Is my LFS ok to buy from?

kayak385

kayak385

Member
I asked my LFS about some things with their acclimation times, and they replied that they usually acclimate their fish in 20 minutes. I noticed that that is 1/3 of the time that SWF suggests! :thinking:
Is this still an OK store to buy from or should I try to find another LFS to do business with?
What are other questions I should ask my LFS to see if they are ok to use?
 
1journeyman

1journeyman

Active Member
Ask what their guarrantee is. Also, ask to see the fish eat. Ask if you can put down a refundable deposit and hold your fish for a few days.
The best thing you can do is arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can. Carry a good reference book like Michael's Marine Fishes into the store with you.
There are some good stores out there. Unfortunately there are a lot more bad ones. You should learn all you can about your own tank and potential pets so that you don't have to rely on a local store to tell you the truth.
 
jmick

jmick

Active Member
Originally Posted by kayak385
I asked my LFS about some things with their acclimation times, and they replied that they usually acclimate their fish in 20 minutes. I noticed that that is 1/3 of the time that SWF suggests! :thinking:
Is this still an OK store to buy from or should I try to find another LFS to do business with?
What are other questions I should ask my LFS to see if they are ok to use?

I always like to know if they run copper in their tanks and if so, which ones. I like to know what type of lighing they run over their corals, if they will buy back fish or take coral trade in's. If they have tds meter to check their ro/di water, where they keep their salinity, ph and temp. I think there are some shops that really go the extra mile for their customers and I usaully don't mind spending a little extra at those shops.
 
ackermsb

ackermsb

Member
All those things are good but check in all the tanks very carefully and look for dead fish and the types of fish they put together. LFS in bmore i walked into the other day had at least 3 dead fish in different tanks. I would never buy from them b/c there is always at least one dead fish. A few of the other LFS's around here have great looking tanks so its another good indicator. Seeing the fish eat is important as well
 
kayak385

kayak385

Member
I have seen a dead fish in their tank once in the total of a couple months. I also noticed that all of their corals are in one tank. The manager has been working with fish and coral for about 6 years and has the same setup as in the store for coral for what he called "trial & error" with his tank with the store tank so he wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
Hopefully by now he hasn't been making many mistakes but ya never know.
They also have one of the biggest star blennies i've ever seen at almost 4 inches. all of their fish-only tanks are connected together and each are about 2 gallon size with a couple fish in each one. I'll take a pic and post it when I go tonight but its a 3MegaPixel camera so it might not be good quality but you'll get the idea.
 
ackermsb

ackermsb

Member
Its probably not uncommon for fish to die on transport through the LFS so you will see one every now and again but it shouldnt be common to see them in the displays. A good LFS will keep there tanks cleans and quickly remove sick or dead fish.
 
jdecter

jdecter

Member
Jdecter, I'm getting weary of editing out the link to the same store in most of your posts... If you cannot follow the rules of the forums please discontinue posting.
Links to competitor sites are not allowed. Please respect the owners of Saltwaterfish and obey the rules.
 
chipmaker

chipmaker

Active Member
I tend to view a shop that never has any dead fish in the tanks as one that does not move many fish or that they get there early enough to get rid of them and have someone poised to net the dead and dying out. Dead fish especially with the quanity some lfs get in is bound to have fatalities ...its a given. There is also going to be days without any as well. I look mainly for well kept tanks, nasty smellling stuff, and how they net and handle fish etc. If the fish in a tank looks fine odds are they are fine, but ask how long they are there. I prefer to see a shop where they have date of arrival tags on the tanks with each fish listed. The lfs I use will not sell a fish until its been in their possession for 14 days..............and odds are if it is alive and looking good then there is no reason that it will die on you when you get it home if you do your part. I nor the lfs (2 of them here) acclimate any of the corals or fish over 45 minutes or so, in which drip acclimation is done. Corals depends on what they are and most are allowed to deflate and then placed in the tank....No real serious temp acclimation most times. As for stars etc they get a bit longer acclimation but nothing spectacular and none of them nor I do anyhting even remotrely similar to what I had read n this site and there has not been any problems. You can also go over board IMHO with acclimation as well.
 
fanker

fanker

Active Member
Originally Posted by Madman33
its better than some...some just temp acclimate and toss them in.
ya its sad to say but thats what my store makes me do it sux cause the fish are so shocked, i cantr wait til x mas to quit
 
joncat24

joncat24

Active Member
also if you ever get up toward springboro...on SR73 right behind applebee's is aqautic pets and ponds.....that is the best store in the world as far as I am concerned...ask for brian and tell him I sent ya...
 
kayak385

kayak385

Member
Originally Posted by joncat24
also if you ever get up toward springboro...on SR73 right behind applebee's is aqautic pets and ponds.....that is the best store in the world as far as I am concerned...ask for brian and tell him I sent ya...
i travel all over OH and the rest of the tristate for my job, just email me the info for the store and i'll go from there!
Thanks again!
 
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