Fish Stores

[nudy6969]

where do fish stores get their fish, corals and merchandise from. im guessing its from marinedepot, dr foster and smith, and liveaquaria.

[Doc]

no. they tend to get their fish from wholesale companies or direct from divers from certain locations. The fish from divers is DIRT CHEAP, which is where they make their money. It is not easy to hook up with those folks, and you need to be in the business a while to get those connections.

-Doc

[Bifferwine]

Yep, Doc is right. My LFS gets all of his livestock from wholesalers in Florida and California.

[Doc]

Originally Posted by Bifferwine

Yep, Doc is right. My LFS gets all of his livestock from wholesalers in Florida and California.

My guy gets fish right from the Caribbean and they are really cheap, like $8.00 for a blue angelfish, which gets turned around and sold for $65. Not a bad way to do business.

-Doc

[nudy6969]

wow thats a big profit.

[UnderwaterWorld]

they also have crazy overhead cost at fish stores, at least the ones doing it right though, it is also how they make their money, it's their job, their families depend on it, I know your not attacking it, but I just wanted to point this out for anything else. I'd rather pay that much for a fish and help one person make a honest living then pay $30 for a shirt that a 10 year old made for 5 cents with all the profit going to some corporation.

[Doc]

Originally Posted by UnderwaterWorld

they also have crazy overhead cost at fish stores, at least the ones doing it right though, it is also how they make their money, it's their job, their families depend on it, I know your not attacking it, but I just wanted to point this out for anything else. I'd rather pay that much for a fish and help one person make a honest living then pay $30 for a shirt that a 10 year old made for 5 cents with all the profit going to some corporation.

Heaven's no. I am not attacking it at all. I love my LFS guy. I want him to make as much money as he can cuz he is honest and works hard. I am all for it. He charges a bit more than another guy down the block, but he can be an ass and I like my guy so it is worth paying an extra $5 for a fish or coral.

-Doc

[UnderwaterWorld]

exactly, ditto

[reefer2b]

My closest lfs gets his shipped in which is why he has problems with his fish. The next two both drive down to Atlanta and pick out their own fish from a dealer down there. They all cost about the same but the 2 that go pick up their fish seem to have healthier fish.

[kevinsimons]

The ONLY LFS guy here in SF who hasn't steered me wrong (Chris from Aquatic Central, on Ocean Blvd in San Francisco - yeah, that's a plug) isn't making any money (yet)... but runs an incredibly clean operation. Fair prices and he doesn't sell stuff that's "wrong" (i.e., sensitive habitat, animals that don't live long in captivity, etc). He gets his stock from lots of different places. I've also met a couple people in Hawaii who harvest fish for the trade - they get $1 per fish; they collect using scuba gear and nets. Talk about a tough way to make a living...