My family used to own a pet store for almost 40 years (mid 60s - to early 2000s), we knew we were done when people would come into the store, ask a boatload of questions and then we would never see them again because they would then go and buy everything from a big box store. The funny thing is our prices weren't that much higher than the big stores. At one point I told my parents, unless we started charging a "pet consulting fee", we'd better start thinking about closing. It wasn't too long after that, when we closed up. Ironically, my father once in a while still sees people that used to come into the store, and they STILL ask him questions about their pets.
So sad to hear it came to an end. I do know how it feels to run into people you know from your career in regular places have them question you. I'm a pharmacy technician & sometimes my customers see me outside of work & ask me "any idea if my prescription is ready?" Or "did my medicine come in?" Sometimes they even ask me what to do about this or that & I literally have to tell them to call the pharmacy I'm not at work.
I know a business model where all small stores are in a club so they can order in big amounts and get discounts like the big box stores. Afterwards, they share the product so it's cheaper for shop owner and customer. There buying clubs exist! Maybe a new project for you and cory and other mom and paps stores 😉
I actually got adopted into my Petco as someone to help out with the freshwater side of the store. When I'm in the store the manager has actually said. "Hey, I gotta go run and take a call." *phone was actually ringing. It was a busy day.* "See the kid over there? He is an knowledgeable as I am with fish. I have trust in him. Go talk to him." More or less I'm just considered an employee there but. Just for the fun of it. It's kinda nice that the manager does trust me. He kinda sees me as someone who will more than likely apply once I'm 18. Which honestly. I'm gonna. I like my Petco as much as my LFS. Since they treat it like just a glorified LFS hobbyists of all animals are in there. They steer their customers on the path to giving their fish a good life. And have actually told some customers. I wont sell you this. It will die in that tank. *I was actually one of the ones that was refused. Until I explained that it was a quarantine and my 75 had about two days left before I can get my plants ready before fish. And he happily complied. Green phantom in my 10 gallon for two days and he was only 2 inches so. It wasnt bad :p* My LFS is a nice place as well. Very good people. They like me but also seemed pretty annoyed alot when I was there. So I never bothered em with questions. Except when really needed. 4.8 stars online so. Good store.
Hardgoods are definitely one of the hardest things for a lfs, i know cause i work at one! On a $300 piece of equipment we might make a 2% profit. I also have had numerous people literally say TO MY FACE “well i can get that cheaper on amazon” and walk out of the store after I answered their questions for an hour. Its frustrating to say the least.
Kevin Hanes i mean $20 is $20 but dont take an hour of my time asking questions and getting advice then say to my face that you’ll get it on amazon ya know? I love helping people when they come in but a little bit of courtesy is appreciated.
@@kevinwalden4288 do you consider the advice and knowledge to be free? if i go into an LFS with questions on a product i am intending on buying and i can get good full answers i will pay the extra to the store as they have not only provided me with the item i have bought but also with information on how it works how to clean it how to feed or care for it . this can be invaluable to people. i am aware that some items are hugely marked up in price and for those items i will pass but i wont then ask the store employees to take time out of their day to help me with the product if i am not intending on purchasing it from them or making a large enough purchase that would cover the time taken to help me with it.
Just got word on FB that my one and only ifs is closing in April - theirs isn't the cleanest, but they'd special order any fish you wanted, take back any fish that didn't work out in my tank and give me a bit of store credit and Glenda and Ron have been a wealth of knowledge and community support to 4 generations of pet lovers- their store will be sorely missed 😢 Thank goodness for FishFam on YT- I suppose Getgills will be my new LFS Thanks John and Lisa, another very nice and timely 10 Things video💕👍
So gutted for you two that you closed your store. I’d love to have you guys and your knowledge in my local pet store. But glad you are back to TH-cam! Love the content - keep it up KG family - much love from the other side of the pond 🇬🇧
I have one mom and pop fish store within an hour of me and 3 big box pet stores and luckily the mom and pop has the best service, most knowledgeable staff and best prices by far! I lucked out
Love the mom and pop stores and there are a lot in my area. I choose mine by: health of fish, do they carry rare fish, and how friendly are they. Another great video
Your so luck were I live mom and pop stores are realy rare about 3 big pet stores sell fish and there only about 4 miles away but I drive about half a hour to a mom and pop purely because they are so nice they know so much about fish and I would rather help them out
I always support my local mom and pop stores (lets keep them alive), I find typically I can get better varieties than in big box and I like unusual but natural (due to local breeders). I am not into cross breading or genetic manipulation. I like to keep things as natural as possible but that is getting very difficult these days. I also am always the one to establish a relationship with them because you can typically get more personal info form the owners where this is their livelihood. I may have been keeping my own fish for well over 20 years but I can admit, I do not know everything. Hear lately I have been really interested in Arawanas. I do not just jump into anything unprepared. I have been doing research for at least a year now and am still about a year out for my Arawana tank (waiting for new house to get built). I have read everything I can find on the internet but two weeks ago we went to a very unique pet shop and the owner is a successful Arawana breeder. For me it was like finding the golden ticket for Willy Wanka. It was a slow Tuesday for him. We bought $200 dollars worth of African Cichlids (which is not much) and a full set up for and a bearded dragon for a friends birthday. Costing me about $400 in total. At that rate I felt comfortable about picking his brain for an hour about his trials and tribulations regarding Arawanas. He was actually very eager to share his passion with me even though he new I was not buying an Arawana that day. This is something you do not get in big box stores. I would also not recommend going into a pet shop when its busy and wasting there time when they need to make sales.
Very good video...I appreciated your giving a place to the big box stores. Many employees work there because they love the hobby and are very knowledgeable. The key difference I have found between big box and mom and pop stores is two things: 1) They each tend to carry some differences in dry goods. Big box carries certain key brands, while mom and pop carry other lines. Also big box stores tend to carry just certain types of fish which rarely vary, while mom and pop shops tend to carry more unique fish and often deal in trading stock. I loved Lisa’s piece about cleanliness!
I’m glad that I watched this. I found an awesome mom and pop store half hour away from me and went there to check it out and get some ich treatment that Cory recommended in his video. The guy that helped me wasn’t too friendly, but at least he offered help right away. But when I mentioned Aquarium co-op he looked offended and said that everything that you find online is BS. That kind of alienated me and I left disappointed. I mean Cory has a reputation and I’m sure the guy knows it. Anyway, I bought what the guy recommended even though it was more expensive than Amazon. Not because I wanted to support them but I needed to treat my fish asap. Now, after this video I kind of feel for them and will try to support them in the future. They probably hear that a lot, that you can buy cheap online or you know better cause you googled it:) and I was just trying to start a conversation and show him that I’ve done some research. Thanks for the video!
What a beautiful video. Thank you so much for creating this. Everything you say is right on point. Us independent local fish stores took on quite the contract. Business is fierce! Lisa, when you started reminiscing about owning your fish store, I almost broke down with you. When business slows down, I get scared and just imagining my life without my fish store breaks my heart. I also love Cory's business talks :) Most times, I spend a lot of time helping some clients out and barely get a thank you. I don't know how you do so that yours bring you lattes to thank you! I should take a page out of your book lol!
Thank you!!!!! So much so truth!!! I tell you some times It doesn't matter what you do people are just not loyal any more. We've been doing this a long time and the way people do business now just isn't the same as it use to be. I've had customer who I've bent over backwards for and they'll come in later and tell me how they got some thing from the big box store because they happened to be there then ask me questions about it. I have friends who I've gotten into the hobby who shop other places even when I always give them good discounts. The new generation (my generation) doesn't understand business or how businesses make money. I've had people ask me in the store can I get this cheaper at walmart knowing they were talking to the owner? I could go on and on with stories that are so discouraging and really shows why the big box stores don't invest in the customer service. Look at how big box stores are doing self check out which in my opinion is telling the customer they don't feel like dealing with them at all yet people are going for it. You do get those good ones that can brighten up the day like I had some one come in and said how she knows were understaffed and don't get out for lunch much she brought us a Bannana and a Twinkie she had left from her lunch. We all split the Bannana including the Macaw the dog and of course Gordon the tortoise and now I have a Twinkie obsession because it reminds me some people are still good people. Thanks for the video I might share this on our Facebook page.
We had a fantastic store in Vegas called FISH . They were in business for multiple decades at least. They had everything. They had every part and piece for filters and pumps, it was a well stocked little fish store. I was devastated when they closed up shop. Eventually almost all retail stores will be gone.
This is a Great Video! I'm so Happy there are still " Mom and Pop" Fish stores around! When I was a Kid obsessed with Tropical Fish in the 70's there were Tons of Fish stores around! I know they are Disappearing NOW! But thank God there are several " Mom and Pops" near me still!
I just started on the hobby and watched alot of aqua co-op (and many other) videos. I went to my local mom&pop fishstore because I wanted to get that personal experience, and ask alot of questions. I have never felt so unwelcome and so dismissed as a customer, I dont think I was able to get more than 5 words out of the owner during the 5 minutes he spent ripping things down the wall and bagging it up to get me out. Noone else was in the store, the phone wasnt ringing - he was NOT busy. I then went directly to a bigbox store and got the advice and facts I needed to get started (and obviously spend a little money so they did not waste their time). I wont be going back to the little local fishstore, there is one more on the other side of town I need to check out, but I thi k most of my future buys will be from the big box.
Getting back into fish with my daughter...I’ve been researching and getting ready over the past few days....I can’t thank you 3 enough for all the education and insight...Well done! I’m happy to have found your channels and am looking forward to checking out your content as we grow in the hobby!
