Few Questions

[Jozlyn]

Ok another idea.....or two or three........

Sell terracotta pots. I bought some 2 3/4" (odd that they're sold in Australia with an Imperial size instead of a metric one) pots from KMart yesterday that I've put some of the plants in at the shallow gravel end of my tank, they were only AU$1.20 each.

I also bought some similar sized half pots from a local nursery that I use as caves, I'm not sure why they sell them because you couldn't possibly plant anything in them but they make fantastic caves! At AU$1 each they're cheap as.

Also, plastic mesh for growing/tying java/ricia moss on, in Australia you can buy it from Spotlight in the cross stitch section, it's perfect for the job.

LoL you must be getting sick of me!

 

[PufferFishRule]

by all means please share your thoughts! the more the merrier ima need all the help i can get id like to figure out the cost on all this stuff ill need...gonna keep everything in bulk i mean everything down to them cheap plastic heater mounts....BTW you could prolly get some at you LHS...local hardware storei had to buy some for mine no lfs had em so the hardware store...i was gonna rig something but they had the perfect lil thing for the job!

 

[laurasbetta]

i would really like to see some examples of decorated tanks (maybe like a 2.5 or 5 gallon, a 10 gallon, 20 gallon, and then a jumbo tank). my tank is just so....boring. and i want to know what kind of stuff would be good to put in a bigger one when i upgrade. but my lfs just has the tanks in boxes or shelves. no displays whatsoever. also, maybe group your tanks by size (the ones at my lfs are just kind of randomly strewn about) and then you can put a list of how many/what kind of fish you could put in each tank!

 

[PufferFishRule]

yes another good idea! im writing all these down! already have a decent sized store picked out to! marble floors...big windows! and large storage area! the name will me "Strictly Fish" or maybe Fish'R'Us i dunno help with names would be great to! Fishie Haven!

 

[laurasbetta]

agh. not fish 'r' us! anything but that! the 'r' us stuff has been WAY overdone! do you have a favorite fish of yours? maybe you could name it after your fish! like... "bob's cove" or something like that.

 

[Jozlyn]

oh not Fish R Us that's just too tacky, Strictly Fish is MUCH better.

I live in a small rural town the local hardware shop is very crop orientated! LoL I have to drive miles to get anything!

 

[PufferFishRule]

my tanks are quite nice....i have my 29gal cichlid tank...gravel substrate with lava rock..layed out to form caves and creveses...few plants and a fake log



my 28 is really really tranquil with white gravel sub..and a few japanese pagoda statues...and such...bamboo...very nice when clear and lit right

my 10 gal is a simple bonsai..with rock cave...quick stick together for a nursery

my mothers 55 gal is sand sub...lots of plants and a huge rock and a few lil cave like things...her blue lobster loves the big rock thing..and her platy's swordtails and molly love caves and plants...just bought a lil 5 galon yesterday not sure what to put in it yet...bought it for my lady she likes angels but ehh they wont do in that itty bitty tank maybe as small babies but once they get bigger they have to go into the 28 gal bow front that she bought

 

[Jozlyn]

You know what also drives me nuts? Male and Female live bearers in the same tank! Which means if you happen to buy a female, odds are good she's pregnant! Which means a tank full of fry for the purchaser. This is happening to me ... bought a dalmation molly, didn't know she was a she and that she was pregnant, fry due any time now!

You could plant out the tank and put a Betta in there!

 

[PufferFishRule]

that happend to me to...and she had the babies IN THE DAMNED FISH BAG i was shocked

 

[Puffdaddy]

You should also do a lot of research on fish diseases (you will be asked Q's so you need to know your stuff).
A good idea would be to have entire section for fish diseases. Have many pictures of diseases and there symptoms. A list of natural and artificial remedies for each disease.
If you want to get really fancy you could have an area set up with a nice microscope, so costumers can bring in there fish and you could do scrapes for them. Maybe a section of hospital tanks for people who don't have one, so they can bring them in for a week or two. (thought- fish stay free if meds. are bought in store).

Also a must would be a huge poster or chart explaining(w/graphics) the nitrogen cycle. With a tv next to it playing a repeating video on the subject.

I would also recommend a huge puffer selection. I'm bias when it comes to puffers.

Have some paper work(postcard or something reasonable)with all the useful info on it, for every fish you sell, them give to the buyer when purchased.

Also don't for get saltwater.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

If you want to start any buisness, i would definately advise you do some sort of buisness studies course at college or uni- without such vital knowledge, it will be difficult for you to successfully run any buisness. Seconding, running petshops in general don't make much profit, it could be many years before you start to run into the profits and even then it would be after much hard work and probably stress too.
If you are just doing it for the love of the hobby, its not something i would really/nesarsarily advise as you may encounter a lot of difficulties in such a buisness which may make you not love your fishkeeping hobby as much (like a guy i used to know who was a history teacher at a school once said to me, he used to love learning about history until he started teaching it, then it just become stressful and boring as he couldn't do what he wanted to anymore which such a subject etc).
Just wondering, but how old are you? Do you have much work experience in general, particularly with lfs/lps?

 

[blackbat]

good luck you will need council approval and inspections from the rspca. please don't sell your fish before you make sure they are not ill and don't sell fish with set ups make sure you advise new tank buyers to set the tank up and cycle it before adding fish.

 

[PufferFishRule]

not much experience i have maybe a year or so of fish keeping under my belt i know i know not enough right? well ive been reading countless numbers of books on buisness management ...aquarium care...tropical fish fresh an salt...and a bunch more on basic stuffthats why im asking questions to expand my knowledge me and my mother would be the owners...she knows lots and lots on live bearers manly ive been studying the cichlid species i love cichlids not gonna open it right away until i feel comfortable enough that i know all i need to know about it all until then im just scoping out buildings and waiting for my head to swell with info

 

[mommyof2bettas]

I'd say have about 10 empty tanks to treat diseases and stuff like that. Also, you could have a water testing area. A good one, not like some other fish shops. You could test ALL the stats, kh, gh, ph, ammonia, etc. And you should ask some questions before selling any fish, and give some advice about stocking when selling any tank. Honestly, i think it'll be hard with just 2 people running the store. You could also sell/give out typed info sheets on each fish and plants, and water stats, and cycling. You could have a bulletin board up with links to fishy websites, fish disease websites, suggestions on nice easy fish for beginners, suggestions for nice fishy books etc.... If I had a fish store with all those things that have been previously posted I would never leave! Of course it would also cost a whole lot and make even less money because some people don't want to buy a 20 gallon tank for a goldfish.

 

[PufferFishRule]

its me my mother...younger bro...step dad...few friends and that it..we wont hire out of the family/friends circle