Do people really look closely in the LFS.

[atoll]

One of the things I have learnt while in the LFS is to try and visit during quiet periods and to stand back from each tank and watch a while. I see people rushing right up to tanks getting real close and moving on to the next one in no time at all. Often when they do this they miss a shy fish that could just be behind that rock that disappeared as somebody moved quickly towards it the fish vanishing before they got there so they missed it.

Quite possibly this may have happened many times to my latest acquisition my half black tang. It would have been so easy to miss as it was quite shy in the LFS. Other fish in the tank were out in the open but it was a few minutes before it showed itself. It was cheap, healthy and very nice. I asked the manager how long had it been in, he checked and told me 2 weeks. I just can't think why it had nit been snapped up sooner. It's not the biggest nor the best shop and it's certainly not cheap and yet it was the cheapest tang in the shop.

Not all the tanks in this shop indicated what fish were in the, some had some hadn't.

I bet others have seen a fish they may have missed on first looking only to discover a jewel peaking or coming out when they stood back a minute or two.
This is it taken in the LFS before purchase. Took me quite a while to get that shot.

 

[Pistol Peet]

To be honest with you when I go to my local fish store I spend hours in there my wife sits in the car glaring at me I come out and get in that she just rude to me for the rest of the night LOL

 

[WVNed]

I used to love to do that. Then all my local stores closed. All I get to do is ponder pictures on the net now.

 

[Tcook]

I agree. I like it when no one else is in the store. Post a few pics of the tang when settled in your system.

 

[daybreaksky]

I hang out so much at my lfs that I'm pretty much part of the team

 

[atoll]

To be honest with you when I go to my local fish store I spend hours in there my wife sits in the car glaring at me I come out and get in that she just rude to me for the rest of the night LOL

Hence why my wife never wants to come to the LFS with me which suits me just fine lol

 

[firmefatboy799]

To be honest with you when I go to my local fish store I spend hours in there my wife sits in the car glaring at me I come out and get in that she just rude to me for the rest of the night LOL

I felt this to my soul hahahaha

 

[Jib]

I like it when no one else is in the store.

I wish this was the case for me. My LFS is only open 4 days a week and only 6-7 hours each of those days. It's a small store and there are usually 10+ people each time I go. It's a tight store, and with COVID it makes me a little nervous to hang out for too long. Usually a smash and grab affair.

 

[atoll]

I agree. I like it when no one else is in the store. Post a few pics of the tang when settled in your system.

Had him.almost 3 weeks now. Here ya go just took this pic. He ain't shy anymore. BTW he has yellow/gold tips to his tail fin.

 

[HuduVudu]

One of the things I have learnt while in the LFS is to try and visit during quiet periods and to stand back from each tank and watch a while. I see people rushing right up to tanks getting real close and moving on to the next one in no time at all. Often when they do this they miss a shy fish that could just be behind that rock that disappeared as somebody moved quickly towards it the fish vanishing before they got there so they missed it.

Quite possibly this may have happened many times to my latest acquisition my half black tang. It would have been so easy to miss as it was quite shy in the LFS. Other fish in the tank were out in the open but it was a few minutes before it showed itself. It was cheap, healthy and very nice. I asked the manager how long had it been in, he checked and told me 2 weeks. I just can't think why it had nit been snapped up sooner. It's not the biggest nor the best shop and it's certainly not cheap and yet it was the cheapest tang in the shop.

Not all the tanks in this shop indicated what fish were in the, some had some hadn't.

I bet others have seen a fish they may have missed on first looking only to discover a jewel peaking or coming out when they stood back a minute or two.
This is it taken in the LFS before purchase. Took me quite a while to get that shot.

This is literally the only fun thing about LFSs ... the discovery.

 

[sfin52]

I used to love to do that. Then all my local stores closed. All I get to do is ponder pictures on the net now.

That sucks

I hang out so much at my lfs that I'm pretty much part of the team

I even help customers from time to time and tell staff what to bag

Hence why my wife never wants to come to the LFS with me which suits me just fine lol

My wife insists, than keeps reminding me we need to go

I felt this to my soul hahahaha

Me too

 

[HuduVudu]

Hence why my wife never wants to come to the LFS with me which suits me just fine lol

I feel bad for you guys. My wife goes to the fish and I go to the coral.

