Who buys fish at the LFS?

[YSS]

I atteneded a conference today in Rockville very close to Congressional Aquarium. I stopped by afterwards to check it out. Wow! Selection wasn't great, neither was the quality, and price was outrageous. I understand the store owners have to make money, but I don't know if I can buy fish at the LFS anymore. The deals at the auction are amazing. Thanks god for CCA!!! Does anyone here buy fish at the LFS?

I am looking to add some Lemon tetras for my discus tank. I will add about two dozens and they are $3.99 each. I am looking at easily spending $100 on them. Anyone selling some Lemon tetras?

 

[jonclark96]

I'll buy fish at the LFS if they have something that i am looking for. Tropical Fish World, Rick's, and House of Tropicals will all have good stock from time to time depending on what you are looking for. Online vendors are definitely the place to go for the more specialized stuff. I'll even buy dithers at PetSmart when they are on sale. I got my school of clown loaches last year when they were half price and they are all doing great!

 

[Avatar]

Thanks god for CCA!!! Does anyone here buy fish at the LFS?

Which one?

Tetras are the only fish I've brought home from an LFS in over a year. Generally the only place to get them other than on line. And I wince over the price almost everytime although occasionally if they're young it's not so bad. When I scored that bag of 10 Buenos Aires monsters last month for $6 I almost couldn't believe it - would have been $40-60 easy at any LFS.

Columbian tetras are the most stunning for my money - and they'd look magnificent flashing around in that big tank of yours.

You might send this guy an email and ask about a bulk price if you're committed to lemons: http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auction.cgi?fwcharacins&1305760578

 

[Pat Kelly]

Please remember that the local fish stores are our sponsors.
They need to make a living and they help us.
3 local stores have employees that are club members.
2 local stores have their own section on here.
1 local store is making us a great deal on our 90 gallon give away.
Another local store has donated in the past.


Bad mouthing a local fish store is one fast way of being banned from this forum.


And yes,
In the last month, I have picked up
fish at 2 different stores.
I am converting my 150 to a community tank.
I have rummy nose, cardinals, white clouds and some swords all from 2 stores.

Now if I can get my angels to grow and the plants to take over I will be happy.

 

[Discus-Hans]

Yun,

there are stores doing a great job and some lesser.

We just got a 1,200 Cardinals and 500 Rummy noses in, we keep them here for at least 4 weeks to make sure they are okay and grow a little, if you can wait.........

Hans

 

[Discus-Hans]

Please remember that the local fish stores are our sponsors.
They need to make a living and they help us.
3 local stores have employees that are club members.
2 local stores have their own section on here.
1 local store is making us a great deal on our 90 gallon give away.
Another local store has donated in the past.


Bad mouthing a local fish store is one fast way of being banned from this forum.

hmmmmmmmmm buddy,

I don't know how to answer on this the right way, but I disagree here a little with you.

Let's go to the extreme, the online store Somethingstinkyfishy sponsors the club or gives a donation. It sure will not change my opinion about those frauds.

Now if there are made remarks about a store or a sponsor (or even me) I would see that as something to keep an eye on and try to do better???

Hans

 

[fischfan13]

Please remember that the local fish stores are our sponsors.
They need to make a living and they help us.
3 local stores have employees that are club members.
2 local stores have their own section on here.
1 local store is making us a great deal on our 90 gallon give away.
Another local store has donated in the past.


Bad mouthing a local fish store is one fast way of being banned from this forum.


And yes,
In the last month, I have picked up
fish at 2 different stores.
I am converting my 150 to a community tank.
I have rummy nose, cardinals, white clouds and some swords all from 2 stores.

Now if I can get my angels to grow and the plants to take over I will be happy.

Come to an ECC Auction and before I start auctioning I will scream it out for everyone to hear...
"PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FISH STORES!"
This is a person's business, their livelihood. This is how THEY put food on their tables and diapers on their babies.
I have two that are sponsors on ECC and will always support them.

 

[UNCLERUCKUS]

I HAVE BOUGHT FISH FROM MY AREA LFS AND I'VE BEEN VERY HAPPY WITH THE BEAUTIES I'VE ACQUIRED. SOMETIMES THEY GET HARD TO FIND OR A FISH YOU ONLY SEE ONLINE WITHOUT THE OUTRAGEOUS SHIPPING COSTS. I MUST ADMIT THOUGH I TOO AM FOND OF OUR CCA AUCTIONS WHERE THE DEALS ARE STEALS AND WHERE ELSE CAN YOU GET A WILD CAUGHT RARE FISH FOR A FRACTION OF RETAIL PRICES...THANKS LFS AND CCA !

