What makes a certain LFS your favorite?

Spare time

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 12, 2019
Messages
11,977
Reaction score
9,610
Location
Here
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am just curious as to what people value the most in their favorite LFS. What keeps you coming back? Why do you choose that store over another? The staff? The cleanliness? etc.
 

WVNed

The fish are staring at me with hungry eyes.
View Badges
Joined
Apr 11, 2018
Messages
10,206
Reaction score
43,614
Location
Hurricane, WV
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Assuming the stuff you mentioned is okay what I like is if they will sell me their junk cheap. The corals laying around the frag tanks on the bottom sometimes that have fallen off the frag plugs or the ones that have gone wild and started growing on stuff in the frag tank.
I used to get pieces like that for $5-10 depending on what it was.
 

elysics

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2020
Messages
1,488
Reaction score
1,480
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Huge, clean, massive displays with massive fish, have the same range in reptiles and fluffy animals like the big chains but just healthier, 5 minutes driving distance, and the alternative real LFS (as opposed to pure coral vendors) that I can drive to on a whim either have no range in store or have a huge range of dead things
 

Azedenkae

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 26, 2021
Messages
2,448
Reaction score
2,317
Location
Seattle
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am just curious as to what people value the most in their favorite LFS. What keeps you coming back? Why do you choose that store over another? The staff? The cleanliness? etc.

Staff and quality products. At a certain point I only want quality products in my tank. I don't want to play around with low quality products that may die on me outside of my control, or require a lot of unnecessary effort to keep alive.
 

SamBackspins

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 7, 2021
Messages
30
Reaction score
71
Location
Raleigh, NC
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Having a pretty sizable frag section, with 5 and 10 dollar frags, that all look pretty good.

all the fish are good prices.

but most of all they are only really open on the weekend, and put the prices and stock of all fish on the website on Friday morning, so you can know if you even want to go.

my only gripe with them is they selectively enforce mask rules, I don’t care if it is or isn’t required, but don’t randomly pick people to yell at about it and be all rude if you aren’t gonna do it to everyone.
 

Cell

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 20, 2019
Messages
14,034
Reaction score
21,628
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Here in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, we really only have 2 options for reef specific stores. New Wave Aquaria and Reef Collective. Luckily, both are great stores.
 

ZoWhat

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 23, 2014
Messages
9,897
Reaction score
17,530
Location
Cincinnati Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Face2face conversations with knowledgeable HONEST ppl, usually the Owners.

As soon as I feel like a Snowjob is coming on to get me to buy, I get turned off.

My favorite LFS has actually talked me out of things bc they want me to succeed and keep coming back.
 

Appoloreefer

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 26, 2021
Messages
167
Reaction score
139
Location
Spring Hill, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I am just curious as to what people value the most in their favorite LFS. What keeps you coming back? Why do you choose that store over another? The staff? The cleanliness? etc.
What keeps me going back is the selection of fish, the knowledge of the staff, the prices and my LFS has everything there.
 

Appoloreefer

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 26, 2021
Messages
167
Reaction score
139
Location
Spring Hill, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Face2face conversations with knowledgeable HONEST ppl, usually the Owners.

As soon as I feel like a Snowjob is coming on to get me to buy, I get turned off.

My favorite LFS has actually talked me out of things bc they want me to succeed and keep coming back.
Yes my LFS has done the same thing and makes recommendations of what would work best
 

squidarcher

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 28, 2020
Messages
244
Reaction score
202
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The big local one that everyone goes to around me is ridiculously overpriced, and the animals aren’t very healthy. They have everything though. The one I work at doesn’t have too much SW, and the corals aren’t super cheap, but the animals are all taken care of very well and we try to order in anything a customer wants
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
90,423
Reaction score
199,090
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
13   0   0
Price
selection
ability to order a special item
customer service
knowledge
sales and specials
Up to date on new product
 

Rmckoy

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 24, 2013
Messages
8,369
Reaction score
11,239
Location
Ontario Canada
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Price , selection ,
Some new stock once in awhile would be nice .

all
Of the bigger chain stores closed their large fish display tanks .

I don’t like seeing dead fish or corals that look like their knocking on deaths door .

knowledgable staff and honest advice goes a long ways .
if I over hear you blowing wind storms up someone’s butt to make a sale , I will call ask the dumbest question , followed by the correct advice , information
 

Laith

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 16, 2017
Messages
881
Reaction score
1,591
Location
Nyon, Switzerland
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Clean, well kept, healthy tanks (fish and coral)... and the staff know what they're talking about (or at least will admit when they don't know or aren't sure).

In fact, every LFS I've been in that wasn't clean, well kept and didn't have healthy tanks had staff that had no clue what they were talking about :rolleyes:.
 

Aquatic acrobat in your aquarium: Have you ever kept an eel?

  • I currently keep an eel in my tank.

    Votes: 29 14.7%
  • I have kept an eel in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 33 16.8%
  • I have not kept an eel in my tank, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 35 17.8%
  • I have no plans to keep an eel.

    Votes: 97 49.2%
  • Other.

    Votes: 3 1.5%
Back
Top