If you knew...

[FishyDave]

If you found out that a national wholesaler was hiding the fact that they were also an online seller.

In this case they would be selling to both LFS and the public. Would it bother you or affect if you would buy from them. I know it matters to an LFS.

An example (yes this is hypothetical example) Quality Marine owning Liveaquaria.

For me I don't think I would buy from them.

 

[Sailfinguy21]

Live Aquaria is owned by Petco now.. and petco gets their corals and fish from live aquaria.. So in a way live aquaria is selling to local stores in a sense.

Local stores who purchase from live aquaria are basically buying from petco now

 

[Jon Fishman]

Hypothetically speaking, I would have to think about it.

 

[FishyDave]

Live Aquaria is owned by Petco now.. and petco gets their corals and fish from live aquaria.. So in a way live aquaria is selling to local stores in a sense.

Local stores who purchase from live aquaria are basically buying from petco now

Petco does not get their stock from Liveaquaria. that comes from vendors like quality marine, apet and others.

LFS buy from quality marine or other wholesalers not from Liveaquaria. Only divers den products are actually touched and owned by LA. Everythig else is dropped shipped on their behalf.

 

[Sailfinguy21]

Petco does not get their stock from Liveaquaria. that comes from vendors like quality marine, apet and others.

LFS buy from quality marine or other wholesalers not from Liveaquaria. Only divers den products are actually touched and owned by LA. Everythig else is dropped shipped on their behalf.

Actually they do.. I go to my local petco almost daily... Ive seen the packing list first hand with live aquaria stamped right on it

 

[Bouncingsoul39]

Hiding it? Like ethically they should announce all business operations to everyone? I don’t get the expectations here. Anyhow, I couldn’t care less. Show me a healthy animal at a low price and I’m sold. Don’t give a flying F who’s selling it. The days of LFS raging against Quality marine and live Aquaria, or raging against garage chop shops, or online only retailers are so behind us. If an LFS is really good at husbandry, customer service, and does maintenance and installation they’d have nothing to worry about. It’s the ****** LFS with bad owners who think they’re gods gift to the aquarium industry that cry about this stuff.

 

[FishyDave]

Hiding it? Like ethically they should announce all business operations to everyone? I don’t get the expectations here. Anyhow, I couldn’t care less. Show me a healthy animal at a low price and I’m sold. Don’t give a flying F who’s selling it. The days of LFS raging against Quality marine and live Aquaria, or raging against garage chop shops, or online only retailers are so behind us. If an LFS is really good at husbandry, customer service, and does maintenance and installation they’d have nothing to worry about. It’s the ****** LFS with bad owners who think they’re gods gift to the aquarium industry that cry about this stuff.

Yeah. Ethically...the more we know about the supply chain the better off we are all. The expectation here is to KNOW where the supplier gets their products. The days of hiding this information needs to end. If we know xyz company gets their products from ABC supplier and their are problems then any other company using ABC would be suspect. Thus forcing ABC to fix the issue.

Given your out of LA, the home land of these online sites and garage operators I am surprised by your hostile answer. I know when I was in San Diego it was such a hot mess with these small unethical operators that it was risky who you bought from.

I just don't see ignoring it as the real option here....

 

[FishyDave]

Actually they do.. I go to my local petco almost daily... Ive seen the packing list first hand with live aquaria stamped right on it

A small store in Rilander WI does not have the supply to fill Petco stores? Did you watch Jake Adam's walk through of that facility recently? DD is tiny.

Read the from shipping address and google it. You will be in for a shock.

 

[Reefnman2]

I purchased some frozen food from LA and it came in a Fosters & Smith box so I'm guessing Petco owns them also?

 

[FishyDave]

I purchased some frozen food from LA and it came in a Fosters & Smith box so I'm guessing Petco owns them also?

PETCO bought Fosters & Smith in 2015. At the time Fosters & Smith owned Liveaquaria. PETCO closed DFS in February of this year laying off 289 employees. They are just using the old boxes and leftover supplies still.

Liveaquaria is all that is left now.

 

[Reefnman2]

PETCO bought Fosters & Smith in 2015. At the time Fosters & Smith owned Liveaquaria. PETCO closed DFS in February of this year laying off 289 employees. They are just using the old boxes and leftover supplies still.

Liveaquaria is all that is left now.

Wow things you learn here at R2R.

 

[Beau_B]

Actually they do.. I go to my local petco almost daily... Ive seen the packing list first hand with live aquaria stamped right on it

My local Petco uses a few sources, Quality being the primary. They don’t get anything from LA, I asked the manager directly.

 

[homer1475]

I'm not seeing the issue here?

I agree with the above, show me a healthy specimen for a decent price and I don't give a rats patooty who's selling it.

Besides if your a retailer/wholesaler/etc, and your not doing business online, your missing out on the largest part of this hobby and would more then likely be closing your doors pretty soon.

 

[Waters]

I could care less as long as I get a good price

 

[sde1500]

I’m curious your reason behind that. Why wouldn’t you buy knowing they do wholesale and retail? I don’t see the point. If I as a seller can manage bulk sales at a discounted price to LFS and sell some direct to retail, likely at a higher price due to the smaller order sizes, why not? What’s the harm/crime involved there?

 

[Sump Crab]

Really does not matter to me.

 

[FishyDave]

I’m curious your reason behind that. Why wouldn’t you buy knowing they do wholesale and retail? I don’t see the point. If I as a seller can manage bulk sales at a discounted price to LFS and sell some direct to retail, likely at a higher price due to the smaller order sizes, why not? What’s the harm/crime involved there?

Great question. For me I want to know who is selling me my fish or better yet where they are coming from.

For example I noticed my LFS fish kept going down hill in quality. I went to another store in town same thing. I eventually found out all the stores around me stopped buying from Quality Marine and started pulling their money together and were trans shipping with some local guy out of his garage who in turn was grouping with some person out of Seattle. I just feel gun shy from that experience.

Based on the responses I'm seeing here maybe it's just me. In the end it is healthy fish that matters to me the most.

 

[AdamB]

Yes, I have bought some of my reef stuff from Dr Foster and Smiths for a long time until last year and was disappointed that Petco bought them out ..

 

[Piranha76]

LIVEAQUARIA SUCKS. STAY AWAY. I use to love them and have had many orders. Since Petco took over it has been down hill. The fish are always on the smaller size of the scale, the corals come DOA. I have gotten more DOA on fish then ever before and they only give tore credit, so to meet the free shipping you have to spend even more or pay $30.00 for shipping. They refused to honor a gift card promotion. The website crashed twice when I was filling out my information. The third time i forgot the promo code. I called and they refuse to honor it. STAY AWAY. Horrible customer service, They gave me a sea anemone with an ulcer on the boot. I called and said it will die. They told me to wait until it dies to request a refund. I guess they were hoping it would last the 15 days before dying. STAY AWAY

 

[Scurvy]

Leaving the whole Petco/DFS/Live Aquaria mess aside as that wasn't where the OP seemed to be going and there's no secret there.

There are many online coral/aquaculture retailers that also supply LFS' both locally and somtimes nationally. Don't see why that would be an issue... Ive also seen one online aquaculture/retailer state he often resuplies his wholesaler with inventory.

Unless there are ultra shady practices happening at some level you're aware of and leaving out of the OP I personally don't see where the problem lies If they have the proper licenses to sell both retail and wholesale.