 

[mrkillie]

I will occasionally buy fish from the LFS. And I don't just mean That Fish Place, which is the closest store to me. I got some lemon tetras for my daughter's tank about a month ago for $1 each. Gotta know where to go.

 

[rich_one]

Almost never. Sadly, here in Southern MD, we are mainly stuck with Petsmart, Petco and Walmart. So you get the idea there. In the past 5 years, I think I purchased two fish. A shockingly well colored boesemani I saw and couldn't pass up, and more recently, I did grab a "turqouise"... aka, "green"... severum, that had a bunch of character compared to the others in the tank with him, and I ended up getting him because it was like he was asking me to! LOL...

-Rich

 

[YSS]

Pat,

Sorry. My intention was not to bad mouth this particular LFS. I merely stated what I saw and what I felt. I even checked the sponsor section to make sure that they were not a sponsor and didn't look like this store was, but may be it is.


Anywho ....

I do like house of tropicals. I used to work at Columbia and used to go to House of Tropicals and Scales a lot and actually bought quite a few fish from both stores. Scales is where I started buying Hans' discus when I first got started with discus. I work at Springfield, VA now so no more House of Tropicals. I still do buy fish from LFS now and then, but only when I find a nice deal. Last time I bought from my LFS in Vienna was when I found Sterbais for $5.99 each. I bought 10 and the LFS gave me one extra. The same store has nice looking Lemon Tetras. But I will look online before buying any.

Hans, no more cardinals for me as my Altifrons are eating them. What used to be over 100 cardinals are now down to dozen. I do have about 40 rummies and I think they are avoiding being eaten. May be I can add a few more rummies, but I need second dithers.

Sam, I will take a look at Columbian tetras. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[YSS]

I will occasionally buy fish from the LFS. And I don't just mean That Fish Place, which is the closest store to me. I got some lemon tetras for my daughter's tank about a month ago for $1 each. Gotta know where to go.

So, where do I go?

 

[Discus-Hans]

Hans, no more cardinals for me as my Altifrons are eating them. What used to be over 100 cardinals are now down to dozen. I do have about 40 rummies and I think they are avoiding being eaten. May be I can add a few more rummies, but I need second dithers.

Sam, I will take a look at Columbian tetras. Thanks for the suggestion.

no no Yun, Cardinals sound better to me, the more your Altifrons eat, the more I can sell, that's how it works, eat or being eaten (and brings food for me lol lol)

Hans

 

[YSS]

no no Yun, Cardinals sound better to me, the more your Altifrons eat, the more I can sell, that's how it works, eat or being eaten (and brings food for me lol lol)

Hans

Ah, I forgot that I have to keep buying fish from you. What was I thinking?

 

[iamzrad]

I've bought Tetras before.
Other than that, I only stick to dry goods and filter acc.

 

[semperfires]

I was just at House of Tropicals today (for the first time I am a little ashamed to say). I thought the store itself could have used a little TLC but was very impressed by the amount of fish they had. Very nice Apisto's, Rams, a lot of nice tetra's and their salts were all pretty nice as well.

I had no intentions of buying anything, just wanted to kill time and show the gf some of the ideas for fish for the 40 breeder I just set up.

I was very surprised to see they had Elec. blue Hap Ahli's. That was such a staple african till more colorful peacocks began taking over and they all but disappeared. I also walked out with a nice tiwan reef and a black calvus. A little over priced? ..... Ehh maybe the calvus was a tad, but the other 2 were very good prices and all three were eating within a half hour so money well spent IMO.

Do you spend a little more at the LFS, sometimes yea but being able to pick "the one" you want from a tank of 20-30 is nice. The variety on hand is nice and lets be honest a guarantee isn't a bad deal either.

 

[Avatar]

What guarantee? First I heard of any such...

 

[cmcpart0422]

I go to and buy from TFW all the time. They take trade-ins for store credit which helps cut down on the amount of young fish I have and the prices.

 

[semperfires]

What guarantee? First I heard of any such...

Than I am to assume they started it today. The sign at the register said 24hrs for salt and 48 for fresh.

 

[mrkillie]

So, where do I go?

I got the lemons at a place called the Aquarium Center in Clementon, NJ. Not real close for you I'm afraid.