Is livestock at your LFS cheaper than online?

[Coach v]

Is livestock at your LFS cheaper than online?

My LFS, NorCal Corals, consistently has cheaper prices on most live goods. Now, I live in the sticks and local is still an hour, but I dig going there whenever I get down in the valley.

Today, I purchased a Foxface One Spot for $50 and a Halloween hermit for $4. I bought my buddy a Harlinquin Shrimp for $50.

I don't get out much (at least to populated areas) and have only made 2 online livestock orders. Fiji liverock in 2006 and some cleanup crew from reef cleaners a few months ago. I just think it is cool getting to see the fish and pay cheaper prices and was wondering if others have it the same?

 

[shakacuz]

prices are higher than online, yet cheaper than if i get it shipped

 

[ninjamyst]

My lfs is WWC....so....yea.....that's a no

 

[snackpack]

My LFS is *CHEAP*. However, their live stock is not by any means healthy. It's basically Petco with better selection, and kids who actually know something about what they're selling. That said, there's almost always at least one thing dead in each tank. The only thing we buy from them is inverts and frags - and I think we're going to stop with the invert purchases as well.

Our slightly less local LFS is TSM Aquatics. Prices are double to triple the closer LFS, but we know we're buying quality livestock.

 

[KarlSharx]

One of my two LFS is Vivid Aquariums. Generally coral are about 40-50% cheaper in person, especially if you have a good relationship with the employees. My other LFS has what i call a "Coral bargain bin" where they have 20, 30, 40, and 50 dollar frags and I've gotten some absolutely huge frags/rocks from that tank.

 

[Coach v]

Norcal Corals also has $15, 20, 25, and so on frags. The place is always well kept. Sometimes they don't have too much in stock. I think they sell fast. The Foxface and harlinquin had just arrived today.

 

[0ttr]

Online requires I buy a lot to get free shipping. I consider this risky as adding a lot of livestock at once to an established tank, unless it's CRC or something like that, never goes well, IMO. So I prefer LFS in most cases. Both of my more frequent places I buy from have specials that are really good deals. Coupling that with the fact that I can see and choose what I'm buying and I consider it a good deal. That said I will buy online sometimes--when there's a sale, and when there's something I really want and can't get from LFS places.

 

[PotatoPig]

My LFS is more expensive than most online for fish, but they also do a QT that’s very similar to the QT protocol on here and there’s no shipping.

For corals it depends on the coral, some more, some less, especially with random sales, and they keep the corals in fishless systems so reduced (though probably not eliminated as I can’t guarantee their supplier practices) risks of fish parasites/disease. Also, no shipping so can economically buy a single piece.

 

[JayM]

My LFS is considerably less expensive than online vendors for most stuff. Some items are about the same, or slightly higher, but factor in shipping and online purchases aren’t worth it for me.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

I have a great local reef shop so I tend to get fish from him , but I tend to get things for our predator lagoon online, sometimes have the lfs order then pickup when it gets in as they aren’t set up for bigger fish but I also have a 20 plus year relationship going and have spent money there so he tends to not try to make a killing every item It’s win win

 

[Barncat]

All three of the LFS within driving distance of me are stupidly expensive except for snails and hermit crabs. At the one in town they never have prices for their coral written on their frag tank, nor any employees who know what those prices might be. (I have social anxiety so this is stressful for me!) The owner is constantly trying to sell me overpriced gear and doesn't seem to understand the concept of being on a budget. The next two shops: one is only open on the weekends, the other has a gatekeeper owner who responded to my innocent phone inquiry once about whether or not they had emerald crabs in stock with a ten minute rant that I was too nice to hang up on.

 

[Coach v]

One of my two LFS is Vivid Aquariums. Generally coral are about 40-50% cheaper in person, especially if you have a good relationship with the employees. My other LFS has what i call a "Coral bargain bin" where they have 20, 30, 40, and 50 dollar frags and I've gotten some absolutely huge frags/rocks from that tank.

I have always wanted to order from Vivid. Being in CA, it would make shipping quick. I have just never pulled the trigger. I add slowly.

 

[MoshJosh]

My LFS is usually more expensive. . . and on occasion WAY more. . .

Yeah shipping costs. . . but if I order like 3 or 4 things at a time it still ends up cheaper. . .

I try to support local though and will usually buy if just a bit more expensive!

 

[fish farmer]

My LFS....one hour away I haven't been to for several years, prices were usually $30 to $50, but selection was lacking, the over $100 items were usually big rocks with mushrooms and a big leather...tank teardowns.

My Reef LFS is over an hour away...WWC corals at WWC prices. Haven't been there for several years.

I did a bundle order with Pacific East Aquaculture this past spring, got snails, shrimp, half dozen coral frags, the corals averaged out around $30 and were decent pieces.

 

[Mr_Knightley]

I have several LFSs within an hour of me, four of them are entirely worthless so we'll pretend there's only two. One of them is equal or higher than the online prices with everything, $5 turbo snails and $8 emeralds. Very few fish under $50, even their dartfish are like $40 each. But they are the closest to me, and I know from experience that they do an amazing job.
The other shop is an hour from me, so it's rare I get to go, but they charge half online prices for MOST things. Corals are especially cheap, pest free, and healthy, and their fish are often confusingly cheap. Everything in the shop is clean and well taken care of. I believe the owners have family in the import/export business and that's why they can get stuff so cheap.

 

[jda]

We have one LFS who has many outs for corals and fish and their stuff is quality and cheaper than online - direct orders from FL for inverts and some fish, trans ship for others, LA for some, etc. The stores who order from one place and take what they have without question have more expensive stuff - only weeds that that they have grown are cheap.

 

[kevgib67]

The owners of my lfs have been in business for decades. Great selection and prices. What the don’t have they will try to order for me. All my fish and 75% of corals are from there. The only thing more expensive is there dry goods but I buy them there anyway to support them. Also, they always give me higher than I store credit for frags I bring in.

 

[KarlSharx]

I have always wanted to order from Vivid. Being in CA, it would make shipping quick. I have just never pulled the trigger. I add slowly.

Honestly they're a little pricy, but they have some of the most stunning coral I've seen. Good people, too. The owner is super chill and will give you a great price for most coral, and their fish/inverts are very reasonably priced to boot. On top of all that, they have a ton of coral that aren't for sale online.

 

[mosreef]

LFS is Vivid Aquariums

So jealous!!! Love vivid. My lfs sell frags the size of a fingernail clipping or a booger for 3x or 4x the price of online. Frags were all so tiny I couldn't imagine me successfully keeping them alive. I get it - they have to charge so much, the rent is so high here. (seattle/bellevue)

So I just got up the courage to buy my first beginner corals from saltcritters.com, they ship Monday. MUCH beefier frags, 10 day alive guarantee, and so much less expensive. I'm a noob but will try my absolute hardest to meet their needs and help them flourish.

 

[Cthulukelele]

Coral is almost always cheaper in person at my local place. Fish range from significantly cheaper on sale to slightly more expensive than a shipped normal specimen if they're selling a particularly big fish in particularly good condition