good vs bad LFS

[tttnjfttt]

Today I visited a LFS, well not really local, but anyways I was blow away by the difference between my LPS and the one that I visited today. How does everyone judge the quality of a fish store? What makes your favorite LFS your favorite? What tells you to turn and run and never come back, rather come back in a week after the outbreak of ich has passed?

 

[mlee0332]

Well, i can tell you an international lfs that don't have great quality. Starts with w...............a.....................l............., still can't guess it, Wal-mart. Don't get me wrong, some are quite nice, but others are phew!!!

Well anyway, to answer your question. I'd say I like my favorite LFS b/c of its cleanliness and health of fish. Also, if they will tell you, "Oh that tank's had an outbreak of _____ over the past few days. I prefer not to sell you anything from that tank." There's one like that near me that I love to go to.

Another one I like, I like b/c I've NOT ONE TIME found an ill fish or dead fish in their tanks. If you see dead fishies, more than 1, in a tank that should tell you right there that they don't care for the fish. Also if they feel the need to give you a warranty, i'd not waste my time there either.

Amd finally trial and error. Try them a few times, and if you have no luck, don't go back. If you do, well that's up to you...


Hope I helped...

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Well, mlee pretty much hit the nail on the head, but one thing I'd like to add is that I hate shopping at places that either:

1. Make you feel like a criminal, like following you around the store (however innocent they make it out to look. I'm sorry, but stocking filters while I'm close to the filter aisle, then making your way over to stock decorations not two minutes after I wander over there, and then following me to the fish tanks and pretending to check prices tags.... I don't buy it!!! You are not a good at playing innocent!)

2. Have general A$$holes that make you want to smack them. With a two-by-four. You know, the ones that act like you are stopping them from saving the world when you try to get some service, just throw your stuff around all willy-nilly at the register, act like you are a butthead because you asked them for a certain fish and they suck with a net so it's harder to catch.... stuff like that.

3. Have elves working for them. You see them stocking in brief spurts, you see flashes of them in the aisles and disappearing into back rooms, but yet you still have to wait ten minutes before anyone will help you. No matter how much you ring that damn bell...

4. Stupid employees. I don't think I have to explain this one, but to give you a general idea....

'Yeah, that goldfish will be perfect in your five gallon. By they way, can I have your number?' (overheard something very similiar to this once, can we say gag alert? I hope they never breed.... and I'm not talking about the fish...)



If I had my own store I would squish these people. Hard.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

What i look for in a GOOD lfs is;
a. How stocked are their tanks and what do they have in them? how big are their tanks?
i.e if i see bettas in 3 by 3inch cups then this is a bad thing but if the bettas are in at least 1gal tank per betta then this is good.
b. What health are their fish in and do they have many dead fish? Have they closed off tanks with fish in for sale which have very infectious deseases?
c. How knolegable are the staff? Do they give you accurate info and replys to basis fish knolege questions? Are they helpful? do they take a long time to catch your desired fish and do they wrap its transportation bag up in somthing insulating like newspaper to help prevent the bag cooling down too much on the journey?
i.e do they recommend you to put the right fish in with other fish in the right size tank and tank maturity stage?
d. Is their plant tanks healthy and do the plants have any deseases in many of them?
e. Does the lfs sell basis meds for common deseases and do they sell water testing kits for ph/gh/kh, ammonia, nitrates and nitrites?

 

[simonbrown403]

Me and the wife, have traveled to see quite a few fish shops and we still keep on coming back to our lfs, the service we get there is superb.

The staff are freindly and helpfull, there always willing to talk,

They have a ride range of goods, for all tasts to chose from

An ever growing range of fish from bread and butter, to the more exotic, always something new to look at,

I have rarly seen a sick or dead fish in his tanks, he has a special room where he quarentines and treats new arrivels and sick fish,

A show room with tanks set up to give you ideas,

And a cafe, so you can pop in any time just for a brew, and sit and watch the fish,

The owner steve punchard, since he bought it has worked wonders with it, he's set new systems up for marine, invertabrats, discus and odd balls, which he's curently exspanding, he's also setting up a discus club where members will recive benerfits and discounts at his shop.

http/www.aquatics2u.com/ check out leo the talking fish, it cracks me up

 

[Kiarra]

My favorite fish store is my favorite because:

1) The owner genuinely loves all the critters at that store.
2) They have a very large stock, and, even though they may not always have the right information, they don't mind me giving them the right info.
3) They stock rare tail-type Bettas that I can't get anywhere else.
4) They are changing their Bettas from small 8 ounce cups to Beanie Baby containers
5) They stock live food.
6) They stock rare frozen foods I can't find anywhere else.
7) Their crickets are the cheapest around (20 for a dollar, instead of 12).
8 ) Their fish are ALMOST always in good health and happiness, and, if the fish isn't, they actually do something about it.
9) They are friendly and don't mind chatting about the fish, even if it won't make a sale.

 

[wrs]

my favorite, I have none! As all the stores suck, lol, not really, but ill list why i dislike them

1. diversity among the fish, they all have the same kinds
2. price, I hate when stores rip you off, and my lfs is the biggest one around.
3. Return policy, have one or none at all, dont have one for two types of fish, or only ram cichlids and no other cichlids. and when you have your water checked, if its the same you should get your credit, they shouldnt decide that 7.2 is totally way way way to high for any living creature to live in, when one week ago the Ph of 7.2 was perfect!!

 

[GSD]

I love my lfs its great

1)they must have loadsa diffrent types of fish in all the time
2)clean tanks
3)give good advice
4)have friendly staff (my lfs dont have staff lol he is just an old man who has kept fish all his life,his son died and he didnt know what to do with himself so he opened up my LFS
5)no dead fish(ive never seen one in mine)

and the man knows everything about fish!and everything is reallly cheap and they dont have bettas in cups yeyy!

 

[mlee0332]

Do you live in southcarolina? HA HA, just kidding. That sounds exactly like my favorite LFS. No staff, except an oldman and his wife. I don't know if their son died, or if they even had a son. Bettas aren't in cups here either.

How freaky?

 

[OohFeeshy]

Umm... I generally rate on

Variety
Cleanliness of tanks
Health of fish
Employees Advice
Service


I have 3 main shops I go to. Pets at home, Aurendel Aquatics and Aviaries and Emsworth Reptiles and Aquatics. Pets at home has an average selection, clean tanks but not healthy fish. Also employees give baaad advice. Aurendel has a very good selection, but filthy tanks with a lot of dead fish. Advice, not sure on. Emsworth has a good selection, clean tanks and healthy fish. Give fairly good advice, and has good prices too.