Recently got a job at a LFS

[Exie]

Originally Posted by acitydweller

Exie, by the first week, you get a sense of what the more popular fish are so learn about them, their environment, what their compatible with, their temperament and care requirement. These should be a minimum... Then you can branch out on the breeds and expand your knowledge that way as you would be building on what you already learned. Good luck. A new job is always exciting.

Unfortunately, the most popular fish are salt. It's a whole other world on that half of the fish room :p I am building on what I already know quite a lot, but salt is a different subject entirely.

[Silmarwen]

I would love to get a job at my LFS. Personally, I'd never buy fish online. I'd go to my little place I've got. I'm big on "local economy", and I'm willing to pay a tiny bit more to support it. Even with bus fare to and from, it still often winds up cheaper than shipping costs. I haven't gotten so deep into the hobby yet that my lfs dosen't stock what I need. I hit petco for some of the cheaper dry goods--my little suction-cup thermometer, for example--but then I swing by fish doctors for a peek at their livestock, plants, driftwood, filters, etcetc. I go just to look around, honestly!

[LB79]

My LFS is a great one. Not really local, but it's the next best thing to a public aquarium. 800 tanks, the second largest cichlid collection in the USA, the largest shop on the West Coast... and boy would I give anything to work there. I'd probably even volunteer. It's one of those that has an online site and a separate holding facility. Pretty well-though-out business.

I think it's really too bad that most LFSs are going out of business. They need our support, because we need them.

[fishyjoe24]

it's a trade off, lfs you get to see the fish first hand. but online they are cheaper but doesn't always mean a better fish. whats said is some of the lfs work on comissions and are told to sale sale sale, or how's going in to petco's and petsmart "That fish is dead aha it's just laying on it's side sleeping, or oh im sorry we will get more on X date. the allen petco knows there stuff along with a few other petsmart. it sucks the planted seen is not big, or some of the plants are over priced. just up the road from me a lfs wants 8.99 for potted plants, and a small 3 leafed nana anubias for 15.99

[JoeGREEEN]

very interesting thread here

I guess living down here in Florida (plenty of fish farms) I am spoiled with choice and value on both plants and fish.

I have glanced aquabid a few times, but I have great rapport with a few lfs owners/managers down here & they have made special orders knowing that I may only purchase a small handful of the species I requested.

As mentioned before its good to see the stock before you purchase. I have gone to a lfs with lets say a particular schooling fish in mind but leave the store with the acquisition of a bag of fish i originally did not have in mind.

and maybe I am a bit old fashioned but I do enjoy the personable exchange you get face to face. Now a days it seems like some cant be bothered to look away from their phones.

Funny the more technology provides us with conveniences & distractions, the more we multi-task our ways out of social exchange.

!oh pardon me my cell phone buzzing an email on new netflix releases.

laters

[In.a.Box]

will be hard for me to work at a pet store ... ^^ i most likely will tell customers *you can get cheap tank on craigslist and find the same filter/heater on ebay for half the price here.
can you get fired for that? LOL