Long Island LFS Tour + Franks Aquarium [Photo added]

[franksaquarium]

Originally Posted by jellie

It's always nice to dream
You must have stories.

Same story, actually. Exporter lists fish as being available, then doesn't ship for whatever reason. The problem with Belem is that it takes ten days to two weeks for me to get the fish from the time I order. Because of this delay, he often sells out of the more popular items.

Another problem is that I'm here in NY, once the home of new and interesting fish, now the home of painted glassfish and balloon mollies. It's really difficult for me to get the more interesting items as sometimes the importer can not get enough orders to make freight worthwhile. I've been waiting two months, maybe more, for my Peru order. They have to get 35 boxes to make freight. So far, they have 18, and seem to be stuck there. LOcal shops have no idea what most of the fish on the list are, and so they don't order them. Really...how much effort does it take to look these fish up online? The local ornamental fish market is the pits around here, IMO. <off soapbox>

[franksaquarium]

Originally Posted by acitydweller

Frank,

A belated thank you for having us, a dozen unwieldly hobbyists to your home. We will certainly keep tabs on your shipments and arrange for another trip out to see you soon. Looking forward to seeing your indian banded shrimp multiply. We'll remember the flashlights as well.

Best Regards,
Albert

I'm gonna install lighting. I keep saying that, but I am going to do it.

[jellie]

I wonder how much clout we have? Since we've been doing tours, I wonder if we could pester the different local shops we've been to for some of these neater species and change the fish market in the NYC area :X Get the local Aquarium Societies in with us too and I wonder how much impact we'd have.

Originally Posted by franksaquarium

Same story, actually. Exporter lists fish as being available, then doesn't ship for whatever reason. The problem with Belem is that it takes ten days to two weeks for me to get the fish from the time I order. Because of this delay, he often sells out of the more popular items.

Another problem is that I'm here in NY, once the home of new and interesting fish, now the home of painted glassfish and balloon mollies. It's really difficult for me to get the more interesting items as sometimes the importer can not get enough orders to make freight worthwhile. I've been waiting two months, maybe more, for my Peru order. They have to get 35 boxes to make freight. So far, they have 18, and seem to be stuck there. LOcal shops have no idea what most of the fish on the list are, and so they don't order them. Really...how much effort does it take to look these fish up online? The local ornamental fish market is the pits around here, IMO. <off soapbox>

[VivaDaWolf]

How much do people want them though to make it worth it? Everyone HERE might have interest, but thats a small percentage of customers.... unless of course, we buy all 400x p. hastatus.

[acitydweller]

Seems a bit too late for this year.

While building this community 2 months ago, I was afforded an opportunity to order 3 species at wholesale by lots of 100, the Hastatus cory being one of them. When this option was shared with the community, it was met with mixed interest with many comments on "Must be cheap". Not sure how much cheaper it can be than wholesale... back then, hastatus were still selling in aquabid.

The lack of interest and enthusiasm made the decision obvious and it spared me the effort and risks involved in ordering, transport, airport pickup, quarantine and the whole 9's. IME, you guys are best sourcing though retail as the organization required for a bulk wholesale order requires organization, experience and coordination. Its encouraging to see the community taking interest now in particular species. I would only recommend taking up opportunities when the come by as they may be one time chances. I hope these hastatus eventually make their ways into your community tanks... they are gorgeous little fellas.

[furnfins]

I know what Jellie means, it's very hard to find much of anything except what's popular out there for the kids. I asked a lfs I go to and used to go to 20years ago to get pygmy cory's and he just shook his head and said no...just like that. He sometimes will get something interesting but mostly it's your average cichlids, labs etc. He actually has young blue german rams right now, probably from a local person and some very nice rummy nosed tetra's, black diamond barbs but that was about it. He'll only buy what he thinks will sell, I get it really, but if you have interesting livestock the word would get out and people will visit the store. I travel to other lfs's and so does this group, I'm sure we're not the only ones. It is slim pickens here in Brooklyn. However Chris at New Island Aquarium said if there is a big enough group ordering he would order fish,ferts whatever.

