you couldnt be more right and with that...a shop run by "fish owners" tend to focus on the wrong things for the health and wealth of their business. This video even underscores it. The idea of "good price" is brought up far too much. If you pin your business success around price you will always struggle. You MUST sell at a price that builds enough profits to sustain the business and if that means you have to charge a bit more then so be it..... its all about service not price. People will pay reasonable premiums for service. No different that in EverytownUSA you can buy a $3 cheeseburger and a $30 cheeseburger....they are both cheeseburgers its the service you get with that burger that justifies the price
Being an entrepreneur in the "tropical fish business and hobby is truly a "labor of Love." To all those courageous individuals who invest their time, energy, and finances to provide all that is needed to enjoy this hobby I commend and thank you.
It's not a hobby. These are sentien beings pets and making money is selling starter tanks to keep a goldfish in. Integrity and selling goldfish are not good bedfellows. Acceptable behaviour is watching this. It's keeping filthy water clean, warm and glass and friends. Fish should not be sold. Ppl should not buy them. You need absorbs to buy a 5 ft tank and keeping the water clear warmish, filtration care knowledge and reality hits these ppl. U v filters glass. Overhead drip unforgiving nature. Or if you do care. Knowledge of what you do is easier than hard work and in my house I have a lifestyle geared towards not having stupidity. If I know my babies are very important. So am I. You have to be rich and learn how to kill your pet. He doesn't give a shit.
They have a whole range, from utter cr@p to never needs maintenance or new parts…you just have to find out which are the best. Try other people’s review videos on here. That’s what I do.
“Not all heroes wear capes, some wear floral shirt 🙌🏻🙌🏻. Also this setup for plumbing and water circulation is very helpful for the future generation that would continue fish business. Thank you so so much sir . Wish you all the best and God bless you more 🙏
You should've hired a plumber to do the water change system, so he could have pulled a permit and simply install the back flow. To prevent any contamination fear from your system to go into the city, it's very common. It might cost more, but it sounds cheaper than building a whole wall with stuff that the inspector might want
(for Corey*) i love hearing the whole backstory of how things started. but also how you came to know dean and start working with him like you do today. what a great friendship and blending of this hobby!! AMAZING what you've accomplished. and kudos to your wife for supporting you in this, and your carpenter friend. :) *oops, thought i was on the co-op channel LOL.
Great video, Nick. There's a lot more to the equation than most people think of. I worked for a pet store during expansions and attempted second locations. Expansions went well, and second locations not so much. Thanks for sharing 😊
@mja2239 if that was for me, I did that two and a half decades ago. The pet store was sold 20 years ago and failed less than a year later. The new owner didn't want to actually work at the store but had employees run it for him during a local economic crash. It was a doomed venture when he decided to take it over, unfortunately.
Great interview you have done there Nick! Very insightful in what running a store really means! I'm currently in the process of building my store up, so this really helped me! Thanks!
Love supporting small business. I was totally shocked when my local pet store Aquarium co-op product in Merrillville, Indiana, The Ark. Out of all the choices for my new tank, i picked your filter because i know corey did the research. It was nice to talk to the employee about the channel too! Good job guys!
The sponge filters are nice, though the big sizes holes invite snails to get trapped. Just stay away from the usb air pumps and definitely the heaters and you will be ok.
Really cool to me seeing these guys in the flesh at the co-op together. I have been watching Cory since I was a young warthog and Nick for a couple years now. lol feels like my TH-cam fish keeping cool uncle/father figure is meeting up with the guy I relate to the most. Nick always has such an appreciation/sponge vibe like he’s soaking it all in when around other experienced fish keepers I really appreciate.
Cory has helped this hobby so much. I love his business outlook and style. He gets it. Listen carefully. This said, some folks just don't belong in retail or any business. LOL Like me ;-)
I really like this video and this whole channel. I just started to plan for having a fish tank again. So far this is my favourite channel I found. It has a great, relaxed vibe and still gives you all the relevant insights.
Just like any small business, it's a lot of work. I know people that have their own business and they are always working. I have nothing but respect for those individuals. Thanks for the video.
Any kind of small business is a huge hassle, what with taxes, expenses, problems with suppliers, bureaucratic red tape, etc. I admire people who have the determination to maintain a small store, despite the struggle and disappointments.
I still use bedframes for a number of things... I have a pile of them out back...! All my racks are modeled after his store... Those early videos are where my fishrooms construction came from...! Thanks for sharing...! Keep up your awesomeness...!!
