Support LFS or buy online?

Mattg023 · Jun 19, 2020

we like to drive to this LFS To support him, he’s a nice guy and has a nice selection. However, he has a no refund policy on saltwater fish. Two of the three fish I’ve bought from him recently have not eaten and died within a week. The deaths were not due to negligence on my part nor my tank parameters. I’m just wondering what others think. I want to support the LFS, but when I spend a ton of money in someone’s store and then they won’t give any credit on dead fish that are not cheap, it makes me want to just order online where for the same or a tad bit more, I can get 2 week warranty on fish. What do you guys think?

AcroNem · Jun 19, 2020

It's up to you. I have a few stores around me but haven't bought anything from them in years, for many reasons. I think if there are issues with livestock, possibly selling too fresh of imports or having improper care on their end, then you don't need to keep going there and can look elsewhere.

Miller535 · Jun 19, 2020

If you have a quality LFS who has what you want, then I say support your LFS. But if you don't, and are getting livestock with issues, then I wouldn't. Nice guy or not, nobody wants to waste their money.

Gablami · Jun 19, 2020

I would also say support your LFS. If you need a pump, or chemicals urgently and can’t wait for shipping, it’s nice to have somewhere to go same day. Don’t get me wrong; I tend to buy a lot of hobby gear online. But fish, I stick to a few local LFS.

If you’re dealing with a normally hardy fish, that has been in the LFS for a number of weeks and is eating readily and appears healthy, it would be pretty rare (in my experience) to have a high rate of death soon after arriving home. Is there an occult fish disease in your home tank possibly?

nereefpat · Jun 19, 2020

Mattg023 said:
However, he has a no refund policy on saltwater fish. Two of the three fish I’ve bought from him recently have not eaten and died within a week. The deaths were not due to negligence on my part nor my tank parameters.

It's rare to get a guarantee.

Ask to see the fish eat, and support your lfs. Wish I had one

Mattg023 · Jun 19, 2020

Gablami said:
I would also say support your LFS. If you need a pump, or chemicals urgently and can’t wait for shipping, it’s nice to have somewhere to go same day. Don’t get me wrong; I tend to buy a lot of hobby gear online. But fish, I stick to a few local LFS.

If you’re dealing with a normally hardy fish, that has been in the LFS for a number of weeks and is eating readily and appears healthy, it would be pretty rare (in my experience) to have a high rate of death soon after arriving home. Is there an occult fish disease in your home tank possibly?

No. No disease. Other fish are healthy. I think it’s a matter of him selling too fresh imports... they probably aren’t there long enough. This has happened to fish I put in separate healthy tanks.

ReeferWarrant · Jun 19, 2020

I wouldnt buy from there if they have a no refund policy and you are having a high mortality rate. That doesnt sound like good practices to me, my LFS legitimately QTs them and posts on their IG and FB accounts the new fish that arrive and are in QT. If you want to support them get something you know wont fail on you, food and equipment.

Mattg023 · Jun 19, 2020

ReeferWarrant said:
I wouldnt buy from there if they have a no refund policy and you are having a high mortality rate. That doesnt sound like good practices to me, my LFS legitimately QTs them and posts on their IG and FB accounts the new fish that arrive and are in QT. If you want to support them get something you know wont fail on you, food and equipment.

I think you are right... seems to me they don’t QT, and just acclimate and sell.

Casket_Case · Jun 19, 2020

Go online. His business needs change... if you keep supporting him he’ll think everything’s running smooth. The less business he gets the sooner he’ll start changing policies.

Victor_C3 · Jun 19, 2020

Before I buy a fish from my LFS, I always ask if they can feed it so I can see whether or not he’s it’s eating. Usually, they’re more than happy to do so.

Joedubyk · Jun 19, 2020

Unfortunately, or fortunately, the game is evolving, and it's evolving towards online. You either neither to evolve with the business or get left behind. That's just how capitalism works.

HB AL · Jun 19, 2020

Why are the fish dying then? if “The deaths were not due to negligence on my part nor my tank parameters”. What kind of fish are dying when put into your tank? There has to be a reason for the casualties.

