Sometimes the LFS really comes through!

ACBlinky · 01/15/2008, 01:01 AM

I had the afternoon off work today, and since it's my birthday I decided to visit the LFS. I didn't have much money in my pocket, but thought maybe I could find myself a little present -- possibly a scratch & dent coral, or a nifty hermit (I've been looking for a Halloween hermit).

I've been to this LFS many times before, and several visits were with a goofy friend of mine who is always hunting for a bargain. If there's a lone zoa on the bottom of a tank, he'll ask if he can have it for a dollar, that sort of thing. Today I noticed a little piece of leather coral (no idea what type since it was all shriveled up and covered in detritus) in the corner of a tank and decided to try my luck. I also saw a large black and white hermit in a beautiful whelk shell, without a price tag.

I asked an employee the price of the hermit -- usually the big guys go for $10 or so -- and he said I could take it for $3.99. Sold! Then when I asked about the leather frag, he not only said he'd retrieve it for me (no easy task, being in the bottom of a 30" deep tank that's at eye level, he needed a tall ladder, a tool and some serious dexterity to retrieve the 1" piece of slime), he went a step or three further...

We cruised around ALL the coral tanks and he pulled out zoas (closed, no idea what colours), clove polyps, two types of leather (one slimy, one dry with retractable polyps, both pink), and mushrooms. Seven frags for $5.

When we returned to collect the hermit on our way back to the counter, I asked if there were any more in the tank. There weren't, but there was a BIG electric orange that he sold me for the same price as the black and white.

I left the store with seven frags and two giant hermits, all for the very reasonable price of $12.98. I didn't even have to tell the employee it was my birthday -- he's just that nice

Happy birthday to me!!

lshark21 · 01/15/2008, 01:55 AM

Pretty sweet deal.

Happy Birthday!

Saiyan · 01/15/2008, 03:14 AM

Yes happy birthday indeed!

Ritten · 01/15/2008, 03:18 AM

Happy Birthday

IceWish · 01/15/2008, 07:17 AM

kool , happy birthday free frag man

DawnOctopus · 01/15/2008, 11:19 AM

WOW nice employee! Happy birthday!

rbrusletto · 01/15/2008, 11:47 AM

wow! thats an awesome deal with the exception of one frag of zoas, all I've gotten that were small and dented and cheap... have all come out great and become part of my broodstock.. awesome!

ACBlinky · 01/15/2008, 12:35 PM

Thanks guys

I was pretty darn happy when I left, that's for sure. I love buying tiny frags -- even a single zoa usually becomes a decent-sized colony in a fairly short amount of time. Buying them this way was actually kind of neat because I've got them all glued into the reef but they're all still closed (or they were when I left for work) so I have no idea what colour everything will turn out to be!

kool-cat · 01/15/2008, 12:57 PM

Thats great to hear, wish my lfs was like that.

phenom5 · 01/15/2008, 01:08 PM

That's a sweet little B0day gift Blinky. LFS's generally take a beating on RC, but there are some good ones out there. Luckily, I've got 2 good ones in my area.

BTW...Happy Birthday.

xtm · 01/15/2008, 01:53 PM

Happy Birthday... if you were closer, I'd give you some frags too!

Sometimes you will get a really cool deal (and sometimes a freebie) from an LFS... I bought a pH meter from this LFS in LA and when I was getting ready to pay, he said.. well you can have it for $50. (it was $100) I asked why, are you having a sale or something? He said, nah.. I'm just in the mood to throw a good deal.. lol it was awesome.

One of the LFS I go to (also an RC Sponsor) even gave me some SPS frags "just cuz".

