Support your local fish store.

I was talking a bit to the LFS owner and how as I look over the plants I have that are thriving..my mental checklist kept saying "I bought that one from you,and then that one,and"..lol
It came to me that of the plants I ordered online? None have survived to this day. Star Grass came close until the Rainbows developed a taste for it and then it was no more after a good year run.
I had ordered a Tiger Lotus and it never did well..getting smaller and smaller,then dead. The one I have now that is doing very well I bought local. Same story for Bolbitis. My mail order is about three years old and still just 4"..my LFS bought plant from two years ago is huge by aquarium standards.
Its why I pretty much visit the LFS..look over the plants in person then buy. Its the opposite of the scapers online who order whole tank plantings at one time. I would never gamble like that now.

Most of the stores near me stock a very limited number of plants - some only stock elodea (anacharis). But another member told me about a store not too far away which is actually an aquascaping store which also sells fish. That's now my go to store for plants.

Yea support my local store that sell disease fishes the day they arrive without any sort of qt'ing or even a day of observation. Yea support my local shop who charges 2x mail order for these diseased fishes... yea right.

The small Bolbitis and it came to me- the Trident fern from Jacobs are the only plants in the big tank I had survive. Somethings lasted then faded,others just never took to underwater the twice I tried it- Hygrophila pinnatifida I looked,but nobody online offered those from cuttings grown underwater. It turned out the land cuttings in non Co2 aquariums are near impossible to adapt.
Fish? I think unless you have a youtube channel what you are going to get are the smallest and weakest before they die on the seller.
THAT is for unpopular opinions.ha.
Although,I get that if you live in a rural area you are stuck with the internet orders and only one fish store a 40 minute drive away.

My LFS is pretty good, but I have had MUCH more success with plants ordered online. I do buy all my fish and hardscape and the occasional plant from my LFS, so they definitely aren't lacking my support!

It takes time when you only buy from the store. I guess being in the hobby a near half century,I'm used to that. Its been over three years since I started the planted big tank and only about now,I feel good with what I have. If LFS gets in something better,I might have to remove a plant for it.
I understand that mail order all you want sounds better. It just adds up at what came looking like it was stepped on and kicked across the driveway...

Stan510 said:

It takes time when you only buy from the store. I guess being in the hobby a near half century,I'm used to that. Its been over three years since I started the planted big tank and only about now,I feel good with what I have. If LFS gets in something better,I might have to remove a plant for it.
I understand that mail order all you want sounds better. It just adds up at what came looking like it was stepped on and kicked across the driveway...

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My couple of LFS don't have a great selection of plants but I am going to visit a new aquatics and see the options there. Online, there is a greater choice of plants however from where I order, delivery costs. Let's hope my new plants grow well. So far so good.

Because of COVID, my LFS has really been lacking in good stock, both with fish and plants. They used to have this 40g rimless tank that held all sorts of plants, but ever since the pandemic started, it’s really bare now.

I would love to go to my LFS more often and just buy plants, but they never have any worth buying.

Fish and Covid is true. Lately the local stores seem to be getting plants in much better. Why the difference I don't know.

I've NEVER ordered fish by internet. First of all they are selling for double what I find locally and second of all..When I have looked? Those particular Rainbows are out of stock. Anybody feel comfortable at internet fish?
I don't go by youtubers who show what they got for ordering from "Company C" and I can tell you why..What they show in a video are much larger plants in the order than I've ever gotten and when they also say "Company C tossed in a few extras"..then you know the fix is in. Never in all my orders has one plant store given me extra.
That whole cross "selling" should be banned its so low ethically.
Extras?

Stan510 said:

I've NEVER ordered fish by internet.

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I just try'd that 2 days ago 15 bucks plus shipping

My LFS has a 100 gallon tank filled with plants and juvenile cichlids

Have you got the fish? Buying fish I can't pick out is a tough one. Plus that shipping cost is steep.

Stan510 said:

I've NEVER ordered fish by internet. First of all they are selling for double what I find locally and second of all..When I have looked? Those particular Rainbows are out of stock. Anybody feel comfortable at internet fish?
I don't go by youtubers who show what they got for ordering from "Company C" and I can tell you why..What they show in a video are much larger plants in the order than I've ever gotten and when they also say "Company C tossed in a few extras"..then you know the fix is in. Never in all my orders has one plant store given me extra.
That whole cross "selling" should be banned its so low ethically.
Extras?

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I can give you a list of stores that will sell very large healthy plants (not a big list); if you want. Having tried a lot of different stores (for plants); there are about 4 vendors I will use but the ones that sell large healthy plants have been very consistent over the years. My pinto anubia (for example) was 3x larger than any i've ever seen locally or via other vendors. The crypt flamingo was also in extremely good shape. My biggest problem is the better vendor have a more limited selection. When you are trying to find tiger spiralis crypt or nurri rosen maiden you can't be too picky because the number of people selling them is like 1/2 a hand full. Oh and that prinz kleiner sword plant - well no one seems to be selling them these days but the one I have is absolutely fantastic - rich purple red colour... there are some really nice plants out there.... so when is the last time your local shop carried any of those plants ?

PheonixKingZ said:

Because of COVID, my LFS has really been lacking in good stock, both with fish and plants. They used to have this 40g rimless tank that held all sorts of plants, but ever since the pandemic started, it’s really bare now.

I would love to go to my LFS more often and just buy plants, but they never have any worth buying.

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Maybe wait a bit and support the local lfs after Covid?