I live in a small city. From a Big Box store I got a Fluval Flex (15gal), stand, water treatments and a few odds and ends. After I went to the mom and pop place (forgot they were still in business and had fish supplies) She was very nice and had a good chat. I bought all the rest of my extras from her (about 170 CAD) and an awesome piece of Tiger Wood. Best piece I've see in my city and I even drove 5 hours and got a hotel in the next biggest city and the 2 places I checked had garbage! The mom and pop was a little more expensive, but I don't care, she was nice, good selection and I want to support small business even if it costs more :) p.s. Use debit/cash instead of credit! It helps small business avoid usage fees from credit companies!
I love my LFS but I have to say they are very different. The store has been in business for at least 30 years. The guy that runs it now likes fish more than he likes people so his wife does most of the customer service. It took a long while for him to warm up to me. What turned things around is that I ask intelligent, detailed questions and I ask for specific things. That tells him I care about my fish. He likes that. Also, I buy cleaning supplies and equipment. He says very few people do that because they don't want to take the time to clean their tanks. I see his logic. People that don't take care of their tanks don't have fish for very long so they're not going to be repeat customers. We also have a local Petsm...well you know who I mean. I was told that company had started selling tissue culture plants which my LFS doesn't. I dropped by to check them out. I was looking around and the guy pouring the new fish into the tanks asked what I needed help with. I told him live plants and he looked at me like I was nuts. He asked me, "Why would you want those? They're too hard to keep alive." My jaw hit the floor and I walked out. Guess which store I like better?
I work in the big petstore. I'm not as experienced in fish since I litteraly had every other animal but fish! my coworker works there for 9 years so she helps me out a lot. Seeing these beautifull fish made me want to have an aqaurium myself, and It would also be good to learn to eventually help the costumers too. These video's have been a huge help! I'm likely picking up my first aqaurium soon and fill it with beautifull interesting fish. I like to help make people happy and make the right choices. In return the costumers send me pictures and video's about their happy fishtanks.
These are very good points made about the struggles of local fish stores. In my area over many years I have seen the transition from the local stores to the big box stores. I also miss what the independent stores bring to the hobby, good advice and more variety of plants and fish. Unfortunately the retail pet store business has gotten much more complicated with the intervention internet sales and wholesale pricing. As a hobbyist I greatly appreciate these local fish stores and hope that they can adjust to the challenges that they face.
Awesome video!! There's this Petco by where I work that I would always stop by on my way home to pick up crickets for my chameleon and to browse the tanks. It was clear the people there LOVED working there, especially the fish keepers. They knew what they were doing, clearly wanted to be there, and would speak of their experiences with breeds and tank setups and it was always a joy being there. They're closing down but that whole crew is being sent to a new store thankfully! 😅
Awesome vid. Lots of Mom and Pop stores shutting down in my area and it's a damn shame. We have one left that's a 10 minute walk from my house and I try to do everything I can to make sure it stays in business. It's good to see you back making vids. Thanks for posting!
This video made me realize how much effort my local aquarium store puts into the fish and plants I have bought from them that I now enjoy. This is a video I have shared with others to also appreciate the people that make out hobby possible. Thanks!
Ran a secondhand shop for ten years and so much of this rings true. Customers who bring me coffee and customers angry I won't make them one. I never imagined there could be ao many interpretations of "donation bin," but people are creative.
And here we are, in February of 2021. I feel for people that run small businesses, businesses that rely on those "I can actually meet a real person if I go to a physical store." My Father was one of those, but I'm actually glad that he passed away (78 years old and still working) in November of 2019. He didn't have to deal with covid-19 - in a n y way. I hope he realized how much he'd be missed, by me of course but also by all the customers he'd served over more than 30 years. He sold CD's in a store located in the Concert Hall of Stockholm. They lit a candle for him and let people write their last words to him in a condolence book. I can't read it without crying. They were all customers that he had met over the years and they all said that he made them feel special, that their needs were important. Some could even come to the store and whistle something they'd heard and he made it his mission to try to find out what it was. To many he was the constant in a changing world.
I Google things but I definitely feel way more comfortable asking someone from a M&P store about fish because I know they're probably speaking from experience instead of just regurgitating things they learned from questionable sources online. There are some things you just can't know for sure unless you've had hands on experience. Plus, they're way more likely to toss you helpful/interesting tips. Just the other day I had a 30 minute long talk with a guy about betta genetics and how hard it was for him learning about breeding bettas basically from scratch when he was 15, and it was /enthralling/. On the other hand, I once ran into a woman in a Petco who was looking to buy a betta to put in her tank, with another betta (both male). This poor woman had purchased a fish and was shopping for another without anyone in the store offering her the most basic piece of information about the species. Hell, the Walmart near me has a fish section where they don't even have name or price labels on the tanks. The tanks were full of corpses picked down to skeletons and the goldfish had /anchor worms/. It's scary to see how little care goes into the fish in some chain stores.
Great vid....it so hard to know where to buy healthy fishes especially if you are limited....also who to trust especially if you are new to the fish world...thank you for the 10 tips....it helps me a lot.
You guys deserve more followers I can't believe how awesome you are and how few people actually watch you thank you so much for giving me a perspective and making me feel better about my aquariums
Fish keeping in the US it's amazing. You can get any fish that you want and all the supplies for good prices thanks to years of competition. Here in Colombia very few fish stores are legit, meaning that they keep the fish in good condition, know about them, don't try to trick you for money or knowledge. I can't even get colombian tetras here!! Great video
While there is a lot of information available on the net, a lot of it is conflicting or just downright bad advice. One of the mom & pop stores here has a guy on staff that is a phenomenal resource. He's the guy I'll go to when I need solid advice. I'll buy goods from them even if they are a bit more expensive than the other stores. Sometimes they will carry goods that the other stores don't.
I’ve kept fish since I was a kid and I am finally getting back into it and I love the relationship fish keepers have. I am referring to aquarium co-op and KG tropicals
Number 3 is so important. Strike up a relationship with one of the employees at your favorite fish store. Get to know them. I ended up buying all my fish tanks from the same store because of that relationship I built with one of the employee's. I payed him cash on the side to deliver them to my house to setup my fish room. Sure I could have bought them online and had them delivered, but the local place treats me right, so it was worth it. I even bought that employee some Budweiser Jim Bean aged beer for the holidays, because I knew he was working long hours.. Guess what, 2 months ago a rep from Aqueon left him a 9 gallon shrimp tank with everything included, substrate, filter, heater, you name it. That same employee asked me if I wanted it since he had no time to set it up. That was a 100 gift. I added it up. I now have a gorgeous planted Shrimp tank in my living room. All because I struck up a relationship with my local mom and pop pet store. Be kind, treat people right, don't be that A**hole.
If I wasn't already a subscriber, your use of footage from Don't be a Menace to South-Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood would have earned it for sure. That said, another great video full of great info.
New subscriber and new fish owner! I'm so addicted now. Started with a 20 gallon and I have baloon mollies in there because I just love them and they are so cute, but now I want more! I love your channel. I have been thinking about learning to breed and try and see if I can make a little money doing something I'm learning to love!
I worked in a chain Tropical Fish only store, years ago. Mr. Ed's. This was in the late 1960s, early 1970s. I woukd get my fish from them and, more especially, mom and pop stores. Today, i have noticed the "chain stores" are similar to the large chain hardware stores, vis a vis mom and pop hardware stores. Sure, I certain there are individuals working in BOTH types of chain stores who are knowledgeable and friendly. I know, i have met them. But my general experience is if you want quality products and knowledgeable help you do not go yo these chain stores. The box pet shops will do what the chain hardware stores do once they slam most of the local mom and pop stores out if business - raise prices. As an aside, in my area there appears to be a marked decline in the number of tropical fish stores in general as compared to back in tbe 1950s and 60s. Back then therecwere many private homeowners who sold stock right out of thrir basements.
I got my current aquarium project because some idiot at petco told my boss that all you need to keep a betta is a small bowl and that you can keep 2 bettas (male) together. I showed up to work to see the two fishes in a sad carrier box, nipping each other up. Fortunately, they both survived and now have their own tanks. Thanks to your videos i learned about cycling and other basics and they are doing much better. I figured the betta fighting would be common knowledge but i guess not, sometimes people are just trying to hit quota
Aquarium Co Op is my absolute favorite!!! They are always amazing and soo helpful!! Havent had the pleasure of meeting Corey yet but hope to!!! Making a trip this weekend and getting a new Betta !!!
Interesting video however; It’s not just your local fish store that is closing but your local hobby store and clothing retailer and local jeweler. At least that that’s reality around my area. Larger chains with lower pricing as well as the online behemoths like Amazon are changing the retail landscape regardless of of the more knowledgeable local stores, which is a sad commentary.
i am glad to have a store to go, a little one where i know the owner and she gives me great advice, listens to when i have trouble with my fish. i am glad, that these little stores are not completely gone here in my region, like them more, because i know i get only the fish, that will fit my aquarium
I really like these 10 things to know lists! I watch them even though I have no fish! (Ok, I’m not weird, I do have shrimp tanks, hehe) I was really impressed with my local Petsmart. The tanks were super clean, the fish were beautiful and happy and even their saltwater tanks, while not highly diverse were well kept, unlike the Petco down the road whos tanks were old, dirty, half empty and even a dead critter in a tank here and there. It was like night and day. Unfortunately there are no local mom and pop fish stores where I live. If there was a quality mom and pop fish store whereI lived, I would pay more just to support their effort. Everyone should.
We don't use the words mom & pop stores in the UK (private dealer) , but I've always bought my cichlids from the same store , never had any problems ever & I trust them 100% . Great video.
