What do you look for in a Fish Store.

Buff · 01/31/2006, 06:10 PM

Just wanted to see what everyone values in a fish store.

Is it fancy equipment selection, lights, filters, skimmers etc.

Or is it the healthy fish, or great selection of fish and corals, or "rarer" types of fish and corals.

Is it a great selection of crabs/shrimp/inverts...

Great customer service, knowledge, friendliness...

Location....

good selection of replacement parts...

Or maybe it's all of the above...but what keeps you coming back to the same store over and over!

I personally hate to see dead fish at the bottom of the tanks...it's going to happen, but when fish are eating the dead...I'd sooner shop else where.

and for equipment I find online the best place to shop...so I rarely buy instore unless it's a must have now item.

Jsut wondering what other people look for.

Seadogs · 01/31/2006, 06:39 PM

Happy, healthy critters, knowlegable & helpfull people, and customer service! I'm REALLY glad our LFS fits all of these requirements. On the otherside, the other LFS I've been to, I wouldn't care if they were selling everything in the store for a dollar, I wouldn't shop there. (Except to save the poor fishies I saw crammed into yucky tanks.

)
The LFS we go to has beautiful, clear tanks and bright active fish. They took the time to answer any questions we had and didn't try to "sell" us anything (I hate pushy sales people)! You could tell just by talking to them that they truely enjoy what they do.

unsane · 01/31/2006, 06:54 PM

I would like to go into a store and find SOMEONE who has a clue. Sometimes I go into the LFS and just joke around with the kid or whoever and they open their mouth and the stupidity just starts pouring out. I keep it going though as I find it very entertaining. Ask them questions to see if they know anything or just trying to B/S you into a sale. I look for honest staff, ones that aren't trying to get my cash, but ones who actually give a crap about the wellfare of the fish/coral I am about to purchase. Also I look for clean tanks and properly named corals. I dont want to see a bunch of cyno and algea blooms, bleached corals, dead fish ect. Last of all I would like to see reasonable prices.

wiley0717 · 01/31/2006, 07:45 PM

I think all of the above but most of all it would have to be knowledgable tech's. I say tech's rather than "Sales People" because I really think some one who knows "The In's and out's" of not only equipment but livestock as well, has much more to offer the newcomer than a sales person. New Super Duper gadgets and miracles in a bottle are the norm anymore but someone who will stand up and say "Yeah, that miracle in a bottle does in fact work.... but you will have to dump your new tank do the problems it is going to create! Oh yeah, that new super duper gadget? The bragging rights will out weigh it's performance!" Thoes are the people who keep me as a return customer.
Nice looking crystal clear displays are tantalizing especially with properly labeled as well as available livestock. And who could argue with online prices!

Andrew · 01/31/2006, 07:54 PM

- Good selection
- Healthy fish
- Good staff that knows what they are doing
- Fair prices
- Display tanks and frag tanks
- Selection of fish

linskica · 01/31/2006, 08:58 PM

Great Topic! I'm gonna print this out for my fellow employees! I think they would like to see that other people notice when they are doing things right!

ACBlinky · 01/31/2006, 09:16 PM

- Knowledgeable, friendly staff
- Healthy stock
- Well cared-for tanks (not necessarily sterile, just healthy looking)
- Decent prices

One thing that turns me off immediately is an employee with an attitude - no matter how nice the stock is, if someone is being really rude (either to customers or their fellow employees) I'll go elsewhere. It goes without saying that I won't shop in a store that treats their animals badly in any way.

irmee4 · 01/31/2006, 09:29 PM

a healthy selection of animals, clean store, comforting environment. and the employee must know what he/she is talking about.

Ti · 01/31/2006, 11:16 PM

I only look for one thing.
A competant staff.

DCFix · 01/31/2006, 11:24 PM

Staff that are honest when they don't know something, which should also seldom happen. If the prices are a bit high but you have honest people there that know their stuff, sometimes it's worth the extra dollars just for the advice.

duerr · 02/01/2006, 12:46 AM

I actually at ends with my LFS. When I began getting interested in the hobby, I went in and asked the owner a few questions about tanks, costs, and set-up.