01/15/2008, 01:01 AM	#1
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	Sometimes the LFS really comes through! I had the afternoon off work today, and since it's my birthday I decided to visit the LFS. I didn't have much money in my pocket, but thought maybe I could find myself a little present -- possibly a scratch & dent coral, or a nifty hermit (I've been looking for a Halloween hermit). I've been to this LFS many times before, and several visits were with a goofy friend of mine who is always hunting for a bargain. If there's a lone zoa on the bottom of a tank, he'll ask if he can have it for a dollar, that sort of thing. Today I noticed a little piece of leather coral (no idea what type since it was all shriveled up and covered in detritus) in the corner of a tank and decided to try my luck. I also saw a large black and white hermit in a beautiful whelk shell, without a price tag. I asked an employee the price of the hermit -- usually the big guys go for $10 or so -- and he said I could take it for $3.99. Sold! Then when I asked about the leather frag, he not only said he'd retrieve it for me (no easy task, being in the bottom of a 30" deep tank that's at eye level, he needed a tall ladder, a tool and some serious dexterity to retrieve the 1" piece of slime), he went a step or three further... We cruised around ALL the coral tanks and he pulled out zoas (closed, no idea what colours), clove polyps, two types of leather (one slimy, one dry with retractable polyps, both pink), and mushrooms. Seven frags for $5. When we returned to collect the hermit on our way back to the counter, I asked if there were any more in the tank. There weren't, but there was a BIG electric orange that he sold me for the same price as the black and white. I left the store with seven frags and two giant hermits, all for the very reasonable price of $12.98. I didn't even have to tell the employee it was my birthday -- he's just that nice Happy birthday to me!! __________________ "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.

01/15/2008, 12:35 PM	#8
ACBlinky Premium Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Peterborough, ON, Canada Posts: 4,954 Blog Entries: 20	Thanks guys I was pretty darn happy when I left, that's for sure. I love buying tiny frags -- even a single zoa usually becomes a decent-sized colony in a fairly short amount of time. Buying them this way was actually kind of neat because I've got them all glued into the reef but they're all still closed (or they were when I left for work) so I have no idea what colour everything will turn out to be! __________________ "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.

01/15/2008, 01:08 PM	#10
phenom5 Unregistered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,096	That's a sweet little B0day gift Blinky. LFS's generally take a beating on RC, but there are some good ones out there. Luckily, I've got 2 good ones in my area. BTW...Happy Birthday. __________________ Rob Current Tank Info: DSA 155 Pro \| ATI Sunpower \| ATB 840 v2 \| Apex \| Wav

01/15/2008, 01:53 PM	#11
xtm Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Panorama City, CA Posts: 4,703	Happy Birthday... if you were closer, I'd give you some frags too! Sometimes you will get a really cool deal (and sometimes a freebie) from an LFS... I bought a pH meter from this LFS in LA and when I was getting ready to pay, he said.. well you can have it for $50. (it was $100) I asked why, are you having a sale or something? He said, nah.. I'm just in the mood to throw a good deal.. lol it was awesome. One of the LFS I go to (also an RC Sponsor) even gave me some SPS frags "just cuz". __________________ Function before fashion Current Tank Info: 120g SPS Tank (48x24x24)

01/15/2008, 01:55 AM	#2
lshark21 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: North Huntingdon, PA Posts: 156	Pretty sweet deal. Happy Birthday!

01/15/2008, 03:14 AM	#3
Saiyan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Southern California Posts: 157	Yes happy birthday indeed!

01/15/2008, 03:18 AM	#4
Ritten Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 2,164	Happy Birthday

01/15/2008, 07:17 AM	#5
IceWish Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Main Tank Fingering Frags Posts: 117	kool , happy birthday free frag man

01/15/2008, 11:19 AM	#6
DawnOctopus Octopus in Training Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Billerica, MA Posts: 113	WOW nice employee! Happy birthday!

01/15/2008, 11:47 AM	#7
rbrusletto Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 239	wow! thats an awesome deal with the exception of one frag of zoas, all I've gotten that were small and dented and cheap... have all come out great and become part of my broodstock.. awesome!

01/15/2008, 12:57 PM	#9
kool-cat Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: New York City, Queens Posts: 92	Thats great to hear, wish my lfs was like that.