Can we address something? (Eating at LFS)

[wom001]

Just spent the last 20 min going through the first 3 pages of this thread and Ive noticed that during most mentioned fish purchases, every fish people have picked up have been "Eating". Now while im not calling bs on any of it, I just know in my local area fish are delivered to the LFS and then basically put on sale. After that the most sought after / desirable fish probably leave about an hour later. Iv picked up fish on multiple occasions not eating due to either the rarity / color morph and really have been just looking for general food interest, color, and body language.

Have I been conditioned to my local fish market or are we all just grouping mouthing / general interest / swimming through the food as "Eating"?

 

[James M]

A eating fish at the lfs is a fish that has a high chance of surviving rather than a fish who isn’t eating. It just shows if the fish is in “good shape “ or not .

 

[wesman42]

Mine states that it doesn't allow a fish to go home unless it's eaten - which I know is complete and utter crap. It's up to the consumer to ensure that the fish is eating at the store before purchase.

 

[CoralCache]

Well over 20 years keeping marine fish and no matter how much I want a fish I will not buy it if it doesn't attack food. If it looks a little confused I pass.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

I don't really get your question...
You can see if they eat, you don't have to rely on them to tell you.

They are eating if you see them eat.

 

[azbigjohn]

I don't really get your question...
You can see if they eat, you don't have to rely on them to tell you.

They are eating if you see them eat.

I think the OP was referring to the advice many people give, which is to insist the LFS feed the fish in front of you to watch for a good feeding response, compared to teh reality that in some areas, "quality, sought out fish" go very quickly...

I would not shop at an LFS where I got pushback on asking them to throw a little food in the water to watch the feeding response!

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Ok, well then one may as well order online.

 

[wom001]

I think the OP was referring to the advice many people give, which is to insist the LFS feed the fish in front of you to watch for a good feeding response, compared to teh reality that in some areas, "quality, sought out fish" go very quickly...

I would not shop at an LFS where I got pushback on asking them to throw a little food in the water to watch the feeding response!

This more of what im getting at. My question at its base is I think I might have been condition by my local fish market to purchases more "Risky" fish because of how fast they typically fly off the shelves. While yes I do ask to see if a fish is eating but its not a instant nix if they dont aggressively attack the food. If they give general interest, have good coloring, actively hunting or inquisitive, doing normal Hi Im a fish look at me stuff, I will usually pick them up. Granted there are some red flag fish that I would not purchased without seeing them eat. I just think we put alot of stock into looking for a reaction to something that may not show itself for a multitude of reasons (Presented wrong food, Not food they've seen before, stressed during transport, active grazers) I wanted some perspective on the whole industry as a whole rather than what iv been conditioned to deal with.

Let me give an example @GoldeneyeRet , I went down the rabbit hole earlier and was reading someone with a potters / bluestar wrasse experience on picking them up from the LFS. I honestly was surprised that their LFS had both fish for as long as the OP said they had them (2weeks) and that they were apparently there for a while. In my own experience all leopards fly off the shelves within 2 days at any LFS (Bad and Good ones) around town. The same will go for Blonde Nasos, Desjardinis, pygmy wrasses, potters angels, etc.

From everyone's responses it does look like I may have fallen into some bad conditioning lol.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

If they are selling that fast you are not getting the advantages of purchasing at a lfs. Some fish I would not have an issue with doing that, but those fish I dont mind ordering either.

Picky eaters, poor shippers etc I would rather buy local, provided they had time to settle, eat and acclimatize to aquarium life. If not, and they sell that fast, there is no reason to buy from lfs. Just order and at least you have a warranty.

Sounds like your market is impulse buying, dont get caught up in a feeding frenzy. These fish you mention are not hard to find so no point in rushing to buy.

 

[andrewkw]

If a fish has been at a store a week or longer I would want to know it's eating.
If it's been there a day or 2 then if it's eating or not will not effect my purchase. I don't do this anymore since I'm out in the middle of no where but when I was fish shopping weekly if I had the opportunity to buy a fish right when it arrived I'd do that and have it forgo the fish stores system. Some places would post their fish lists prior to arrival so you'd have an idea of what to expect of course just because it's on the list it doesn't mean it will arrive.

Today there are so many more high quality frozen and dry foods then there were in years past it's a lot easier to get fish eating then it was say 10 years ago. At least in my opinion. Before I was feeding mysis and brine, now I have mysis and brine, various kinds of lrs, fish eggs, pe calanus, 4 or 5 different pellets ect. If the fish is going to eat chances are I'll have something it will go for.

For the average hobbyist it's certainly easier for them to get a fish that is somewhat established, but to the more experienced person if they are looking for a certain fish that will be grabbed the second you turn your back you are more willing to take the chance, both because you want that particular fish and hopefully because you have lots of experience getting a fish to eat and are not as worried as someone with less experience.

 

[ca1ore]

I’d not characterize fish selling at any of my LFS as ‘flying off the shelves’’. While I will always ask the store to feed fish I am interested in purchasing, I will also buy some that look to be in good shape even if they don’t eat. I will also not buy some that don’t eat. Depends on the species. In the example of leopard wrasse, they often need to be coaxed to eat and the LFS may not be a good environment for that, so I will buy them even if they do not eat. But, if a leopard shows any pinching behind the head then they’re most likely too far gone and I will pass. I do think experience plays an important role.

