stores???

[schizo_fish]

Whick type of store would generally be cheapest to buy from? Chain pet stores or specialist aquatics centres???

 

[brianriv]

From my experience it depends on what you are looking to purchase. I buy equipment from chains stores but over the internet. In the store the prices are outrages but the same store over the internet is usually less than half the price. Fish can be cheaper in chain stores but now you are getting into healthy fish or sick fish.

 

[canarsie11]

I agree
The chain stores for equipment, food, and supplies etc.
Also the internet.

But I use LFS for my fish

 

[guppymonkey]

The internet or catalogs are cheapest for equipment and supplies but really expensive for fish. You can obviously get a wider range of fish species and products online but can't check any of it out. The only advantages that chain stores have is that you can look at the fish and you can expect what the stores will have because chains usually stock the same products in all of their stores. LFS have limited fish but sometimes they will special order fish for customers and some chain stores won't do that.

 

[parker313]

The internet or catalogs are cheapest for equipment and supplies but really expensive for fish. You can obviously get a wider range of fish species and products online but can't check any of it out. The only advantages that chain stores have is that you can look at the fish and you can expect what the stores will have because chains usually stock the same products in all of their stores. LFS have limited fish but sometimes they will special order fish for customers and some chain stores won't do that.

I like to support locally owned businesses so I usually get most everything from my lfs. If I want a fish they don't have, they will order it for me.

Price wise, they are a tiny bit more expensive, but well worth it for the real expert advice.

 

[Bol]

For fish, I'd find a good LFS, with healthy fish, and forget about the price. I don't even bother with chain store fish any more (unless there's no alternative). To add some weight to that opinion, my two "local" stores are 90 and 100 miles away, and I still go to one of those rather than the chain store that's 5 miles away.

For equipment, ... internet (edit: except for the tanks themselves, of course). I can't support 100% - 300% markups for any reason.