot untill someone feels like taking them out ( like at petco does

icky!!!)
( i hope none of that came out snoty/or like i was telling you waht to do, just trying to give you some helpful tips on what i know customers look for in a LFS)
my 2 cents
-brady

old95er · 05/13/2007, 03:24 PM

Not sure if anyone said this, but stock the store with employees who know what they are talking about.

Don't Jack prices. . .an LFS near me is selling a Kent float valve kit for $99.99. . . .it is available at MarineDepot for $40-50. . .I won't buy from them because I know they are going to rip me off.

Someone else said it, but I second the bulb selection. I can't buy MH DE bulbs for over 50 miles around. . .so I get them online and wait a few days, instead of having the store do the same thing. If you want my business, have it in stock, not "available to order". We can all order it to arrive in a few days. . .we are coming to your shop to get it today.

The music suggestion is a great idea. . .clothing retailers know this already. . .the longer they stay in the store, the more likely they are to buy something.

Easy to set up kits, like the 8 gallon "all in one" kits. Get people hooked on a simple set up "for their kids" and they will come in later for a larger setup, once everyone in the family sees how nice they are.

madmatt357 · 05/14/2007, 02:42 PM

Well my buddy has already ordered just about everything suggested here on the site. He is giving it all a try and see what the customers want down here in Florida. Thanks for everyones input!!

sltloser · 05/14/2007, 05:52 PM

keep us posted on how he's doing and if he needs any other suggestions. I hope everything works out for him!!
-brady

05/13/2007, 02:16 PM	#53
sltloser Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Fargo ND Posts: 270	if you like jimmy you would love our LFS in fargo, the owner plays nothing but jimmy, and his assorted CD's of sailor tunes haha. for a list of fish and dry goods youre going to need a large diversity.....Chemicals=Marine snow, Esential Elements, Strontium, Kalkwasser, Molybdeum and strontium, Liquid calcium,zoe marine or selcon for foods,coral builder and i think a great seller would be purpleup filters=pretty much everything emperor's, fluval,fuge kits, skimmers of all kinds,live sand and mud for the fuges plus all of the replacement filter media for the filters. bulbs=MH, CF, Flourecent obviously live rock and a frag tank diversity in fish, from reef safe to agressive. What kind of tank setup does he have? is it on a mars system? or different tanks? Other dry goods-nets, food (frozen and flake), crushed coral, syphons, replacement parts for skimmers/powerheads/filters etc. if he can keep misc. parts for making mods to different things that will be a huge plus and just overall good health of the fish, have him spend the extra $$ on feeding all the fish and assortment of frozen,flake, and nori and try and have the frozen and flake soak in some sort of supplement like zoe marine or selcon overall make sure the tanks are clean and all scurbed of algae and all fish that die are taken out right away, not just left to rot untill someone feels like taking them out ( like at petco does icky!!!) ( i hope none of that came out snoty/or like i was telling you waht to do, just trying to give you some helpful tips on what i know customers look for in a LFS) my 2 cents -brady __________________ Slowly and surely like the tortoise....

05/13/2007, 03:24 PM	#54
old95er Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Connecticut Posts: 462	Not sure if anyone said this, but stock the store with employees who know what they are talking about. Don't Jack prices. . .an LFS near me is selling a Kent float valve kit for $99.99. . . .it is available at MarineDepot for $40-50. . .I won't buy from them because I know they are going to rip me off. Someone else said it, but I second the bulb selection. I can't buy MH DE bulbs for over 50 miles around. . .so I get them online and wait a few days, instead of having the store do the same thing. If you want my business, have it in stock, not "available to order". We can all order it to arrive in a few days. . .we are coming to your shop to get it today. The music suggestion is a great idea. . .clothing retailers know this already. . .the longer they stay in the store, the more likely they are to buy something. Easy to set up kits, like the 8 gallon "all in one" kits. Get people hooked on a simple set up "for their kids" and they will come in later for a larger setup, once everyone in the family sees how nice they are. __________________ Click the red house. . .check out the new 120. . .tell me what you think! Current Tank Info: 120. . .lumenarc stealth x 2, 10k Ushio DE 250w, DIY sump, mag18 return, with refugium,AquaC EV180 with Mag7, Dart /OM 4 way CL, JBJ 1/10hp Chiller, Fishbowl Innovations Moonlightsx2, Oceanus Poseidon ATO fr RO/DI, ozotech poseidon

05/14/2007, 05:52 PM	#56
sltloser Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Fargo ND Posts: 270	keep us posted on how he's doing and if he needs any other suggestions. I hope everything works out for him!! -brady __________________ Slowly and surely like the tortoise....

05/12/2007, 09:27 PM	#51
sean48183 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: michigan Posts: 1,577	What mad matt said is a good idea. Bulkheads and loc-line parts and things of that nature that you really can't buy at hd or lowes. Also learning to drill tanks might not be a bad idea either. Also I am a big fan of the seachem additives. Their buffers and reef calcium have given me excellent results and I buy all that stuff at my lfs. Seaweed selects the 24hour stuff. This stuff is golden. Hard for the tangs to rip off huge peices and let it fly around the tank. Also one of my pet peeves is lfs's around here jack their prices to ridiculous proportions on livestock. Tomato's for $22, hippos $75 stuff like that. I will pay $5 more for a fish at a lfs because I prefer it to online and also to help support them but when they double the price it seems like they are taking advantage of an already expensive hobby. Also play some cool music in the store like reggae or jimmy buffet or latin music. Kind of like a tropical feel when your in the store. Make it fun to be there.

05/14/2007, 02:42 PM	#55
madmatt357 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Georgia Posts: 164	Well my buddy has already ordered just about everything suggested here on the site. He is giving it all a try and see what the customers want down here in Florida. Thanks for everyones input!!