Would YOU pay more for a good fish shop

[Ed4567]

Its normal to find that there are at least a couple of threads on the front page of this forum complaining about poor fish shops, and I am yet to visit a fish shop I am completly happy with. However the major obsticle I can see to better fish shops existing is economic- paying better rates to get and keep knowledgable staff, less money made from quick sales, quarentining (sp?) new fish before selling them etc. So would you be prepared to pay, say 30% more on everything (including dry goods) to support this sort of shop, or when it came to parting with your money (especially for non-living things) would you end up going back to the cheapest source no matter what the tanks/ advice were like?

Honest answers and comments appriciated!
Ed

 

[clutterydrawer]

I'd like to think I would pay more for goods from a shop I considered "perfect" however if I was really really skint and needed some food/meds whatever I'd go for the cheapest source...

 

[MXPX4318]

I acctually just came back from my LFS's here after looking at fish and dry goods and acctually checking prices, I used to work at Petsmart in Greensboro, NC and now live in Raleigh, NC, so the prices for everything were definetly A LOT higher then they were in Petsmart, now as far as fish go I'd gladly pay more money for the fish in my LFS then at Petsmart b/c yes we had some bad fish in with the good fish but with so many fish and tanks and having everything on a single filtration system it's hard not to have sick fish and my LFS other then one case of Ich at ONE of them I haven't seen any other problems with their fish, but as far as dry goods I'd definetly go to petsmart b/c a dry good from petsmart is just as good as a dry good from a LFS and so why not get the cheapest thing you can (poor college kid, need to save as much as I can)

 

[Aquascaper]

I always buy dry goods from the cheapest source (normally the local garden centres aquatics department) but never shop around for fish. If my LFS doesn't have what I want he'll get it (and normally charge me what the other LFS would have).

I believe that it is worth paying a 'premium' for experienced, knowledgable staff

 

[SarahBravo]

I'd definitely pay more for fish that I knew were healthy, well cared for and responsibly sourced, along with knowledgable staff. However, I'd probably buy dry goods from the cheapest/easiest place.

Sarah

 

[Nauplii]

I think that the quality of fish is much more important and plus dry goods can bought at any other store and they are not living, they just get shipped so they're all the same just in diff stores and prices.
But fish have to be cared for and some shops abuse their fish so i chose that id buy fish at a more expensive price because quality is important.

 

[Paul_MTS]

I buy my fish so far from my LFS that i know knows hows to care for fish, although he is a tad more expensive from the online shops for fish.

Buy I source the cheapest for tanks filters etc I'll use my LFS for foods aswell unless i'm doing an order anyway.

 

[clutterydrawer]

I buy dry goods at my favourite lfs rather than look for them cheaper simply cos i don't want the other lfs getting their hands on my money.

 

[TorPeteO]

It's worth it to buy your fish for a greater price at a reliable LFS because your survival rate will be greater, which means you'll actually save money even though your initial cost is higher.

I have bought the great majority of my dry goods and hardware and such from that same LFS since the price difference is negligible, but if there was a great difference in pricing I would definitely buy it from the cheaper source.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I voted some things, I definatley would for fish and plants but the cost of setting up a tank is so expensive that I have no choice but to go to the cheapest place. Either that or get my future fish a smaller but more expensive tank, which makes no sense.

 

[Da_Oz]

I buy everything at the best store I can find. If the store takes crap care of there fish but has 10% there dry goods, all I would be doing is keeping them in biz to treat there fish like crap. Do I not shop at bigger stores like wal mart, yea I do but I don't buy fish stuff there. IF a car lot sold you a pos car you wouldn't go there to buy the parts to fix it would you.

 

[Angry_Platy]

There is only 2 LFS in my area I will buy fish from....I don't buy any supplies from any of them....all the supplies I buy online, including (unless I am desperate) fish food!!

 

[Tropjunky]

I would buy fish that are more expensive if the tam and their tanks were perfect. but dry goods aren't that importaint as they are all standardised. but i prefer to go to a better supplier.

 

[sunflower]

I'd definitely pay more for fish that I knew were healthy, well cared for and responsibly sourced, along with knowledgable staff. However, I'd probably buy dry goods from the cheapest/easiest place.

Sarah

Ditto what Sarah said.

 

[purple_drazi]

interesting question and (if you have a choice) the most honest answer has to be whatever you actually do.
In my case, I've got 4 stores in my area, 3 pet store places with bad/middling fish and one specialty aquarium supply store with middling/excellent fish. While I may buy non-critical dry supplies from one of the cheaper places if it's closer to where I happen to be at the moment, I tend to make the drive to the specialty store if I need something major like a new tank and for fishies.