 

[drains05]

I think the OP was referring to the advice many people give, which is to insist the LFS feed the fish in front of you to watch for a good feeding response, compared to teh reality that in some areas, "quality, sought out fish" go very quickly...

I would not shop at an LFS where I got pushback on asking them to throw a little food in the water to watch the feeding response!

Feeding the fish every time someone wants to see it eat can be problematic as well.

For example, we feed our fish before we open. This takes about 30 minutes as we make sure to not over feed by carefully adding food to each tank and watching how each fish is eating.

You are not the only person who wants to see the fish eat and obviously feeding a tank 10 to 15 times a day isnt feasible.

Before I opened my store, I purchased a Crosshatch Triggerfish from an lfs who dropped in silversides when i was looking at them so that i could see them eat. He ate like a pig and I said bag'em up. He put the fish in a bag and placed it in a foam cooler.

I got home 20 minutes later. Opened the cooler when I got i side and the trigger was dead and there was probably the equivalent 5 silversides in the bag.

Called the lfs and he said there was nothing they could do a out it. $1200 and a beautiful fish wasted due to the fact the fish was over fed and stress of bagging him made him puke up all of the food and poison himself.

Most likely if you get what you call pushback its due to responsible people thinking of the wellbeing if the fish first.

If you want to see the fish eat then ask the store owner when he feeds hos fish and make sure to be there to see it eat. Im sure they would not have a problem with it.

Just letting you guys here some different perspective on this issue.

I wont sell fish that i know won't eat because I dont want to set my customers up for failure.
I want return or long term customers.

 

[VJM 21]

Feeding the fish every time someone wants to see it eat can be problematic as well.

For example, we feed our fish before we open. This takes about 30 minutes as we make sure to not over feed by carefully adding food to each tank and watching how each fish is eating.

You are not the only person who wants to see the fish eat and obviously feeding a tank 10 to 15 times a day isnt feasible.

Before I opened my store, I purchased a Crosshatch Triggerfish from an lfs who dropped in silversides when i was looking at them so that i could see them eat. He ate like a pig and I said bag'em up. He put the fish in a bag and placed it in a foam cooler.

I got home 20 minutes later. Opened the cooler when I got i side and the trigger was dead and there was probably the equivalent 5 silversides in the bag.

Called the lfs and he said there was nothing they could do a out it. $1200 and a beautiful fish wasted due to the fact the fish was over fed and stress of bagging him made him puke up all of the food and poison himself.

Most likely if you get what you call pushback its due to responsible people thinking of the wellbeing if the fish first.

If you want to see the fish eat then ask the store owner when he feeds hos fish and make sure to be there to see it eat. Im sure they would not have a problem with it.

Just letting you guys here some different perspective on this issue.

I wont sell fish that i know won't eat because I dont want to set my customers up for failure.
I want return or long term customers.

Very interesting perspective. I wish your store was a little closer to PA, lol. I’ve been trying to locate leopard wrasses for the last year. I’ve seen three that were in the store for more than two days. I’ve gone to one LFS who has had customers waiting to purchase them still in the bag from their wholesaler.

 

[Jesterrace]

Just spent the last 20 min going through the first 3 pages of this thread and Ive noticed that during most mentioned fish purchases, every fish people have picked up have been "Eating". Now while im not calling crap on any of it, I just know in my local area fish are delivered to the LFS and then basically put on sale. After that the most sought after / desirable fish probably leave about an hour later. Iv picked up fish on multiple occasions not eating due to either the rarity / color morph and really have been just looking for general food interest, color, and body language.

Have I been conditioned to my local fish market or are we all just grouping mouthing / general interest / swimming through the food as "Eating"?

I agree that the eating is not simply an indicator it's a 4 part process.

1) It has been alive
2) it has been active
3) It has been eating
4) For 2-3 weeks at least in the case of more delicate shippers

For me the last one is actually the most telling. If it's made it that long in the holding tank then it is significantly more likely to be a healthy specimen.

 

[Jvesche20]

This may be a stupid question but do you ask the lfs to feed the fish before you buy it? I’ve been to my lfs many times and I’ve only seen them feed the fish once

 

[Jesterrace]

This may be a stupid question but do you ask the lfs to feed the fish before you buy it? I’ve been to my lfs many times and I’ve only seen them feed the fish once

Yes, you do.

 

[roberthu526]

I was like OP when I first got in the hobby. But now after wasting thousands of dollars I learned to be patient and selective. I don’t buy a fish unless it’s eating well in the LFS. Most LFS don’t offer any warranty whatsoever.

 

[Jesterrace]

True, but the warranty at online sites only guarantees that they arrive alive. Better than nothing, but I would much rather observe the fish for a few weeks before buying it and brining it home.

 

[DSC reef]

I'll ask the LFS if the fish just came in, if so I won't ask to see it eat. It's nice to see if a fish is healthy so we prefer to buy in store. Their are some online companies that provide much more than arrive alive guarantees so that's good.

 

[thaveteran]

There's always going to be the fear of if I don't buy it now someone else will. If you don't see it eat or the store won't feed it, leave it alone. My LFS will feed the tanks 50 times a day if he has to. I never get any push back. If the fish is eating the food can't sit and rot so there's no waste. If the fish isn't then the store owner has to do more water changes. The LFS does water changes at least weekly and probably more often. The tanks are immaculate so I know it can be done, and if they want my money it has to be done. Yes people do make sure fish are eating before purchasing however, they are usually the ones who have been in the hobby awhile and have been burned a few times doing it the other way.