Some Dubai LFS

[mattybecks]

I mentioned before I would take a little trip around my area and show you guys the different types of fish stores and their fish stocks.

There are 3 "types" of stores for buying fish here if I may say that. Each group of shops I combined into their own video.

Some of the stores are your more well kept LFS.
Some I don't support and keep fish in conditions I don't always agree with.

I am not making these videos to promote/slam any shops. This is purely just walking around showing you guys what some of the shops here are like.

This may have not been the best time of year to do this walk around. It is summer time and they don't keep as many stocks here as there are not as many people. I have always seen much better varieties in the winters. Usually loads of Datnoids, snakeheads, true parrots etc. Didn't see any this trip in any stores.

1st video is a walk down Satwa's main street. This street as about 6 different LFS stores all very close to each other. I combined all the shops into one video.

2nd Video is place called Dragon mart. This mall is 1.2 km long and exclusively for Chinese shops/products only. Needless to say these are the Chinese fish shops. Again combined into one video.

3rd are the more well kept LFS, just the ones within a few kilometers of my apt. About 4 of them. Quite close to each other too.

 

[islandguy11]

Cool videos, Thx for sharing Matt.

 

[spotfin]

Interesting. Do most of the stores not label the stock and prices in their tanks?

 

[mattybecks]

Interesting. Do most of the stores not label the stock and prices in their tanks?

yeah sadly there is not much labeling that goes on. Some of the stores do, the more "up market" ones, but even they don't sometimes. Its like "here we have some new fish, please note these ones aren't for eating"

In the "satwa video" those guys don't really speak English. Google translate helps, but they dont really know. They aren't fish guys, and the extent of their knowledge might be being able to tell an African cichlid from a Koi. They just sell fish.

There was a guy at one of those stores that told me they order from a wholesaler in the Neighbouring Emirate of Ajman. Apparently this place is big and the Satwa guys all source stock from there. The English there is not great, so I could be mistaken but that is what I understood. Ill be taking a drive to the location he showed me to see whats there.

Referring to the third video, the better fish stores, they are labelled sometimes, and the English from the staff is good. They mostly know what they are talking about and give sound advice. All of those guys are really friendly too, and make the effort. You can see they arent just selling fish, they are more fish people haha.

 

[mattybecks]

To give you a rough idea of prices. Ill go cheaper stores vs up market:

Oscars
3 USD vs 10 USD

Neon tetra/cardinal tetra/black skirt/guppys/ sword tails etc.
50c vs 7 USD

Asian Arowana
500 USD vs 4000 USD

Sting rays
70 USD vs 400 USD

Bettas
1.3 USD vs 13 USD

Silver dollars
4 USD vs 11 USD

Mbuna
50c vs 7 USD

I noticed that the cheaper stores tended to sell fish more based on size that what they actually were.

 

[twentyleagues]

Nice! Thanks for sharing.
That last one looks like it is a chain. Or like what in a perfect world a petco or petsmart could be.

 

[mattybecks]

Nice! Thanks for sharing.
That last one looks like it is a chain. Or like what in a perfect world a petco or petsmart could be.

Yeah it is. The stores are called "The pet shop". Really nice and engaging staff there. There is also a store in there called "Think Fish" which is more stand alone here I think. Also got nice staff but seem a little more focused on the salt water side of life.

 

[mattybecks]

Forgot to mention:

Anubis plant

6 USD vs 12 USD

 

[twentyleagues]

Forgot to mention:

Anubis plant

6 USD vs 12 USD

Hows the quality between the two prices? For the fish too?

 

[Matteus]

I like the idea of a Ray for $70