Aquatic Shops

[john5748]

I have visited two different local fish shops over the past weeks and have been amazed by the difference in the care of the stock that the employees give to the fish.

Shop 1:

Family run buisness for the last 30+ years, loads of dead fish in several tanks which are been eaten by the other occupants.

I told one of the assistants who told me that they remove all the dead fish at the end of the day.

Shop 2

Newly opened up shop next to a garden centre, while I was looking at the fish one of the assistants was getting fish for another customer and seen a dead fish. He immediatley came back stuck a not for sale notice on the tank, removed the dead fish.

I started chatting to him saying about the difference with the previous shop and he explained that the shops policy is to quarantine the tank for 48 hours, do a complete water test and medicate if necessary before they would consider selling any of those fish.

It really amazes me how Shop 1 can stay in buisness when they have such little regard for their stock, I will never buy from there!!

I would like to hear of any other good practices that you have came across.

 

[demonmagus]

shop 2 is amazing!

 

[debiasir]

need more shop 2's

 

[Fish_n_Frys]

Wow thats really good,

Ive bought all my fish from a pet shop. The fist time i went there to buy fish, I saw a dried up tetra on the wall behind one of the tanks. I said nothing. Amazingly when i returned 1 month later for my next lot of fish it was still there!!!!!! Hadn't anyone seen it? But the tanks are clean and are in good condition, but seeing the dead dried up tetra did put me off a bit.

Missy

 

[debiasir]

my fish shop is really good never seen a dead fish, the guy is very knowledgeable and helpful and they have 2 huge marine tanks running with a few sheets telling people about them etc.

 

[john5748]

my fish shop is really good never seen a dead fish, the guy is very knowledgeable and helpful and they have 2 huge marine tanks running with a few sheets telling people about them etc.

I would like to see shops have little information sheets on the stock that they have as a lot of purchases are made on the spur of the moment.

 

[CroNiC]

I wish my lfs was a shop 2.
Does shop 2 have less quantity of fish than shop 1?

 

[john5748]

I wish my lfs was a shop 2.
Does shop 2 have less quantity of fish than shop 1?

Shop 2 is actually larger and although they have only been trading for about 18 months they are planning to open up a marine section. It is just a shame that my local lfs is the crap one.

 

[Weaver]

One good practice that my lfs has is that he keeps the tanks sparkling clean.Its amazing the number of lfs that have not really dirty but not really clean tanks
He also removes dead fish immediately.He also has those little green/yellow and red stickers on the tanks to indicate the fish aggressiveness and which also tell how big the fish gets
He was telling me the last time I was in that he no longer sells bala sharks because they were being bought for the wrong size tanks

 

[debiasir]

my fish shop is really good never seen a dead fish, the guy is very knowledgeable and helpful and they have 2 huge marine tanks running with a few sheets telling people about them etc.

I would like to see shops have little information sheets on the stock that they have as a lot of purchases are made on the spur of the moment.

i know that would be good. in this shop its actually a pet store but only the one guy workes in the fish section so you cant be served unless he serves you meaing you get what you can accomodate which i think is good

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

My favourite shop within easy reach has to be Amwell Aquatics north of Cambs. The guys in there know theur fish and will tell you honestly if they aren't sure about any species. They're friendly and don't take offense when my daughter panics at seeing a neon in one of their display tanks with a bent spine. Turned out the fellow had been like it all his life and does well but will never be sold.
My true local is good but only two are true fishy ppl and there's too much they have to do to keep the tanks as perfectly as I think they would like. And the worst would be in a garden centre I ventured into. Was horrible, truly. They had a large JD in a tank full of those icky ornaments like sharks with mouths that open and shut with air. They obviously angered him as he kept attacking a rhino one, which even had a sharp horn!! The tanks were just nasty.
Hugs,
P.

 

[willtang3000]

never seen a dead fish at my lfs (maiden head aquatics) there really great compared to the bad stories I've heard about other branches

 

[Matty]

shop #1 is obviously a family affair, which usually means that it is understaffed and the owners are overworked with the pressures of business. Shop 2, however, is obviously better off economically, so they can afford to quarentine a tank, hire good help, etc. Although i would still shop at shop #2, the reason as to why shop #1 is in worse shape than shop 2 is that they cannot afford the time/expense to maintain their tanks, and therefore, they lose customers

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

The Maidenhead Aquatics in Peterborough is good too. Necer seen a single dead fish in their extremely clean tanks. I get my synos from them now since they get in so many different species.
Hugs,
P.

 

[dgwebster]

Believe it or not, my local DOBBIES garden centre has a decent fish section. They pay pennies, but thankfully got someone who enjoys taking care of the fish as a hobby and is just happy to get a little money on top.

Due to that, he employs best practice and is very good. Sadly though, he will be retiring next year. The local manager is being good though and is advertising locally for aquatically experienced people and im sure the old guy will come in often to check up on things.