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Ordering Fish (1 Viewer)

On occasion I might get some dry goods online but in general I buy all my livestock from a good LFS or trusted member.
For me fish doesn't equal fish. I want to be able to see if the fish eat well or how his behavior is. Is it a shy fish or a happy swimmer etc. Also not every fish from the same kind looks the same as color and pattern are sometimes not exactly what I was looking for. All those factors are important to me when getting a new fish.
All LFS where I go to are always willing to feed them for me or help me when I am not 100% sure with my choice if that particular fish would do well in my tank or with other livestock I already have.
Besides that the LFS I usually visit were always able to get me what I was looking for if they don't have them in stock.

Just my personal thoughts.
 
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Thank you for the information. I have not come across them in my search but I will watch out for them now.
 
FWIW -

I have never bought a fish from an online vendor. I bought a Sea Cucumber about 3 years ago during a group buy through the club - that's it.

Otherwise - all LS I have are always from a club member or one of our LFS who will hold/QT for some time for me. I make sure to set it up before hand to make sure they are cool with it.

As long as I am willing to throw the money there beforehand - any LFS will find, order, QT/ and hold for me.

If said fish doesn't work out - they always order another or credit my deposit
 
I just haven't seen anything interesting at the LFS over the last few years and this lead me to order online. The last few fish I did get, were either through LA or from Petco. After cutting my teeth successfully with a few hard to raise fish, I've selected a fish that's hard to come by. I've contacted some of the local sources and the only ones that show up on their lists are larger than I want. So I'm trying to source this on my own and hoping for reasonable success.
 
Jason is awesome!! He's gotten fish in and I mention I'd like to have that fish, he will upfront tell me "I'm still trying to get him to eat, let me put him on hold a few days and let you know if he's safe to take home." That to me is what LFS are great at doing, take care of me and I'll be back for more :). With the zoo I have at home I'm out there every week lol.
 
Which Jason are you referring to? :laugh: I spoke to Jason at Petco yesterday and he unwillingly turned me away. The fish I'm after is not in the store's system yet.
You are correct though, for this hobby, a store should provide customer service on that level. By doing that, it puts a uncomfortable edge on the others that are unwilling to commit that much to making a profit. It is a clear dividing line between stores that deserve your business and the ones who are not interested in creating and maintaining a relationship with the customer.
 
Regarding my comment earlier about Petco- Jason at the Minnetonka location has done an truly remarkable job driving the marine fish program within Petco. The really important part is when one puts this work it in the context of the constraints Petco as a corporation puts on their department heads. From my understanding and readings online Petco is incredibly limited with regards to changing their service delivery models. One aquatic section to another one Petco is the same as another Petco. Jason has found a way to break down these barriers which most other Petco departments, across the nation, have not.

This ability is rare and valuable in the marketplace.

That said, it’s pisses me off when I see fish at a Petco which have absolutely no business doing there. I group stores based on my perceived expertise level which is primarily bases on what I assume their clientele is. Petco I assume (my assumption here) trends to the more inexperienced customers in general. When I see a Achilles tang in a 12x24 cube making its own waves due to lack of current it pisses me off. (Disclaimer: I’m currently killing an Achilles tang in a much different environment). A Melon Butterfly at Petco I feel have an extremely unlikely long term life ahead of it. When a 8”-10” Regal Angle can’t even turn around in the Petco cubes I feel this is wrong. (Disclaimer: Fish was on hold, I assume was just being tanked as a transfer from one customer to another)

What Jason can do extremely well is get the more common fish from quality wholesalers at prices hard to beat due to Petco’s buying power. When one get’s off the beaten path with more specific requests he’s restrained into what/from where he can get things in my experience.
 
Regarding online vs. LFS: For myself the underlying driver for online purchases is I want the thrill/excitement/challenge that comes with removing one link in the chain of custody for the specimens I care for which comes from online ordering.
 
I agree with you Jason has done amazing things for this location of Petco and I am always happy to return the favor with my business. Unfortunately, I gravitate more towards the uncommon and hard to find. So, I do not see many things there other than occasional hard goods that appeal to me now.
As for your Achilles? Why would you want to kill it? I've had mine now for around 4 years. It's doing well and quite healthy. I've even helped another person in the hobby get one and get it going for them.
I will never say anything negative about Jason there at Petco. He does a lot for the hobby, if you are either in the store or over the phone.
As for online vs. the LFS, I look at it as a risk, getting something via the internet but it is now a necessary risk because what I look for is just hard to impossible to find this far from either coast.
 
Not trying to kill. Statement was intended to demonstrate that the fish I felt was improper for the store I am also having a difficult time with.

PM Sent!
 
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