What In Your Mind Is the Perfect LFS?

[IvanD]

I have a question for those of you who feel dissatisfied with what we currently have in your local LFSs - if you had your way, what would you include in a newly opened LFS? I'm talking tangible features, not stuff like "better customer service" or "lower prices". Customer service is easy to remedy (fire 'em and start over or don't shop there) and pricing is what it is - they've got a business to run.

I guess you can call it LFS Utopia. What are your thoughts?

[Lev F.]

A nice LFS will not buy temperate livestock or livestock that is impossible to keep in captivity. A nice LFS should not carry feeder goldfish but rather feeder silversides. A nice LFS will only sell livestock that is feeding. Those are just some ideas.

[zemuron114]

1) good selection
2) knowledgeable on everything in the hobby. If not, they will take the time to learn with you
3) good pricing - doesn't mean lowest. I will always pay a little more for a damn good looking fish that is healthy!
4) friendly

If the LFS can care for temperate fish (ie: coldwater tank set ups) i see no reason for them not to promote this. As long as they tell a potential buyer the fish need colder water temps.

feeder goldfish are used for different purposes, not all saltwater.
Every fish that comes in doesn't always eat. It is, in the end, the buyers decision to buy a fish if its eating or not. My LFS wont sell a fish if it isn't eating.

[DMK]

i have yet to find 1...i found plenty w/ nice stuff but insane prices which should be illegal...for example, $99 for a TUNZE magnet and 42.95 for a salifert Mg test kit...F them. a good LFS should have:
1) healthy varied selection on livestock and dry goods.
2) knowledgable employees, not just ones who think they are and can BS anyone. there's a big difference.
3) FAIR prices...

[fishyvet]

Knowlegable staff... a business philosphy of promoting responsible reef/fish keeping and educating clients on the physiology and behavior of their stock. A store more interested in the welfare of their stock vs making as much money as possible by selling inappropriate stock (ie gets too big for most tanks, extremely delecate or difficult to keep in captivity). Large spaceous tanks that are not over croweded. No dead fish/coral all over the place. Abundant ORA and MAC certified stock. It would also be cool to have a partnership with an aquatic veterinarian in the area to get better medications for sick fish.

[Octoberfest]

It would be sweet if the LFS had enough space and holding capacity to QT all their fish for 6 weeks before selling them, I know how tough that would be though. It would be nice to have them get a fish in, put a date on the fish's sticker to tell how long it's been in that tank. This way you wouldn't have to worry about QT'ing as much when you get it home.

Don't sell fish/coral/inverts to people who do not have thr propper setup. An exampleof this is one of the LFS's near me won't sell you a Manderin if you haven't been setup for at least 6 months and have a lot of live rock.

The staff would know that just because they work at a LFS doesn't mean they know more than the customer coming in to buy.

Do a good job at having the basics on hand like forzen food, salt mix, test kits etc.

Take car of the customers that buy from you often. If you provide good deals for the guy that's coming in once a week vs the guy that comes in once a month your devoted customers will come in more often and spend more money. I don't mean just give them deals like cheaper prices, you can give them deals like "hiding" really good specimins in the back and when they come in (or you call them) you hook them up with the best of the best. Let them know when you have stuff coming in.

Have meets, like every Wed. night allow people to come in and teach them things, or allow customers to teach them on the basics and show techniques.

[Octoberfest]

also don't have aptasia, hydroids, hair algea in a tank that you are trying to tell live rock out of. Don't have a fish for sale who obviously is tore up with ich. Have books on hand so when a customer asks you a question you can answer their question if you don't know it.

[Andrew]

A good lfs for me would be one that keeps what you need in stock and has a good selection of livestock and drygoods. Knowledge is also key to a good lfs.

[purebullet417]

i would like a lfs with all the stuff you guys said and alot of propogated coral and fish also a nice metting area with a couch and some display tanks with books and flyers on a coffe table so you can look at new products and reed about something and talk to other hobbist...i also think you should have tanks to show people you can have a reef tank without speeding 10000 dollers(ie have differnt tank set ups with pc lights and coralife skimmers and maxi power heads but also top of the line mh lighintg tunze streams and top of the line skimmers) (deltec, h&s, euro-reef ect.)

[roons]

seems harder to find than an honest mechanic

[Misled]

Believe it or not, I allready found it, although it isn't the same now. Quite a few years ago, there was a LFS near Pitts. that had most of the corals and fish that were for sale at the time. Their prices were compairable to others and selection was second to none. This also made other LFS try to keep up. They also had a very knowlegable staff. One of the staff opened up his own store and took these same ideals with him. We all used to flock store and pitch info back and forth. Sadly his store is no longer around. He's too busy know writing books and doing research for this hobby, which I guess is a good thing for everyone. While the first store is still around it's not the same as when he was there. He was the one who got me into this, and I am ever in his debt. Thanks Anthony, Jesse

[Boat Racer]

I have the perfect local fish store here where I live.Its called THE CORAL CONNECTION

1.Its about two minutes from my house.
2.They have only reef supplys.
3.Great stock of cured and uncured live rock
they get new batches every two weeks.
4.They have great prices considering what most LFS's price at.
5.Great supply of LPS,SPS and clams.
6.Great supply of crabs,snails,starfish etc.
7.The two guys that own it are very knowledgable and have
a lot of reefing experience between them.

I love going there to just hang and look.I buy a lot too
so I am not a dead customer.:D

[Potsy]

There is a lfs called Absolutely Fish in Clifton, NJ that has a good invert selection, amazing fish selection, and knowledgeable staff (knowledge doesn't really matter to me - I should be doing all my homework before a purchase.) The only downside is that some corals, esp. acros, are a bit pricey, and drygoods are extremely overpriced. They're very involved in the education and research aspects of the hobby.

[fishyz]

I love to hang out at the LFS because they have awesome display tanks set up-a huge FOWLR, a huge coral reef tank, and a huge african cichlid tank. They also have very reasonable prices- they have the cheapest/nicest liverock. They also have an awesome selection of healthy fish and they keep a hospital tank set up and won't sell you sick/injured fish until it is healed. They are also VERY knowledgable about fish. And if you ask a question which they are unsure about, they say "I'm not sure but I'll find out." and they go and check in a book for you. I could spend hours there looking at all of the awesome fish.

[Watch Yo Wrasse]

Everything free.

[John Q Reefer]

One where ya come into the door and don a wetsuit and ya dive into the 30 thousand gallon reef tanks and swim around and point to what ya want?

[ben&bobbi]

CLEARLY MARKED PRICES!

fair prices

frags

healthy fish

organized

everything working

numbers like at the deli, i hate being rude to people that walk in after me.

[chris.hampton]

Books/internet so you can resarch what your buying. I know you should do it before hand but some don't!!

[lessthanlights]

one that doesn't charge 6 bucks for a turbo snail!

[Aquaman]

Sea in the City

[JoeyK@OCMD]

If you ever get a chance to check out the AQUARIUM in Salt Lake City, you will find one of the nicest stores in our country.

[dc]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8924813#post8924813 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JoeyK@OCMD
If you ever get a chance to check out the AQUARIUM in Salt Lake City, you will find one of the nicest stores in our country.

I'm not fond of the aquarium at all. Their tanks are so small. Their display tank is to die for tho. I go to Fish 4 U usually.

[ReefTank1]

A store where they will actually mark the prices next to the item so that they don't always change the price depending on who asks them