I was buying some fist at a local Petco recently. I knew what I wanted and had researched out their parameters. The girl in the department knew exactly what I was talking about and said she appreciated a customer who had knowledge about compatibility of fish, etc. I told her, I appreciated someone working there that understood the same.
Great Video, definitely something that is happening all over. 5 years ago I had 4 mom & pop stores now none. Just a petco in NJ. I have to travel 40 min to a mom & pop store now. Again great informative video for other's. Thank
I travel 40min to the nearest LFS, passing 5 Big Box corporate stores for ALL of my fish and most of my supplies. Big Box corporate stores typically hire minimum wage summer job transient employees, and so the facilities and standards of quality control are sketchy or non existent. Unfortunately, I've learned the hard way that Big Box corporate stores are more often than not, vectors for fish disease to infect my valuable aquariums. My LFS is staffed with the owners and their good friends so that they are sure of high quality and safety. I live in Del Mar California, and my LFS is the LOVE AQUARIUM in Escondido. Best LFS store in San Diego!!!
@@modemmark421 I've only ever gotten fish from PetCo, PetSmart, Walmart and never had diseases spread or parasites. I'm always surprised when people say this. I've heard a lot about CK Fish in Covina and would like to go there sometime, but I'd have to take a bus and a metro and schedule a trip and I just haven't had the time or inclination to do all that.
@@MadCheshireHat - I hope your luck holds. I can tell you that having to tear down a diseased aquarium or having to spend weeks nursing a sick tank which appears to have been infected from what was likely a careless act by an underpaid transient employee in a massive corporate supply chain is enough for me to be prudently cautious and go right to a tested, trusted professional fish keeper at my LFS, instead taking my chances elsewhere.
My "local" pet store is 30 minutes away, the others are 1-2 hours away so if I have an emergency it’s not as easy as other people with pet stores near them. The problem that I have is that some of the things I might need is in those pet stores 2 hours away and I have to take the ferry to get there. I kinda feel a little rushed in the one closest to me, but I’ve seen just a small percentage of dead fish and algae. Also, they give bettas a lot more space than what I have seen from videos. In one of the stores 2 hours away there were a lot of dead fish. Their customer service was excellent tho and the woman working there explained to me very well how an air pump works (I have autism so I struggle sometimes when people explain something to me, but I think she picked up on that and explained it in another way). The other one that was 2 hours away (5 minutes from the other one) had no deaths that I could see and their fish looked extremely healthy, the customer service was good. The one that is 1 hour away, I don’t think they had live animals there, but the customer service was excellent and I got a lot of information about what I asked. Sorry for my English.
Love the video. No mom and pop fish stores close to me that I know of. Great that you added Cory in the video. I am getting ready setting up a new 40g. I need all the typical stuff. I am now going to order from Cory for a lot of the components. It will cost a couple bucks more but you guys and Cory have helped me a ton with info. Especially the top 10 things. Keep it up!!!
There is this pet store near me and it’s really small they sell fish, gerbils, hamsters, rats and sometimes they have cats up for adoption. The workers there are always really nice and willing to help and answer all my questions and they actually know what they’re talking about. There’s only a few workers since it’s such a small store and I’ve seen all of them there and they all were super nice and actually give out proper information that will give the fish and animals a good life instead of places like Petsmart were a lot of the workers don’t care and will just say put your Betta fish into a 1 gallon without water conditioner. (This pet store is in multiple locations near me, the one closest to be has nice workers, I’m not sure about the other stores)
Very interesting and informative and what you said applies just as much in the UK where I live. One of the problems I find with the small stores is just that they are small and I have looked around for a new tank but they carry little and that is understandable they take too much space. But overall the local stores go out of their way to help.
From my experience, the mom and pop stores by me seem like they’re annoyed to be asked questions or even to help customers. I’ve gone back to give them the benefit of the doubt but to no avail. That’s why now I go to the big stores, they have much better customer service.
I wish young people working in big pet stores didn’t get such a bad rep. The many times I’ve gone up to people and asked if they had any questions about the fish, and the usual response is “not that you could answer” Then track down an older coworker and then that coworker passes them back to me because they don’t know 🙄 Mate I could talk about fish all day! Who do u think runs the fish section? Sadly we are limited by the big wigs on what we are supplied and the gear to care for the fish but if ur a “fish guru” (it’s what the company calls the fish people) we usually care about the fish, their well being and setting fish parents up with the proper gear, set up and compatible tank mates to look after their fishy friends. We also really clamp down on staff members giving out any false info. Main rule: If you don’t know, you’d can’t work in the fish section!
My friend decided to go into aquariums, her first tank was a 10gal she went to Uncle Bill's for a fish. Without any experience they sold her a Red Tailed Catfish. Most Mom and Pop stores will quarantine their fish so the one you buy will live for more than a week. Big box buy them for 9¢ and sell them for $3.99 with free replacement if they die. Once.
love the vid!!! this's why I always go to my lfs for fish and/or frags!! when I don't find something, i walk out with at least dry goods. Make every trip count 🙂
We're lucky in Sacramento. We have a lot of good local stores and a good amount of hobbyists. However in smaller areas, the big box stores usually dominate.
Okay I have looked around but can't find any freshwater fish that looks like the fish on the right side of the thumbnail. It shows up again around the 9:15 mark in this video. So can someone tell me what's the fish's common and Latin name? Or did they sneak a saltwater fish into this video?
Yep. Difficult to compete with big box store pricing no matter what you sell. I have same thing happen. You can purchase things I sell at a big box store for less than I can get it from my distributor. All our local pet shops have gone away. The last one with the arrival of PetSmart. Now all that is available is a generic selection of fish, limited selection of aquariums (many sold as a set only), and whatever the "flavor of the month" company product they decide to push. i.e. PetSmart used to sell Rena filters and supplies (now API). No more! Now it's Marineland, Fluval, and TopFin. Now that is not to say those are inferior products but PetSmart no longer carries any of the refill supplies for Rena/API. With no other shops in the area it's off to the internet. The old "Mom and Pop" shops had a much better selection of fish, plants, aquariums and aquascape materials. Was very sorry to see the last one close. I did what I could. Went there all the time even after PetSmart opened. Just wasn't enough..
GREAT VID. Very informative, educational, and to the point. I know what you mean. I had a pet store a few years ago. I have now an online business and even that is not so easy, but I do hope to open a pet store again in the near future.
I try and spend as much money as I can at my LFS but if you're broke that 4$ saving on Amazon goes a long way!!!! I think the fact that Amazon and big box stores can sell cheaper and the product companies are not willing to give the smaller stores discounts to counter act the prices, it's just a lose lose for everybody!!! Inflation and greed is what killed the fish store !!!!
It has a lot to do with volume of goods transported. The larger volume, the more cost efficient it is meaning large chain stores shipping products to a few warehouses will leave small stores just shipping product to themselves in the dust.
I forgot about my second pont. Customer service is also what you mentioned here, how I feel about the experience. Overall, I prefer buying locally, even if I do pay more than I would on Amazon, only because this is where my neighbors and their children work. The best example for me is Micro Center. These guys do all they can to accommodate their customers. Their prices are the absolute best. Their employees are available and willing to help. Sometimes their prices can be at least significantly more than Amazon, but because the experience in the store is so good, I prefer to buy my electronics there. The same goes with my choice between the large chains and independents. If my experience is good, then I will visit and support the independent over the large chain, despite moderate price differences.
For me, it is customer service. There are two points to this. There is a very good, longstanding local independent store, Animal Kingdom, in East Orange, NJ. The problem is that they close early - like before 7 p.m., and are closed on Sunday. I love the store, the livestock, the service, even the prices - which are very competitive with the local chain stores. However, if they are closed when I can shop, that makes me go to another source. As to the local chains, Petco stores in this area usually employ even youth who are knowledgeable. They are not multi-tank enthusiasts, but they are almost always keepers who can talk about at least some of the species knowledgeably. I mention Petco, because at last check, they trust the employees to know what will and will not sell - even if they are not the most common species. I got a rope fish from a Petco - something I had never seen before, and have since rarely seen in independent stores. Another hybrid option in my area has been Petland stores which are independently owned and operated. They have the benefit of the economy of scale with the variety and expertise of an independent.
Good video, but here's the opposite side of the argument. My LFS has been around as long as I have, so they're doing something right. I wish them well. But when I go in, there are only one or two overworked staff on the floor. The owner/manager hides behind his computer. I always have to wait for service. No one has time to chat, give advice or be friends. (If I offered them a taco (Cory) they'd look at me like I had two heads.) Last week, I needed four small items for a breeder setup. I really wanted to order from Amazon, pay less and have it delivered to my door in two days. But I said to myself, "No, you need to support your local fish store." So I waited four days until I had time to make the trip. When I got to the store they had only one of the four items I needed. So I ended up ordering from Amazon anyway. The world is changing. Taxis are hurt by Uber. Hotels are hurt by Air B&B. My own business is hurt by the Internet. There's a reason for that. If someone can deliver the same result easier, quicker and cheaper they're going to attract more customers. It's not fair, but that's the way the market works. I'm appreciate my local LFS, but I'm glad they're not my only option, and I won't feel guilty for using Amazon.
You and Lisa are amazing I was about to abandon my tank but your honestly and the way you describe every thing you know i loved this hobby more and more I even downloaded your videos Thanks guys for these videos you are the best. From North of Iraq. KRG region.
I went to the local pet store, not the biggest store but still a big box i guess. The teenagers and young adults there are all keeping fish at home, and the manager doesn't but, he works there a lot and they have a lot of fish so he's pretty good. There are probably better deals online, there are probably better deals at other local stores, but they have time to talk and answer questions, they are honest about making sales, and you can tell they care about the animals. It's working well for me for now, the more i spend there the more hey are willing to help, not that i expect it it's just nice.