Mattg023 · Jun 19, 2020

HB AL said:
Why are the fish dying then? if “The deaths were not due to negligence on my part nor my tank parameters”. What kind of fish are dying when put into your tank? There has to be a reason for the casualties.

I tried my best to get them to eat. The latest one was a flame angel I bought last Saturday. Found him yesterday. I’m not buying fish to kill them. I’ve also been testing my water almost every day because I didn’t understand what was wrong.

HB AL · Jun 19, 2020

Mattg023 said:
I tried my best to get them to eat. The latest one was a flame angel I bought last Saturday. Found him yesterday. I’m not buying fish to kill them. I’ve also been testing my water almost every day because I didn’t understand what was wrong.

Next time you go in ask to see the fish eat and if you observe it eating then it should eat in your tank, atleast within a day or so. If the fish at the lfs’s doesn’t eat at the store then don’t buy it. If they refuse to show you the fish eating then run out of the store. If the fish is eating at the store and looks healthy then won’t eat in your tank and starves to death there must be something off In your tank either in the water chemistry or a bully not allowing them to eat.

LiqrSicc · Jun 19, 2020

I'm lucky to have 5 LFS all within 20min away from me. I can't say I support all of them but I do support the ones that look out after their customers. I haven't ordered any livestock or corals online yet. It helps we have a great local reef club and everybody always has good prices on corals.

Mattg023 · Jun 19, 2020

HB AL said:
Why are the fish dying then? if “The deaths were not due to negligence on my part nor my tank parameters”. What kind of fish are dying when put into your tank? There has to be a reason for the casualties.

HB AL said:
Next time you go in ask to see the fish eat and if you observe it eating then it should eat in your tank, atleast within a day or so. If the fish at the lfs’s doesn’t eat at the store then don’t buy it. If they refuse to show you the fish eating then run out of the store. If the fish is eating at the store and looks healthy then won’t eat in your tank and starves to death there must be something off In your tank either in the water chemistry or a bully not allowing them to eat.

I will definitely be asking to see the fish eat from now on.. if I continue buying from them.

Anchor · Jun 19, 2020

I tend to hang out in fish stores longer than they want me to. I have asked them to feed fish only to have them tell me it wont eat cause they were just fed.. I hang out not only to observe fish but to listen to the sales person interact with customers.. Having worked in the industry quite a bit in my past I can recognize the occasional phony sales talk.. I ask them to feed the tank anyway. If the other fish eat and the one you want doesn't.., then I know it was all talk and they know it wont eat.. Usually.... Red Flag goes up for me......And they should be doing frozen foods and not pellet/flake.

How big is your tank and how long has it been set up for?

Mattg023 · Jun 19, 2020

Anchor said:
I tend to hang out in fish stores longer than they want me to. I have asked them to feed fish only to have them tell me it wont eat cause they were just fed.. I hang out not only to observe fish but to listen to the sales person interact with customers.. Having worked in the industry quite a bit in my past I can recognize the occasional phony sales talk.. I ask them to feed the tank anyway. If the other fish eat and the one you want doesn't.., then I know it was all talk and they know it wont eat.. Usually.... Red Flag goes up for me......And they should be doing frozen foods and not pellet/flake.

How big is your tank and how long has it been set up for?

Two tanks. A 32 gallon bio cube which has been set up for a year and a half. And a Standard 75 gallon. Which has been running for a bit over a month. Water params are perfect in Both. Have had casualties from not eating in both. Have tried target feeding each fish that wouldnt eat too, with frozen. And no luck.

Amado · Jun 19, 2020

So I have a 3rd option. I buy fish and corals from other reefers. Look at your local club.
People are always selling live stock.
Most of the time the fish have been in tank for years. Corals are cheaper and the frags a bigger from local growers and they might be open to trade:

Aquavaj · Jun 19, 2020

There's 4 lfs here all within 15 mins. 1 has a 48hr guarantee but you must bring in a water sample if a death occurs. Another has "all sales final". Won't even accept a fish back for in store credit. The other 2 I don't know their policies because they didn't have much fish in stock due to covid.
I just had a small foxface die on me just outside of the guarantee. More my fault than anything else. Gonna curb these impulse buys.
I think I'm going to try LA next week since they have a few I want in stock that I haven't seen at the lfs.