The Do Not Buy List
- Thread starter reefnut
- Start date
mbrands
Member
Originally posted by Scorphntr
Are those chesapeke bay retreivers in your avatar? If so how do they do in Arizona's hot weather?
Nope. 2 Goldens . . . 1 from Indiana and 1 from here. The picture is them in the back seat of our car coming back from Dog Beach in San Diego. They're still wet, so they look a little different.
Ours are indoor dogs, so they don't mind the AZ heat. They LOVE swimming pools though.
firedad720
Member
rick
1journeyman
Active Member
Great thread, try to keep it on topic.
Don't buy a used tank unless you know the history.
Don't buy on impulse.
Don't buy everything you are told by your LFS
Don't buy a used tank unless you know the history.
Don't buy on impulse.
Don't buy everything you are told by your LFS
ohiorn67
Member
YES, DEFINITELY don't buy all from LFS they tell you about AND buy online. I can't believe the MARKUP at my LFS but here in Nashville they hold the cards since they are the main and only store (besides one tiny one) ...check this out. bought my lighting system there. coralife 260W beginner here, 369.00 plus tax. come home find them online 240.00 shipped. took my lights back, guy was snooty about it (but did take them back) and told me that I would never find them for that price......haha!! they arrived 2 days ago and they are great!! So beware what you spend in those LFS stores!! I have learned~~ got ripped on some of my equipment but getting ready to buy my livestock and getting it online!~
mudplayerx
Active Member
ARG!!!
I did a search on this site for camel shrimp because I want to learn more about mine, and I am finding a lot of unecessary negativity.
Camel shrimp are just like all predators in a reef tank.... feed them daily and they won't eat your corals. I have four in my tank and they are not bugging anything at all. I just use this rod I rigged and put a piece of fresh fish near them and they all jump on it.
After eating they all go right back to their rock ledge and don't bug a thing.
I did a search on this site for camel shrimp because I want to learn more about mine, and I am finding a lot of unecessary negativity.
Camel shrimp are just like all predators in a reef tank.... feed them daily and they won't eat your corals. I have four in my tank and they are not bugging anything at all. I just use this rod I rigged and put a piece of fresh fish near them and they all jump on it.
After eating they all go right back to their rock ledge and don't bug a thing.
T
tizzo
Guest
Don't buy a cleaner wrasse.
Don't "rescue" any fish or coral!!
Do not buy any supplements that you do not understand and/or test for.
Don't "rescue" any fish or coral!!
Do not buy any supplements that you do not understand and/or test for.
loodachris
Member
DO NOT BUY from Large pet stores or really any multi pet store, unless they specialize in fish... Mostly big chain/franchise stores because SW fish stores require a lot of time and risk, so when they have shabby fish selection and some dont make it, the rest of their product can absorb the loss no problem. Also, they dont want to spent the money to pay people to maintain their fish section only. Employees at fish/pet stores who work in the fish section should only work in the fish section. Water parameters and the way these fish are acclimated/handled. Unlike Fish stores, Pet stores do not want to spend the time to carefully acclimate their fish and definately remove the fish from the tank properly and stress-lessly. JMO
mbrands
Member
Originally posted by Loodachris
DO NOT BUY from Large pet stores or really any multi pet store, unless they specialize in fish...
Pet stores do not want to spend the time to carefully acclimate their fish and definately remove the fish from the tank properly and stress-lessly. JMO
Wow! You must've had a bad experience. I'd disagree by saying that some, not all, employees of "Large pet stores" are quite knowledgable on saltwater and freshwater fish. I've also been misled by know-it-all employees of fish only stores who didn't know what they were talking about.
I'd say do your research, as you would with future fish/corals, and find the most knowledgable people to help you out.
Just my 2 cents.
farmboy
Active Member
I agree with DO NOT BUY anything until you research. AND price shop. I've seen a H.O.T. magnum cannister filter online many places for less that $70.00. I picked one up (physically) at a LFS and saw the price. IT WAS OVER $200.00!!!!!
I almost dropped the thing. Know your prices.
This site has an emporer angel for $129.00. The LFS has one for $299.00!!!!