You must have been lucky in Petsmart. I've never found any employee who knows anything at all about fishes. Indeed some staff have even asked me for advice. They are usually just cheap labour with a couple of days training. The turn over of staff seems really quick too.
There aren't any easily accessible (by bus) freshwater fish stores near me. There's a saltwater/reef store (I've read they have some basic freshwater species, but...), and one tropical store that has lots of bad reviews (but somehow still running). Both are still a 30 minute bus trip. Then there's PetCo and PetSmart 40 minutes away among other stores I go to, so I'm more likely to stop by them. I did find some very old references to more fish stores in my area, but seems they've gone out of business :/ I think the problem is that I live in a college town area, so there's not much demand. Since I want nano fish for my 7 gallon, I'll have to order online, as chain stores don't really care good selections/what I'm looking for. Erm... I helped a family in PetCo last month. But all I said was to get a heater/make sure the water is warm. You can keep a betta in cold water, but I know from lots of unfortunate experience that they're MUCH happier in warm water, and thus much more satisfying to keep. I didn't say anything about the tank size they were getting though. I heard another employee there tell a couple and their kids that they can't keep a goldfish in the bowl they were buying, and the woman asked multiple times, "THESE fish? THESE fish here can't go in here??" I was happy to hear this advice, but then the employee recommended a betta instead and said they "don't need a heater." Then I was disappointed. Bettas are so much more livelier and happier in warm water.
Some very nice points and several things I'll be more aware when I visit the shops. I like Mom & Pop shops because the types of fish that they carry are more to my taste. I just wish they would remove more of the dead fish out of the tanks. I saw last week in a dojo tank a sign that said "very hardy" but in the tank was a dead dojo getting munched on by the others.
I have 3 lfs's that I enjoy a lot. Unfortunately, the one I've been going to the most is a good hour away from me but they are top notch with customer service (as are the other two) and had the nano fish, shrimp, and plants I wanted. One of the other lfs had my rimless tanks I wanted. I do have a Petco too that is always clean with super nice employee's too.
I haven't been into my local fish store in two years since my tank has been down. The man still called me by my name and he knows two of my children that are customers there. These two young brothers are fantastic and work very long hours. They have a faithful supply of return customers.
Petco is either hit or miss for me depending on the employee. I had a store manager say if I bought 10 fish at once (there is a deal 1 dollar a piece) they would not insure my fish. Meaning I could not bring them back if they die. I asked if that is Petco policy and he straight up said "No... That is my policy" I explained I have a 29 gallon aquarium that has been successfully cycled and has a lot of plants with 4 fish in the tank. He was kind of a jerk and it made me feel like he does not trust my knowledge. He also was confused on what tetra I wanted. He could not identify it without looking for 2 minutes at a price tag.
I Miss working in the 2 Mon-and-Pop petshops that I used to work in. Especially now, since I'm getting back into the hobby, again. Unfortunately, we don't have too many pet shops in our area and the ones we do have are the "big box" stores. I either get the aloof response from a teenager or the condescending better-than-thou response. You would think saying "I used to work in a pet shop" would get them to shut-up, but that just seems to trigger them even worse. In fact, I refuse to go back to the one who actually had an "I can top you" attitude towards me. But, what really shocked me is how much everything cost now... even for live-bearing fish that can be easily bred at home... really, $15.99 for a guppy?! I can see about a dozen fry swimming in the grass floating on top of the tank. You didn't spend a fortune for that pet shop-grown male guppy. SMH!! (btw, I worked in shops when submersible canister filters didn't exist!)
I work at a petsmart and try to give my customers that truly want to learn the time they need to ask questions and look around, but also on that note I work at a petsmart but I drive 50 minutes once or twice a week to go to a mom and pop store for my fish supplies. And on their point of us charging you more than we pay I can give you an example I recently did. I did our fish count and counted every fish we had and was supposed to have, we had a lot that had died and if a customer had bought all those fish they would be out $450, but it only costed us $100
Thank you I’m planning on opening a aquarium shop when I turn 23-25years old and I already have a rule that if you can’t look after the fish properly then I will not give you the fish and also I will ask some questions like how big is your tank what other fish you have water parameters and how difficult you want it to be who here will buy from my aquarium shop and yes I will take special requests if we don’t have the fish you like who will buy from my shop 1st response will get 50% off every purchase😁
TropicWaters has alge in the water column, but mainly to feed plecos and others alike, the water with goldfish was PERFECTLY CLEAR, it is AWESOME, it has the smell of fish food but not ammonia, they feed heavy handed, and that is good for growing fish fast to prevent issues with N.T.S.
LFS wish I had one in Wyoming. Because I would use it. To me a local owner is better and I won't mind one bit paying more. Local owners are more personal than a chain store. Great video guys. It's a shame to see stores going out of busy because of the internet. I'm one of those shoppers who likes to see what I'm buying.
I agree with everything said in this video, but sometimes private stores have only the most expensive items such as lighting, or they'll charge you ridiculous prices for stands made of particle board. I asked about lighting the other day in a LFS and they guy said "Yeah this one is great. For just a couple hundred bucks, you'll be all set." Well maybe I don't want to spend "just a couple hundred bucks". I had to buy one on Amazon for $37.99. It can be a turn off when sales people think money is no object. It IS an object for some people. I laugh that most stands cost more than the tank. The tank is $129 and the stand is $159 or so. I feel that is a rip. You're paying ridiculous prices for the convenience of not having to make your own stand. I'll build my own...thanks..In fact, your DIY stand video is great!
thank you for making this video and offering your perspective from your experience, and of course gotta love the special guest x2! I live in VA and wish I knew about your store when it was open, I so would have come by even if it was a bit of a drive from the RVA :)
My town has one local fish shop and one big box store, through personal reasons I don’t step foot in the box store. The lady who owns it is really nice and will now order me fish in if she doesn’t have them
In my Country, Mom and Pop pet stores rule the market. Simply because there’s no major big box and our distributors/farms don’t normally sell to off the street people
Agrree just had a horrible experience at a local fish store. I don’t Drive so I was on a public bus for an hour and a half and was really excited to finally get to this particular store. I arrived in an employee was eating right in front of the store. No one ever took the time to say hello or welcome me to the store. I had all three employees walked by me multiple times and never said five words to me.There were fish dying in the tanks and they were dirty. I complain to the owner via Facebook and all they did was make excuses. I completely understand operating a fish store is hard but a good store should never be too busy to welcome every customer that walks in the store.
I know small business is tough. I've been watching my dad try and try to no avail. I started a lawn care and snow removal business at 12. Charged less then the big places in the area and did everything by hand kept all my own books negotiated sales and even picked up a couple extra hands. But when gas jumped during the Obama years it all crashed. I had to Raise prices to cover the gas to run the mower. And lost people over $5 extra to mow a 2 hour lawn by hand. I kept a couple jobs, had to go solo, had a minor heart attack shoveling snow. Got up and kept going. In the end my knees and back had more ware and tear then someone in their 80s. Tried to do online sales to help my dad, help him do paperwork in my free time. I've bee. Trying to get some kind of business off the ground since I was a child and have failed every step due to economic events I had no control over and despite my struggle to stay in the black i went under. 😕 Then I was struck with a neuromuscular disorder that left me unable to do manual labor jobs and I'm currently doing office work. Paycheck to paycheck. Still want to get a business going. I just have terrible luck
To get African fish of quality you have to get them from a small pet store. The big stores do not sell those type of fish. I am lucky to have 5 stores in driving range.
you should feature Ocean Aquarium in SF. A tiny story in an alleyway in the Tenderloin but a destination for the ENTIRE Bay Area...the owner does his own aquascaping, has hands down THE BEST tropical fish in the entire Bay Area, if not all of Northern California
I always buy from the LFS when they have what I am looking for. I’m certainly not looking to give money away but I also know the value of a good store. This extends to other local businesses as well. The big box stores don’t give the service that your local business does and there’s a price for everything
Did you miss last weeks "10 Things"? th-cam.com/video/XCcM7qWKlZg/w-d-xo.html
So they talk about they "used to own" a fish store. What happend to it?
U know I don't even know if there is a petco in our country
Could you do a top 10 video on keeping or starting a snail tank?
My family used to own a pet store for almost 40 years (mid 60s - to early 2000s), we knew we were done when people would come into the store, ask a boatload of questions and then we would never see them again because they would then go and buy everything from a big box store. The funny thing is our prices weren't that much higher than the big stores. At one point I told my parents, unless we started charging a "pet consulting fee", we'd better start thinking about closing. It wasn't too long after that, when we closed up.
Ironically, my father once in a while still sees people that used to come into the store, and they STILL ask him questions about their pets.
So sad to hear it came to an end. I do know how it feels to run into people you know from your career in regular places have them question you. I'm a pharmacy technician & sometimes my customers see me outside of work & ask me "any idea if my prescription is ready?" Or "did my medicine come in?" Sometimes they even ask me what to do about this or that & I literally have to tell them to call the pharmacy I'm not at work.
thats what i call disrespect
I know a business model where all small stores are in a club so they can order in big amounts and get discounts like the big box stores. Afterwards, they share the product so it's cheaper for shop owner and customer. There buying clubs exist! Maybe a new project for you and cory and other mom and paps stores 😉
This is actually a very old business model called a co-op. Farmers do this all the time, and I'm surprised that other businesses don't.
@@VestedUTuber yes 👍 it's surprising that it's not that common
I actually got adopted into my Petco as someone to help out with the freshwater side of the store.