My experience with the frozen food freezer in The Netherlands is that they tend to be somewhere at the back. You actually have to look for them to find them or ask an employee where to find it. But most people just go with flakes and pellets. I really like that Diebo has a very nice selection of live foods and I often pick some up.
I wished i had more time to watch TH-cam,........Only give a few options entry,middle ,top Stock mostly Entry items as most Shoppers don't have deep pockets. Only a few Store's make it too 10 years plus,many people start with a dream but don't have a plan to get there. You need to listen and have what locals need and try to buy from local breeders. One of the points in this video which is a major reason most Stores fail is giving ample time for Cleaning /Maintenance. Cory covered this in video every corner needs to pay its space.Never run out of the breed and butter sellers,this will cover your rent and most overheads,don't Stock more than a few fish with big Price Tags unless you are firm you can move them.
I really enjoyed this video . I’m not in the aquarium buisness but in the sales buisness, it’s definitely relatable . Super cool, that you were in Seattle.
6:24 You know it's your passion and not just any business, when you just casually put your hand wet inside an aquarium and continue talking without even drying it after....
i've been watching Corey just about since he started. And I've watched you since you were at your folks house. I think it's truly amazing to see how far the both of you have come. And inspiring tale of determination and passion coming to life. Good on you, mate. 🐠🦯🤘🏻🤘🏻
i used to watch KG tropics, aquarium co op and prime time aquatics all the time. over the last year i havnt been on as much and seen an older KG video and got me wondering what happenbed to all my reccomendations lol
My question is - how do you guys ever take a vacation? I am only running about 20 tanks in my home Fish room, but I can never leave town for more than a couple of days! BTW, getting both of you in ONE video is pretty darn amazing! Thank you!
@@beatatarczon1402 well I am a single guy and when you’re raising baby angelfish, black calvus, cories and plecos, it gets kind of scary to ask a teenager to do that! I used to have a guy who rented a room in my basement and he was there for many many years, learned how to feed the fish properly, etc. Unfortunately, he died of cancer almost 2 years ago and oh my gosh it has made things really tough!
It really helps to have planted aquariums. All of my 18 tanks are full of plants, daphnia, scuds, shrimp, and snails. I run sponge filters on all my breeding tanks. The only thing I have that makes it harder is fry. I keep frozen repashy on hand if I need someone to feed them. Fortunately, all my fish eat repashy. Lights are on timers that you can run from an app(tapo timers from best buy).
A really exiting fish store. Looks quite European - in the best way. I can understand from various comments on youtube that the american fish stores isn’t the most inspiring, but this is really how to do it. Well done.
What's people's thoughts on his comment near the end, 'another local store is a competitor'? I mean, on the one hand he's obviously right, you have a fixed amount of money to spend and you're going to spend it in one place rather than another. But on the other hand, if you're anything like me, we'll drive out to a place that have 3 or four shops near to each other, but probably wouldn't drive out to just go to one in the middle of nowhere. I suppose there must be a sweet spot between the two?
I drive an hour and half just to go to one that's worth it. I have 2 big box pet stores and one lfs, but our lfs is small and while I do still buy from them, they just don't have the options available.
"Most owners are fish people, not business people" Very wise words.
What I have noticed as well
you couldnt be more right and with that...a shop run by "fish owners" tend to focus on the wrong things for the health and wealth of their business. This video even underscores it. The idea of "good price" is brought up far too much. If you pin your business success around price you will always struggle. You MUST sell at a price that builds enough profits to sustain the business and if that means you have to charge a bit more then so be it..... its all about service not price. People will pay reasonable premiums for service. No different that in EverytownUSA you can buy a $3 cheeseburger and a $30 cheeseburger....they are both cheeseburgers its the service you get with that burger that justifies the price
Being an entrepreneur in the "tropical fish business and hobby is truly a "labor of Love." To all those courageous individuals who invest their time, energy, and finances to provide all that is needed to enjoy this hobby I commend and thank you.
It's not a hobby. These are sentien beings pets and making money is selling starter tanks to keep a goldfish in. Integrity and selling goldfish are not good bedfellows. Acceptable behaviour is watching this. It's keeping filthy water clean, warm and glass and friends. Fish should not be sold. Ppl should not buy them. You need absorbs to buy a 5 ft tank and keeping the water clear warmish, filtration care knowledge and reality hits these ppl. U v filters glass. Overhead drip unforgiving nature. Or if you do care. Knowledge of what you do is easier than hard work and in my house I have a lifestyle geared towards not having stupidity. If I know my babies are very important. So am I. You have to be rich and learn how to kill your pet. He doesn't give a shit.
