Support your LFS. Too late?

[gparr]

John Tullock's letter in the "Triggerfish" issue went on at some length, offering the usual blather about supporting our local reef/fish stores. While I'm not opposed to doing so, he got me wondering just how valid that is anymore, particularly for reef hobbyists. My trips to LFSs are so few and far between that they're insignificant. Dry goods are purchased from online stores such as F&S and Bulk Reef Supply. I just make sure that I order enough and keep a supply of what I need at all times. Few LFSs have what I need for dry goods anyway. Corals come from hobbyists, swaps, or basement operations such as Midwest Saltwater. I feel I get better quality, regardless of price.

Most serious hobbyists seem to be in the same boat. Judging by the activity at R2R, it seems that most corals are traded/sold between hobbyists or purchased from online operations.

Do you agree? For those who have been doing this for a long time, is the LFS obsolete? Or do you rely heavily on LFSs?

Gary

 

[Poseidon]

I have a few favorites, I still buy fish and some supplies from the LFS. (Well I actually trade corals for them.)

Most LFS do not have more then the basics, Salt, food, etc... Some stores don't even have "good" food. I am very fortunate to live within an hour of 3 very good stores, that are exceptions to the typical LFS routine.

 

[Tankguy001]

I push for our local club here in Vegas to support our LFS. I personally like seeing my fish in person before buying. Sometimes some nice corals do come in. Ofcourse some stores are better than others. While I do buy/trade corals from friends and online vendors I still think our LFS are needed

 

[Azurel]

I still do business with LFS we only have 2 here in Kalamazoo and one gets most of my business. I do most of my coral purchasing from Online vendors just do to the fact that I have become selective in my purchases and only buy certain things now like ricordea. Some of the best pieces I have though have been bought from a LFS....But I think it is difficult for LFSs here in the midwest to compete with shops for high end corals that are located out in Cali and Florida...that also depends on the LFSs buying power with wholesalers.....Are they needed yes I think so, especially in times of emergency.

 

[GrouperGenius]

We are blessed by having some really good stores locally. I can pick up all my dry goods, food, etc. for WAY less than online. The Tampa area stores rarely have high end zoas, but my favorite LFS deals with some very nice SPS stuff. For every $100 I spend in this hobby, my LFS gets $85 of it.

I usually deal with other reefers and some online stores for certain zoas.

 

[AlexStinson]

It's a hard question, LFS are very important to get people into the hobby.
Unfortunatly a LFS just can't carry the supplies needed. Locally we have probably 5 people using the zeovit system, but we can't afford to carry and if we did theres no way we can compete with online stores. Same thing with salts, we struggle to keep 2 brands on our shelves let alone the 10 different salts used by locals.
The only niche we seem to occupy for people that would frequent boards like this is for your basic fish or rock or inverts in small quantity.
As a hobbiest, I often will buy things online as well, but we may very well drive all the LFS's out of business, which would in the long term be very detrimental to the hobby. I mean, how many of us started collecting coral and fish BEFORE we saw them in a LFS.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Alex that is so very key to the hobby.

LFS do get new people into the hobby.

 

[ahayes13]

i rely heavily on my lfs. i visit one store religiously where i purchase everything. lighting, equipment, chemicals, coral, and fish. i love my lfs ! ive only purchased online a few times.

 

[Burks]

I go to my LFS 90% of the time for the stuff I need. The only thing I expect them to have on hand are normal things like frozen food, salt, filter pads, etc. Stuff that they have a high turnover rate of anyways. I can't expect them to carry high end skimmers, lights, and stuff like ZeoVit. They just can't afford to buy these items and have them sit in the shop for months on end. It just doesn't work around here. Salt on the other hand, when they order in bulk I get some killer deals (barely over wholesale sometimes). It just helps them get a ton of salt without having to deal with storing all of it, which costs money/takes up space. I could go to a chain store and buy it for a couple dollars more, and not have to wait. But I'm not going to support a place that can't tell the difference between an Acro and a Favia. Heck, they have a coral listed as "ORANGE THING" because they have no idea what it is, but it's $65! Carnation Coral BTW.