When I'm in the store the manager has actually said. "Hey, I gotta go run and take a call." *phone was actually ringing. It was a busy day.* "See the kid over there? He is an knowledgeable as I am with fish. I have trust in him. Go talk to him."
More or less I'm just considered an employee there but. Just for the fun of it. It's kinda nice that the manager does trust me. He kinda sees me as someone who will more than likely apply once I'm 18. Which honestly. I'm gonna. I like my Petco as much as my LFS. Since they treat it like just a glorified LFS hobbyists of all animals are in there. They steer their customers on the path to giving their fish a good life. And have actually told some customers. I wont sell you this. It will die in that tank. *I was actually one of the ones that was refused. Until I explained that it was a quarantine and my 75 had about two days left before I can get my plants ready before fish. And he happily complied. Green phantom in my 10 gallon for two days and he was only 2 inches so. It wasnt bad :p*
My LFS is a nice place as well. Very good people. They like me but also seemed pretty annoyed alot when I was there. So I never bothered em with questions. Except when really needed. 4.8 stars online so. Good store.
When I enter a fish store I feel like kid who entered a toy store
My eyes turn glassy and suddenly my debt card magically appears in my hand, weird!
Hardgoods are definitely one of the hardest things for a lfs, i know cause i work at one! On a $300 piece of equipment we might make a 2% profit. I also have had numerous people literally say TO MY FACE “well i can get that cheaper on amazon” and walk out of the store after I answered their questions for an hour. Its frustrating to say the least.
I feel ya, but sometimes LFS are sometimes 20 dollars or even more expensive than amazon
Kevin Hanes i mean $20 is $20 but dont take an hour of my time asking questions and getting advice then say to my face that you’ll get it on amazon ya know? I love helping people when they come in but a little bit of courtesy is appreciated.
My LFS is actually cheaper than Amazon in some ways. They sell the fluval spec V for $75 when it's $115 on Amazon. I love my LFS.
@@kevinwalden4288 do you consider the advice and knowledge to be free? if i go into an LFS with questions on a product i am intending on buying and i can get good full answers i will pay the extra to the store as they have not only provided me with the item i have bought but also with information on how it works how to clean it how to feed or care for it . this can be invaluable to people. i am aware that some items are hugely marked up in price and for those items i will pass but i wont then ask the store employees to take time out of their day to help me with the product if i am not intending on purchasing it from them or making a large enough purchase that would cover the time taken to help me with it.
@@platinumgunx7088 lol, out come all the 'Holier than thou,' people because they buy local
Price is what you pay. Value is what you get! And great customer service is worth the “extra money”!
Just got word on FB that my one and only ifs is closing in April - theirs isn't the cleanest, but they'd special order any fish you wanted, take back any fish that didn't work out in my tank and give me a bit of store credit and Glenda and Ron have been a wealth of knowledge and community support to 4 generations of pet lovers- their store will be sorely missed 😢
Thank goodness for FishFam on YT- I suppose Getgills will be my new LFS
Thanks John and Lisa, another very nice and timely 10 Things video💕👍
So gutted for you two that you closed your store. I’d love to have you guys and your knowledge in my local pet store. But glad you are back to TH-cam! Love the content - keep it up KG family - much love from the other side of the pond 🇬🇧
I have one mom and pop fish store within an hour of me and 3 big box pet stores and luckily the mom and pop has the best service, most knowledgeable staff and best prices by far! I lucked out
Love the mom and pop stores and there are a lot in my area. I choose mine by: health of fish, do they carry rare fish, and how friendly are they.
Another great video
I also choose fish stores by health, but I also choose by their knoweldg.
Your so luck were I live mom and pop stores are realy rare about 3 big pet stores sell fish and there only about 4 miles away but I drive about half a hour to a mom and pop purely because they are so nice they know so much about fish and I would rather help them out
I wish the mom and pop stores were still around in my area. The quality and selection of livestock was so much better.
I always support my local mom and pop stores (lets keep them alive), I find typically I can get better varieties than in big box and I like unusual but natural (due to local breeders). I am not into cross breading or genetic manipulation. I like to keep things as natural as possible but that is getting very difficult these days. I also am always the one to establish a relationship with them because you can typically get more personal info form the owners where this is their livelihood. I may have been keeping my own fish for well over 20 years but I can admit, I do not know everything.
Hear lately I have been really interested in Arawanas. I do not just jump into anything unprepared. I have been doing research for at least a year now and am still about a year out for my Arawana tank (waiting for new house to get built). I have read everything I can find on the internet but two weeks ago we went to a very unique pet shop and the owner is a successful Arawana breeder. For me it was like finding the golden ticket for Willy Wanka. It was a slow Tuesday for him. We bought $200 dollars worth of African Cichlids (which is not much) and a full set up for and a bearded dragon for a friends birthday. Costing me about $400 in total. At that rate I felt comfortable about picking his brain for an hour about his trials and tribulations regarding Arawanas. He was actually very eager to share his passion with me even though he new I was not buying an Arawana that day. This is something you do not get in big box stores. I would also not recommend going into a pet shop when its busy and wasting there time when they need to make sales.
Very good video...I appreciated your giving a place to the big box stores. Many employees work there because they love the hobby and are very knowledgeable. The key difference I have found between big box and mom and pop stores is two things: 1) They each tend to carry some differences in dry goods. Big box carries certain key brands, while mom and pop carry other lines. Also big box stores tend to carry just certain types of fish which rarely vary, while mom and pop shops tend to carry more unique fish and often deal in trading stock. I loved Lisa’s piece about cleanliness!
I’m glad that I watched this. I found an awesome mom and pop store half hour away from me and went there to check it out and get some ich treatment that Cory recommended in his video. The guy that helped me wasn’t too friendly, but at least he offered help right away. But when I mentioned Aquarium co-op he looked offended and said that everything that you find online is BS. That kind of alienated me and I left disappointed. I mean Cory has a reputation and I’m sure the guy knows it. Anyway, I bought what the guy recommended even though it was more expensive than Amazon. Not because I wanted to support them but I needed to treat my fish asap. Now, after this video I kind of feel for them and will try to support them in the future. They probably hear that a lot, that you can buy cheap online or you know better cause you googled it:) and I was just trying to start a conversation and show him that I’ve done some research. Thanks for the video!
What a beautiful video. Thank you so much for creating this. Everything you say is right on point. Us independent local fish stores took on quite the contract.
Business is fierce!
Lisa, when you started reminiscing about owning your fish store, I almost broke down with you. When business slows down, I get scared and just imagining my life without my fish store breaks my heart.
I also love Cory's business talks :) Most times, I spend a lot of time helping some clients out and barely get a thank you. I don't know how you do so that yours bring you lattes to thank you! I should take a page out of your book lol!
Thank you!!!!! So much so truth!!! I tell you some times It doesn't matter what you do people are just not loyal any more. We've been doing this a long time and the way people do business now just isn't the same as it use to be. I've had customer who I've bent over backwards for and they'll come in later and tell me how they got some thing from the big box store because they happened to be there then ask me questions about it. I have friends who I've gotten into the hobby who shop other places even when I always give them good discounts. The new generation (my generation) doesn't understand business or how businesses make money. I've had people ask me in the store can I get this cheaper at walmart knowing they were talking to the owner? I could go on and on with stories that are so discouraging and really shows why the big box stores don't invest in the customer service. Look at how big box stores are doing self check out which in my opinion is telling the customer they don't feel like dealing with them at all yet people are going for it. You do get those good ones that can brighten up the day like I had some one come in and said how she knows were understaffed and don't get out for lunch much she brought us a Bannana and a Twinkie she had left from her lunch. We all split the Bannana including the Macaw the dog and of course Gordon the tortoise and now I have a Twinkie obsession because it reminds me some people are still good people.
Thanks for the video I might share this on our Facebook page.
We had a fantastic store in Vegas called FISH . They were in business for multiple decades at least. They had everything. They had every part and piece for filters and pumps, it was a well stocked little fish store. I was devastated when they closed up shop. Eventually almost all retail stores will be gone.
This is a Great Video! I'm so Happy there are still " Mom and Pop" Fish stores around! When I was a Kid obsessed with Tropical Fish in the 70's there were Tons of Fish stores around! I know they are Disappearing NOW! But thank God there are several " Mom and Pops" near me still!
I like the mom and pop. I’m like Norm on Cheers when I walk through the door lol
I just started on the hobby and watched alot of aqua co-op (and many other) videos. I went to my local mom&pop fishstore because I wanted to get that personal experience, and ask alot of questions. I have never felt so unwelcome and so dismissed as a customer, I dont think I was able to get more than 5 words out of the owner during the 5 minutes he spent ripping things down the wall and bagging it up to get me out.
Noone else was in the store, the phone wasnt ringing - he was NOT busy.
I then went directly to a bigbox store and got the advice and facts I needed to get started (and obviously spend a little money so they did not waste their time).
I wont be going back to the little local fishstore, there is one more on the other side of town I need to check out, but I thi k most of my future buys will be from the big box.
Getting back into fish with my daughter...I’ve been researching and getting ready over the past few days....I can’t thank you 3 enough for all the education and insight...Well done! I’m happy to have found your channels and am looking forward to checking out your content as we grow in the hobby!
I live in a small city. From a Big Box store I got a Fluval Flex (15gal), stand, water treatments and a few odds and ends. After I went to the mom and pop place (forgot they were still in business and had fish supplies) She was very nice and had a good chat. I bought all the rest of my extras from her (about 170 CAD) and an awesome piece of Tiger Wood. Best piece I've see in my city and I even drove 5 hours and got a hotel in the next biggest city and the 2 places I checked had garbage!