I've got a lot of respet for Cory as a fishkeeper, but I've got even more respect as a businessman.
Wish the products weren’t Chinese made garbage though.
@@laurafratoni7931 What products of theirs are garbage?
They have a whole range, from utter cr@p to never needs maintenance or new parts…you just have to find out which are the best. Try other people’s review videos on here. That’s what I do.
@@laurafratoni7931 Chinese made is no longer synonymous with garbage. Over 30% of global manufacturing is now made in China.
This is a great video to give anyone an idea of running a small business. All of the tips apply.
exactly
Corey is awesome, glad you got to meet him and chat!
“Not all heroes wear capes, some wear floral shirt 🙌🏻🙌🏻. Also this setup for plumbing and water circulation is very helpful for the future generation that would continue fish business. Thank you so so much sir . Wish you all the best and God bless you more 🙏
When you said you had a budget of 80K, Cory took a big gulp.
You should've hired a plumber to do the water change system, so he could have pulled a permit and simply install the back flow. To prevent any contamination fear from your system to go into the city, it's very common. It might cost more, but it sounds cheaper than building a whole wall with stuff that the inspector might want
Yeah. The authorities were doing their job. Cory just casually dismisses their concern with the backflow of contaminated water.
So bizarre seeing Nick at aquarium co-op! Living your dreams mate
I got confused seeing Dean in one of these vids and thought I'd switched to co-op's channel haha
Both of you have inspired me in the hobby, along with other creators.
Love what you guys are doing!
Wish these guys all the best of luck and success!
A little late but a simple backflow preventer separates tank water from supply water. Dont be afraid to ask a plumber haha
(for Corey*) i love hearing the whole backstory of how things started. but also how you came to know dean and start working with him like you do today. what a great friendship and blending of this hobby!! AMAZING what you've accomplished. and kudos to your wife for supporting you in this, and your carpenter friend. :)
*oops, thought i was on the co-op channel LOL.
Great to see your hard work is paying off! You’re living the dream, man ✌️
EXCELLENT VIDEO. I enjoy watching both of your channels so it is wonderful to see you both together. Amazing thought-provoking info. THANK YOU. USA
Two legends in the room. Great video big man.
Great video, Nick. There's a lot more to the equation than most people think of. I worked for a pet store during expansions and attempted second locations. Expansions went well, and second locations not so much. Thanks for sharing 😊
Because you worked at the expansion. Now go work at the second location.
@mja2239 if that was for me, I did that two and a half decades ago. The pet store was sold 20 years ago and failed less than a year later. The new owner didn't want to actually work at the store but had employees run it for him during a local economic crash. It was a doomed venture when he decided to take it over, unfortunately.
@@jeffkane4391 what happened to the fish?
@mja2239 at that store, I'm not sure, I only stopped by the new owner twice. I kept salt water fish at that time, and he was fresh only
Your both absolutely wonderful people, thank you for sharing you're knowledge, thoughts and experiences
Great interview you have done there Nick! Very insightful in what running a store really means! I'm currently in the process of building my store up, so this really helped me! Thanks!
Since you were a little kid??? Like a couple years ago?
This video is pure gold. Thank you for sharing your experience and wisdom!
When he said bigger you get more flood will hurt I felt this 😢 only 40 tanks but had over 100 gal on the floor when I woke up 😮
Love supporting small business. I was totally shocked when my local pet store Aquarium co-op product in Merrillville, Indiana, The Ark. Out of all the choices for my new tank, i picked your filter because i know corey did the research. It was nice to talk to the employee about the channel too! Good job guys!
The sponge filters are nice, though the big sizes holes invite snails to get trapped. Just stay away from the usb air pumps and definitely the heaters and you will be ok.
What's wrong with the USB air pumps?
@@mja2239 cant handle much current i believe vs ones with an actual transformer in the plug i would assume
Really cool to me seeing these guys in the flesh at the co-op together. I have been watching Cory since I was a young warthog and Nick for a couple years now. lol feels like my TH-cam fish keeping cool uncle/father figure is meeting up with the guy I relate to the most. Nick always has such an appreciation/sponge vibe like he’s soaking it all in when around other experienced fish keepers I really appreciate.
You were a warthog?
0:24 that clap tho
i love seeing how big your channel has grown. hard work pays off.
Cory has helped this hobby so much. I love his business outlook and style. He gets it. Listen carefully. This said, some folks just don't belong in retail or any business. LOL Like me ;-)
This video is now a part of history. A good documentary of how you started.
good video. Loved how you were both down to earth and it was a solid conversation.
