I am ready to start designing the actually fish walls for my store and i am thinking of doing them like the fish walls at Petsmart. They are made of acrylic and are alot cheaper than getting like 80 20gs. One section in my store is over one hundred sections, and the other is just 30 sections. I was thinking doing 4 systems, one for high ph one for low ph, one for freshwater, one for saltwater. Thinking about 30-40 tanks apiece for low and high ph, 100+ for other freshwater, and 80+ for salt. is that a good idea for a store or should i stick to 20gs?
Fish wall question???
- Thread starter OscarHook
- Start date
i would have like 20 20 gallons and have like 75s for the bigger fish that people trade in and etc. tahts how my pet store is set up.
There's a current thread on filtering a store. There's also a thread discussing the profit levels of a LFS. Do a search here on MFK.
I'm not a proponent of central systems despite understanding the rationale.
IMO, if you try to make YOUR STORE look like someone else's store you're creating an image problem. On the other hand, if you can incorporate good things from someone else's design into YOUR design without having customers realizing someone else uses a similar set-up, go for it. Use different colors, different shaped tanks or something.
I don't understand the rationale for high pH and low pH set-ups. Unless your customers duplicate that particular set-up they're going to put those fish into conditioned tap water. I'd recommend setting up a single tank optimizing conditions for some of those fish and offering handouts to duplicate those conditions.
I've done several stores and concluded that isolating areas doesn't create the best traffic flow. I originally thought keeping SW and FW in separate areas a good idea. (Obviously, your customers need to know whether the fish are FW or SW. You'll have to address that issue somehow.) Eventually I removed a wall to create better light in the SW section, increasing the visibility of the section increased it's traffic. I had previously kept the supplies separated also. After combining FW and SW products, thefts went down and more customers were handling things they wouldn't have picked up before. Relating to thefts: pocket-able items or expensive things need to be behind the counter, a glass door or at the very least adjacent to the counter.
I'd think proper placement of the counter is very important. Being too close to the front sometimes inhibits entry to customers. I'd consider somewhere in the middle, centralized in the store. Reasons? Visibility and access. If you're at the front all the time walking to the back takes time. If you're in the center, going to the front or rear of the store is easier. From the center it's easier to monitor the whole store.
Another thing, I've always wanted to add, but never have, an enclosed area for display. A boxed-in cube, like the puppy adoption area at Petland, but using a top-of-the-line tank set-up in a room-like venue. Maybe using a loveseat, tables and lamps opposite an entertainment unit featuring a nice tank. It's possible that a furniture retailer would provide the furniture for advertising either at no charge or drastically reduced expense.
In choosing the tank size of store tanks you need to consider how you're going to purchase your stock. If you plan to buy from an importer or farm you're probably going to buy in box or 1/2 box lots. A 20H isn't as functional as a 29g, not enough surface area. I also agree that you'll probaly want some larger tanks for big fish. You'll probably wish at some point that you had some smaller tanks too. A bank of 10g is beneficial for oddball fish or the remnants from previous purchases. Of course, if you plan to buy locally, you won't require the bigger tanks. You'll just have to pay an extra person (the wholesaler) for the stock you choose to carry.
I hope this helps. Dan
I'm not a proponent of central systems despite understanding the rationale.
IMO, if you try to make YOUR STORE look like someone else's store you're creating an image problem. On the other hand, if you can incorporate good things from someone else's design into YOUR design without having customers realizing someone else uses a similar set-up, go for it. Use different colors, different shaped tanks or something.
I don't understand the rationale for high pH and low pH set-ups. Unless your customers duplicate that particular set-up they're going to put those fish into conditioned tap water. I'd recommend setting up a single tank optimizing conditions for some of those fish and offering handouts to duplicate those conditions.
I've done several stores and concluded that isolating areas doesn't create the best traffic flow. I originally thought keeping SW and FW in separate areas a good idea. (Obviously, your customers need to know whether the fish are FW or SW. You'll have to address that issue somehow.) Eventually I removed a wall to create better light in the SW section, increasing the visibility of the section increased it's traffic. I had previously kept the supplies separated also. After combining FW and SW products, thefts went down and more customers were handling things they wouldn't have picked up before. Relating to thefts: pocket-able items or expensive things need to be behind the counter, a glass door or at the very least adjacent to the counter.
I'd think proper placement of the counter is very important. Being too close to the front sometimes inhibits entry to customers. I'd consider somewhere in the middle, centralized in the store. Reasons? Visibility and access. If you're at the front all the time walking to the back takes time. If you're in the center, going to the front or rear of the store is easier. From the center it's easier to monitor the whole store.
Another thing, I've always wanted to add, but never have, an enclosed area for display. A boxed-in cube, like the puppy adoption area at Petland, but using a top-of-the-line tank set-up in a room-like venue. Maybe using a loveseat, tables and lamps opposite an entertainment unit featuring a nice tank. It's possible that a furniture retailer would provide the furniture for advertising either at no charge or drastically reduced expense.
In choosing the tank size of store tanks you need to consider how you're going to purchase your stock. If you plan to buy from an importer or farm you're probably going to buy in box or 1/2 box lots. A 20H isn't as functional as a 29g, not enough surface area. I also agree that you'll probaly want some larger tanks for big fish. You'll probably wish at some point that you had some smaller tanks too. A bank of 10g is beneficial for oddball fish or the remnants from previous purchases. Of course, if you plan to buy locally, you won't require the bigger tanks. You'll just have to pay an extra person (the wholesaler) for the stock you choose to carry.
I hope this helps. Dan
I think we are going with the acrylic wall idea, and i was just asking a question for wall, do you honestly think me being a MFK member i would not have a few large tanks. Think again!!! we are planning at least a 500g reeftank, probably bigger, on top of a 400g SA/CA oddball tank, plues several otehr large tanks. i was just wondering what i should do about stocking tanks and such. as far as high and low ph we are showing people how certain fish if cared for right can look, plus the appropriate ph levels will help the fish's overall health.
i like the idea of using the 20's, personaly i would try to make some of these,
http://www.petstorefixtures.com/Fixtures_F2000.pdf
the good thing about using the 20 gal's is that you can make alot of shelving units, i would have the 20's on the outside of your store and have the larger 75 in the middile maybe if you have a large store, put up some pics though, but i really like the 20 idea, i am making the same thing for a display unit in my room, i will get you some picture when i get done
http://www.petstorefixtures.com/Fixtures_F2000.pdf
the good thing about using the 20 gal's is that you can make alot of shelving units, i would have the 20's on the outside of your store and have the larger 75 in the middile maybe if you have a large store, put up some pics though, but i really like the 20 idea, i am making the same thing for a display unit in my room, i will get you some picture when i get done