He handed me a printed out "How to start a saltwater tank", which was full of garbage, useless advice, and out-of practice methods.

Had I followed his advice, I would have a UGF with crushed coral, and a biowheel.

I did, however, buy my tank, stand, and canopy there, as It was the same price if I had ordered it online (with shipping), and i would get 10% off on all purchses from the store in future visits.

They refuse to offer the "10%" off guarantee unless I bring my receipt in (although they have a total of 3 employees, and all know me by name)

Its incredibly frustrating, and unnessecary.

The owners 'wife' is occasionally wandering around the store, and typically swings around and gives people looking at salt-fish improper, and often hilarious advice.

Once, while browsing some of the live rock they had, I had inquired about where they 'got it', and briefly mentioned that I had seen some that was very similar online.

I got a "warning" that most live rock that is found online usually has "poison" in it, and that I should only buy stuff from their store, because it "comes from a train".

stewie24 · 02/01/2006, 02:58 AM

In a fish store, i usually look for the normal fish store stuff - overpriced corals, fish, and dry goods. Then I proceede to walk out the door.

(hey, you did ask what I look for right?)
At any rate, Its nice to have a LFS around, and I know that a store wouldn't be easy to maintain (on the wallet that is), so therefore the prices would be higher than buying your stuff online, but some places are just insane at what they charge. ($50.00 for a very unhealthy yellow tang? - i'll pass on that one)

Stewie

pitt_prodigy · 02/01/2006, 05:28 AM

Knowlegeable people who dont try to BS me and try to sell me a bunch of stuff i dont need or that will require buyin more crap down the line. If im going to a new LFS i often "play it dumb" and ask something basic just to see what they have to say. If they start to treat me like "fresh meat" i usually walk out and dont return. Luckily i have a huge LFS 10min from my house.... supposedly the largest pet store in the world (their claim) www.thatpetplace.com . When i go there i look for any one of 3 staff members who i have dealt with numerous time and know that they have been in salt for years.

I also look for exotic species in a good LFS. I like a big selection and i dont want to come back week after week and see the same species of fish swimming around. My LFS usually gets 2-3 (sometimes more) fish that i havent seen in there before per month. Prices are very fair as well!

mmn_usn · 02/01/2006, 06:06 AM

Living on Guam.. there is not much need in a LFS.... But I like to be treated like I know something about what I am looking for. My favorite LFS... they give me a 10% discount just because I am always in there.... The other will follow you just to make sure you are not stealing the small stuff... The only reason I go there is they sell the Brine eggs and filter food that I use. Also at the unliked store... they bash on the other store.." They don't take care of their fish... and don't know how to keep salt water tanks." HMMM... 350+ tank with a black tip reef shark and at least 50 SW tanks... compared to the 3-4 that they have.. I think I will keep going to the ones that treat me like an Aquarist...

Sorry... I got off the subject. Treat me, the shopper with respect and No BS.

jerry11901 · 02/01/2006, 06:35 AM

Here on Long Island are many Pet Stores but I only shop in one .Why?
Because the staff and owner are honest. If they donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t know something, they will say (I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t know) instead of telling me bunch of lies to make sale Ã¢â‚¬Â¦

roons · 02/01/2006, 07:31 AM

how much shipping is ,

joe90usa · 02/01/2006, 12:10 PM

It would be nice to present a tank problem in a LFS and not have them immediately point you to an additive before they've questioned tank parameters or offered to test your water for you. I listened to one the other day where someone was giving a very vague description of a problem, never got asked about water parameters or even how often they do water changes, and they were off to the additives section. Rediculous.

techigirl78 · 02/01/2006, 12:54 PM

Having employees you can talk openly with really seems to make a difference. Usually, they get really offended if you say anything or make any suggestions to them. I've had people give me dirty looks when I let them know there's a dead fish in their tank that should probably be removed - I didn't have no attitude, just worried about the other fish and animals in the systems. Others get upset if you say you bought some other product from a different vendor. The people who realize they can learn from their customers as well as share their opinions seem to make a big impression.

hrrsncrg · 02/01/2006, 01:06 PM

PLEASE READ!