33 minutes in and loving how Cory is just casually dipping his hand in the water repeatedly
I really like this video and this whole channel. I just started to plan for having a fish tank again. So far this is my favourite channel I found. It has a great, relaxed vibe and still gives you all the relevant insights.
Like always nice audio quality
Just like any small business, it's a lot of work. I know people that have their own business and they are always working. I have nothing but respect for those individuals. Thanks for the video.
Not just small business, big business people too are working.
Any kind of small business is a huge hassle, what with taxes, expenses, problems with suppliers, bureaucratic red tape, etc. I admire people who have the determination to maintain a small store, despite the struggle and disappointments.
The urge to go to aquarium co-op again after watching this. It's just such a nice little store. I love watching the fish.
Another dream collab. Great work mate
I still use bedframes for a number of things... I have a pile of them out back...! All my racks are modeled after his store... Those early videos are where my fishrooms construction came from...! Thanks for sharing...! Keep up your awesomeness...!!
A place like this in Turkey is usually dirty but this place looks great.
Same experience of many LFS (little fish shops) in Singapore, where I grew up.
Same in India.
Fantastic insight and great work with the video! Happy to get an opportunity to see into the background!
The fact that Cory is a fisherman, he's not the only one who can afford to build his own aquarium
That's a great slogan and i agree, i have an aquaponics system, it has been a real treat watching the ecosystem evolve and adjust to the environment
Corey seems like a really good dude, for sure. The whole "'breaking even" thing is ok because it helps the hobby in general is righteous.
How has everybody else managed to finish the video already it’s been TWO minutes
😂😂I always wonder that!!
watching on faster speed
@@awcm1507 Must consume Co-Op and Keeping Fish Simple posts STAT!!! 😁🤣🐡🐠🌿🌱
@@awcm1507 it’s a 37 minute video you’d have to be watching 18.5 times faster than everybody else even if you clicked immediately
Great video, always good to know behind the scenes. Saw on real speed 😁
I love that he has stickers to show which ones are locally bred!
My experience with the frozen food freezer in The Netherlands is that they tend to be somewhere at the back. You actually have to look for them to find them or ask an employee where to find it. But most people just go with flakes and pellets. I really like that Diebo has a very nice selection of live foods and I often pick some up.
My two favorite fish guys together!!
Great video and facts on opening a small business.
Cool video Nick and Cory! I always enjoy watching these 🙂
This is a great video! ❤
this dude is a legend in the hobby
its insane to me that thoose big tanks dont have a whole surface they sit on, they are only supported on the short sides.
That’s one of the biggest advantages to framed tanks. They are designed to hold their own weight
@@gibshredcamel even metal bends. glass doesnt.
The colab we all needed! 👏 👏
Valuable info from a real businessman
Love you guys. Glad to see these worlds finally collide :)
Yo love your videos
Love your videos, mate!
I was just in Cory's store a few days ago. I'm guessing the store was closed when you were making this video. Welcome to America.
Cory said it was Saturday night after hours in the video.
What does America have to do with it?
Nick is from Australia. He is visiting the US. They are a local person who is welcoming him to America.
I think Laura took it like this - Bad this, bad that, bad the other thing, huh, welcome to America.
And like my voice goes higher when I’m telling a scenario of what happened in the past.!!! lol
Good video!
I wished i had more time to watch TH-cam,........Only give a few options entry,middle ,top Stock mostly Entry items as most Shoppers don't have deep pockets. Only a few Store's make it too 10 years plus,many people start with a dream but don't have a plan to get there. You need to listen and have what locals need and try to buy from local breeders. One of the points in this video which is a major reason most Stores fail is giving ample time for Cleaning /Maintenance. Cory covered this in video every corner needs to pay its space.Never run out of the breed and butter sellers,this will cover your rent and most overheads,don't Stock more than a few fish with big Price Tags unless you are firm you can move them.
I really enjoyed this video . I’m not in the aquarium buisness but in the sales buisness, it’s definitely relatable . Super cool, that you were in Seattle.
*business
6:24 You know it's your passion and not just any business, when you just casually put your hand wet inside an aquarium and continue talking without even drying it after....
SUPER INTERESTING! THANKS FOR SHARING
that video was so informative! thank you!
