Why do you prefer buying online to LFS?

[S2G]

It's a 50/50 split for me. If they'll match online pricing for dry goods or competitors I try to buy local. All my livestock is local. I had to special order an angel but it was put into observation for a week before they called me. You can't beat that. I don't like the photo trickier that's online even wysiwyg can be iffy. I try to avoid if all possible.

 

[Tuffyyyyy]

Which lfs is this? I'm bham as well

Reef Life. They don’t name anything, and it’s certainly not a glamorous shop, but they just throw it all into their frag tanks and mark it $20-30.

 

[S2G]

Reef Life. They don’t name anything, and it’s certainly not a glamorous shop, but they just throw it all into their frag tanks and mark it $20-30.

I go there all the time. Shoot my shrimp came out of those tanks. I need to pay more attention. If they have hammers or frogspawn for that then im getting some coral Friday.

 

[AZMSGT]

I support the LFS when they have items I can use. But if they don’t have something I need, I buy online. Not every store carries everything we want. So shop around.

I bought my tanks, lights, pumps, fish and inverts all local. However they don’t sell GHL, or some odd items so I had to go elsewhere. I just found a local store that sells my salt so I will be going there in the future instead of online.

 

[C-Dub]

I do both. I have a few really awesome stores but they’re 1.5-2 hours away and they’re also the closest ones i have available. I would prefer to do all of my shopping there but recently some of our sponsors have had sales and so I’ve made a few decent sized purchases as well

 

[billrob71]

Not really anything local to me anymore , the couple around are between 40-100 miles away
Locals are going away sadly

 

[GrouperBait]

I have lived in rural places, fish fortunate places, and urban unfortunate places.
It all comes down to selection. Living in Florida, I would rather drive to wwc or living reef or top shelf than order online. Now that I am in Tennessee, it will be all online....probably from the same three places. But mostly Wwc...

Not because they have better coral or unique coral or good prices...we all know they are super expensive. But their customer service is so so so legit. I really don’t know if I can trust anyone else if a coral shows up dead.

 

[GrouperBait]

Also, I want to add that live aquaria has effed me over twice...and when they kill animals, they just don’t care. I sent video evidence to prove my concerns, and they reply with ‘company policy’ which I was informed was “clearly defined in the fine print” (which is the biggest oxymoron ever).
I hope y’all can all rally against that crappy company.

 

[BornHandy]

My local stores are hit and miss. The one that keeps a good selection of corals has inconvenient hours, and is insanely expensive! The rest of them keep the usual browns and tan's when it comes to corals.

Part of the reason the one store has a good selection is because his prices keep people from cleaning him out!

 

[LucyLucy]

Online I don’t feel pressured to get a coral I don’t want. Sometimes the LFS tries to push certain corals because I have a nano but I have found the most success with Euphyllia. Also online has more color variations

 

[Jpconer]

It's more about selection for me....there are a couple of good stores in the area...but fish selections are mostly average....better choices on corals

 

[LarryP25]

Dry goods all online. Getting free shipping is easy especially with strict MAP crap.
Livestock is a mix of mostly local hobby sellers and local swaps plus some online live sales and a little at very distant LFS.

 

[jrb1021]

My LFS is 94 miles away. Despite allegedly being the world's largest, selections are very limited, and fish when they actually have them, are tiny, expensive, and generally don't look to be in very good health. For equipment, I can get pretty much anything I want delivered to my door in 48 hours for less money and a lot less aggravation and wear and tear on me and my car. It's fun to browse if I'm in the neighborhood anyway, but between the limitations of stock, the increased prices, and the difficulty of transport throughout most of the year (summer is too hot, winter too cold, and spring and fall can be challenging--shippers have appropriate packaging--the LFS bags stuff and I put it in an insulated bag/cooler), buying online makes a lot more sense for me.

 

[Reef-junky]

Out dated equipment and a lot of the time the tanks look like crap at LFS’s. Also limited selection and a higher cost. They are going out of business left and right at least by me anyway.

 

[Dub]

I’ve only purchased online three times over my 4 years in this hobby. The (typically) $50 in shipping is a huge barrier to me.

I’m also lucky (I guess) in that my LFS just puts all their frags into the tank and charges $20-30 for everything. Kind of hard to order hammers online for $50 when they’re consistently at the LFS for $20.

You are one very lucky buyer. 150 mile trip here to LFS

 

[NinnJinn]

I pretty much solely shop online. The closest salt related LFS is over 60 miles one way.

When I order livestock, I order enough to get free shipping and the few extra bucks per item I may pay online is well worth the live warranty plus I don't have to worry about fuel, wear and tear on my car.

As for dry goods it is strictly online. I would have to drive even further than 60+ miles one way unless I want to wait a few days for them to order what I need.

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

I try to give as much business as possible to the LFS. One thing that works well for me is that they give me a store credit for bringing in my excess chaeto or frags or RBTAs. At one point I had a store credit of $130

 

[ca1ore]

I am approaching 100% online (for most things, not just reefing). I used to make an effort to support the LFS, but most have failed and those that remain do so primarily because of services revenues. For me, online is better in all regards - price, selection, quality ..... I know people say that the LFS is there for them in an emergency, but are they really. The odds of one having the exact piece of equipment I need in an emergency seems remote. Far better to plan ahead and have critical spares.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Lower prices, Savings of time and gas for a two + hour round trip drive and selection plus bonus points for each purchase

 

[Quietman]

Online all the way here. Funny for my planted and freshwater I'll go to my LFS which do have a good coral selection. But I've picked up a few pests with the FW so just a bit wary. With FW, drop 50 bucks and start over...and what the heck I'll be starting over every few months anyway. I don't plan on starting this reef over for years, luck holds anyway. And now it's just a thing... everything online. I bought the wood, wire shelf and screws for the stand mod local at Lowe's. Everything else, equipment, fish, corals, has all been online...but I have used local/small stores online when I can.

To add a quick note...without forums like this, YouTube, other educational media like BRStv, MACNA talks, etc. I don't think not going to LFS would be possible if only for the knowledge they can share. So internet has not only made it convenient and cheaper but allowed the knowledge to be available on demand as well.