The mom and pop was a little more expensive, but I don't care, she was nice, good selection and I want to support small business even if it costs more :)
p.s. Use debit/cash instead of credit! It helps small business avoid usage fees from credit companies!
I love my LFS but I have to say they are very different. The store has been in business for at least 30 years. The guy that runs it now likes fish more than he likes people so his wife does most of the customer service. It took a long while for him to warm up to me. What turned things around is that I ask intelligent, detailed questions and I ask for specific things. That tells him I care about my fish. He likes that. Also, I buy cleaning supplies and equipment. He says very few people do that because they don't want to take the time to clean their tanks. I see his logic. People that don't take care of their tanks don't have fish for very long so they're not going to be repeat customers.
We also have a local Petsm...well you know who I mean. I was told that company had started selling tissue culture plants which my LFS doesn't. I dropped by to check them out. I was looking around and the guy pouring the new fish into the tanks asked what I needed help with. I told him live plants and he looked at me like I was nuts. He asked me, "Why would you want those? They're too hard to keep alive." My jaw hit the floor and I walked out.
Guess which store I like better?
I work in the big petstore. I'm not as experienced in fish since I litteraly had every other animal but fish! my coworker works there for 9 years so she helps me out a lot. Seeing these beautifull fish made me want to have an aqaurium myself, and It would also be good to learn to eventually help the costumers too. These video's have been a huge help! I'm likely picking up my first aqaurium soon and fill it with beautifull interesting fish. I like to help make people happy and make the right choices. In return the costumers send me pictures and video's about their happy fishtanks.
These are very good points made about the struggles of local fish stores. In my area over many years I have seen the transition from the local stores to the big box stores. I also miss what the independent stores bring to the hobby, good advice and more variety of plants and fish. Unfortunately the retail pet store business has gotten much more complicated with the intervention internet sales and wholesale pricing. As a hobbyist I greatly appreciate these local fish stores and hope that they can adjust to the challenges that they face.
Awesome video!! There's this Petco by where I work that I would always stop by on my way home to pick up crickets for my chameleon and to browse the tanks. It was clear the people there LOVED working there, especially the fish keepers. They knew what they were doing, clearly wanted to be there, and would speak of their experiences with breeds and tank setups and it was always a joy being there. They're closing down but that whole crew is being sent to a new store thankfully! 😅
Awesome vid. Lots of Mom and Pop stores shutting down in my area and it's a damn shame. We have one left that's a 10 minute walk from my house and I try to do everything I can to make sure it stays in business. It's good to see you back making vids. Thanks for posting!
Fish, fishden inc., aquatic dog, nature box, Todd's aquarium, aquatic kingdom aquariums in Colorado! Loooove these places! Always cool friendly helpful folks.
This video made me realize how much effort my local aquarium store puts into the fish and plants I have bought from them that I now enjoy. This is a video I have shared with others to also appreciate the people that make out hobby possible. Thanks!
Ran a secondhand shop for ten years and so much of this rings true. Customers who bring me coffee and customers angry I won't make them one.
I never imagined there could be ao many interpretations of "donation bin," but people are creative.
And here we are, in February of 2021. I feel for people that run small businesses, businesses that rely on those "I can actually meet a real person if I go to a physical store." My Father was one of those, but I'm actually glad that he passed away (78 years old and still working) in November of 2019. He didn't have to deal with covid-19 - in a n y way. I hope he realized how much he'd be missed, by me of course but also by all the customers he'd served over more than 30 years. He sold CD's in a store located in the Concert Hall of Stockholm. They lit a candle for him and let people write their last words to him in a condolence book. I can't read it without crying. They were all customers that he had met over the years and they all said that he made them feel special, that their needs were important. Some could even come to the store and whistle something they'd heard and he made it his mission to try to find out what it was. To many he was the constant in a changing world.
I Google things but I definitely feel way more comfortable asking someone from a M&P store about fish because I know they're probably speaking from experience instead of just regurgitating things they learned from questionable sources online. There are some things you just can't know for sure unless you've had hands on experience. Plus, they're way more likely to toss you helpful/interesting tips. Just the other day I had a 30 minute long talk with a guy about betta genetics and how hard it was for him learning about breeding bettas basically from scratch when he was 15, and it was /enthralling/.
On the other hand, I once ran into a woman in a Petco who was looking to buy a betta to put in her tank, with another betta (both male). This poor woman had purchased a fish and was shopping for another without anyone in the store offering her the most basic piece of information about the species. Hell, the Walmart near me has a fish section where they don't even have name or price labels on the tanks. The tanks were full of corpses picked down to skeletons and the goldfish had /anchor worms/. It's scary to see how little care goes into the fish in some chain stores.
Great vid....it so hard to know where to buy healthy fishes especially if you are limited....also who to trust especially if you are new to the fish world...thank you for the 10 tips....it helps me a lot.
You guys deserve more followers I can't believe how awesome you are and how few people actually watch you thank you so much for giving me a perspective and making me feel better about my aquariums
Fish keeping in the US it's amazing. You can get any fish that you want and all the supplies for good prices thanks to years of competition. Here in Colombia very few fish stores are legit, meaning that they keep the fish in good condition, know about them, don't try to trick you for money or knowledge. I can't even get colombian tetras here!! Great video
Well not all fish in USA are legal. For instance the Asian Arowana is illegal. You might be able to get it but good luck.
While there is a lot of information available on the net, a lot of it is conflicting or just downright bad advice.
One of the mom & pop stores here has a guy on staff that is a phenomenal resource.
He's the guy I'll go to when I need solid advice.
I'll buy goods from them even if they are a bit more expensive than the other stores.
Sometimes they will carry goods that the other stores don't.
I’ve kept fish since I was a kid and I am finally getting back into it and I love the relationship fish keepers have. I am referring to aquarium co-op and KG tropicals
Number 3 is so important. Strike up a relationship with one of the employees at your favorite fish store. Get to know them. I ended up buying all my fish tanks from the same store because of that relationship I built with one of the employee's. I payed him cash on the side to deliver them to my house to setup my fish room. Sure I could have bought them online and had them delivered, but the local place treats me right, so it was worth it. I even bought that employee some Budweiser Jim Bean aged beer for the holidays, because I knew he was working long hours.. Guess what, 2 months ago a rep from Aqueon left him a 9 gallon shrimp tank with everything included, substrate, filter, heater, you name it. That same employee asked me if I wanted it since he had no time to set it up. That was a 100 gift. I added it up. I now have a gorgeous planted Shrimp tank in my living room. All because I struck up a relationship with my local mom and pop pet store. Be kind, treat people right, don't be that A**hole.
If I wasn't already a subscriber, your use of footage from Don't be a Menace to South-Central While Drinking Your Juice In The Hood would have earned it for sure.
That said, another great video full of great info.
New subscriber and new fish owner! I'm so addicted now. Started with a 20 gallon and I have baloon mollies in there because I just love them and they are so cute, but now I want more! I love your channel. I have been thinking about learning to breed and try and see if I can make a little money doing something I'm learning to love!
I worked in a chain Tropical Fish only store, years ago. Mr. Ed's. This was in the late 1960s, early 1970s. I woukd get my fish from them and, more especially, mom and pop stores.
Today, i have noticed the "chain stores" are similar to the large chain hardware stores, vis a vis mom and pop hardware stores.
Sure, I certain there are individuals working in BOTH types of chain stores who are knowledgeable and friendly. I know, i have met them. But my general experience is if you want quality products and knowledgeable help you do not go yo these chain stores.
The box pet shops will do what the chain hardware stores do once they slam most of the local mom and pop stores out if business - raise prices.
As an aside, in my area there appears to be a marked decline in the number of tropical fish stores in general as compared to back in tbe 1950s and 60s. Back then therecwere many private homeowners who sold stock right out of thrir basements.
I got my current aquarium project because some idiot at petco told my boss that all you need to keep a betta is a small bowl and that you can keep 2 bettas (male) together. I showed up to work to see the two fishes in a sad carrier box, nipping each other up. Fortunately, they both survived and now have their own tanks. Thanks to your videos i learned about cycling and other basics and they are doing much better. I figured the betta fighting would be common knowledge but i guess not, sometimes people are just trying to hit quota
Aquarium Co Op is my absolute favorite!!! They are always amazing and soo helpful!! Havent had the pleasure of meeting Corey yet but hope to!!! Making a trip this weekend and getting a new Betta !!!
Interesting video however; It’s not just your local fish store that is closing but your local hobby store and clothing retailer and local jeweler. At least that that’s reality around my area. Larger chains with lower pricing as well as the online behemoths like Amazon are changing the retail landscape regardless of of the more knowledgeable local stores, which is a sad commentary.
Almost like it was planned. 🤷♀️
i am glad to have a store to go, a little one where i know the owner and she gives me great advice, listens to when i have trouble with my fish. i am glad, that these little stores are not completely gone here in my region, like them more, because i know i get only the fish, that will fit my aquarium
there used to be a fish store down the street that i always went to as a kid. He had a GIANT coral and a great selection. I miss that store
I really like these 10 things to know lists! I watch them even though I have no fish! (Ok, I’m not weird, I do have shrimp tanks, hehe)
I was really impressed with my local Petsmart. The tanks were super clean, the fish were beautiful and happy and even their saltwater tanks, while not highly diverse were well kept, unlike the Petco down the road whos tanks were old, dirty, half empty and even a dead critter in a tank here and there. It was like night and day. Unfortunately there are no local mom and pop fish stores where I live. If there was a quality mom and pop fish store whereI lived, I would pay more just to support their effort. Everyone should.