 

[Acros]

Mimic tangs are cool. They look so gorgeous when they mature.

 

[ScubaFish802]

One of the things I have learnt while in the LFS is to try and visit during quiet periods and to stand back from each tank and watch a while. I see people rushing right up to tanks getting real close and moving on to the next one in no time at all. Often when they do this they miss a shy fish that could just be behind that rock that disappeared as somebody moved quickly towards it the fish vanishing before they got there so they missed it.

Quite possibly this may have happened many times to my latest acquisition my half black tang. It would have been so easy to miss as it was quite shy in the LFS. Other fish in the tank were out in the open but it was a few minutes before it showed itself. It was cheap, healthy and very nice. I asked the manager how long had it been in, he checked and told me 2 weeks. I just can't think why it had nit been snapped up sooner. It's not the biggest nor the best shop and it's certainly not cheap and yet it was the cheapest tang in the shop.

Not all the tanks in this shop indicated what fish were in the, some had some hadn't.

I bet others have seen a fish they may have missed on first looking only to discover a jewel peaking or coming out when they stood back a minute or two.
This is it taken in the LFS before purchase. Took me quite a while to get that shot.

I just recently brought home a black cap basslet that I found the same way. Standing back from the tank for a while it revealed itself from an opening in the rock work. Had great color, watching longer I saw it eat a piece of something that floated by. It wasn’t listed on the tank it was in, and the LFS was about to give up until it showed itself again. Ended up bringing it home that day and it has grown much less timid since

 

[Mr_Knightley]

While I have never bought anything I've found this way, I do find plenty of surprises in my LFS's tanks! They keep grammas and basslets in the invertebrate cubicles (and therefore pretty secluded and secure), they often have small wrasses and anthias hiding among the corals in their flats, and they have been getting about one gem tang every month for a while that they make sure to tell people about ;Hilarious
They also have thriving sun corals growing in several spots deep in the tanks that survived from spawn,, it is very cool.

 

[Tcook]

I just recently brought home a black cap basslet that I found the same way. Standing back from the tank for a while it revealed itself from an opening in the rock work. Had great color, watching longer I saw it eat a piece of something that floated by. It wasn’t listed on the tank it was in, and the LFS was about to give up until it showed itself again. Ended up bringing it home that day and it has grown much less timid since

Nice. I've been looking for one of those for a long time.

 

[Pillahump]

nice chocolate tang! =)

 

[KWT]

I simi rush thru the first pass, then stand back and look at the ones I am interested in. I check the ones I may buy and watch for any abnormal traits. If the LFS is a little busy, I move on and come back when that tank is in-occupied. I take time checking out the coral also. There are a number of LFS in this town so I check those I like to see my Best Buy.

 

[ichthyogeek]

My parents used to drop me off at the LFS while they went to do more maintenance-y things (grocery shopping, etc.) usually for an hour or so. After I somehow started looking mature (let the stubble grow in just that tiniest bit to make my face look more adult-ish, etc.), I'd occasionally get questions from other customers. And the last time I went to the LFS, the guy at the counter basically said "go bag up your own fish, I'm busy ordering next week's fish" (but worded much much nicer).

I typically make a round of all the tanks, and then return to ones where I know I've seen something. Granted, I almost never buy the fish, but it's nice to get a quick look at them.

 

[homer1475]

I get the hard to find fish like this all the time. I often times spend many hours at any LFS I go to(unless it's a cesspool).

I got my Wheeleri goby, and Randall's pistol shrimp this way. The LFS didn't even know the pair was in the tank. When I asked how long they have been there, it was about a year as everyone thought they had gotten sold. I got both for 10$, but had to wait 2 weeks till they finally caught the pistol shrimp.

Next one was a black capped basslet. Such a shy fish, that whenever anyone darts to the tank, it darts away to hide never to be seen from. But sit very still in front of the tank just starring, and he'll come out and swim around.


Just sometimes sit in front of a tank at the LFS for about 10 minutes being very still, and you'll probably see livestock in tanks even the LFS owner thought they sold.