I love my aquatic community
i've been watching Corey just about since he started. And I've watched you since you were at your folks house. I think it's truly amazing to see how far the both of you have come. And inspiring tale of determination and passion coming to life. Good on you, mate. 🐠🦯🤘🏻🤘🏻
Love you both
Harbor freight builds so many small businesses
Will there be a second part of this video? It kind of just ended. I did enjoy it thoroughly however
at 9:15 are those UV sterilizers in the first row second tank and second row first tank?
i used to watch KG tropics, aquarium co op and prime time aquatics all the time. over the last year i havnt been on as much and seen an older KG video and got me wondering what happenbed to all my reccomendations lol
I've always wondered what happens to the fish that start getting big after no one buys them
Facts
It goes into depression and then the store keeper has to tell it everyday "you are as beautiful as any other fish out there".
@@mja2239 you're weird
Amazing advice..thank you :)
My question is - how do you guys ever take a vacation? I am only running about 20 tanks in my home Fish room, but I can never leave town for more than a couple of days!
BTW, getting both of you in ONE video is pretty darn amazing! Thank you!
don't you have family to feed your fish? get a teenage neighbor
@@beatatarczon1402 well I am a single guy and when you’re raising baby angelfish, black calvus, cories and plecos, it gets kind of scary to ask a teenager to do that! I used to have a guy who rented a room in my basement and he was there for many many years, learned how to feed the fish properly, etc. Unfortunately, he died of cancer almost 2 years ago and oh my gosh it has made things really tough!
Get automatic feeder.
Fish can easily manage a week without food. Run the lights with a watch and make sure the filtration is up to date and enjoy the vacation. 🤷🏼♂️
It really helps to have planted aquariums. All of my 18 tanks are full of plants, daphnia, scuds, shrimp, and snails. I run sponge filters on all my breeding tanks. The only thing I have that makes it harder is fry. I keep frozen repashy on hand if I need someone to feed them. Fortunately, all my fish eat repashy. Lights are on timers that you can run from an app(tapo timers from best buy).
Two of my favorite fish keepers!
A really exiting fish store. Looks quite European - in the best way.
I can understand from various comments on youtube that the american fish stores isn’t the most inspiring, but this is really how to do it. Well done.
I wish there was a fish store like aquarium co op where I live ..
We have started a new pet supply store recently and we we also breed and sell fish, great insight and info for a new business.
i just hope the hobby doesnt die
If it does it's because some shops are trying to sell Neon Tetra's for $5 each now.
Everything dies one day. Just prepare for the funeral.
you clapped your hands at 25 seconds and made a cool noise. Keep it up!
Such a sweet sweet collab!
Great video guys never taught id see yous together
You may have been able to install a reduce pressure backflow preventer and not need an air gap.
Really good Vid. Two experts talking shop.
Both of you inspired me to get into it Among some others
Really appreciate the committment
cool as going to the fish place that inspires you. awesome vid team
I dont eben own any fish but i wiah this place was open for business when i lived in edmonds as a kid. Very cool little shop.
Great video hope to open my own aquarium store when i am 18
Make a really good business plan! Liking fish, doesn't make them a viable business. I wouldnt do it.
@@S.Trades I know
Are you opening your store in India or are you going to the US to open your store?
@mja2239 New Zealand 🇳🇿
@@Ishan.patel. Going to new zealand to open your aquarium store doesn't make any sense.
1:53 what's up with that door at the back? lmao ACO is haunted
Legendary Fish Store ❤🙂
Would've loved to see the sign for the plants
Why no shout out to the guy you're interviewing? Where is his store? What's his website/channel?
Yeah I found it odd that there's not even a link to his stuff, his place/channel is Aquarium Co Op, in Edmonds, Washington
What's people's thoughts on his comment near the end, 'another local store is a competitor'?
I mean, on the one hand he's obviously right, you have a fixed amount of money to spend and you're going to spend it in one place rather than another. But on the other hand, if you're anything like me, we'll drive out to a place that have 3 or four shops near to each other, but probably wouldn't drive out to just go to one in the middle of nowhere.
I suppose there must be a sweet spot between the two?
I drive an hour and half just to go to one that's worth it. I have 2 big box pet stores and one lfs, but our lfs is small and while I do still buy from them, they just don't have the options available.
2 big box don't have options either?
I don't usually buy from the bix bog unless I see something I haven't seen elsewhere. I do still buy supplies there though.
@@jodip719 For example?
I need a fish store
This was great. To hear Cory's logic and reasoning behind things was so enlightening.
Are your tanks only supported on the sides?
I love to see the strugle thank you for sharing😂❤
using the color coded system on plants is great. use color zip ties and its even better
Awesome video! Super informative!
What an educational and interesting video. Great.
That whole story about money and permits is why nobody I know ever got a permit to build something, they just do it 😂