We don't use the words mom & pop stores in the UK (private dealer) , but I've always bought my cichlids from the same store , never had any problems ever & I trust them 100% . Great video.
I was buying some fist at a local Petco recently. I knew what I wanted and had researched out their parameters. The girl in the department knew exactly what I was talking about and said she appreciated a customer who had knowledge about compatibility of fish, etc. I told her, I appreciated someone working there that understood the same.
Yep buying some fist I’ve been there u need an ice pack😂
Great Video, definitely something that is happening all over. 5 years ago I had 4 mom & pop stores now none. Just a petco in NJ. I have to travel 40 min to a mom & pop store now. Again great informative video for other's. Thank
Me too. It's sad.
I travel 40min to the nearest LFS, passing 5 Big Box corporate stores for ALL of my fish and most of my supplies. Big Box corporate stores typically hire minimum wage summer job transient employees, and so the facilities and standards of quality control are sketchy or non existent. Unfortunately, I've learned the hard way that Big Box corporate stores are more often than not, vectors for fish disease to infect my valuable aquariums. My LFS is staffed with the owners and their good friends so that they are sure of high quality and safety. I live in Del Mar California, and my LFS is the LOVE AQUARIUM in Escondido. Best LFS store in San Diego!!!
@@modemmark421 I've only ever gotten fish from PetCo, PetSmart, Walmart and never had diseases spread or parasites. I'm always surprised when people say this.
I've heard a lot about CK Fish in Covina and would like to go there sometime, but I'd have to take a bus and a metro and schedule a trip and I just haven't had the time or inclination to do all that.
@@MadCheshireHat - I hope your luck holds. I can tell you that having to tear down a diseased aquarium or having to spend weeks nursing a sick tank which appears to have been infected from what was likely a careless act by an underpaid transient employee in a massive corporate supply chain is enough for me to be prudently cautious and go right to a tested, trusted professional fish keeper at my LFS, instead taking my chances elsewhere.
My "local" pet store is 30 minutes away, the others are 1-2 hours away so if I have an emergency it’s not as easy as other people with pet stores near them. The problem that I have is that some of the things I might need is in those pet stores 2 hours away and I have to take the ferry to get there. I kinda feel a little rushed in the one closest to me, but I’ve seen just a small percentage of dead fish and algae. Also, they give bettas a lot more space than what I have seen from videos. In one of the stores 2 hours away there were a lot of dead fish. Their customer service was excellent tho and the woman working there explained to me very well how an air pump works (I have autism so I struggle sometimes when people explain something to me, but I think she picked up on that and explained it in another way). The other one that was 2 hours away (5 minutes from the other one) had no deaths that I could see and their fish looked extremely healthy, the customer service was good. The one that is 1 hour away, I don’t think they had live animals there, but the customer service was excellent and I got a lot of information about what I asked. Sorry for my English.
Love the video. No mom and pop fish stores close to me that I know of. Great that you added Cory in the video. I am getting ready setting up a new 40g. I need all the typical stuff. I am now going to order from Cory for a lot of the components. It will cost a couple bucks more but you guys and Cory have helped me a ton with info. Especially the top 10 things. Keep it up!!!
There is this pet store near me and it’s really small they sell fish, gerbils, hamsters, rats and sometimes they have cats up for adoption. The workers there are always really nice and willing to help and answer all my questions and they actually know what they’re talking about. There’s only a few workers since it’s such a small store and I’ve seen all of them there and they all were super nice and actually give out proper information that will give the fish and animals a good life instead of places like Petsmart were a lot of the workers don’t care and will just say put your Betta fish into a 1 gallon without water conditioner. (This pet store is in multiple locations near me, the one closest to be has nice workers, I’m not sure about the other stores)
Very interesting and informative and what you said applies just as much in the UK where I live. One of the problems I find with the small stores is just that they are small and I have looked around for a new tank but they carry little and that is understandable they take too much space. But overall the local stores go out of their way to help.
From my experience, the mom and pop stores by me seem like they’re annoyed to be asked questions or even to help customers. I’ve gone back to give them the benefit of the doubt but to no avail. That’s why now I go to the big stores, they have much better customer service.
I wish young people working in big pet stores didn’t get such a bad rep. The many times I’ve gone up to people and asked if they had any questions about the fish, and the usual response is “not that you could answer”
Then track down an older coworker and then that coworker passes them back to me because they don’t know 🙄
Mate I could talk about fish all day!
Who do u think runs the fish section?
Sadly we are limited by the big wigs on what we are supplied and the gear to care for the fish but if ur a “fish guru” (it’s what the company calls the fish people) we usually care about the fish, their well being and setting fish parents up with the proper gear, set up and compatible tank mates to look after their fishy friends.
We also really clamp down on staff members giving out any false info.
Main rule: If you don’t know, you’d can’t work in the fish section!
My friend decided to go into aquariums, her first tank was a 10gal she went to Uncle Bill's for a fish. Without any experience they sold her a Red Tailed Catfish.
Most Mom and Pop stores will quarantine their fish so the one you buy will live for more than a week. Big box buy them for 9¢ and sell them for $3.99 with free replacement if they die. Once.
love the vid!!! this's why I always go to my lfs for fish and/or frags!! when I don't find something, i walk out with at least dry goods. Make every trip count 🙂
We're lucky in Sacramento. We have a lot of good local stores and a good amount of hobbyists. However in smaller areas, the big box stores usually dominate.
Was sad to find on here that your no longer open (so sorry for that) I'm so glad that you are on here though!
Great video best part is you do it with your wife . You are truly blessed bro.
Okay I have looked around but can't find any freshwater fish that looks like the fish on the right side of the thumbnail. It shows up again around the 9:15 mark in this video. So can someone tell me what's the fish's common and Latin name? Or did they sneak a saltwater fish into this video?
Yep. Difficult to compete with big box store pricing no matter what you sell. I have same thing happen. You can purchase things I sell at a big box store for less than I can get it from my distributor. All our local pet shops have gone away. The last one with the arrival of PetSmart. Now all that is available is a generic selection of fish, limited selection of aquariums (many sold as a set only), and whatever the "flavor of the month" company product they decide to push. i.e. PetSmart used to sell Rena filters and supplies (now API). No more! Now it's Marineland, Fluval, and TopFin. Now that is not to say those are inferior products but PetSmart no longer carries any of the refill supplies for Rena/API. With no other shops in the area it's off to the internet.
The old "Mom and Pop" shops had a much better selection of fish, plants, aquariums and aquascape materials. Was very sorry to see the last one close. I did what I could. Went there all the time even after PetSmart opened. Just wasn't enough..
GREAT VID. Very informative, educational, and to the point. I know what you mean. I had a pet store a few years ago. I have now an online business and even that is not so easy, but I do hope to open a pet store again in the near future.
@ 11:08 & 11:13 “Hurry up and buy!” has me cracking tf up😂😂😂
That and Cory wants customers to bring him food cracked me up.
@@Anonymous-ft4fh I know I would eat it. I was just thinking, if people were buying he should be able to afford food.
@@Anonymous-ft4fh Ahh yes. That does refresh my memory.
I try and spend as much money as I can at my LFS but if you're broke that 4$ saving on Amazon goes a long way!!!! I think the fact that Amazon and big box stores can sell cheaper and the product companies are not willing to give the smaller stores discounts to counter act the prices, it's just a lose lose for everybody!!! Inflation and greed is what killed the fish store !!!!
It has a lot to do with volume of goods transported. The larger volume, the more cost efficient it is meaning large chain stores shipping products to a few warehouses will leave small stores just shipping product to themselves in the dust.
I forgot about my second pont. Customer service is also what you mentioned here, how I feel about the experience.
Overall, I prefer buying locally, even if I do pay more than I would on Amazon, only because this is where my neighbors and their children work. The best example for me is Micro Center. These guys do all they can to accommodate their customers. Their prices are the absolute best. Their employees are available and willing to help. Sometimes their prices can be at least significantly more than Amazon, but because the experience in the store is so good, I prefer to buy my electronics there.
The same goes with my choice between the large chains and independents. If my experience is good, then I will visit and support the independent over the large chain, despite moderate price differences.
For me, it is customer service. There are two points to this. There is a very good, longstanding local independent store, Animal Kingdom, in East Orange, NJ. The problem is that they close early - like before 7 p.m., and are closed on Sunday. I love the store, the livestock, the service, even the prices - which are very competitive with the local chain stores. However, if they are closed when I can shop, that makes me go to another source.
As to the local chains, Petco stores in this area usually employ even youth who are knowledgeable. They are not multi-tank enthusiasts, but they are almost always keepers who can talk about at least some of the species knowledgeably. I mention Petco, because at last check, they trust the employees to know what will and will not sell - even if they are not the most common species. I got a rope fish from a Petco - something I had never seen before, and have since rarely seen in independent stores.
Another hybrid option in my area has been Petland stores which are independently owned and operated. They have the benefit of the economy of scale with the variety and expertise of an independent.
Good video, but here's the opposite side of the argument. My LFS has been around as long as I have, so they're doing something right. I wish them well. But when I go in, there are only one or two overworked staff on the floor. The owner/manager hides behind his computer. I always have to wait for service. No one has time to chat, give advice or be friends. (If I offered them a taco (Cory) they'd look at me like I had two heads.)
Last week, I needed four small items for a breeder setup. I really wanted to order from Amazon, pay less and have it delivered to my door in two days. But I said to myself, "No, you need to support your local fish store." So I waited four days until I had time to make the trip. When I got to the store they had only one of the four items I needed. So I ended up ordering from Amazon anyway.