These are some of the characteristics that I look for in my LFS:

I am a new Reefer and always have questions. I know that it would be very easy for a LFS to use my lack-of-knowledge to their advantage and make a sale. So the first thing I look for is honesty.

Along those same lines I also look for a knowledgable staff. I want someone that will answer my questions and if I don't understand will explain it to me like I am a Newbie!

I also think that the store should be a nice place to visit. The stores I tend to dislike the most are the ones that are dark, unorganized, dirty, have dead livestock and to top it off just smell bad. If I walk in a store and it makes me feel that when I get the livestock home it is gonna die, I turn around and leave.

So the next time any of you find yourself in Augusta, GA please visit my friends at Star Aquatics. Jorge, Angela, Matt and Rob are AWESOME! Jorge owned 4 successful stores in Atlanta before moving to Augusta to "retire." Well, he could not stay away and decided to open another store. This store is family owned and operated. There are other LFSs in Augusta, but Star is by far head and shoulders above the rest.

"hrrsncrg"
-craig

Amphiprion · 02/01/2006, 01:11 PM

Ha! this is the stuff I use to critique myself.

Buff · 02/01/2006, 05:22 PM

Awesome replies!

thanks guys, I must say I agree with all of you.

01/31/2006, 06:10 PM	#1
Buff Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: St. John's, NF Canada Posts: 93	What do you look for in a Fish Store. Just wanted to see what everyone values in a fish store. Is it fancy equipment selection, lights, filters, skimmers etc. Or is it the healthy fish, or great selection of fish and corals, or "rarer" types of fish and corals. Is it a great selection of crabs/shrimp/inverts... Great customer service, knowledge, friendliness... Location.... good selection of replacement parts... Or maybe it's all of the above...but what keeps you coming back to the same store over and over! I personally hate to see dead fish at the bottom of the tanks...it's going to happen, but when fish are eating the dead...I'd sooner shop else where. and for equipment I find online the best place to shop...so I rarely buy instore unless it's a must have now item. Jsut wondering what other people look for.

01/31/2006, 07:45 PM	#4
wiley0717 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: La Grange KY Posts: 167	I think all of the above but most of all it would have to be knowledgable tech's. I say tech's rather than "Sales People" because I really think some one who knows "The In's and out's" of not only equipment but livestock as well, has much more to offer the newcomer than a sales person. New Super Duper gadgets and miracles in a bottle are the norm anymore but someone who will stand up and say "Yeah, that miracle in a bottle does in fact work.... but you will have to dump your new tank do the problems it is going to create! Oh yeah, that new super duper gadget? The bragging rights will out weigh it's performance!" Thoes are the people who keep me as a return customer. Nice looking crystal clear displays are tantalizing especially with properly labeled as well as available livestock. And who could argue with online prices! __________________ Everything happens slower in a larger tank.....accept spent funds and salt consumption!!! Current Tank Info: Downgrading back to the simple life!!!

01/31/2006, 09:16 PM	#7
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	- Knowledgeable, friendly staff - Healthy stock - Well cared-for tanks (not necessarily sterile, just healthy looking) - Decent prices One thing that turns me off immediately is an employee with an attitude - no matter how nice the stock is, if someone is being really rude (either to customers or their fellow employees) I'll go elsewhere. It goes without saying that I won't shop in a store that treats their animals badly in any way. __________________ "The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen Current Tank Info: 150g mixed reef, 30g sump/refugium, LED lighting, 100lbs LR, coral beauty, flame angel, blue & yellow tangs, gobies, damsels, 6-line wrasse, lawnmower blenny, dottyback, clown pair, rabbitfish, shrimp, crabs, CUC.

01/31/2006, 11:16 PM	#9
Ti Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 7,927	I only look for one thing. A competant staff. __________________ Hair algae is my Macro algae.