This isn't to say I don't shop elsewhere, because then I'd be lying. I'll go buy stuff like Brightwell Aquatics NeoZeo online because no one here had it (except PSP, and they aren't getting my money). No big deal. In fact, my LFS wanted me to get it to see if it was any good. I've never made an order online for coral or any livestock but have traded with other hobbyist. Half the times my LFS gets a frag of what I got (we're good friends to begin with, well before he had the shop). So it's a give and take relationship, which works perfect! I just can never find enough stuff I like at one place to justify the $50+ shipping costs. I'd rather just wait on my LFS to get something or have them place a special order for me.

 

[AlexStinson]

The LFS making custom orders in a timely manner is, I think, very crucial to the continued support from the true hobbiest. Unfortunatly, even special ordering things can be next to impossible for a LFS unless they can become a dealer. High end items like reef keeper elites and vortechs etc... have a rediculously low margin for a store like mine where we might need 1-5, but if you are some fancy online retailer they can order 50-100 and pay probably half the price the LFS would. The real downfall of the LFS is the online retailers selling normal products at or below what your LFS can get them for. In fact many stores have to order and pay the same prices as an online customer for many products.

 

[stunreefer Verified Sponsor]

I only buy frozen food locally, everything else is online... I might get some fish for the new tank through LFSs.

 

[kileysmama]

I honestly can't think of anything I've got in my tank that didn't come from a LFS or another hobbyist. I have the benefit of a LFS that can order anything, drygoods or livestock, and have it for me by the following week.

 

[chadfarmer]

most of the high dollar equipemtn is bought on line


but everything else is from the local store (i try to give back to the local stores)

 

[oceaninabox]

I see new LFS's opening up and old ones closing down. I do think that in the past 2 years more and more people have tried jumping onto the bandwagon with the online stores. Just look at all the new sponsors R2R has signed up. Seems like there is at least one new sponsor per week. It has to be hurting them in some capacity. They have a tremendous amount of overhead.

 

[JuniorMC8704]

Im spoiled with my LFS's livestock, but I agree to some degree.

However, if I had shops like they do in socal and florida I would never need to go online.

 

[laskopyre]

However, if I had shops like they do in socal and florida I would never need to go online.

I agree with Junior. In the Eastern Cleveland Ohio area, there aren't very many LFS around. When it comes to coral, you either have to order them online, or get them from other reefers. The LFS around me have next to nothing when it comes to saltwater, and their dry goods are way to expensive. It's unfortunate, since I would love to have something more local to go and get things, instead of having to order everything.

 

[FateX8]

when i still had a tank, i went to where ever had the nicer stuff
price wasnt that much of a concern if i was something i liked, but the problem was availability
my lfs doesnt have a lot of coral selection but has the best selection of fish and inverts so i always got fish from them
at onepoint i had 5 different types of trimma gobies, most people havent even seen a single type of trimma
also got my grissengeri from them
when i start back up again im going straight back to them

 

[coral88]

The LFS in my area are good for a few things now and then. One of my favorite thing to do is look through the LFS for coral treasures. From time to time you can find really good deals on thing that would be a little pricy online.

I think I’m better-off not having an amazing LFS any closer than I do. WWC is two hours from my house. I was there yesterday . If they were closer I would be broke all the time. It also makes it fun to make the trip up there once ever 4-6 weeks. But I do shop at my LFS for the basics salt, frozen food, filter material. I think they will be around for a long time to come.

 

[Chris22582]

I do a lot of shopping at my LFS. We are very lucky here in tampa bay area. There a a bunch of good stores very close. Ive bought things online but with my LFS here they generally have about the same price maybe a dollar or 2 more but alot of the times same or less.

 

[swaddict]

I do a lot of shopping at my LFS. We are very lucky here in tampa bay area. There a a bunch of good stores very close. Ive bought things online but with my LFS here they generally have about the same price maybe a dollar or 2 more but alot of the times same or less.

Hey Chris...live in Crystal River, about 1 hour North of you and have no place to shop for corals! Can U recommend a few down your way? Shipping has got way out of hand and would rather drive. Looking for some nice higher end zoas and palys...thanks