I almost dropped the thing. Know your prices.
This site has an emporer angel for $129.00. The LFS has one for $299.00!!!!
jobob
Member
yes know your prices, ive seen fish doubled at lfs. filters too. u will most of the time find it online cheaper than lfs. the bad thing about reseaching soomething, lets say a moorish idol, ur more than likely not goin to find one at lfs. (if u do ur not goin to keep it alive!!) i have seen 2 of them at lfs, not at the same time. well 50 miles away from my house. lol but when i go to fish stores i most of the time buy on impulse, luckly i read alot about fish and corals so i kinda know what im getting into. so i guess what im saying is to do reseach about everything not just one thing, by the time u find that one tihng u will probly forgot what u read!!!!lol
o'yea dont buy a mandarin to cycle ur tank!!! my friend did (after i told him not to get any fish for his tank for atleast 2 weeks.) the damn thing lived!!! i think it had to do with the 75lbs live rock he put in there with him.
o'yea dont buy a mandarin to cycle ur tank!!! my friend did (after i told him not to get any fish for his tank for atleast 2 weeks.) the damn thing lived!!! i think it had to do with the 75lbs live rock he put in there with him.
ant
Member
Let me start by saying that I'm very new to SW tanks and am 4-5 weeks in. I've learned SO much from this sight.
Don't test your tank water too early in the morning as Ph drops through the night. Just learned that.
I have a swing arm hydrometer, I've listened to the LFS store people and have bought crap (except fish), and I have the Atlantis background on my new little tank. I love the background and swing arm seems to be working but now I'm worried.:nervous: Because of this sight I limit my questions to the LFS people and I try to be well informed before I step foot inside. It works!
Thanks for this thread. Ant.
Don't test your tank water too early in the morning as Ph drops through the night. Just learned that.
I have a swing arm hydrometer, I've listened to the LFS store people and have bought crap (except fish), and I have the Atlantis background on my new little tank. I love the background and swing arm seems to be working but now I'm worried.:nervous: Because of this sight I limit my questions to the LFS people and I try to be well informed before I step foot inside. It works!
Thanks for this thread. Ant.
ophiura
Active Member
Sure, know your prices...but don't let prices dictate everything. Some of the better LFS have higher prices because the employ good people and take extra care of their animals. And of course, tank raised fish often cost extra but should be worth the money to hobbyists concerned about the burden on wild caught fish and reefs. I am really tired of price dictating everything when it comes to livestock. I would pay extra for a tank raised fish...a fish that comes from a store that looks like they give a darn...or a store that will go that extra mile and stand by their livestock. I commonly buy stuff online (esp dry goods bought in bulk), but price is not always the motivating factor on livestock. And there are advantages to keeping the local quality LFSs in business...they don't have the overhead of many online stores, so yes they mark up prices, as do all other businesses.
farmboy
Active Member
Originally posted by ophiura
Sure, know your prices...but don't let prices dictate everything. Some of the better LFS have higher prices because the employ good people and take extra care of their animals. And of course, tank raised fish often cost extra but should be worth the money to hobbyists concerned about the burden on wild caught fish and reefs. I am really tired of price dictating everything when it comes to livestock. I would pay extra for a tank raised fish...a fish that comes from a store that looks like they give a darn...or a store that will go that extra mile and stand by their livestock. I commonly buy stuff online (esp dry goods bought in bulk), but price is not always the motivating factor on livestock. And there are advantages to keeping the local quality LFSs in business...they don't have the overhead of many online stores, so yes they mark up prices, as do all other businesses.
Well said. I would pay more for tank-raised. (The H.O.T. magnum threw me off pretty bad though.)
farmboy
Active Member
Originally posted by mudplayerx
ARG!!!
Camel shrimp are just like all predators in a reef tank.... feed them daily and they won't eat your corals. I have four in my tank and they are not bugging anything at all. I just use this rod I rigged and put a piece of fresh fish near them and they all jump on it.
. . . . is that like a "fishing rod"? Or maybe a "DE-fishing rod"?
p.s. Sorry mud-couldn't resist.