How your local fish shops doing nowadays?

[Hendre]

I have one good LFS, most of the stock is beginner orientated and the usual plant stock is rather bare. They do however have great prices on a lot of fish and equipment as well as a bit of saltwater stuff. They do occasionally bring in some really nice fish but are currently doing some reworks which is great since it was not too tidy before

 

[Lady Sphinx]

We have 3 petshops and one lfs in our area. They generally have the same boring stock but the lfs is more into sw fish though I have to say their stock though limited are usually the healthiest specimens around. A bit further there's a massive pet shop which generally have quite a collection going but because it's a bit further out I prefer to save up some spending money if I plan to go that way since I'm a woman and I like to spend money when I go shopping.

 

[Bandit87]

Hounding me to buy a tank.. I suspect not good.

 

[Yohanon]

I have one good LFS, most of the stock is beginner orientated and the usual plant stock is rather bare. They do however have great prices on a lot of fish and equipment as well as a bit of saltwater stuff. They do occasionally bring in some really nice fish but are currently doing some reworks which is great since it was not too tidy before

If there something in particular you are wanting, most will order it for you, or at least be able to tell you if it is available from their wholesalers/suppliers

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

i don't buy a lot of stuff from my local fish stores...

Yeah, same here. I don't buy live stock from LFS I'm mostly shop online but I keep my good relationship with them by trading them high quality fries (mostly EBJD) LOL
BUT I don't want to pass up anything that not showing in store for years regardless the fish quality. The store owner that I picked up my fish, he's quite a picky one and he doesn't buy unhealthy fish and he's only store that actually have 2x 55G tanks use as QT new arrivals. I knew his schedule of fesh/saltwater shipment and I visit his store on that day and I just pick the species right off the wholesale and paid him some commission fee If I don't have a tank ready yet he willing to hold the fish for me up to a month.

 

[Yohanon]

Yeah, same here. I don't buy live stock from LFS I'm mostly shop online but I keep my good relationship with them by trading them high quality fries (mostly EBJD) LOL
BUT I don't want to pass up anything that not showing in store for years regardless the fish quality. The store owner that I picked up my fish, he's quite a picky one and he doesn't buy unhealthy fish and he's only store that actually have 2x 55G tanks use as QT new arrivals. I knew his schedule of fesh/salwater shippment coming and usually I visit his store on that day and I just pick the species right off the wholesale and paid him some commission fee If I don't have a tank ready yet he willing to hold the fish for me up to a month.

EBJDs are really beautiful. Alas, where I am living (I am my 82 year old mother's caretaker) I only have room for one tank. I don't believe saying "hey Mom, mind if I re-arrange your dining room to make space for a 150?" would fly. Of course, If I COULD set up a 150, My next acquisition would be a blue diamond rhombeus!

 

[Fat Homer]

Over here seems more shops are closing, while others seem to be expanding... stock seems to be about the same... although over here we've always had access to a lot of rare fish...

 

[fishfanatic80]

Normally this is the season lfs see the most profits, in the fall and winter. In the summer people are normally out doing activities and not paying too much attention to their tanks. In the fall and winter normally people are inside more and the family gathering holidays like thanksgiving and christmas people want their aquariums to look at their best. So the stores around here bring in a lot more stock and exotic fish. Luckily I have many lfs and don't bother going to chain stores. I live on Long Island and have probably 10 stores specializing in tropical fish fresh and salt. Most of them have quality stock and I hardly ever have to order online although in the summer some stores don't look as stocked or well kept. I'm a good customer to most stores here and know the owners personally and have worked for two different fish stores as my first job and the owners have told me the trends and seen them personally.

 

[Fat Homer]

^ over here it seems the opposite, during summer months you'll see the nicer fish, and during winter, LFS' go through dry spells and dont seem to get as many exotics...

Although i guess this could be due to not wanting to risk shipping fish during the colder weather as well...

 

[Yuki Rihwa]

So far after 1 night the payara seem to blend in with those charax (I know payara hate silvery fish so at some points it will bully them) and follow them around and the big charax sometimes slap it tail at the payara face LOL Those charax still eating good and show no stresses by the payara present. I hope this time My payara will last longer than 2 years, the last one died for no reason. Its eat well in the morning and I came back home after work and found it dead, and it was around 8 inches.