02/01/2006, 05:28 AM	#13
pitt_prodigy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Palm Harbor, FL Posts: 751	Knowlegeable people who dont try to BS me and try to sell me a bunch of stuff i dont need or that will require buyin more crap down the line. If im going to a new LFS i often "play it dumb" and ask something basic just to see what they have to say. If they start to treat me like "fresh meat" i usually walk out and dont return. Luckily i have a huge LFS 10min from my house.... supposedly the largest pet store in the world (their claim) www.thatpetplace.com . When i go there i look for any one of 3 staff members who i have dealt with numerous time and know that they have been in salt for years. I also look for exotic species in a good LFS. I like a big selection and i dont want to come back week after week and see the same species of fish swimming around. My LFS usually gets 2-3 (sometimes more) fish that i havent seen in there before per month. Prices are very fair as well! __________________ -Josh Current Tank Info: 72 gallon RR Oceanic, heavily modded ASM G2 skimmer, 30g sump/refugium, AI vega lighting x 2, apex controller, Phos Reactor, etc.

01/31/2006, 06:39 PM	#2
Seadogs Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Nine Mile Falls, WA Posts: 81	Happy, healthy critters, knowlegable & helpfull people, and customer service! I'm REALLY glad our LFS fits all of these requirements. On the otherside, the other LFS I've been to, I wouldn't care if they were selling everything in the store for a dollar, I wouldn't shop there. (Except to save the poor fishies I saw crammed into yucky tanks. ) The LFS we go to has beautiful, clear tanks and bright active fish. They took the time to answer any questions we had and didn't try to "sell" us anything (I hate pushy sales people)! You could tell just by talking to them that they truely enjoy what they do.

01/31/2006, 06:54 PM	#3
unsane Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Indiana Posts: 217	I would like to go into a store and find SOMEONE who has a clue. Sometimes I go into the LFS and just joke around with the kid or whoever and they open their mouth and the stupidity just starts pouring out. I keep it going though as I find it very entertaining. Ask them questions to see if they know anything or just trying to B/S you into a sale. I look for honest staff, ones that aren't trying to get my cash, but ones who actually give a crap about the wellfare of the fish/coral I am about to purchase. Also I look for clean tanks and properly named corals. I dont want to see a bunch of cyno and algea blooms, bleached corals, dead fish ect. Last of all I would like to see reasonable prices.

01/31/2006, 07:54 PM	#5
Andrew Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 13,640	- Good selection - Healthy fish - Good staff that knows what they are doing - Fair prices - Display tanks and frag tanks - Selection of fish

01/31/2006, 08:58 PM	#6
linskica Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 22	Great Topic! I'm gonna print this out for my fellow employees! I think they would like to see that other people notice when they are doing things right!

01/31/2006, 09:29 PM	#8
irmee4 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Columbia Posts: 59	a healthy selection of animals, clean store, comforting environment. and the employee must know what he/she is talking about.

01/31/2006, 11:24 PM	#10
DCFix Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Milpitas Posts: 68	Staff that are honest when they don't know something, which should also seldom happen. If the prices are a bit high but you have honest people there that know their stuff, sometimes it's worth the extra dollars just for the advice.

02/01/2006, 12:46 AM	#11
duerr Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kansas City Posts: 49	I actually at ends with my LFS. When I began getting interested in the hobby, I went in and asked the owner a few questions about tanks, costs, and set-up. He handed me a printed out "How to start a saltwater tank", which was full of garbage, useless advice, and out-of practice methods. Had I followed his advice, I would have a UGF with crushed coral, and a biowheel. I did, however, buy my tank, stand, and canopy there, as It was the same price if I had ordered it online (with shipping), and i would get 10% off on all purchses from the store in future visits. They refuse to offer the "10%" off guarantee unless I bring my receipt in (although they have a total of 3 employees, and all know me by name) Its incredibly frustrating, and unnessecary. The owners 'wife' is occasionally wandering around the store, and typically swings around and gives people looking at salt-fish improper, and often hilarious advice. Once, while browsing some of the live rock they had, I had inquired about where they 'got it', and briefly mentioned that I had seen some that was very similar online. I got a "warning" that most live rock that is found online usually has "poison" in it, and that I should only buy stuff from their store, because it "comes from a train".

