Going to LFS today ... what should I ask??

saltwaterkitty

saltwaterkitty

Member
Hello everyone,
Well, it's a rainy Sunday here so we are going to take a drive to the closest fish store that is NOT a ***** or PetSmart ... it's about 25 minutes away and I guess it will end up being my "LFS".
Can anyone tell me what questions I need to ask them? I know I should ask how often they get shipments in ... but what else matters??
Thanks all!!
Kat
 
jerryatrick

jerryatrick

Active Member
Shipments in is a good question and so is "how long has this fish been here?". Some places will even post the date on the tank beside the fish name and price.
As for advice from a LFS employee it is best to listen to them but not act until you have researched.
 
pezenfuego

pezenfuego

Active Member
Ask them about their experience in the hobby.
Ask them what their favorite "blank" is.
It seems to me that if you get them to like you, they are much less likely to take advantage of you. If something they say sounds fishy, research it. Tell them about your setup and ask for suggestions. I know I can always give 100. Find out where the livestock comes from. But before that, check out there system. Even for someone completely new, it is fairly easy to see the difference between a good place and a bad one.
Good luck and have fun.
 
king_neptune

king_neptune

Active Member
1. What is their acclimation method. If they say anything but the drip method, they are lazy and cut corners.
2. Can you be called in to watch them feed a specific fish before you purchase it.
3. How long do they hold a fish for you and let you observe it before you buy it? 10-15 days is what you want.
4. What is their guarantee. 2-4 days is not uncommon. But my favorite local store offers 15 days store credit if you bring a sample of your water in.
5. Do they have Reef safe Angle fish?A good store will tell you that Angle fish are not a good idea...although some will possibly work, its just not a good idea.
6. How many tangs can go into a 30 gallon tank. If they say anything but "Don't put tangs in a tank that small, they obviously don't care or they just want to make a buck.
7.Do they talk to the divers directly? My favorite local store owner talks directly to the divers off the boat via the satellite phone every week. She has a good handle on exactly whats down there. And will have them pull up specific livestock per your request.
These are some basic test questions to see their knowledge and test their honor. A good method s to ask them questions you already now the naswer too, just to see if they are trust worthy.
Inspect the clarity of the water in each tank. Look for debris and algae ect. Look closely at the fish for signs of disease and stress. How clean is the floor? The walls? The equipment?
i would trust a pristine store over a dirty one.
 
pezenfuego

pezenfuego

Active Member
I like the idea of asking questions that you know the answer to. Even though you have researched a lot, pretending to be stupid and vulnerable will cause them to react. If they give you the right advice, you should go back. If they give you the wrong advice to make money, forget about them.
The fun part is when they give you the wrong advice

Say, nope...correct them...and walk out the door.
I have fun with that, but maybe I'm just a sick person
 
naclh2o nut

naclh2o nut

Member
6
Originally Posted by PEZenfuego
http:///forum/post/2965199
I like the idea of asking questions that you know the answer to. Even though you have researched a lot, pretending to be stupid and vulnerable will cause them to react. If they give you the right advice, you should go back. If they give you the wrong advice to make money, forget about them.
The fun part is when they give you the wrong advice

Say, nope...correct them...and walk out the door.
I have fun with that, but maybe I'm just a sick person


That is what I do.
I have 3 LFS and one lame brand around me. Two of the locals are great, clean tanks, good prices and knowledge. The other will answer wrong or go call the owner. their tanks look like crap
. The other two will not give warranty if you buy from the other. As far as the lame brand it is just fun to go in and see what I don't know. Like Dory in a nano!!
 
pbnj

pbnj

Member
Originally Posted by King_Neptune
http:///forum/post/2965191
1. What is their acclimation method. If they say anything but the drip method, they are lazy and cut corners.
Most LFS get dozens of bags of livestock per week. I seriously doubt many do drip acclimation.
 
pbnj

pbnj

Member
Ask a few "dumb" questions and see what kind of response you get. If they start getting annoyed and act like you're wasting their time, move on. If they take the time to answer your questions properly, you know you have a winner.
 
pezenfuego

pezenfuego

Active Member
About the drip acclimation...they usually only do with some very expensive or very delicate species. They don't do it with clownfish and other hardy fish (in most good places around here anyway). Most just float them and add some of the tank water until the SG is the same.
 
tank a holic

tank a holic

Active Member
i also think you'll have a hard time finding a lfs that talks directly to the divers unless you're near the coast
it wouldn't hurt to ask but I wouldn't cross them off if they say no
 
saltwaterkitty

saltwaterkitty

Member
Thanks everyone ... we actually had a GREAT experience here at the store. It was MOBBED when we got there ... asked a few "standard" questions to the employees and were very happy that the answers coincided with not only what I already knew ... but what the store owner said later.
We were in the store about 45 mins looking around, etc when the owner approached us asked us if we needed anything and we took the opportunity to introduce ourselves and he spent the next hour and a half walking through not only the store but his showroom across the street with us ... we made sure to ask some of the same questions to him that we asked his employees and thankfully, we got the same answers. They have been in business for over 30 years at that location and I was very comfortable with him.
Thank you all ... so much for giving me the advice I needed to begin to create a relationship with the owner of this store. I appreciate you all very much!
Kat
PS ... my husband found a slightly scratched 185g tank for $500 ... good deal??
 
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