[furnfins]

Originally Posted by Evilgrin

Copiague has a lot more plants at the moment the carl place store had some flooding due to sandy as well as no light for over a week so their plants suffered.

while I like both stores to Copiague store wins out I has a brighter feel and I like the layout a little bit better

Thanks, I'll be out on LI today I'd love to make a pitstop. Already told my daughter and the fiance it's a possibility so be ready,haha.
I was hoping to stop at Franks for p.cory's but he can't do it today,next Saturday, can't wait. Hope I don't see anything else I want when I go, he has such nice livestock.
By the way if anyone from Brooklyn wants to take the ride let me know. I haven't got a time yet but I like to go out there as early as Frank will allow, I hate the traffic and besides got lots of baking to do.

[franksaquarium]

Originally Posted by furnfins

I was hoping to stop at Franks for p.cory's but he can't do it today,next Saturday, can't wait. Hope I don't see anything else I want when I go, he has such nice livestock.

This Saturday is good. Around 10 am?

Frank

[franksaquarium]

Originally Posted by VivaDaWolf

How much do people want them though to make it worth it? Everyone HERE might have interest, but thats a small percentage of customers.... unless of course, we buy all 400x p. hastatus.

That's really the issue. 99% of the hobbyists don't care about rare/unusual. They want colorful, and inexpensive. The rest of us 1%ers just don't make it worthwhile for shop owners to bring in this stuff. And I put part of the blame on the shop owners. They COULD sell these fish if they took the time to learn about them. But, as one wholesaler put it: "I only bring in things that people buy, not anything I have to sell". A very shortsighted philosophy, IMO. There are many, many commercially viable fish available to the shops, but since they have no idea what these fish are, they will not take a chance on them. This is so unlike how it was in the past, when shop owners would clamor for the rare and unusual as it brought customers into the store to not only to buy these fish, but perhaps a new tank for them. IMO, shop owners just don't think that way any more. They are happy with the market they have instead of trying to build and expand on them.
I remember as a highschooler, every Saturday I'd get on my bike and ride east to Larry Mendolson's Tropical Wonderland in Bayshore to see what new stuff he got in. Then I'd ride back along Montauk Hwy to stop at the smaller shops to see what they had. The bike was equipped with panniers so if I found something I liked, I could keep them warm while riding home. Once I got home and dropped off the fish, I'd head west to check out the shops there. And every so often my dad would drive me to Ed's Aquarium in Lynbrook, which was a real treat. Sadly, those exciting days are gone.

[sunyang730]

Originally Posted by franksaquarium

That's really the issue. 99% of the hobbyists don't care about rare/unusual. They want colorful, and inexpensive. The rest of us 1%ers just don't make it worthwhile for shop owners to bring in this stuff. And I put part of the blame on the shop owners. They COULD sell these fish if they took the time to learn about them. But, as one wholesaler put it: "I only bring in things that people buy, not anything I have to sell". A very shortsighted philosophy, IMO. There are many, many commercially viable fish available to the shops, but since they have no idea what these fish are, they will not take a chance on them. This is so unlike how it was in the past, when shop owners would clamor for the rare and unusual as it brought customers into the store to not only to buy these fish, but perhaps a new tank for them. IMO, shop owners just don't think that way any more. They are happy with the market they have instead of trying to build and expand on them.
I remember as a highschooler, every Saturday I'd get on my bike and ride east to Larry Mendolson's Tropical Wonderland in Bayshore to see what new stuff he got in. Then I'd ride back along Montauk Hwy to stop at the smaller shops to see what they had. The bike was equipped with panniers so if I found something I liked, I could keep them warm while riding home. Once I got home and dropped off the fish, I'd head west to check out the shops there. And every so often my dad would drive me to Ed's Aquarium in Lynbrook, which was a real treat. Sadly, those exciting days are gone.

Yes, I blame the shop owner too. It is hard for a fish store to be interested if the shop owner him or herself does not have the interest or that they do not like to look up more information about anything available. I think you can't just stop at a spot right now. There are many times that I went to a shop and ask for stuff, they will direct me to a totally different direction. I know that they have no idea what I am talking about. I am upset when I walk out the shop. Even sometimes when I ask them, hey do you guys have cory hastatus, they will be like cory hastatus??? I guess business is a business, can't do anything without the money? But people do sometimes come forward and ask, and if you can give them more information about the fish or more information of how to take care of them and what do you need. I think the store will become more popular? People are willing to spend the time to stop by.