02/01/2006, 02:58 AM	#12
stewie24 Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Northwestern PA Posts: 824	In a fish store, i usually look for the normal fish store stuff - overpriced corals, fish, and dry goods. Then I proceede to walk out the door. (hey, you did ask what I look for right?) At any rate, Its nice to have a LFS around, and I know that a store wouldn't be easy to maintain (on the wallet that is), so therefore the prices would be higher than buying your stuff online, but some places are just insane at what they charge. ($50.00 for a very unhealthy yellow tang? - i'll pass on that one) Stewie

02/01/2006, 06:06 AM	#14
mmn_usn Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Silverdale, WA Posts: 97	Living on Guam.. there is not much need in a LFS.... But I like to be treated like I know something about what I am looking for. My favorite LFS... they give me a 10% discount just because I am always in there.... The other will follow you just to make sure you are not stealing the small stuff... The only reason I go there is they sell the Brine eggs and filter food that I use. Also at the unliked store... they bash on the other store.." They don't take care of their fish... and don't know how to keep salt water tanks." HMMM... 350+ tank with a black tip reef shark and at least 50 SW tanks... compared to the 3-4 that they have.. I think I will keep going to the ones that treat me like an Aquarist... Sorry... I got off the subject. Treat me, the shopper with respect and No BS. __________________ That which does not kill you, only makes you stronger. Current Tank Info: 55g lots of coral and 10 fish... Need major upgrade

02/01/2006, 06:35 AM	#15
jerry11901 Moved On Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Long Island N.Y. Posts: 167	Here on Long Island are many Pet Stores but I only shop in one .Why? Because the staff and owner are honest. If they donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t know something, they will say (I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t know) instead of telling me bunch of lies to make sale Ã¢â‚¬Â¦

02/01/2006, 07:31 AM	#16
roons Moved On Join Date: May 2005 Location: saugerties ,ny Posts: 1,240	how much shipping is ,

02/01/2006, 12:10 PM	#17
joe90usa Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: ABQ Posts: 118	It would be nice to present a tank problem in a LFS and not have them immediately point you to an additive before they've questioned tank parameters or offered to test your water for you. I listened to one the other day where someone was giving a very vague description of a problem, never got asked about water parameters or even how often they do water changes, and they were off to the additives section. Rediculous.

02/01/2006, 12:54 PM	#18
techigirl78 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 1,739	Having employees you can talk openly with really seems to make a difference. Usually, they get really offended if you say anything or make any suggestions to them. I've had people give me dirty looks when I let them know there's a dead fish in their tank that should probably be removed - I didn't have no attitude, just worried about the other fish and animals in the systems. Others get upset if you say you bought some other product from a different vendor. The people who realize they can learn from their customers as well as share their opinions seem to make a big impression.

02/01/2006, 01:06 PM	#19
hrrsncrg Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Augusta, GA Posts: 102	I hope this sounds like an endorsement because it is... PLEASE READ! These are some of the characteristics that I look for in my LFS: I am a new Reefer and always have questions. I know that it would be very easy for a LFS to use my lack-of-knowledge to their advantage and make a sale. So the first thing I look for is honesty. Along those same lines I also look for a knowledgable staff. I want someone that will answer my questions and if I don't understand will explain it to me like I am a Newbie! I also think that the store should be a nice place to visit. The stores I tend to dislike the most are the ones that are dark, unorganized, dirty, have dead livestock and to top it off just smell bad. If I walk in a store and it makes me feel that when I get the livestock home it is gonna die, I turn around and leave. So the next time any of you find yourself in Augusta, GA please visit my friends at Star Aquatics. Jorge, Angela, Matt and Rob are AWESOME! Jorge owned 4 successful stores in Atlanta before moving to Augusta to "retire." Well, he could not stay away and decided to open another store. This store is family owned and operated. There are other LFSs in Augusta, but Star is by far head and shoulders above the rest. "hrrsncrg" -craig

02/01/2006, 01:11 PM	#20
Amphiprion Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mobile, AL Posts: 6,611	Ha! this is the stuff I use to critique myself. __________________ You've done it now, haven't you? Current Tank Info: 40g breeder patch reef w/ seagrass; 2-250w XM 10K; Vortech MP40wES & MP10wES; BM Curve 7 skimmer; carbon & occasional GFO

02/01/2006, 05:22 PM	#21
Buff Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: St. John's, NF Canada Posts: 93	Awesome replies! thanks guys, I must say I agree with all of you.