The world is changing. Taxis are hurt by Uber. Hotels are hurt by Air B&B. My own business is hurt by the Internet. There's a reason for that. If someone can deliver the same result easier, quicker and cheaper they're going to attract more customers. It's not fair, but that's the way the market works. I'm appreciate my local LFS, but I'm glad they're not my only option, and I won't feel guilty for using Amazon.
You and Lisa are amazing I was about to abandon my tank but your honestly and the way you describe every thing you know i loved this hobby more and more
I even downloaded your videos
Thanks guys for these videos you are the best.
From North of Iraq. KRG region.
Always enjoy the 10 things and tank talk videos. Your videos are always energetic and genuinely get me excited about the hobby. Keep up the good work!
I went to the local pet store, not the biggest store but still a big box i guess. The teenagers and young adults there are all keeping fish at home, and the manager doesn't but, he works there a lot and they have a lot of fish so he's pretty good. There are probably better deals online, there are probably better deals at other local stores, but they have time to talk and answer questions, they are honest about making sales, and you can tell they care about the animals. It's working well for me for now, the more i spend there the more hey are willing to help, not that i expect it it's just nice.
You must have been lucky in Petsmart. I've never found any employee who knows anything at all about fishes. Indeed some staff have even asked me for advice. They are usually just cheap labour with a couple of days training. The turn over of staff seems really quick too.
There aren't any easily accessible (by bus) freshwater fish stores near me. There's a saltwater/reef store (I've read they have some basic freshwater species, but...), and one tropical store that has lots of bad reviews (but somehow still running). Both are still a 30 minute bus trip. Then there's PetCo and PetSmart 40 minutes away among other stores I go to, so I'm more likely to stop by them.
I did find some very old references to more fish stores in my area, but seems they've gone out of business :/ I think the problem is that I live in a college town area, so there's not much demand.
Since I want nano fish for my 7 gallon, I'll have to order online, as chain stores don't really care good selections/what I'm looking for.
Erm... I helped a family in PetCo last month. But all I said was to get a heater/make sure the water is warm. You can keep a betta in cold water, but I know from lots of unfortunate experience that they're MUCH happier in warm water, and thus much more satisfying to keep. I didn't say anything about the tank size they were getting though.
I heard another employee there tell a couple and their kids that they can't keep a goldfish in the bowl they were buying, and the woman asked multiple times, "THESE fish? THESE fish here can't go in here??" I was happy to hear this advice, but then the employee recommended a betta instead and said they "don't need a heater." Then I was disappointed. Bettas are so much more livelier and happier in warm water.
Some very nice points and several things I'll be more aware when I visit the shops. I like Mom & Pop shops because the types of fish that they carry are more to my taste. I just wish they would remove more of the dead fish out of the tanks. I saw last week in a dojo tank a sign that said "very hardy" but in the tank was a dead dojo getting munched on by the others.
I have 3 lfs's that I enjoy a lot. Unfortunately, the one I've been going to the most is a good hour away from me but they are top notch with customer service (as are the other two) and had the nano fish, shrimp, and plants I wanted. One of the other lfs had my rimless tanks I wanted. I do have a Petco too that is always clean with super nice employee's too.
I haven't been into my local fish store in two years since my tank has been down. The man still called me by my name and he knows two of my children that are customers there. These two young brothers are fantastic and work very long hours. They have a faithful supply of return customers.
Petco is either hit or miss for me depending on the employee. I had a store manager say if I bought 10 fish at once (there is a deal 1 dollar a piece) they would not insure my fish. Meaning I could not bring them back if they die. I asked if that is Petco policy and he straight up said "No... That is my policy" I explained I have a 29 gallon aquarium that has been successfully cycled and has a lot of plants with 4 fish in the tank. He was kind of a jerk and it made me feel like he does not trust my knowledge. He also was confused on what tetra I wanted. He could not identify it without looking for 2 minutes at a price tag.
When I started buying fish, your local fish store was in someone's garage or that 30'x 50' room addition on their house.
I Miss working in the 2 Mon-and-Pop petshops that I used to work in. Especially now, since I'm getting back into the hobby, again. Unfortunately, we don't have too many pet shops in our area and the ones we do have are the "big box" stores. I either get the aloof response from a teenager or the condescending better-than-thou response. You would think saying "I used to work in a pet shop" would get them to shut-up, but that just seems to trigger them even worse. In fact, I refuse to go back to the one who actually had an "I can top you" attitude towards me. But, what really shocked me is how much everything cost now... even for live-bearing fish that can be easily bred at home... really, $15.99 for a guppy?! I can see about a dozen fry swimming in the grass floating on top of the tank. You didn't spend a fortune for that pet shop-grown male guppy. SMH!! (btw, I worked in shops when submersible canister filters didn't exist!)
I work at a petsmart and try to give my customers that truly want to learn the time they need to ask questions and look around, but also on that note I work at a petsmart but I drive 50 minutes once or twice a week to go to a mom and pop store for my fish supplies. And on their point of us charging you more than we pay I can give you an example I recently did. I did our fish count and counted every fish we had and was supposed to have, we had a lot that had died and if a customer had bought all those fish they would be out $450, but it only costed us $100
Thank you I’m planning on opening a aquarium shop when I turn 23-25years old and I already have a rule that if you can’t look after the fish properly then I will not give you the fish and also I will ask some questions like how big is your tank what other fish you have water parameters and how difficult you want it to be who here will buy from my aquarium shop and yes I will take special requests if we don’t have the fish you like who will buy from my shop 1st response will get 50% off every purchase😁
TropicWaters has alge in the water column, but mainly to feed plecos and others alike, the water with goldfish was PERFECTLY CLEAR, it is AWESOME, it has the smell of fish food but not ammonia, they feed heavy handed, and that is good for growing fish fast to prevent issues with N.T.S.
Awesome 👏 video as usual wish I had you 2 40 years ago when I started the hobby
I love your old vids and keep revisiting them.
Another great video guys. Hearing you talk about your store reminded me that I wanted to ask how your spine is doing now days John?
It's a life long work in progress lol. Thanks for asking!!
LFS wish I had one in Wyoming. Because I would use it. To me a local owner is better and I won't mind one bit paying more. Local owners are more personal than a chain store. Great video guys. It's a shame to see stores going out of busy because of the internet. I'm one of those shoppers who likes to see what I'm buying.
I agree with everything said in this video, but sometimes private stores have only the most expensive items such as lighting, or they'll charge you ridiculous prices for stands made of particle board. I asked about lighting the other day in a LFS and they guy said "Yeah this one is great. For just a couple hundred bucks, you'll be all set." Well maybe I don't want to spend "just a couple hundred bucks". I had to buy one on Amazon for $37.99. It can be a turn off when sales people think money is no object. It IS an object for some people. I laugh that most stands cost more than the tank. The tank is $129 and the stand is $159 or so. I feel that is a rip. You're paying ridiculous prices for the convenience of not having to make your own stand. I'll build my own...thanks..In fact, your DIY stand video is great!
thank you for making this video and offering your perspective from your experience, and of course gotta love the special guest x2! I live in VA and wish I knew about your store when it was open, I so would have come by even if it was a bit of a drive from the RVA :)
My town has one local fish shop and one big box store, through personal reasons I don’t step foot in the box store. The lady who owns it is really nice and will now order me fish in if she doesn’t have them
I still go to my local “mom and pop” stores for in-person information. These people can usually tell you WAAAY more than the internet.
In my Country, Mom and Pop pet stores rule the market.
Simply because there’s no major big box and our distributors/farms don’t normally sell to off the street people
Agrree just had a horrible experience at a local fish store. I don’t Drive so I was on a public bus for an hour and a half and was really excited to finally get to this particular store. I arrived in an employee was eating right in front of the store. No one ever took the time to say hello or welcome me to the store. I had all three employees walked by me multiple times and never said five words to me.There were fish dying in the tanks and they were dirty. I complain to the owner via Facebook and all they did was make excuses. I completely understand operating a fish store is hard but a good store should never be too busy to welcome every customer that walks in the store.
I know small business is tough. I've been watching my dad try and try to no avail. I started a lawn care and snow removal business at 12. Charged less then the big places in the area and did everything by hand kept all my own books negotiated sales and even picked up a couple extra hands. But when gas jumped during the Obama years it all crashed. I had to Raise prices to cover the gas to run the mower. And lost people over $5 extra to mow a 2 hour lawn by hand. I kept a couple jobs, had to go solo, had a minor heart attack shoveling snow. Got up and kept going. In the end my knees and back had more ware and tear then someone in their 80s.
Tried to do online sales to help my dad, help him do paperwork in my free time. I've bee. Trying to get some kind of business off the ground since I was a child and have failed every step due to economic events I had no control over and despite my struggle to stay in the black i went under. 😕
Then I was struck with a neuromuscular disorder that left me unable to do manual labor jobs and I'm currently doing office work. Paycheck to paycheck. Still want to get a business going. I just have terrible luck
To get African fish of quality you have to get them from a small pet store. The big stores do not sell those type of fish. I am lucky to have 5 stores in driving range.
Ive been watching your videos for a while now but the Dont be a menace clips added in made me lol and sub.
I love these videos, really seems like you guys put a lot of effort into these videos. Keep making more!
you should feature Ocean Aquarium in SF. A tiny story in an alleyway in the Tenderloin but a destination for the ENTIRE Bay Area...the owner does his own aquascaping, has hands down THE BEST tropical fish in the entire Bay Area, if not all of Northern California
Great info as always. Will think twice next time I'm in my local fish store!
I always buy from the LFS when they have what I am looking for. I’m certainly not looking to give money away but I also know the value of a good store. This extends to other local businesses as well. The big box stores don’t give the service that your local business does and there’s a price for everything