How to start a fish store?

[banjocat]

Tank123, people besides Benfica are also getting something out of this topic. I have found some of the posts very informative. All of the bumping is kind of annoying though

Benfica, you also need to take into consideration the electrical and water bills. I would imagin running a centralized filter would be cheaper electricity wise. Maybe the rarer fish could be put on their own filters. I like the idea of keeping everything sperate as well, but I think the electricity bill would be very high.

 

[Benfica]

Tank123, people besides Benfica are also getting something out of this topic. I have found some of the posts very informative. All of the bumping is kind of annoying though

Benfica, you also need to take into consideration the electrical and water bills. I would imagin running a centralized filter would be cheaper electricity wise. Maybe the rarer fish could be put on their own filters. I like the idea of keeping everything sperate as well, but I think the electricity bill would be very high.

Thanks.Yup alot of people are posting alot of useful information and there is usually liek 2 or 3browsing this thread. Sorry about the bumps just try to get pages to top ill bump every 15-20mins?

Ya i thought of that to. I also forgot lease expense.

Thanks for posting

 

[Benfica]

Bump

 

[aspear]

you only have to bump like once or twice a day if no one posts.

 

[tank125]

...Lol. I made this thread to get some ideas, and answer some of my questionsi have on opening a fish store. I am not forcing anyone to do anything. I got a plan and average estimates about 150-200k.

And to answer you questions i have access to about 120grand

So this is the mechanics of it, generally:

Figure how big you want to be (sq ft wise) and what you want to sell ->
What town ->
Find available spots (do not ever, ever, underestimate location's importance)->
Plan your build: how much time, how much money, set a budget and a time line - TRIPLE YOUR BUDGET ESTIMATE
Negotiate a lease (you can make offers, bargain back and forth a little, you don't necessarily have to take what they offer, for example if $15 a square foot, offer $13, remember its your money) also it is good to negotiate some free time for build out, I got 3 months free at my first location->
Once you are in get to work immediately and always remember that it is your money, no one else is going to care, everybody will be lazy and try to screw you (sounds drastic, but it is true) document conversations and all agreements, the handshake is worth nothing. For example, I paid a deposit to the gas company, they said they had to hold it for a year of consistent bill paying until they would release it, well 15 mos go by, I called them and they said that they want to return, but they do not have a mailing address!!!! WTF you bill me everymonth!



PLAN, PLAN, PLAN, it is the most painful part and the most boring, but it is absolutely imperative that you do it. I cannot provide you with accurate estimates b/c costs may be vastly different from the states to you.



As far as filtration goes, for my next store I want to do a constant water feed system and sponge filters, so every tank will have its own feed of fresh water and a sponge filter. Every tank will have to be drilled and plumbed to a common drain, but this will eliminate most instances of tank to tank contamination and it is very cheap to run a big linear air pump and sponge filters. I would do this in an enclosed heated room so as not need heaters in every tank, just ones that require higher temps. This of course is a way to have very clean water as well. With the sponge in every tank you can isolate at any time for meds etc. Just make sure your drains are large enough to never clog and that your water is prefiltered properly.


But again, work in an LFS for at least a year to gain knowledge of the industry.

 

[Ben268]

Find available spots (do not ever, ever, underestimate location's importance)

I would just like to second that...like 50 times over lol (the location bit)

I gotta say though, I didn't realize that you had the money like...NOW ahaha sorry for underestimating you

But I would defiantly go with separate filters for the tank...whats worse? a decently higher electricity bill every month, or loosing possibly all (or close to all) the investment you put into your live stock ( seems like a weird term for fish ) plus having to set the tanks back up again.

Anywho, I really don't have much else to add this time round besides agree with some of the other people who've posted.

 

[Benfica]

So this is the mechanics of it, generally:

Figure how big you want to be (sq ft wise) and what you want to sell ->
What town ->
Find available spots (do not ever, ever, underestimate location's importance)->
Plan your build: how much time, how much money, set a budget and a time line - TRIPLE YOUR BUDGET ESTIMATE
Negotiate a lease (you can make offers, bargain back and forth a little, you don't necessarily have to take what they offer, for example if $15 a square foot, offer $13, remember its your money) also it is good to negotiate some free time for build out, I got 3 months free at my first location->
Once you are in get to work immediately and always remember that it is your money, no one else is going to care, everybody will be lazy and try to screw you (sounds drastic, but it is true) document conversations and all agreements, the handshake is worth nothing. For example, I paid a deposit to the gas company, they said they had to hold it for a year of consistent bill paying until they would release it, well 15 mos go by, I called them and they said that they want to return, but they do not have a mailing address!!!! WTF you bill me everymonth!



PLAN, PLAN, PLAN, it is the most painful part and the most boring, but it is absolutely imperative that you do it. I cannot provide you with accurate estimates b/c costs may be vastly different from the states to you.



As far as filtration goes, for my next store I want to do a constant water feed system and sponge filters, so every tank will have its own feed of fresh water and a sponge filter. Every tank will have to be drilled and plumbed to a common drain, but this will eliminate most instances of tank to tank contamination and it is very cheap to run a big linear air pump and sponge filters. I would do this in an enclosed heated room so as not need heaters in every tank, just ones that require higher temps. This of course is a way to have very clean water as well. With the sponge in every tank you can isolate at any time for meds etc. Just make sure your drains are large enough to never clog and that your water is prefiltered properly.


But again, work in an LFS for at least a year to gain knowledge of the industry.

Thanks so much that is tons of information that is useful to me. And i already got a good plan of what the store layout is. Hopefukly i can find a 2500sqfeet is my main priorty.And at the things i want in store about 2-3months would be needed to build out store.Ya i got a a pretty good plan if it falls through, and thanks alot about the filter/plumbing was really sketchy on that.

Thanks alot!!

 

[Benfica]

I would just like to second that...like 50 times over lol (the location bit)

I gotta say though, I didn't realize that you had the money like...NOW ahaha sorry for underestimating you

But I would defiantly go with separate filters for the tank...whats worse? a decently higher electricity bill every month, or loosing possibly all (or close to all) the investment you put into your live stock ( seems like a weird term for fish ) plus having to set the tanks back up again.

Anywho, I really don't have much else to add this time round besides agree with some of the other people who've posted.

Lol,its ok you dont know what saving a little bit every year over time adds up to alot!!

Thanks for yourpost

 

[Benfica]

you only have to bump like once or twice a day if no one posts.

K, Thanks

 

[tank125]

I would just like to second that...like 50 times over lol (the location bit)

I gotta say though, I didn't realize that you had the money like...NOW ahaha sorry for underestimating you

But I would defiantly go with separate filters for the tank...whats worse? a decently higher electricity bill every month, or loosing possibly all (or close to all) the investment you put into your live stock ( seems like a weird term for fish ) plus having to set the tanks back up again.

Anywho, I really don't have much else to add this time round besides agree with some of the other people who've posted.

This being said, do not be afraid to centralize, I always did, except for discus, rays, and invertebrates. Just use UV and good mechanical filtration. I only had something rip through once, and at the time I did not have UV, it was eromonous bacteria with the african cichlids. To prevent things like ich sometimes you gotta use copper as a preventative. Furthermore you get used to your suppliers and learn what to buy and what not to buy from them. I was able to visit them and thus pick my own fish which helped a lot. Although a valid concern, tank to tank contamination was not something I worried about very often, I know how to keep fish and what to look for, if you are good and you check your fish every day you will catch issues before they are a problem.