I don't know, maybe I just not know much about the fish shop, but I know a friend of my close down his fish store and when I first went there, my first impression is... hummmm fish... Ya, it is just fish, nothing interesting. People work at the shop barely greet anymore. I remember myself working at a retail, I will always ask the customer what they are looking for, what is the interest, and what they need it for.

I will be happy if someone came up to me and ask those question and then bring along a long conversation. It is a way to trade information and to know what people like nowadays.

Again, maybe just me thinking to wonderfully.

Originally Posted by acitydweller

Seems a bit too late for this year.

While building this community 2 months ago, I was afforded an opportunity to order 3 species at wholesale by lots of 100, the Hastatus cory being one of them. When this option was shared with the community, it was met with mixed interest with many comments on "Must be cheap". Not sure how much cheaper it can be than wholesale... back then, hastatus were still selling in aquabid.

The lack of interest and enthusiasm made the decision obvious and it spared me the effort and risks involved in ordering, transport, airport pickup, quarantine and the whole 9's. IME, you guys are best sourcing though retail as the organization required for a bulk wholesale order requires organization, experience and coordination. Its encouraging to see the community taking interest now in particular species. I would only recommend taking up opportunities when the come by as they may be one time chances. I hope these hastatus eventually make their ways into your community tanks... they are gorgeous little fellas.

I don't remember you offering that at all. LOL so I do not know. If I know that time, I will do it.

[houseofcards]

Originally Posted by franksaquarium

..Ed's Aquarium in Lynbrook, which was a real treat. Sadly, those exciting days are gone.

Wow, you just brought back a memory. I remember going to Ed's in Queens and then when we moved there was also one in Farmingdale. Ed's had a nice design I think it was cave-like and I agree it was a special place to go for fish.

[RWaters]

Originally Posted by houseofcards

Wow, you just brought back a memory. I remember going to Ed's in Queens and then when we moved there was also one in Farmingdale. Ed's had a nice design I think it was cave-like and I agree it was a special place to go for fish.

Same here. I remember visiting Ed's in Roosevelt Field. A dark, cave-like interior with all these wonderfully colorful, brightly lit aquariums. It was definitely magical and almost certainly what got me started in the hobby.

[franksaquarium]

Originally Posted by houseofcards

Wow, you just brought back a memory. I remember going to Ed's in Queens and then when we moved there was also one in Farmingdale. Ed's had a nice design I think it was cave-like and I agree it was a special place to go for fish.

I remember going to the one in Lynbrook, and seeing small plastic containers of killifish eggs on the counter (don't remember the species). After all these years, that's what really sticks out in my mind, aside from the wide variety of fish.
If you were lucky enough, you got invited to see the fish in holding in the basement, something I never got to do while the store was open. Many years ago, though, the landlord of the building contacted the NY Aquarium, asking if we wanted the tanks in the basement, and whatever equipment was there. Of course, we went and started picking through things. Rows upon rows of 2' x 2' tanks, plus some standard sized tanks, lots of fiberglass tubs, and lots of foods, medications, and misc. stuff. I think all the tanks are gone now. Some cracked, some leaked. I wish I had taken some of them home with me. The tubs eventually delaminated and had to be disposed of. We left a lot there, which were lost when the building was demolished to make way for a swimming pool store. Long Island used to have lots of really neat stores and, to me, today's shops pale by comparison. Or perhaps it's just the rose colored glasses my memory wears when thinking of these things. Nah!

[houseofcards]

That's a nice story Frank. Probably a combination of age and concept that makes you feel it's not the same. The Cave concept of Ed's definitely had that escape type feel for me and got me hooked. The only store that I think came close to giving me that type of feeling in recent memory was the Aquarium Adventure store in Carles Place. Unfortunately the reality of keepiing a 9000 sq ft store didn't work out.

[sonicpath]

just came across a Japanese aquarium shop, Y we can't have one here?

http://www.woxihuan.com/26705704/134...html?isalbum=1