the one local store i have. has pushed me to the end of my rope. i have been hearing since last fall.about how skunk cories i want should be in next week. im not looking for one or two. they know im looking for 20. she came through month ago with a different kind for me. the store owner had said should have some cories for you next week. i told her i would be working 12 hours a day for the next month straight. i was told no problem she would hold them for me. buddy told me some had come in . when i wnet in to get them a week after they had come in. her husband decides i had apparently not showed up cuz i didnt want them or something and sold them. I will no longer be doing buisness with them. i will either order what i want or drive 500 round trip and go to minniapolis. at least i will get what i want in a timely manner
Relevance of the LFS in 2015
- Thread starter erik333
- Start date
Don't get me wrong some LFS should be closed down or customerless , dirty water , diseased fish , bad advice etc etc but if your lucky enough to have a good one in your area who care about fish , customers as much as profit its great 
nope they know me. asked if she wanted my number she says no just call on tues. she knew I wouldn't be in for a month
Jeez belly well either your LFS is slacking or the fish just aren't available. The stocklists do change from week to week, so if it's something unusual they may have sold out. I know that when altum angels show up on the Segrest stocklist they rarely last a week!
Have to say, I have some pretty good LFS in Austin, TX... as other's have mentioned, I sometimes just swing by the place to say hi and see what's new. I find all the guys at my go-to spot (River City Aquatics) are very passionate with the hobby and while they may not have the knowledge off the top of their head for everything you can Google nowadays... they generally are pretty helpful or will tell you they don't know and to Google it... They have pizza nights once a month, not really a place I could say I wish wasn't there in 2015........
I would say what I like about LFS the most are the customer returns... for example, picked up a ~6-7" Clown loach recently that was in poor shape from previous owners for $20... a month in my tank with my 15+ shoal and some good food... he's one of my biggest loach's now. Online, who knows what a 7" loach would go for.... $80-100+?
Also good for urgent needs that Amazon Prime can't get to me in-time. I sometimes buy things there at a premium to help make sure I actually have a LFS to go to, when I need it.
I would say what I like about LFS the most are the customer returns... for example, picked up a ~6-7" Clown loach recently that was in poor shape from previous owners for $20... a month in my tank with my 15+ shoal and some good food... he's one of my biggest loach's now. Online, who knows what a 7" loach would go for.... $80-100+?
Also good for urgent needs that Amazon Prime can't get to me in-time. I sometimes buy things there at a premium to help make sure I actually have a LFS to go to, when I need it.
LFSs still have a place, but many of the type of people who find their way here have progressed beyond what a LFS can offer.
Also, do keep in mind, that many of our online vendors ARE a local fish store for the lucky turds who happen to live near them.
Also, do keep in mind, that many of our online vendors ARE a local fish store for the lucky turds who happen to live near them.
I have two lfs's I frequently visit. One is old school warehouse style and the other is the type to contact local breeders/clubs to order fish for coustomers.
The older one regularly has benefits for the police k-9 force doing raffles and supper sales. I picked up 2 50 gallon Aqueon hob filters for $7 a pice and won a 93 gallon cube for $5. They may not have very much in terms of stock but it's nice to see others who enjoy the hobby and to talk to the owner.
The older one regularly has benefits for the police k-9 force doing raffles and supper sales. I picked up 2 50 gallon Aqueon hob filters for $7 a pice and won a 93 gallon cube for $5. They may not have very much in terms of stock but it's nice to see others who enjoy the hobby and to talk to the owner.
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We're blessed with a good LFS, which is why I'll be blunt:
Much like the auto industry if it catered solely to enthusiasts, without the LFS, the fish hobby would implode utterly. Those of us on the forums are but a few. The exception and not the norm. I guarantee you that the bread and butter of every aquarium dry good manufacturer is sold through local stores. The sale of tanks larger than 75 gallons is probably a drop in the bucket to Aqueon and Marineand. Heck: Even Aqueon/AGA no longer makes tanks bigger than 180. Speaking of, no LFS, no tanks. Yes, some manufacturers can build and deliver, but it's cost prohibitive for most folks. My LFS owner (delivered personally) put my 125g Aqueon tank on my doorstep for under $300.
Livestock are essentially a loss leader. They give the consumer a reason to buy stuff. This is why most manufacturers tout lax maintenance regimes. They need to keep "regular people" in the hobby.
Or LFS is fantastic. If I want something, I mention it, and it shows up. If there's stuff they can't get (which is increasing as I've gotten into rarer fish), I order online or through Aquabid. I even got a Jeff Rapps sourced F1 Rotkeil hand-me-down from our LFS owner.
No doubt, some shops are sleazy.... but some shops almost have to cut corners to stay afloat. It's not an easy business.
-Ryan
Much like the auto industry if it catered solely to enthusiasts, without the LFS, the fish hobby would implode utterly. Those of us on the forums are but a few. The exception and not the norm. I guarantee you that the bread and butter of every aquarium dry good manufacturer is sold through local stores. The sale of tanks larger than 75 gallons is probably a drop in the bucket to Aqueon and Marineand. Heck: Even Aqueon/AGA no longer makes tanks bigger than 180. Speaking of, no LFS, no tanks. Yes, some manufacturers can build and deliver, but it's cost prohibitive for most folks. My LFS owner (delivered personally) put my 125g Aqueon tank on my doorstep for under $300.
Livestock are essentially a loss leader. They give the consumer a reason to buy stuff. This is why most manufacturers tout lax maintenance regimes. They need to keep "regular people" in the hobby.
Or LFS is fantastic. If I want something, I mention it, and it shows up. If there's stuff they can't get (which is increasing as I've gotten into rarer fish), I order online or through Aquabid. I even got a Jeff Rapps sourced F1 Rotkeil hand-me-down from our LFS owner.
No doubt, some shops are sleazy.... but some shops almost have to cut corners to stay afloat. It's not an easy business.
-Ryan
