Went to a new LFS

[Angry_Platy]

I have 2 LFSs within walking distance from where I live. One is OK for cichlids but dodgy for other fish. The other one USED to be owned by a scary lady. Every time I would go in there she'd glare at you like as if to say "how dare you come in my store" and if asked a question she'd generally give only one word answers. The shop was really dark and the tanks always full of algae and sick looking fish.

A few weeks ago they had a "closing down sale". Unfortunately there was nothing there worth buying even at low prices. Since then new owners have come in with new fish and newer tanks and now the store looks awesome. They have put in extra lighting, have taken away one of the bays of tanks (which hardly had any fish anyways and made the room darker) and their fish look good. The people working there are really friendly and seem to know their stuff (when I bought 6 electric blue cichlids earlier today they gave me the rundown on cycling ).

So I got chatting to the owner, who also works there, and joined the "VIP" club (5% discount off everything) and he asked me how many tanks I had "4" I replied...(which is technically 5 but one of them isn't running ATM)...and he said "is that all" then I paid for my stuff. I thought he was being sarcastic but then I asked how many he had "41 and another one being set up this week"....my jaw nearly dropped to the floor. He then told me of the shops plans to get a good marine section which will sell live rock, corals and fish And then he showed me the room out the back where the marine section will be. It looks awesome. They were in the process of painting it when I was looking

Anyways. Just wanetd to share

OH....and they have a good range of livebearers and cichlids. And their fish look healthy

 

[bunjiweb]

Great stuff, its nice to see a shop transformed, and im glad the fish will now be well looked after in that shop!

Ben

 

[red-devil0602]

you should ask if you can put some of those TFF cards on the counter for customers and ask him to join aswell i would love to see all those tanks lol

 

[fatguppy]

Pity it's so far away - wouldn't mind a visit myself!!!!

We have a lfs here that we use whenever possible because they are also really good - sadly they don't have the variety of fish that the other, dodgy ones have. We have one lfs that we simply WILL NOT use under any circumstances. Every fish we have ever bought from there has died within weeks of purchase. Luckily we don't buy the expensive ones otherwise I would have had to go back and demand a refund. The fish are horrendously overcrowded. We went one day when they had their delivery of new fish - my husband pointed to one that was lying on the floor. They guy just picked it up with his hand and threw it in the nearest tank, whilst we stood there with our mouths open. Apart from the stress to the poor fish, some poor beggar no doubt bought that fish later - assuming it lived long enough to be bought. They do not quarantine at all either.

They have been reported numerous times but apparently legislation does not cover sufficiently for them to be prosecuted and the local authority contact them before they call in for an inspection - it breaks my heart - but all we can do is vote with our feet and tell anyone else not to buy from there.

Nice to hear of a good lfs for a change B)

 

[OohFeeshy]

LOL, know the kind of lfs it used to be. Dark, dingy, sick and dead fish in every tank... And mine has 3 WCMM in a half gallon tank. Sounds good though, its nice to have a good lfs around.

 

[Synirr]

...and ask him to join aswell i would love to see all those tanks lol

YES, me too!!

Sounds like a great transformation the shop has undergone. Fish shops are always better when the owners and/or employees are fishkeepers themselves.

 

[dirtydogg]

one of my lfs is for sale! What I could do . . .